Caleb nods enthusiastically and adds, “And the pergola will have mostly greenery with fairy lights as a romantic backdrop,” as he tosses a lavender sachet into the air. Barrett catches it.
“What about Shaun?” I ask. “How is he handling things?”
Barrett responds, with a clear fondness for his friend displayed on his face, “Shaun, bless him, is trying to play it cool. You can tell he’s nervous, though, holding it together for Kai. His left eyebrow keeps twitching slightly.” Barrett chuckles, then excuses himself when he hears the bell in the front of the shop.
“I’m just glad we aren’t the wedding planners,” Caleb says. “Remember when Kai wanted to have a string quartet playing 'I See the Light’ from Tangled during the vows.” We both giggle.
“Clearly, he was hovering around littlespace when he was doing some of the planning,” I add.
Caleb laughs. “A courthouse wedding was enough for me. But maybe now that you’re here, Barrett and I can have a honeymoon while you watch the shop?” He looks hopeful.
“I’d love to. You deserve it.”
Caleb stands. “This wedding will be epic—romance and whimsy, all of it.”
We spend the next half hour enjoying the snacks and hot chocolate while going over every inch of Kai and Shaun’s wedding. Where can we add flowers, and where can we scale back?
“And then, the grand finale,” my voice softening as I draw a large, pink heart. “The reception.” This is when the jars I collected from Jennifer come into play.
Caleb walks over to my workstation, picks up the crate, and carries it back to our conference area. "We’ll get started on these this afternoon and set them in the cooler so they’re ready." His eyes show fondness as he looks at the jars. We washed them a few days ago, along with the wooden crate, and air-dried them before putting the jars back inside for safekeeping.
Caleb meets my gaze, his eyes shining along with mine. “You know what?” I ask. Caleb cocks his head. “The real magic of the day isn’t just in flowers or food. It’s in laughter, heartfelt whispers, and time with loved ones.”
Caleb nods in agreement, then opens the binder in front of him, revealing the day's timeline to both of us.
"Okay, so the floral installation," Caleb begins, can start at eleven in the morning. We can have most of it prepped before then, making installation easy. Barrett and Jason are on board to help. Noah is doing the cake, so he won’t be available to help until later in the afternoon if we need it.”
I remind Caleb, "Oh, and we’re bringing the topper with us, and he will install it there at the reception site." Caleb makes a note of this in the binder.
Once everything was in place, Caleb was right. Our storyboard is less a guide and more like a visual narrative. What we visualize Kai and Shaun’s day looking like from a floral perspective.
I lean back, a sigh escaping my lips.
As the workday wraps up and evening settles in, the air in the cozy cafe feels a little quieter tonight.
Soon, we slide into our usual corner booth, the one slightly away from other patrons to offer us a little more privacy. The weather has warmed, with spring in full force now. The ice in my glass clinks against the side when I set it down. I wipe my lip with my napkin.
I watch Jason stir his tea, the spoon softly clinking a rhythm that reminds me of our visit to Ms. Tibball’s house. When we left, we promised to keep in touch and visit as often as we could. After all, she’s family.
In these quiet moments, I feel like I can finally exhale after a long day, especially when we have events coming up that we’re responsible for. Jason’s been helping me explore littlespace more. Especially since I moved in with him when the repairs on my van kept increasing. It still runs. Just doesn’t heat.
“So,” I began, my voice a little softer than I intended, a playful curiosity bubbling up. “This is a crazy question, I know, but…can you ever see yourself getting married?”
The spoon in Jason’s hand stills. The subtle shift is almost imperceptible, but I felt it like a tremor in the floor. His shoulders tensed, a barely visible tightening beneath his t-shirt that reads,dear parents, tag, you’re it. It was his last day of school, and we’re closed for the three-day weekend.
A wave of immediate regret washes over me, cold and sharp. Idiot, I reprimand myself.What were you thinking?
“Whoa, hold on there,” I laugh, a slightly forced sound, trying to smooth over the sudden awkwardness. “I’m notproposing. We literally just met, like three months ago. It’s just…you know, theoretically speaking. Like, in a hypothetical world where it’s a thing that happens.”
Jason finally looks up from his mug, his eyes holding a flicker of something I can’t quite decipher. He manages a small, hesitant smile. “Theoretically, huh?”
“Yeah, theoretically, I don't want him to be uncomfortable—weddings have been on my mind for weeks.
He takes a slow sip of his tea, his gaze drifting back to the swirling liquid. The silence stretches again, but this time it feels different. Heavier. Then, he set his mug down with a soft clink.
“Now that I’m…in love,” he says, his voice quiet, “I can picture it.”
The words hang in the air, suspended like motes of dust in Ms. Tibball’s living room. My breath is stolen from me. Did he just declare what I think he said?
