Chapter 1
Jordan
“Just like that, Penny. Maybe swing Autumn around in a circle.”
Click, Click, Click
“That’s perfect, ladies!” I exclaim to my best friend and her daughter as they continue to follow my direction in front of the backdrop of crashing ocean waves. I continuously click the shutter button on my camera, so I don’t miss a single moment because the mother-daughter duo is incredibly photogenic.
I quickly check the photos and decide that I have more than enough shots. “I think we got it,” I tell Penny.
“I can’t wait to see the final edits,” she says as we trudge our way through the sand back towards her apartment that sits above her parents' coffee shop.
The weather was perfect today and since it is the end of tourist season, the beach was scattered with only locals who were enjoying the sunshine before the cold sets in. Penny and Autumn showed up to Beach Brew Coffee House dressed in matching black T-shirts, jean shorts, and checkered Vans, and I decided it was the perfect occasion for a mini photoshoot after we closed the shop.
“You two needed new family photos. You haven’t had any taken since Autumn was a baby.”
“Ugh, I know,” she groans. “Between taking care of a four-year-old and now managing the coffee shop, I don’t even think about these things anymore. I mean the last one hundred photos of us have all been selfies, for crying out loud.”
“It’s not your fault the gram makes it look like everyone has a perfect family with enough time and money to take professional photos once a month. You’re in the majority, not the minority.”
“Well, thanks for saying that. It makes me feel just a tiny bit better knowing that maybe I’m not failing epically at this single parent thing.”
“If you only saw what I saw, then you would realize that what you think is an epic failure is in reality a raging success.”
“Can you just follow me around twenty-four-seven to boost my ego and be my hype girl?” she asks with a dramatic sigh.
I laugh at her because this woman is the epitome of a successful single mom. She’s doing the damn thing. To top it off, she has a village surrounding her with support and love, and all she can think of is she’s not doing enough for her daughter. I want to be her when I grow up.
I feel a tug on my hand as Autumn pulls me out of my thoughts. “Are you going to come over for dinner, Auntie Jay? Mommy put chicken in the crock pot.”
“Hmm, I don’t know.” I jokingly think hard, tapping my finger to my chin. “Only if it’s your mama's famous crack chicken.”
“It is! It is!” she screeches.
“And only if there’s cookies and cream ice cream for dessert,” I say, turning my head to give Penny a sly smile. Because if there’s one thing I know about my best friend, it’s thatshe hides the ice cream in the back of the freezer so she can eat it after Autumn goes to bed. She’s greedy like that.
“You are so bad,” she grits out between her teeth, showcasing a fake smile.
“Please, please, please, mommy!” Autumn begs with a highly calculated quiver lip.
“Fine, yes!” she says, tickling her daughter into a fit of giggles. We all know Penny can’t say no to the infamous quiver lip. It gets her every time. But little does Autumn know; I was already invited over.
We ascend the stairs that sit between the coffee shop and the empty retail space next door. When we reach their two-bedroom apartment, I can smell the scent of my favorite meal wafting through the door. She makes me her famous crack chicken almost every other time I come over and my tastebuds are salivating as we walk into her apartment.
We fall into a groove, dishing out plates and food like we have for the past year. I started working for Penny’s parents, who just recently decided to take a step back from the everyday hustle and bustle of the business, about a year and a half ago. It took about six months for Penny to infiltrate my heart and a big part of that was her daughter's relentless nagging about becoming my friend. I didn’t know it at the time, but they would become the biggest balm on my soul and most importantly, a part of my family. It became routine for us to do a mandatory girl's day at least once a week from there on out. But since Penny took over managing Beach Brew six months ago, we try to get together at least twice a month to make sure we aren’t letting work rule our lives.
“So, when are you going to quit the coffee shop and start doing your photography full time?” Penny asks out of the blue.
I push my food around my plate, giving serious thought to her question. “Are you asking as my boss or my friend?”
“Both. As your boss, I’m going to need you to give me two weeks’ notice when you quit so I can hire someone new, and as your friend, I know your talent is unmatched and I’m wondering when you’re going to start taking your business seriously.”
I sigh because it’s not like we haven’t had similar conversations before. “I just started advertising myself online. I haven’t had many people reach out though. You know how it goes.” I shrug my shoulders, the excuse easily falling from my lips. I’ve barely advertised, but the two families that I did take photos ofwereamazing.
“I’ll fire you then.”
My gaze snaps to hers. “Excuse me?” I question and narrow my eyes. “You wouldn’t dare.”
