“How are the wedding arrangements coming along?” I ask her. “Need help with anything?”
Annica shakes her head. “Shan and I have it covered, thanks. It’s going to be beautiful. Maggie has great taste. And you know, I never imagined having a wedding in a coffee shop before, but the Coffee Loft is something else. With the open staircase, all those seating areas, not to mention the backdrop view of the shoreline, it’s going to be spectacular.”
“I can’t wait,” I say. “And they’re having the reception there, too?”
Annica nods. “We’re extending it to the eating area outside, and of course, we’re utilizing the train cars out front. You’re going to love it.”
A zip of excitement skitters through me, along with a wave of adoration. “I can’t wait. And you know, Annica?” I add because I don’t tell her this enough. “You’re incredible, you know that?”
“Aww, thanks.” She wraps her arm around me. “And so are you. I’m proud of you for really doing it,” she says with a headshake. “All of it. You really took charge of your life, didn’t you?”
A burst of modest pride tugs at my chest. I shrug. “I had a little help figuring things out, but yeah. I did.”
“Hey, Mom?” Lucy chimes.
I glance up to see her head sticking out of the office/craft room’s window. “Yeah?”
“Did you move the wrapping stuff? We can’t find it anywhere.”
“Oh, here’s some,” a male voice declares in the background. I can’t tell whether it’s Martin or Cam.
“Never mind.” The window closes, but soon, another slides open. I cringe as I see it’s the bathroom window.
“Is it time for dessert yet?” Nini asks.
“Uh, we’ve got to eat dinner first,” I say. “You don’t want to spoil your?—”
But Nini is already closing the window back up. “Doesn’t care,” she blurts.
Liam approaches me while holding his phone. “Callie says she wants us to come out front.”
"Oh, good," Mom says, “are she and Link here?”
"Yep,” Liam assures. "They say they've got a surprise out there."
Mom’s excitement has to do with the fact that she and Link have the same tattoo artist now. Yep, Mom finally made the big move and got the tattoo she’s been dreaming of, a nod to the stuffed closet in the multipurpose room.
‘Crafty Mama,’it reads, and it looks like one of those vinyl cutouts. Hopefully, when I leave and she has the room back to herself, she’ll actually get back to her crafts. Or she might just focus on her next tattoo.
We all funnel out the front door, Liam’s hand in mine. A gasp sneaks up my throat despite the fact that I had a pretty good guess as to what I might see. Or rather,whoI might see behind the wheel. It's none other than Callie herself.
"She has her permit, baby!" Link cheers as he rolls down the window. "And you should see her. She's doing so great.”
Callie’s cheeks flush pink as she shrugs. "I guess I'm kind of a natural," she says with a bashful smile.
“Nice job, sis,” Cam says, giving her a high five through the open window.
"I knew you didn't have anything to be afraid of," Liam tells her, his proud-dad-grin on full display.
"Well, what are we waiting for? I'm starving!" The comment comes from Nini, of course, who’s currently perched on the porch.
Link and Callie climb out of the car and open the door to the backseat. Fifi barrels out of her kennel like a bat out of Hades, her tongue and tail flapping wildly. Her mere presence activates a lineup of sorts as each of us hunches down, pats the ground, and vies for her attention.
"Fifi, come here, Fifi.”
"Over here, Fifi."
"Come on girl, right here." Liam’s coaxing seems to gain her attention the most, but not enough to outdo the rest because Fifi spins in place twice and parks onto her haunches, her tail still working to wag beneath her weight as she weighs her options.
