Physically, she was different.
She got around in a wheelchair for the most part because her left side was weak. But she was still relatively mobile, and with assistance, she could slowly walk short distances—from her bed to the recliner, from the bathroom to the hallway, from the couch to her chair. She kept her arm propped on a pillow or the armrest. Despite those physical changes, her spirit, her joy, and her attitude were quintessentially Addison Payne.
“People who hate themselves will always make you pay for loving them,” Aunt Addy warned.
“Preach,” I cosigned, amused by the steady stream of life advice that poured out of her.
“Write that down.”
I nodded, fully intending to. “You should take all your advice and put it in a book.”
She gave me a look. “You should be writingyourbook.”
I laughed. “I knew as soon as I opened my mouth that you were going to say that. I started already. I don’t have much, but I did start.”
She gave me a singular nod. “Good. Now, what’s the update with that man? You’ve been avoiding that subject, too.”
I shrugged. “Nothing to avoid. Nothing going on.”
She gave me a skeptical look. “I saw that smile on your face last week. That didn’t look like nothing.”
Amused, I shook my head. “I don’t know what you want me to say. It was a date.” I pointed at her. “Per the list, I did everything I was supposed to do.”
“Per the list, you’re supposed to go ondates. Plural. Let’s not forget the reason we’re doing this.”
“Let’s focus onyourlist. Is tomorrow going to be too much?” I wondered. “I wouldn’t have scheduled the spa day on the same day as your hair appointment.”
“But the salon had a cancellation and could get us in early. And the spa would’ve made us pay for a cancellation. And once my hair is done and my nails are done, we can schedule my photoshoot.” My aunt nodded. “It’ll work out.”
I looked at Monica. “But is it too much?”
“I don’t think we’re changing Addison’s mind, so we’ll see tomorrow,” she answered with a dry laugh.
Aunt Addy and I spent the rest of the evening talking about the photoshoot. I took notes, making sure not to miss a detail. After we ate dinner, Monica helped her with her nighttime routine. And I went to bed thinking about what she’d said about Lamar.
I hadn’t heard from him in over a week. It had been days since I’d sent that text. He was supposed to be back on Thursday, and I truly hoped he’d had a great time. But the fact that he hadn’t reached out got under my skin.
Even still, waking up to the sound of my aunt cackling put a smile on my face.
“Good morning!” I yelled out.
“I hope I didn’t wake you up,” she said over the subtle squeak ofher wheelchair moving down the hall. “But now that you’re up, what do you want for breakfast?”
Sitting up in bed, I tossed the comforter off me. “Bacon, please.”
“You always want bacon.”
“And do.”
I wasn’t going to think about Lamar and his return from Dubai. The focus of the day was making Aunt Addison feel special and beautiful. It was our first time knocking something off her list.
“I’ve heard nothing but good things about Hot Comb,” Aunt Addy said as we pulled into the parking lot of the salon. “I’ve never gone because you know I’m loyal to Liz. But Liz doesn’t do color.”
“The reviews are outstanding,” Monica commented as she parked.
We got Aunt Addy in her wheelchair, and then we entered the reasonably busy salon. I grabbed the door, and Monica wheeled her in.
“Welcome to Hot Comb,” a woman greeted us. “Name please?”
