2
Mia moved around the quiet library, putting books back onto shelves. The local elementary school classes took turns coming over to check out books. The last group had left for the day, and now she was cleaning up.
The front door opened and closed, and Mia glanced up to see Allison, a local who regularly came into the library to work. Mia waved and turned back to the shelf to push the remaining books back into place as Allison moved over to her usual table and set up her laptop.
Once she finished, she walked over to Allison’s table.
“Hey. How are you today?”
Allison smiled up from where she sat. “I’m doing well. How are you?”
“Good. Locked myself out again.”
Allison chuckled. “I swear you do it on purpose.”
Mia leaned a hip against the table and crossed her arms. “And why would you say that?”
“Because then you have to see Jackson to let you back in.”
Mia rolled her eyes. “Insisting that I want to be late to work so I can see my best friend, who, I might add, I can see whenever I want is preposterous.”
“Uh-huh. Ever thought you might be subconsciously doing it? Especially since most people would just hide a key.”
Mia huffed out a laugh and walked back toward the front desk while calling back. “Sure. You’ve got my number.”
Normally she would enforce the quiet atmosphere if needed, but when Allison was the only other person there, she wasn’t too worried about her noise level. Mia made her way around the desk and picked up her phone, which sat beside the computer.
She opened up her text thread with Jackson and rested her elbows on the counter as she typed out a message.
Mia: Meet for dinner?
His response didn’t come immediately, and her chest deflated. It was a busy time for Jackson in the spring when he was in charge of the resort grounds. He spent a lot of time planting flowers, trimming bushes, and keeping the lawn looking great. The resort was short-staffed, so it meant he was even more busy and worked longer days.
They used to have a standing dinner date, but as the resort gained popularity and Jackson took on more responsibility, it got put on the back burner frequently until it was no longer a common occurrence.
She missed hanging out with her best friend.
Her phone buzzed, and a smile spread across her face at the message that appeared.
Jackson: I’ll bring the wings. You provide the movie.
Mia: Deal.
The door to the library opened. Mia set her phone down and straightened up to welcome the person in. Her mom, Jennifer, walked in carrying a box and smiled at Mia as she deposited it on the counter.
“Mom, what are you doing here?”
“I was going through the storage room trying to declutter the house, and I found a box of stuff I thought you might want.”
Mia peered into the box. An old, yellow book caught her eye, and she immediately pulled it out and ran her fingers over the cover. “My old diary.”
Jennifer held her hands up in the air. “Don’t worry. I didn’t read it.”
Mia set the book aside and looked into the box again. A few trophies and photo albums were inside, along with some mementos she kept from throughout her childhood.
“I forgot about all this stuff.”
Her mom smiled. “I didn’t know I had anymore of your things in the house. I thought you took it all when you moved out.”
