“And art,” he agreed. “I hate that it’s been destroyed like this.”
“It all happened so fast.” Her throat tightened. “I’d forgotten about some of these books. They were special—some limited editions, some autographed. I can never get them back.”
He rested a hand over hers. “I’m so sorry. I wish there was something I could do.”
“Me too,” Evie replied. “But there’s nothing anyone can do now. It helps that you’re here though.” She patted his hand.
“I talked to my students about your fire and used it as an example of how unexpected things can happen in life.”
“I hope you didn’t scare them.”
“No, I tried to keep it light. But they were interested, since they’ve all seen the building since the fire. They wanted to talk about it. It helps for them to be able to process things that happen. This fire has impacted everyone in the community.”
Evie took a bite of lamington. The chocolate and coconut blended together and complemented her coffee nicely. Just then, Bea arrived with Aidan. They stepped through the door and greeted Evie and David, then ordered coffee and cakes. Evie ordered another drink, this time a tea.
“I miss your café,” Evie whispered across the table.
Bea sighed. “I know. Me too.”
They chatted about their families and what was going on in their lives for a few minutes before Bea raised the topic they’d met to discuss.
“We need to talk about our businesses,” she said.
Evie nodded and pushed the empty lamington plate to the side. “I suppose the first question we should both answer is, do we want to rebuild?”
Bea exchanged a glance with Aidan. “I’ve thought about this a lot, and I’ve decided I don’t want to start over again. I might buy an existing café in the future and keep it as an investment rather than running it on my own. I’ve learned so much about the business and how to be successful, I’d hate to lose all of that knowledge and experience. But for now, I have no desire to rebuild my business. I loved that place, I put everything into it, and it’s gone.”
Evie gaped. She hadn’t expected that of Beatrice. She knew how much her friend enjoyed running the café and had thought she’d never walk away it. Not after how hard she’d worked to build up her customer base and her roster of experienced staff.
“I’m sorry to hear that.” Evie bit down on her lower lip. She wanted to cry. Her heart broke for Bea and what they’d each lost.
Bea reached for Aidan’s hand and laced her fingers through his. “It’s okay. I’m going to be fine. Aidan has decided to take an extended leave from his job. Of course, David already knows that since he’s Aidan’s new boss.”
David smiled. “What will you do with the time off?”
“We’re going to travel. We’ve always wanted to, and now we have the opportunity,” Aidan replied.
Bea added. “I couldn’t have left the café unattended for long and even though I’m sad over losing it, I’m choosing instead to see it as our chance to do all the things we’ve dreamed of doing. Right, honey?”
Aidan kissed the tip of her nose. “That’s right. We’re going to see the world and have some adventures, and when we come back, maybe we’ll pick up where we left off, or maybe we’ll do something completely new and different. But we’ve got plenty of time to think about it.”
Evie shook her head. “I think I’ve come to the same conclusion. I don’t want to start over again. It’s too hard, all of it. I’m devastated, but also a little bit excited about the idea of doing something different. I’m sad for my staff, especially Janice. But she told me not to worry, she’d find something else. And Bradford offered me a job, so I think I’m going to take it.”
“What? Really?” Bea cocked her head to one side. “Brad offered you a job? What kind of job?”
“He’s opening an office here on the island. He’s going to find out if our landlord will let him build it on the site.”
“That’s a great idea,” Aidan said.
“He’s asked me to run it. I think it might be fun. Besides, it’s so much easier than managing my own business. I’ll get a paycheck and holidays. Imagine that!”
Bea laughed. “It sounds good. That’s a big relief. I was worried about you. I thought I was letting you down by walking away, but now I’ll be able to finally let it go.”
“You’re not letting me down,” Evie assured her. “It’s probably time for me to do something new. I’ve done the same thing for so long that I don’t know where to begin making changes in my life, but I’m going to try.”
Everything was changing. Some of the items she’d lost in the fire were irreplaceable. Some were sentimental, others valuable. But the biggest thing she’d lost was her confidence — the feeling that the future was solid and her life path was well established. That feeling was gone, and instead, she’d been shaken to her core. The fights with her sister, their reconciliation, the loss of the bookshop and darkroom—all of it had left the ground beneath her feet unstable. She looked at David, who rested a hand on her back. She could get used to having him around — another new thing to adjust to, but one she hoped to enjoy for a long time.
“I almost forgot,” David said. “I have something for you which is pertinent given the conversation we’ve just had.”
