Chapter Twenty-One Complete Relationship Bliss #2
Despite her judgmental comments about me and Miles, Mom actually seems to be in a good mood this week.
Maybe she’s not worried about sales anymore?
Or her mortgage? Maybe she got a big new wedding.
I feel kind of bad—I’ve been so wrapped up in festival planning and my new relationship that I haven’t thought much about Mom’s money issues.
But Mom has been super busy lately—I can’t remember the last time she didn’t have at least two big events in a week.
Maybe the early festival promotion is already helping the flower shop business?
I rub Zuri’s head, then shrug. Maybe Mom will talk to me about how the store is doing when we have brunch on Sunday.
I smile as I realize something. Miles and I had plans to go to Chinatown for cheap dumplings tomorrow night, but now… maybe we should change that? I grab my phone to text him.
Sana: Wanna skip dumpling night tomorrow?
Miles: I was looking forward to it. Why?
Sana: Okay wanna relocate dumpling night tomorrow? Mom’s going up to my grandparents after the flower shop closes. We can get dumplings from the grocery store and have them at my place. Alone. Or we can completely skip the dumpling part.
Miles: Alone?
Sana: Just you, me and Zuri. All alone. For hours.
Miles: Yes let’s skip Chinatown. I have a meeting in the afternoon but then I’m free.
Sana: Meeting for what? Did I forget a festival meeting?
Miles: No nothing like that. A school thing. But now I know I’ll be distracted. I’ll only be thinking about seeing you later.
I grin. Tomorrow night can’t come fast enough.
The next day I’m working with Jenn at Cosmic all day.
She’s in the back going through the pieces that she sourced specifically for Cosmic’s booth at the festival, pricing them and steaming out the wrinkles to make sure they look their best, while I watch the front of the store, which is pretty busy for a Wednesday.
Whenever I have a free moment, I work on my laptop, finalizing the festival volunteer schedule, the duty list for all the committee members, and my own to-do list starting at six a.m. on Saturday.
I’m so engrossed in my document that it takes me a second to realize that a customer is standing in front of me at the counter.
Wait, not a customer. It’s Su Lin Tran.
She’s with three people, and all of them, including Su Lin, are in business suits, and they’re not looking like they’re here for vintage clothes. I smile widely at them anyway.
“Hi, Ms. Tran!” I say.
“Please, Sana, call me Su Lin.” She smiles warmly. “These are some associates, Robert, Kirsten, and Ashwin. I brought them by so you could tell them a bit about the Love on Love Street Festival.”
Talking about the festival always gets me excited, so I tell them all about our plans and pass out our festival brochure, which lists all the events.
I don’t know who these people are… maybe other city councillors?
They’re probably the kind of people Miles needs to impress to get the connections he wants, so I make sure to mention his involvement with the festival.
I wasn’t sure about her when we first met her at her office that day, but without Su Lin Tran, the Love on Love Street Festival wouldn’t be happening at all.
She’s been great any time we needed to get through red tape or get permits quickly for the festival, and she even helped me get the super-secret surprise for Miles.
She really cares about the festival and Love Street.
I try to size up the other people while I’m talking to them. Robert looks old, like my grandparents’ age, but the other two are younger, closer to Su Lin’s and my parents’ age. They ask me a few questions about how we advertised the event and how many people we’re expecting.
“It’s so remarkable that their planning committee is chaired by two teenagers,” Su Lin says.
“It’s a great feel-good story. We’ve reached out to the press about it—several big outlets will be at the festival.
Miles and Sana are the city’s future!” Su Lin always sounds like she’s trying to sell something, but I’ve learned that’s just how she talks. Politicians.
“An event like this could bring a lot of attention to this area,” Kirsten says.
“That’s exactly why we’re doing it,” I say. “The businesses on the street noticed that people weren’t coming out here as much. I’ve lived here since I was nine, and it used to be so much busier.”
Robert seems curious about that. “You live on the street too?”
I nod. “Yes, above my mother’s flower shop.” I point to Morgan Ashton Flowers across the street.
“Oh!” Ashwin says, his eyes brightening. “Of course! You’re Sana Merali , aren’t you! You probably don’t remember me, but we met years ago. I’m a friend of your father’s. You’ve grown so much!”
The other men and Su Lin smile and say things like “small world,” but my mind races. How does this man know my father? Ashwin is South Asian and looks about my dad’s age, but he doesn’t look familiar at all.
“You must be excited about your mother’s new venture,” Ashwin says. “How wonderful that you’re involved with the festival that’s making this street even better. It won’t be recognizable in a few years!”
My breath hitches. What is he talking about? Mom doesn’t have a new venture. And why will the street be unrecognizable? Because it will be busier?
“Do you think the festival will make it easier to find tenants for new storefronts?” Su Lin asks.
“Absolutely,” the oldest man says. “I have no doubt this neighborhood will be an East End hot spot. Everyone will want to be on Love Street—selling units and leasing storefronts will be a piece of cake.”
The four of them keep talking, but I honestly don’t hear them. My heart is racing, and the room spins. What new storefronts?
It suddenly comes to me. Did Mom sell her building ?
“Um.” Jenn clears her throat behind me. I didn’t notice that she’d come out of the back room. “I need to speak to Sana urgently. I hate to be rude, but I’m going to have to ask you to excuse us.”
Su Lin waves her hand. “Oh no, don’t be concerned.
We were done anyway. So wonderful to see you, Sana!
And don’t worry. I haven’t breathed a word to Miles about your little surprise.
” She looks at the others. “Sana arranged for a historical placard about Lionel Osmond Love for the park! She wants to surprise Miles with it since he admires Love for all he did for the city.”
“How amazing,” Ashwin says. “This all makes perfect sense. When your father referred Miles for an internship, he said he was a friend of his daughter’s and she spoke highly of him. You’re absolutely correct. Miles is a remarkable young man. I’m so happy we had an opportunity for him!”
Wait. … My heart starts pounding in my chest. Miles is interning with these people? And my father referred him for the position? I clutch the counter with white knuckles. Why didn’t Miles tell me? Does Miles know that my mother sold her building?
Has anyone been honest with me in the last few weeks at all? Or am I just as naive and dazzled by my shiny new relationship as Mom said I was to see what’s going on in my own life?