Eunice turned her attention back to the present as she let out a small giggle and sat down, purse in her lap, and crossed her legs at the ankle like the lady she was.?
“Hey, Mrs. Wilder,” Sutton said, twitching in her seat. Sutton never looked shook to the core, but for some reason, she was anxious, and I could feel it radiating off her from across the table.
“Let me get y’all a round,” I said, shooting Sutton a gentle, pleading smile that I hoped let her know I was there if she needed anything. She looked up and offered me a quick, fake grin in return.?
Lee crossed my path and went over to his momma, kissing her on the cheek. I busied myself behind the bar and watched the two of them interact. I wished she would tell Lee, of all people, about her history and connection to this place—and more importantly, my family.?
I dropped a round of drinks off at the table and caught the tail end of a conversation between Lee and Eunice.?
“It’s just been really nice having you home,” she told her son.?
He smiled and grabbed her hand on top of the table. “It’s been really nice to be home, Momma. There’s someone I want you to meet.”?
Lee got up and gently coaxed Janelle from her seat, and I moved behind the bar, trying to stay out of the way. Sutton joined me, her eyes twinkling with curiosity, while Charlie took his spot on the other side. We all watched like a bunch of nosy neighbors as Eunice leaned in to hug Janelle, both women exchanging Southern pleasantries that were as sweet as molasses.
The room felt charged, like everyone was waiting for something to snap. One by one, my friends’ eyes flicked to me, like they were anticipating a reaction. Charlie’s attempt to hold back a grin didn’t quite work, and Sutton’s smirk was barely concealed. It was as if they were all silently bracing themselves, expecting some dramatic shift from me—as if I might throw my hands up, or maybe just say something that would turn the moment on its head. You know, like I had a tendency to do.
“I’m fine, y’all!” I threw my hands up and hollered a tad too loudly, making Sutton jump out of her skin and a few of the nearby guests’ heads turn my way.?
“You sure you’re okay?” my brother asked, reaching behind me to grab a bottle of vermouth for a very stressed-out looking Doyle.?“You’re screeching and getting crazy eyes.”
“Yes, Charlie, I’m fine. Look at him! He’s happy. I’m happy. This is how it’s all supposed to be,” I said.?
I couldn’t help but smile as I looked around the room. Thiswasexactly how it was supposed to be—just what I had always imagined for myself when I was younger. All those big dreams were finally coming true for all of us—including me this time.
Except, were any of ustrulyhappy??
***
Lee finished his last set, and the crowd began to thin out. As Sutton, Charlie, Lee, and I cleaned up, I looked around at the now-empty bar, a wave ofsadness washing over me as last call came and went. I wasn’t ready for the night to be over.
We scrubbed, polished, and cleaned up shards of glass all around. Once O’Malley’s started looking like her old self again, I was suddenly anxious to shoo everyone out of the bar to do the one thing I had been dying to do all night.?
Count the money.?
“I’m heading out. Sutton, can I walk you home?” My brother’s eyes were bloodshot, and it reminded me of just how exhausted I was myself.?
“I’ll come by and help you finish cleaning in the morning, Magnolia.” Sutton yawned, scooting behind the bar. She’d spent most of the night acting weird, and her bum-rushing out the door didn’t help my anxiety over her mental state.?
“Thanks, guys,” I called out, locking up behind them.?
And then it was just me and Lee, alone yet again.?
I ambled tiredly behind the bar, my arms heavy with exhaustion, plunging my hands into the soapy water. The warmth bit at my skin, but I kept scrubbing, focusing on the swirl of bubbles instead of the man moving around the tables. Across the room, Lee stacked empties with a practiced ease that spoke of muscle memory from years of playing bar back for Uncle Cole. When he stepped behind the bar to shelve the glasses, the space between us felt impossibly small, and I couldn’t help the way my shoulders tensed, waiting for him to say something. Anything.
“Tonight was a success, if I had to guess. Financially, I mean,” he said, coming up behind me to grab some more beer mugs.?
I was hyper-aware of how close in proximity we were doing this simple, tedious task, but it didn’t stop my hands from shaking. I was very thankful they were submerged.?“And personally, too. It looked like your girlfriend and your momma were getting along pretty famously.”?
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him nod as he rearranged the mess of bottles onto their appropriate shelves. “I think so. I mean, they’re both so worried about their image, neither one of them would really say if they had an opinion otherwise.”?
I chuckled softly. “Well, even still, it was a great night. I’ll never be able to thank you enough for doing this.”?
Without warning, he grabbed me and spun me toward him, catching mecompletely off guard. I gasped, my soap-soaked hands slapping against my jeans, leaving wet handprints. My brain short-circuited for a second.What even just happened?I froze, my eyes locked on his, my heart deciding now was a great time to throw in some extra beats for dramatic effect. He just stood there, holding me close, like this was the most natural thing in the world, while I was still trying to remember how to breathe—or function like a normal human being.
I didn’t want to move. I didn’t want to make a sound. But, more than anything, I didn’t want him to let me go. The thought of why I was feeling this way gnawed at me—like if I admitted how much I needed him, I’d be opening a door I’d sworn to keep shut. It terrified me. What if this was more than just a moment? What if it was the beginning of something I wasn’t ready for… or worse, something I couldn’t survive losing again?
“Say the word, Maggie, and all of this ends. Just tell me, straight out, that you want me. That you want to be withme. That everything we ever wanted when we were kids, all the dreams we had, that we can have them together. I’ll send Janelle away. Hell, I’ll call off the buyout, and we can have a million nights like this and get you on your feet again.”?
