“You do?” Callie lights up with hope.
He nods. Then, without further explanation, he disappears behind the store to an outside shed. After unlocking it, he goes in, then comes back a few minutes later with paint cans in hand. To my dismay, the paint we’re presented with gives us little to work with.
“Brown again?” The words escape me before I have a chance to run them through my filter.
The group of volunteers turn their attention to me.
“It’s the same color it’s always been,” Hal says by way of explanation.
“That’s my point. I know the structural stuff is important. But how will anyone know the building’s updated if it looks the same on the outside? If we’re going to improve the place, we should, you know,improve the place.”
“But that’s going to cost money. Should we ask the town council to use the rest of the funds for paint?” Callie suggests uncertainly.
I’m as conflicted as Callie is. Completely depleting the funds for one project when many other places are in just as dire need as the convenience store makes overall progress seem hopeless.
“I have all kinds of paint in the back,” Hal offers.
“What colors?” I raise a skeptical brow.
Hal grunts. “What color are you thinking?”
I look up thoughtfully. “As a central fixture of the town, the convenience store is the heartbeat of Blaire,” I start, thinking aloud. “The color, then, would set the tone for the town. It should be inviting, warm, and charming.”
“What about lavender or honey, since they’re some of the mainproducts our town is known for?” someone suggests.
“I like the idea,” I say, tapping a finger to my lip. “But while pastels like yellow and lavender have a cheerful vibe, they lack the sophistication of the products that are sold in the store.”
“What about blue, like the eggs from Jean’s chickens?” Brennan suggests. “They’re unique and something the town is known for.”
“That’s perfect.” My eyes meet Brennan’s, and for the briefest second, I swear I feel the energy shift between us. Maybe not a spark, but a small electric crackle. “Not only does it have a deep undertone that gives the light blue a hint of sophistication,” I continue, forcing myself to go on, “but it’s cheerful and inviting, like this town.” I glance over to Hal. “Do we have anything in a hue similar to chambray or Santorini?
Hal blinks at me. A second later he disappears back into the shed and then returns with two different buckets of paint. “We have blue and bluer,” he says, placing the two buckets at my feet. His description leaves much to be desired, so I don’t celebrate right away. When I pry the lids off, one reveals a light shade of robin’s-egg blue, and the other is a deep navy.
Callie and Brennan exchange an approving glance.
“I can’t decide between the two,” Brennan says. “Would it be possible to use both?”
“The dark blue could be the main color, and the light one could be used for accents. What do you think, Elena?” Callie smiles at me hopefully.
They’re right. The two colors complement each other nicely. More to the point, as the original brown is our other choice, it’s our only viable option. “I could work with that,” I say. It might not be Chip-and-Joanna-approved, but it’s close enough.
Once that’s settled, we set a start date for Monday the followingweek. Then Hal goes back into the store, and we leave to go home. Brennan, Callie, and I head down the dirt path.
“What’s wrong?” I ask Callie when I notice her gnawing on her lip. After the progress we made today, I’d have thought she’d be on cloud nine.
“I’m just not sure it’s enough.” She sighs.
“Are you kidding?” I say. “Didn’t you see the list of people who signed up to help?”
“We have enough people to do the work. It’s the funds that are slower to come by. So far I’m the only one who can go to the farmer’s market to raise money. I wonder what will happen with the beautification initiative if I go out of state for college.” Concern lines appear across her forehead.
“Worry about that when the time comes. Like you said, you don’t know where you’ll end up,” I say, trying to make her feel better. “Besides, once you graduate, I have no doubt you’ll move on to bigger and better things.” Callie is a natural altruist. I’m sure she’ll find another project no matter where she is.
Callie gives me a funny look. “Once I graduate, Blaire will still be my home.”
It’s not the response I expected. My plan after graduation was always to leave and never look back. “So you really like living here?”
Again, she stares at me curiously. “Well, yeah. I grew up here.”
