I look around, nodding.
“And you are going to give them another place to do that,” she says.
The thought settles in my chest. Dreaming of what this place could mean to others, filled with memories for them.
First dates, family movie nights, kids seeing their first film on a big screen. And selfishly, maybe a few memories with Violet, too.
We reach the edge of the market where the old theater sits. She glances at it.
“Can we go in? Walk around? I want to see what you’ve done.”
“Your wish is my command,” I say.
Inside, the theater smells like sawdust and old velvet seats. Sunlight filters through the tall windows, catching floating dust particles.
I think about her eyes when I see the ocean, her hair when I see the sunset. She’s perfect in every way, not just on the outside but inside too. Her heart is so big, she is always looking out for others, wanting to help when she can.
We wander into one of the movie rooms. Rows of seats, covered with tarps. Ladders leaned against the walls where fresh paint is drying.
Violet spins in a circle. “It’s going to be beautiful.”
“I hope so,” I say.
She steps closer. “It will be.”
And suddenly the space between us felt very small.
“People don’t want a reason to leave anymore. They want a reason to stay,” I say, talking about creating this new space but I also mean it in my own personal life too. She is my reason to stay.
Her smile grows. “You’re going to give that to them with this theater.”
For a second, neither of us speak, standing there in the half-finished theater. The future sitting all around us.
She clears her throat. “So, fundraiser.”
I chuckle, “Right, work.”
“Petting zoo is confirmed. Food trucks are confirmed as well. I have some live music and some lawn games for people to play. I have one movie room that can be ready to go for people to come and go as they please,” I explain.
“That’s amazing, I have all the silent auction items ready to go as well, a lot of businesses wanted to help, it’s going to be a great event,” she adds. “I am really excited for you, Everett. I know I have said it before, but I’ll say it again: you’re doing something amazing here, and you should be really proud of yourself.”
The words hit hard. Because people don’t say those things to me.
15
Violet
“Coffee in one hand, confidence in the other!”
Acouple days after the farmer's market, I am standing in the theater. It’s looking completely different from the way it had been the first time I stepped inside. The dust is gone, the old seats have been replaced with new, modern ones that recline. The stage lights glow softly against the freshly painted walls. Even the lobby feels brighter now, filled with tables for the fundraiser in a couple of days, and a stack of decorations are waiting to be placed.
I just stand inside the entrance for a moment, it all feels a little surreal.
A month ago, this place had been a dream Everett carried around in his head. Now it looks like something real that belongs to the town, something the people are excited about.
“Admiring my handiwork?” Everett’s voice comes from behind me.
I turn and find him carrying two folding tables under one arm like they weigh nothing. His sleeves are rolled up, and my gazeimmediately goes to the veins in his forearms that are putting on a show. My eyes linger a little longer than necessary, but I can’t help it.
