A tea kettle whistled on Sadie’s end. Ginny smiled, knowing Sadie was likely making Dakota a cup for after his run.
“I’m content, Sadie. Really, I am. My joy isn’t in who I’m dating… and I barely run into Ryan anymore anyways. I’m just a little…”
She questioned whether she should admit the full truth to her friend—that she was lonely in this new season of life. That she feltbehind,somehow, when it came to her siblings. “I’m just a little off, that's all. Melody Man is a nice distraction, though.”
A small truth. She honestly couldn’t wait to go back to the record store to see if he’d responded to her last message.
“If that’s all it is… A distraction does sound promisin’.”
“Yup. I’m properly preoccupied.” Ginny thought she might even make her way back to the store that afternoon to drop off a note if her meeting with Georgia went quickly.
With perfect timing, the bell over the shop door rang, welcoming Georgia and Lake, hand-in-hand and gazing at their daughter who tottered straight to the glass case where the treats were held. She greeted the new manager, Chloe, with a smilethat Ginny knew meant Davey would be getting a cookie on the house.
Ryan glided in behind them, likely coming straight there from after work, still dressed in sweats and a well-worn, gray Sugartree Elementary sweatshirt. He was quite possibly the only person who didn’t look foolish with the school’s mascot, a purple armadillo, across his chest.
“Hey, Sadie girl. Georgie just got here with, um… the whole crew. I gotta go,” she said, waving at them to join her.
“Thewholecrew?” Sadie asked, suspiciously.
Ginny released a hurried sigh, “A couple significant members, yes.”
“Alright. Keep me updated on Melody Man, alright? You’re a strong and brave and beautiful, intelligent unicorn. Ryan’s a dummy. And I love you endlessly.”
Ginny smiled. “Love you back. Pinch Kota for me.”
She hung up the phone and scooted out her chair just in time to scoop Davey into her arms and bury her nose in her niece’s neck until she giggled wildly, filling Good Start with the perfect sound of her squeals.
“Nooooo, Aunt Gin,” Davey screeched, arching her back and legs away from Ginny to no avail. “It tickies.”
“Oh?” Ginny barely pulled back, a pro at this game. “It tickies, huh?”
Davey nodded, her curly blonde hair tossing with the exaggerated movement.
“What if I do this?!” She launched herself back into Davey’s neck and relished the sounds of her deep laugh. When she’d had her fill, Ginny kissed Davey’s cheek and set her on her lap, straddling Davey’s legs over her waist. “Okay, girl chat, Davey Baby. What kinda cookie did ya get today?”
Davey held up the cookie she’d clung to for dear life. “Marshemewwo.”
“Yummy. Looks tasty. Ya gonna share that with your favorite Aunt Gin?
Davey looked at the cookie, a spark of adoration in her eyes. Then her bright baby blues turned back to Ginny as she shook her head back and forth. “No, fank you.” She shoved a fistful into her mouth and smiled wide, marshmallow and chocolate covering her lips.
Ginny gasped. “Brutal, Davey Baby.”
“She’s nevernotgonna be the cutest,” Ryan said, approaching the table with a mug in his hand. “Even when she eats like an animal. She came by that cookie with a fluttering of her eye lashes and that classic Remillard smile. Poor Chloe didn’t stand a chance.”
“It’s true. I’m pretty sure she gets something from Chloe every time she's in here nowadays. Though I’m sure Sadie did the same.” Ginny had liked reconnecting with Chloe over the past couple of weeks. Chloe, though more shy than her sisters, was easy to talk to. Ginny had learned she'd been working her way through culinary school at the Art Institute of Atlanta and was hoping to get a job as a personal chef.
But seeing Chloe behind Good Start’s counter rather than Sadie gave Ginny just the slightest prickle of sadness. She felt homesick for her old normal.
Ginny turned Davey around on her lap and shrugged playfully. “Pretty sure Davey Baby, here, got all her morecutequalities from me.”
“She’s the spitting image,” he retorted, pulling out the chair opposite of Ginny and taking a seat. “Hope you don’t mind, but Georgia invited me here for your meeting.”
Hope you don’t mind if I just drool on the floor at the sight of you swooning over my niece.
“So, Georgie roped you into something, didn’t she?” Ginny said, with surprising aplomb and an all too knowing grin.
Georgia had taken over as Sugartree’s Town Director after Lana Peter’s retirement in early spring. Lana and her husband now spent half their time in a camper, roaming up and down the east coast, while Georgia managed to be a kick-butt wife and mother, successful small-business owner of her own private marketing company, and now, Town Director. She was currently planning Sugartree’s Bicentennial Celebration and had asked Ginny to sign on to help.
