Chapter Six
Ipulledinto my overgrown driveway, parking behind Zoey’s car. Apparently she had decided not to stay with Sadie and Ashtontonight.
With a turn of my key, the engine quieted and I could hear the cicadas chirping all around me, probably forming colonies in my ankle-high lawn.Mental note. Cut the grass tomorrow morning.Not that I felt like I’d have the energy. My arms were tired from cleaning tables, mopping floors, and serving. My legs were tired from standing all day. But it was beyond aworking hardkind of tired. It was a deep inside, emotionalexhaustion.
With heavy steps, I made it to the front walk, where I spotted something on the front door steps. It was a box wrapped in pink and sage ribbons that screamed Dumont kind of gift. Only in Ashton’s family’s social circle would anyone wrap something in such beautiful finery. I went to the front stoop and studied the package as if it contained a bomb instead of a gift. A note tucked where the ribbons crossed read AveryDixon.
I retrieved the package, headed inside, dropped my keys in the dish on the side table, and collapsed on the couch to further analyze the box. Upon further investigation, I noticed my name was written in Dylan’s unmistakable squiggly script. Apparently the army hadn’t improved his handwriting skills. I opened the note that simplyread:
You said I didn’t know you, but I know you better than anyone elsedoes.
My throat tightened. What did that mean? I sat for several minutes, promising myself that I wouldn’t openit.
Curiosity won, so I pulled the ribbon off the box. I took off the lid, placed it by my side, and then opened the white tissue paper, where I discovered a silver bracelet with three charms: a typewriter, a globe, and amagnolia.
I knew without needing an explanation that the typewriter was to represent my childhood dream of being a world-famous novelist, a globe to represent seeing the world, and a magnolia to remind me to always comehome.
Tears welled in my eyes, but I blinked them away. My sisters would know my dreams of traveling the world, and I’d told them that I’d always come home to Magnolia Corners, but no one, not even my sisters, knew I had dreamed of being a writer. Only Dylan knew that. Heck, even I’d forgotten since I hadn’t dared to dream of anything since…since Dylan hadleft.
I caught sight of another note in the bottom of thebox.
My only goal in life now is to make all your dreams come true. Wear this bracelet to always remind you to pursue yourdreams.
Zoey came out of the back bedroom. “Hey,sis.”
I hurried to hide the box, but I wasn’t fastenough.
“Whatcha gotthere?”
“Nothing.” I tucked the bracelet into the couch cushion at my side. “What are you doinghere?”
“Thought I’d spend the night with you instead of at the tiny little six-thousand-square-foot home of our sister and Ashton. I get lost in that place.” Zoey leaned down and slid her hand between the couch cushions, retrieving thebracelet.
I grabbed for it, but apparently my exhaustion had caused my reflexes to dull. “It’s not amansion.”
“Might as well be.” Zoey nestled in by my side on the couch, forgetting our personal space conversation, and held the bracelet in front of her eyes, inspecting it like a jewelry dealer. “What’sthat?”
“Um…agift.”
“From Dylan?” She eyed it, tilted her head, and then looked atme.
I only noddedaffirmation.
She smiled. “It’s pretty, but I don’t get it. Why the world charm and some archaic device people used to writewith?”
“It’s a typewriter, and I used to use Mom’s old one when I wasyounger.”
“Because we couldn’t afford a computer and we had to turn in typed papers. Doesn’t he want to give you something more useful, like a laptop forschool?”
“This isn’t about school.” I snatched it back when she wasn’t payingattention.
Zoey shrugged. “Gee… For a man trying to win you back, he sure doesn’t know what to giveyou.”
“He gave me everything,” I whispered without thinkingfirst.
“What do you mean?” Zoey gave me her best I’m-not-leaving-until-you-spilllook.
With a heavy sigh, I set the bracelet back in the box. “It’s just some silly childhood fantasies. The charms represent traveling to the exotic places I once dreamed of going, the magnolia for returning to home, and the typewriter for writing anovel.”
