“This is crazy.” I stare at my bestie.
“It is, but it kind of feels right.” She grins. “I have a work thing tonight, otherwise I’d grab us a bottle of wine and talk about it, but we need to talk more about this. I’m excited. The three of us boss bitching our way through Silver Valley.” She grins.
I nod and wish her a good night as she disappears out the door. I sit with the folder. Going through every page. Everyspreadsheet. All the projections. It’s solid. Really solid. This could work. We could really do this. I pull out my phone.
SLOANE: Random question. What’s your town like? For someone thinking about moving there?
JAX: Thinking about moving here?
SLOANE: Hypothetically.
JAX: Hypothetically, it’s great. Small but growing. Good schools if you have kids. Low crime. Everyone knows everyone, which is either charming or annoying, depending on the day. Why?
SLOANE: Just curious. Doing some research.
JAX: Research for what?
SLOANE: Nothing specific. Just exploring options.
JAX: Sloane?
I stare at my phone. I could tell him. Could explain about the business. Could ask his opinion. But something holds me back.
SLOANE: Just an idea, that’s all.
JAX: Okay. Well, if you want to know more about the town, I’m happy to give you a tour, whenever you want.
SLOANE: Thanks. I’ll keep that in mind.
I set my phone down, open my laptop, and pull up the listing again. The gift shop and coffee house. My future. Our future. Maybe. I save all the photos. Bookmark the listing. And then I call Dr. Chen and schedule an emergency session.
“So, you’re thinking about buying a business with your sister and best friend?” Dr. Chen says, making notes. “In a small town. Near Jax?”
“Maybe. I don’t know. It’s crazy, right?”
“Why is it crazy?” She smirks.
“I just got out of a nine-year relationship. Because I barely know Jax. Because I’d be making a huge life decision based on feelings instead of logic.”
“Would you?” Dr. Chen sets down her pen. “Walk me through this. If Jax didn’t exist, if you’d never met him, would you still be interested in this business?”
I think about it. Really think about it.
“Yes,” I admit. “It’s exactly what I’d want. The creativity of it. The community aspect. Building something that’s mine. Yeah. I’d still want it.”
“See, this isn’t about Jax,” Dr. Chen states.
“Guess not, but maybe partly about Jax. I can’t pretend it’s not. The fact that it’s in his town ... that matters.”
“Of course it does. But it’s not the primary reason. The primary reason is the business itself. Jax is a factor, but not the deciding factor.” She leans forward. “Here’s what I’m hearing. You found something that excites you. Something that aligns with what you want out of life. And you’re scared to pursue it because you’re worried it looks impulsive or that you’re making decisions based on a man.”
“Yes. Exactly that.”
“But, Sloane, you’ve spent the last month doing the work. Self-reflection. Figuring out who you are outside of Chett. You’re not the same person who left him. You’re not making decisions from a place of desperation or avoidance. You’re making them from a place of clarity.”
“It doesn’t feel clear. It feels terrifying,” I confess.
“Good things usually are.” She smiles. “I’m not going to tell you what to do. But I will say this. Don’t let fear of judgment stop you from pursuing something that could make you happy. Whether that’s this business, or Jax, or both.” Dr. Chen gives me something to think about.
