Dahlia and Noah painted into the early morning hours and managed to finish the living room and hallway. They retired to bed just before threeAM, after Dahlia brought most of Lil’s paintings from the barn inside the house. When she held them against the wall, they both knew it was the right choice. The bold palette felt like opening a brand-new crayon box. Dahlia stared unapologetically, slowly releasing her breath, knowing in her gut it was time well spent.
It was now just after nine. Noah was still sleeping, but Dahlia was already up and on the back porch, slurping her coffee. There was only a week to get the house ready for Lil’s party, and there was still so much to do. Her first mission of the day, though, was to finally ask for an extension from the gallery.
With palms firmly planted to her face, she sat there thoroughly proofing the revised “extension” email. Not because she was scaredthey would say no. Heck, that would be much easier, then the decision would be made for her. Dahlia was nervous because she always kept her promises. She wasn’t the type to call in sick unless she or Daisy were. She wasn’t the type to pawn off less-than-desirable duties at work or goof off while on the clock. She was steadfast and reliable. Harry rested his head on her lap, giving her that reassurance she needed. With her lips molded into a straight line, she bravely hit send.
Dahlia ran inside the house to get more coffee and realized she missed Kara’s call. With her beverage and phone in hand, she grabbed a dog treat and went back down to the porch.
The air was already muggy, and the sun was strong. The smell of low tide drifted through the screens, and the seagulls’ squawks offering an annoying but oddly comforting sound. Living miles from the beach in Greenwich, she relished being this close to the water. It made her feel alive and awake, something Connecticut couldn’t offer her, no matter how hard she tried.
Harry snapped the treat from her hold, wetting her fingers. “Geez, you almost bit my finger off.”
After wiping her Harrified hands, she dialed the phone and waited while it rang.
“Hi, hold on a second,” Kara mumbled.
“Want me to call you back?” Dahlia asked.
“Nah, just getting my latte. Yes, double shot, please.”
Dahlia heard an echo of a commotion in the background.
“Are you at Brew?” Dahlia asked. Brew was a favorite local spot in Greenwich. She missed how easy it was to meet up with Kara for an impromptu cup of coffee.
“Yeah, it’s packed. I don’t know where everyone came from,” Kara shouted.
“It’s summer, Kara.”
“True. Okay, spill the tea. Give me an update. Is loverboy still behaving?”
“Ha, no more McHandy?”
“I feel like we’ve moved past that. Loverboy is more fitting, don’t you think?”
“Whatever you say.” Dahlia laughed. “So he came by last night and skipped a night out with his television fam.”
“Aww, he chose you. How sweet. That’s big.”
“Yeah, I know,” Dahlia said with a wide, toothy grin. “And… he’s not signing on for another season.”
“What? Wait, this is good news, right?”
“The best news.”
“And what did you do about your job?”
Dahlia wrinkled her nose. “I asked for more time.”
“How much?”
“I left it open. I told them something came up with my Aunt Lil’s estate.” Dahlia cleared her throat. Part of her felt deceitful, but she didn’t have a choice. She was backed up into a corner with no real way out other than to twist the truth a little.
“Which isn’t a lie. Plus, it gives you more time with Noah,” Kara said.
“Yeah.” Dahlia sat a little taller. “The real reason is I’ve decided to have a celebration of life for Lil.”
“Oh, honey, that’s a great idea.”
“But it has to be this weekend,” Dahlia firmly stated.
