Mid-way through, the door dinged and Autumn greeted a customer.
“Hi, I just came to give this to Evelyn,” Mrs. Rockwell’s voice echoed off the walls. I glanced over and noticed an envelope, much like the one she gave me before in her hand. I could feel my heartbeat in my throat.
“Thank you.” I flashed a smile at her, and she winked back. “Autumn, can you put it by the register?” I held up my dye-covered gloves.
She nodded, took the letter from her and placed it beside the register.
I met Faith’s curious gaze in the mirror and shook my head.
“You know.” Mrs. Rockwell’s eyes twinkled as I glanced back at her. “I would just love for you to come to dinner tomorrow night. Flynn’s having a difficult time adjusting, and a familiar face would do him good.”
My mouth went dry, and I licked my lips. “Are you sure that’s a good idea, ma’am? I saw Flynn a couple of weeks ago, and he took off like a bat out of hell.”
That was an understatement. As much as I wished the reunion would’ve been a happy one, he closed himself off to me before I had a chance to say anything.
She chuckled. “I promise, Evelyn. As I said, he’s having a rough time is all. Please join us. I’ll bake cookies.”
Memories of Flynn’s mom’s cookies flooded my brain. She used to make us cookies every single night I stayed over, which was at least once a week.
My lips curved into a smile. “Okay. That sounds great then. What time?”
“Six sound good?”
I nodded, and she left. I turned back to Faith’s hair, ignoring the prying stare of her icy blue eyes.
She cleared her throat. “Wanna explain that?”
Heat rose in my cheeks as I put the foil in place on the last part of her hair and took off the gloves. I set a timer for half an hour and leaned against the counter. “I told you I ran into him,” I mumbled.
“But you didn’t tell me about you and Mrs. Rockwell getting close.” She clicked her tongue.
“We aren’t getting close.” I waved my hand back and forth in front of me. “She just gave me a letter a few days ago…”
Her eyes bugged. “A letter? From Flynn?”
I nodded. “It was written a few weeks after he left. I guess he just never sent it.”
Her eyes drifted toward the envelope. “And that’s another one?”
My shoulders lifted. “It sure looks that way.” I looked at the white envelope and a shiver went down my spine.
What could this one say?
“Why’s his mom giving them to you and not him?”
“That’s honestly a good question.” I tugged at a curl hanging down from my bun. “But enough about him, tell me more about what you and Asher have decided.”
A grin spread on her face, and she let out a dramatic sigh. “Not playing fair. You’ll have to tell me what the letter said eventually! But, since you asked, we have a preconception appointment in the morning. I can’t believe we’re planning to have a baby!”
I laughed. “I’ll be praying for you both. I can’t believe Mags is a mom, and soon you will be too.” My heart swelled at the thought of my best friends’ fulfillment. A small ounce of jealousy crept inside, but I pushed it away as we launched into conversations about baby names and what the future would hold.
I parked my car on the dirt driveway in front of the red-brick cottage my parents had given to me when they moved into a bigger house down the street. It was a two bed, one bath, and I was beyond grateful. I had a lot of memories tied to this place, plus it was paid off.
The bricks were faded, chipped, and crumbling, but it gave the place personality. It had a new black metal roof with the original small chimney peeking out. I replaced the windows with bigger ones than my parents had at the front. The oak tree still stood over the cottage, but I had the branches cut away from the house. It was my home and held a special place in my heart.
I walked to the front porch and unlocked it. A sense of comfort washed over me as I stepped inside, shutting the wooden door behind me. I had decorated the home with a farmhouse theme in mind. The floor was a light gray wood, and the walls were a deep shade of gray that met a bold white baseboard. I adored the open concept. The front door led to the living room that went into the kitchen. The bathroom was to the back of the house next to the utility room, and the bedrooms were on both sides of the house when you walked in, creating a small hallway that nestled the front door.
Slipping off my shoes, I made a beeline to the quartz kitchen counter and filled my essential oil diffuser with new water and drops of lavender oil. I grabbed a bottle of cold water from the fridge and walked back into the living room to collapse on the cream-colored polyester sofa.
