Stella presses her lips together and flops back in her seat. Her eyes are dancing, and yet she remains uncharacteristically silent. Despite that, I can practically hear her thoughts: if Spencerisresponsible for the sudden donation from the MacKinnon Group, what does it mean? I’m sure she thinks it has something—or everything—to do with me, but Spencer is a genuinely good person and, like Fergus, he’s now seen how much help the center needs. That’s all there is to it.
“Anyway,” I say pointedly. Stella doesn’t say anything, but her sassy little shrug speaks volumes. “With these extra funds, we’ll be able to offer even more programs, keep the shelves stocked when community donations are low,andhire more people. I’m also being promoted to assistant director, effective immediately.”
Stella rockets up straight in her seat. “Hollie! Way to bury the lead!”
“I know, I know. I was going to tell you all at our group breakfast tomorrow, but I couldn’t wait.”
Stella hops up from her chair and flies around the desk to hug me. The angle is awkward and we’re both giggling so hard, she ends up in my lap, which makes us laugh even harder.
When we’ve collected ourselves, Stella returns to her seat. “You know the others will have the same reaction when you tell them tomorrow, right? Well, maybe minus the whole falling into your lap thing.”
I snort. “I’ll brace myself just in case.”
“So, this fancy new job title…does it come with a pay raise?”
“It does.” When Mina told me about the raise, my first instinct was to say I didn’t need to be paid more. Luckily, I realized that was a ridiculous notion before I could say it out loud. I’ve been working hard for years, doing tasks that are beyond my job description, working overtime, and often volunteering on top of that. I deserve this promotion and raise.
As if reading my thoughts, the way she’s always been able to, Stella says, “Good. You deserve it. No one works harder than you, Hollie Anne. Speaking of which, will you still be working bonkers hours, or will you be able to cut back a bit?”
“Mina said the job will require more administrative work, but I told her I still want to be as hands on as possible. I enjoy getting to know the people the center serves, interacting with them, and seeing how this place makes a difference in their lives. Hiring more people to do tasks I shouldn’t have been doing, like stocking shelves, will leave me free to do that.AndMina said I’m entitled to more vacation time, which is nice.”
“That gets you one step closer to that trip to England,” Stella says.
“Exactly.”
“Speaking of England…did you know Spencer joined us for breakfast last weekend?”
“Wow, that was a smooth transition, Stels.” She gives me another of those sassy shrugs of hers. “And yes, he told me.” I skipped last weekend’s group breakfast in favor of staying home with Jordy and helping her get settled. Jordy insisted I attend tomorrow’s breakfast, and said she’d go visit her sister and the kids for the day.
“Did you also know Spencer, Leland, Wesley, and Fergus went to Connelly’s last night for beer and pool?”
“NowthatI didn’t know.” I only spoke to Spencer briefly this morning. And by ‘spoke to him’ I mean he asked how Jordy and I were doing, and then sent me a beautiful picture of a frost-covered holly bush he saw this morning on his way to work.
“Leland really likes him, and so do the others. Even though it was weird not having you at last weekend’s breakfast, it was nice having Spencer there. He fits well with the group.”
I’m not sure how to respond to that. When I don’t say anything, Stella adds, “He talked a lot about you. And Jordy. She seems to have made a real impression on him.”
Warmth spreads through me. “She has a way of doing that.”
Stella smiles absently, tapping her rainbow-colored nails against her cardboard coffee cup. I know her well enough to know she’s choosing her next words carefully, which makes me slightly anxious.
Even though my friends have been supportive since Jordy came to stay with me, there’s a part of me that’s worried they secretly disapprove. They check in daily via texts and phone calls, and have offered to help in any way I need. They’ve even asked when they can meet Jordy, but I told them I didn’t want to overwhelm her since she’s experienced so much upheaval recently. They also know how I’ve struggled with compartmentalizing and have often commented on my difficulties with separating my work life from my personal life. I can’t blame them; the fact my initial reaction to receiving a raise was to turn it down says a lot.
Stella clears her throat, and I mentally brace myself. “You know, I’ve been thinking a lot about our history this past week. Specifically our last two years of high school…”
I immediately know what she’s referring to, and it makes my stomach clench painfully.
“I see now that I was too quick to judge your current situation,” she says. “I thought you were trying to save Jordy, but then I remembered how badly I wanted things to be okay for you when everything fell apart in your life. How I would have doneanythingin my power to help you. And we were just kids; the same age Jordy is now. Other than being an emotional support for you, I couldn’t have actually done much without my parents, you know? And now…now you’re an adult and you have the resources my parents had back then—a job, money, the ability to do more than just provide emotional support. So whyshouldn’tyou help Jordy? She doesn’t need to be saved, she needs to be loved, and you love her. I see that now.”
I swallow convulsively around the lump in my throat. Stella smiles gently when I don’t respond immediately, as if sensing I need a minute. Finally, I say, “I do love her. And I loveyou. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
She reaches across the desk and lays her hand over mine. “Ditto, Hols.” She gives my hand a brisk pat and then sits back in her seat. “Okay, enough emotional stuff. The mascara I’m wearing isn’t waterproof, and I don’t want racoon eyes.”
I laugh and toss a balled-up napkin at her. I meant what I said: I really don’t know what I’d do without my friends. I don’t have any blood relatives left, but my friends are my chosen family, and they mean the world to me. Now I have the chance to expand that family again with Jordy. And, if I’m lucky, maybe with Spencer too.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
I spend most of Monday morning going through résumés. I’m excited at the prospect of hiring new employees for the center. I hope to find people who see it as more than just a job and are truly committed to making a difference in the community.
