But Theo must hear the words I left out. “Want me to help you?”
At first, I don’t answer. Mia and Bree drop off two more boxes, but Theo’s gaze never leaves me. He waits. Watches. Lets me think.
This is painful—digging into these boxes, seeing books that meant something to Gramps, touching the same pages he did. It’s going to be emotionally taxing and heart-wrenching, but if I’ve learned anything from crying in front of Theo several times in the last two weeks, it’s that I’m safe with him. Sure, he knows how to tease me and push my buttons, but I can trust him with these emotions.
Nodding, I whisper, “Yes, I’d love your help.”
“That’s the last one,” Bree says, sliding an old poetry book into place.
I step back and lean against the table on the opposite wall, surveying the shelves.
Mia, who oversaw the color-coded organization, perchesherself next to me and loops our arms together. “Turns out my brother is handy sometimes.”
“Every once in a while,” Theo agrees from Gramps’s reading chair, a smug grin on his mouth.
“Which one are you going to read first?” Bree asks.
I think about it for a moment—imagine sitting down in Gramps’s chair and opening a paperback. It’s been so long since I felt the desire to do that but after holding them in my hands and seeing them on the shelves... maybe it would be nice to open them up and discover what memories are tucked inside.
“I don’t know. Definitely nothing from the nonfiction section.” I wave a hand toward the left corner, where the history books got placed. “Who wants to read about the real world?” I ask with a laugh.
Bree raises her hand. “Me?”
Aghast, I look to Mia. She shakes her head. “I know. It’s her only red flag.”
Bree purses her lips. “Well, it seems likeGrampswould’ve appreciated that about me.”
Mia kisses her on the cheek. “For sure. You two could’ve read World War II books and talked about cardigans to your heart’s content.”
“Oh, he appreciated a good cardigan too?” Bree asks.
“He did.” My heart goes achy behind my ribs. Ireach for the tin box behind me. The lid makes a loudpopwhen I open it and grab the stack of pictures inside. Bree’s eyes light up as I hand them to her, but I can’t watch her go through them. Instead, I walk over to the shelves and peruse the book collection.
Behind me Mia and Bree giggle over Gramps’s adorable hats and sweaters, the ice cream cones that made a frequent accessory, and how I slowly grow up through the photos.
“What’s the story with theOur Bookshopnotes on the back?” Mia asks.
Still facing away from them, my eyelids fall shut. “He always wanted to open a bookshop. Said we’d do it together one day.” Two sadawws sound behind me. “So every time we went somewhere, he’d track down the perfect spot in that town and take a picture.”
“Did he ever open one?” Bree wonders.
I scrunch up my face even though they can’t see it. “No. A dream that didn’t come true.”
Theo’s voice is deep and adamant when he adds, “Yet.”
Over my shoulder, I shoot him an unimpressed glare. It’s astop saying things like thatlook.
His returning lopsided grin says,no chance.
“Have you ever checked up on these places?” Mia asks.
“What do you mean?” I turn back to see her dropping to the ground beside Theo.
“How cool would it be if one of them got turned into a bookstore. Maybe it wasfate,” she whispers with a hint of drama. She places a photo on her outstretched legs and swipes through her phone. “We can just do some minor stalking of the buildings to see what happened to them.”
I don’t quite know if I would be happy or devastated if one of them is a bookstore now. But I’m too curious not to sit beside her and watch as she opens the maps app and types in the town written on the back.
I pick up the photo and Theo leans over me to see it. “Definitely looks like it was downtown.”
