A light bulb goes off in my head. “Oh my God, I didn’t even think about that.” I tell the ladies about the documentary we’re making for Tanya’s gala and ask if they wouldn’t mind sharing stories about her on video.
June urges me to go grab my camera while Cora runs back to her house to freshen up.
A few hours later, long after the party has died down and only Micah, Ella, Tony, Auntie Joyce, Cora, and I are left standing, Micah has me dancing in the middle of Auntie Joyce’s yard to a Mary J. Blige song.
“Did you have fun today?” he asks with his eyes seared into mine.
“You know what? I did.” There’s a lot of love here. I know that Tanya felt it even if she couldn’t bring herself to experience it in person. “Did you?”
“I did.” He starts to say something else but cuts himself off.
“What?”
“Nothing. I just know the documentary is gonna turn out amazing. You’re great behind the camera.”
“Just not in front of it, right?” I joke, mocking him by bringing up our earlier fight.
“When you’re ready to get in front of the camera, it’s gonna be incredible. The only person who doubts that is you.”
“Why do you always know what to say?”
“Based on your numerous threats to punch me in the titty, I don’t think that’s true.” His expression turns somber, laced with regret. “And if that were true, I would’ve known what to say when you asked me to go to London with you.”
I wince from the sudden plunge of a metaphorical knife in my chest. “The truth would’ve been a good start.”
“You’re right. I’ll always regret the way I handled that.”
“It is what it is.”
He holds my eyes and pulls me closer. “Why can’t it be what we make it?”
Because we always seem to make a mess.
What if we don’t this time?
Our conversation is cut short when Ella cozies up next to me, wrapping her arms around both of us. “This is so precious.”
“Oh brother,” I sneer.
“I’m serioussss. You look like this wedding photo I saw of Tanya and George.”
Micah and I looking like a married couple is a subject I don’t want to broach, but I would love to see that picture of Tanya and George.
“See, she’s not vibing with that, Ella. I did get three marriage proposals at Mackey’s earlier, maybe I should hit one of them up.”
I stick my tongue out at him, refusing to take his bait.
“Mackey’s would be the perfect place. It’s where they had their wedding reception.”
Micah’s hand falls from my waist as my jaw drops. “It is?”
“Yep. Aaron said his dad still talks about their wedding to this day.”
I can’t explain it, but something tells me Mackey’s is the key to our next clue. Ella and Tony are the only ones who take us up on our invitation to Mackey’s, so we all pile into Tony’s car and head that way.
“You’re back,” Aaron exclaims. “And you didn’t bring me a plate?” he asks Tony and Ella.
“You work at a bar with food.” Ella holds her hands up as if Aaron should be ashamed of himself.
