Miss Peters laughed. “Of course I do,Kenya. Weare all seen and loved.” She paused,tucked her chindown to look Kenya in the eye. “You want totake a walk with me? I’m on my freeperiod and could use a little help.”
Kenya sniffed again. “I wasn’t supposed to leave class. Mrs. Rashid willbe looking for me.”
Miss Peters smiled,the skin aroundher eyes crinkling up in a way that made Kenyawant to smile back. “Don’t worry,” she whispered witha wink. “I’ll tell her we are going ona quick adventure. And I have some extra fruit snacksto share if you like that.” Kenya did.
The niceteacher stood up and offered her hand to help Kenyaup too. And as they walked down the hall,Kenyadidn’t let that lifeline of a hand go.
Althea felt the same way. Like a lifeline. Her eyes crinkled up around the edges, even though their color was hazel-green, strikingagainst her light-brown skin and dark-gray-streaked hair. She, too, offered her hand, and Kenya grasped it.
“I wanted to talk to you because I have a feeling about you.”
Kenya blinked herself back to the present as a waiter brought out water, tea, and the coffee cake Althea had ordered at some point.
“Part of the reason why I came on this tour was to pray over where my friend and I will be starting a new, different kind of shop. This endeavor combines my love for baked goods and cozy atmospheres with her eye for design that meets women where they are. A fusion of boutique and bakery. Bringing comfortable couture to the community.”
Althea’s words rang with familiarity, but Kenya couldn’t put her finger on the reason.
“Why Hope Springs?” she asked instead.
Althea smiled. “Well, it has a certain charm about it, for sure. And I just feel like there’s so much under the surface, growth that we can’t comprehend. I like to be in on the beginning of things, and there is something fun and adventurous about taking a risk. Plus, there is no way y’all should continue as a town without my scones.”
Kenya laughed. “You just might give Alonzo here a run for his money.”
“And I am quite happy to.” Althea joined in her amusement.
Kenya quieted. “So, what does that have to do with me?”
Althea leaned forward. “I want you to use your gifts and abilities to help us launch well. We want the uniqueness of Hope Springs to shine through. We don’t just need an event planner. We need a visionary who sees the big picture and knows how to take fragments of ideas and turn them into masterpieces.”
Kenya blinked. She’d heard these words before, sensed them, felt them. The way her art teacher explained how they would put things together. How nothing had to be wasted, and the most insignificant thing could have value because of the vision of the beholder.
She saw that value now, in Althea’s encouraging eyes.
“I don’t know what to say.”
Althea grinned. “How about you come take a walk with me after we talk. I’ll show you what I’m working with, and then you can decide.”
AN HOUR LATER,Kenya stood in the doorway of a commercial unit on the ground floor of the newest downtown hotel. The entrance was flanked by floor-to-ceiling windows and spilled out into a walkway. “This place is incredible.”
This unit had an unobstructed view of Hope Springs Park, with the blue bridge standing off in the distance. The park was showing off its brilliance. The fall leaves—the rolls of red, orange, yellow, and gold—soothing her soul. What would it be like to work from this place? To be able to see all the people milling around, constant inspiration to feed all her ideas. Close to nature, to feel settled and able to see from God’s perspective.
She turned toward Althea. “Did you know that this is only a fifteen-minute drive to Monte Sano Mountain?”
Althea smiled. “I do.”
“Which doesn’t matter for your business, of course, but this is a really great location you picked.”
“I told you I went to college here. Met my best friend, and not only have we kept in touch over the years, but we collaborate on projects from time to time.”
Kenya walked back into the space, lifting her head toward the high ceilings, all the sunlight flooding in.
“This project has been years in the making. Not only did the tour confirm our decision to launch here, but I’ve had a few more confirmations along the way.”
Kenya turned from her perusal to look back out the doors. Althea smiled. “Meeting you has been the biggest one of them all.”
“What?”
Althea beckoned her to follow her back outside. They both leaned against the railing that lined the entrance to this unit and the others waiting for renters. Kenya glanced around. “Do you need me to find you a chair?”
