Page 34 of Beneath a Tennessee Sky

I shrug, pretending to adjust the camera settings. “I’m fine. Just keeping busy.”

Stephanie doesn’t look convinced, but she doesn’t push it. “Well, if you ever want to talk, I’m here. You know that, right?”

“Thanks,” I say softly, though I don’t meet her eyes.

While she gets back to the decorating, I do some editing on the photos.

“You know, when my husband first left for the Navy, I baked twelve loaves of banana bread in one day.”

I laugh because I can totally imagine her doing it.

“Burnt half of them,” she continues. “Couldn’t figure out why, until my sister pointed out I kept opening the oven door to check on them.” She smiles. “Sometimes our hands need to be busy so our hearts can catch up.”

My throat tightens. I focus on the picture editing. “How long did it take? To catch up?”

She sighs. “Oh, sweetheart. I don’t think we ever really do.”

Lisa walks in for her afternoon shift. “Hey! I thought you were off today.”

“I am.”

“You’ll never guess what came in the mail today!”

I laugh. “You’re right. I have no guesses.”

She takes off her jacket, hangs it up, and then spins it around her arms out to the sides.

Jack’s face stares back at me, his guitar slung across his chest, the album title in bold white letters beneath.

“I ordered it last week,” Lisa gushes. “Isn’t it awesome? Can you believe we know someone famous?”

The air leaves my lungs as I take in her t-shirt. He’s officially on shirts.

“Yeah,” I manage. “Awesome.”

Lisa beams, oblivious to the pain it causes me to see his face. “You must be so proud! When’s he coming back to visit?”

The cinnamon roll I ate earlier turns to lead in my stomach. “Not sure. He’s busy. They’re talking a tour and maybe even going to Europe.”

Stephanie appears like a guardian angel, steering Lisa away with a gentle hand. “Can you take that tray of cupcakes up to the case, Lisa?”

“You okay?” Stephanie asks quietly.

I nod, forcing a smile. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just weird seeing his face like that, you know? It’s like he’s everywhere now. Except here.” My voice cracks on the last word, and I quickly look down at the counter, pretending to scroll through the photos on my camera.

Stephanie places a hand on my shoulder. “He’ll come back, Jinnie. This is just the beginning of all this for him. He’s probably overwhelmed.”

“Maybe,” I say, though I don’t believe it. “It just feels like he’s moving on without me. Like I was just a stop along the way.”

“You’re not a stop,” Stephanie says firmly. “You’re his home. He’ll realize that eventually.”

I want to believe her, but the doubt has taken root so deep it feels like it’s part of me now.

Lisa reappears moments later with an empty tray, still talking about Jack’s album as if she hasn’t noticed the tension in the room.

“Did you hear his single’s climbing the charts?” she asks, oblivious. “I think it’s number three now! Can you imagine? Number three! And he wrote that song about this place, didn’t he?”

I shrug. “I don’t know.” I realize this is a mistake. I need to get out of here. “I think I have everything. I’ll schedule these to post.”