Before she can argue, Maddie points toward the window. “Well, if you are Everett watching,” she says, “there he is.”
My heart does that annoying little stutter.
I turn slightly and see him walking down the street. He’s talking with someone beside him.
Tall.
Dark hair.
Confident smile.
Riley.
I’d only seen pictures Everett had shown me on his phone, but the resemblance to those photos is obvious.
They walk past the bookstore laughing about something, Riley gesturing wildly with his hands while Everett shakes his head.
It’s nice seeing Everett like that. Relaxed. Happy. Like the weight he’s been carrying lately has shifted just a little.
Brie leans on the counter beside me. “Are you going tomorrow?”
That question has been playing on my mind all week. Everett had said he hoped I’d be there. But he also said he understood if it was too much. And maybe a week ago it would have been. When he first told me about Emily, my world had tilted slightly off its axis. Not because I was angry or didn’t understand. But because it forced me to face a fear I’d been quietly carrying for years.
The fear that maybe motherhood wasn’t something meant for me.
“Violet?” Brie prompts.
“I’m going,” I say finally.
Maddie smiles. “Good.”
Because the truth is, I’ve decided that missing him these past few days has left a hole in my life. Sure we have only just reconnected, but in these short couple months, Everett has become someone special to me and I am not going to toss that aside.
Later that afternoon, the café is quiet.
Brie and Maddie are busy prepping trays for the grand opening while I slip into the back office with my phone.
I open up my messages and click on Lily’s name.
If there is one person who can help me untangle my thoughts, it is my sister.
Me:
Hey, you busy?
Lily:
Depends, is this a crisis or a gossip situation?
I smile.
Me:
Somewhere in the middle.
Lily:
I’m free. What’s up?
