The answer comes instantly. “Yes.”
“Then the real question is whether you’re willing to build a life together that might look different from the one you originally imagined.”
The words settle. Because that is exactly it. Life rarely unfolds the way we plan.
Mom squeezes my hand. “You don’t have to decide everything today.”
“But the grand opening is in a few days,” I say.
“What does your heart say?” Mom asks
I look around the table. At my family. The people who have always helped me find my way when things felt uncertain. And the truth surfaces in my mind.
My heart was afraid of losing something it had started to feel for.
Something that matters.
And Everett matters.
A lot.
“Maybe I just need to see him.”
“That sounds like a good place to start.”
28
Everett
Two Days Before The Grand Opening
Istand in the middle of the theater lobby, my stomach filled with nerves. The grand opening is in two days. With a clipboard in my hand, staring at the final checklist like it might magically shorten if I glare at it long enough.
It doesn’t.
Confirm lighting for the marquee
Final sound calibration
Concession inventory
Ribbon cutting setup
