17. Susan
Chapter seventeen
Susan
B linking away the sleep from my eyes, I reached for my phone, which was buzzing with an incoming call. Squinting at the screen, I saw Emily's name flash across it.
"Hey Emily, what's up?" I mumbled into the phone, my voice still thick with sleep.
"Susan! Sorry, did I wake you?" Emily's somber voice cut through the speaker. "I was hoping we could meet up this morning and chat. There are a few things I wanted to discuss with you."
I sat up, suddenly feeling more awake. Emily's tone sounded serious. "Is everything okay?"
"Oh yeah, everything's fine!" she reassured me quickly. " I just had some thoughts that I wanted to run by you."
"Sure, no problem. Do you want to meet at the Rivermint Roast in, say, an hour?"
Rivermint Roast was our go-to spot, with its cozy couches and walls lined with books. Emily and I had dissected life's big questions over many a latte there.
"Perfect. See you soon," Emily said as she hung up the phone.
I stared at the phone with a swirl of curiosity and nervousness in my stomach. Emily didn't usually initiate serious talks this early on a Saturday, so I wondered if this was about Nate.
I showered and dressed quickly, selecting a pair of high-waisted, light-washed denim jeans and a delicate cream lace blouse radiating a vintage chic aura. My wrists adorned with dainty silver bangles, I slipped into well-loved leather loafers that whispered tales of bygone eras. I swept my hair into a ponytail and swiped on a little mascara before heading out the door.
As my old, dependable Honda pulled into Rivermint Roast's parking lot, Emily's cherry-red Mini Cooper was hard to miss. I took a deep breath, preparing myself for whatever she had in store, and stepped out of the car.
The smell of roasted coffee beans washed over me as I stepped into the warmth of the cafe. I spotted Emily already seated on the brown leather couch in the corner, two mugs and a couple of pastries waiting on the wooden table.
"Hey!" Emily jumped up to give me a quick hug before we settled onto the couch. "Thanks for meeting me. I got your usual."
"Of course." I smiled, wrapping my hands around the hot mug of white mocha coffee. "So what's going on?"
Emily took a deep breath, looking uncharacteristically serious. "Well, I've been thinking a lot this past week. About you and Nate."
I nodded slowly, waiting for her to continue.
"I know when I saw the picture of you two together, and you told me you were interested in him, I was...not supportive. And I'm sorry about that." Emily bit her lip. " It wasn't my place to judge or assume how things would go with Nate."
I squeezed her hand, a reassuring smile on my face. "Emily, it's alright. You were just being protective. I understand that."
"I know," she sighed. “But I also realized what a great match you two could be. And it's clear to anyone who's seen you two together how much you care about him. And I know that both of you have been completely miserable this past week.”
I blushed, hiding my face behind my coffee cup. "It's not that obvious, is it?"
Emily gave me a pointed look. "Susan, you've been walking around like someone stole your favorite book, and you never take a whole week off work. And Nate... well, the man hasn't hummed a single jazz tune in days!"
“I do miss him," I confessed, my voice barely a whisper over the background noise of the café. “He texted me last night to see if we could meet. I haven’t responded yet because I didn't know what to say. I couldn’t stand the thought of you being upset." I paused for a minute, working up the courage to tell Emily the truth. "But I'm in love with him. And I feel like what we have is the real deal.”
I reached into my purse for my phone and opened Nate's video. "Can I show you the video Nate sent me?"
Emily leaned in as I pressed play. Guitar chords filled the air as Nate's face came into focus. He was sitting strumming an old archtop guitar and singing softly. Emily's eyes widened in surprise.
"I didn't know he still played," she murmured.
"Me either." I smiled, pausing the video on Nate's handsome face. "He told me he hasn't picked it up in years but was inspired to start again."
Emily studied the image, seeming deep in thought. When she looked up at me, her eyes were bright.
"I think I may have misjudged. If Nate is opening up in these personal ways, then..." She trailed off, but I could see the shift in her expression.
Emily took a deep breath and reached across the table to squeeze my hand.
"I'm sorry, Susan. I realize now that my reservations were more about our friendship than your well-being. I was scared of losing what we had if things didn't work out with Nate, and I was being selfish."
Her admission touched me. I gave her hand a reassuring squeeze back.
"Let's be real. You're never going to lose me. Our sisterhood can withstand anything. We're like two peas in a pod, except we argue more, and there's less greenery involved," I joked. Emily laughed, her eyes filled with both relief and amusement. "I've missed that sense of humor," she admitted.
"And I've missed our chats about anything other than my love life," I quipped back. We both burst into laughter, the tension finally broken.
"You're right. And I was wrong about Nate. I see how happy he makes you and how committed he is. You have my full support and my blessing." A playful grin spread across her face. "Maybe one day we really will be sisters for real!"
"Oh, I hope so!" I said with an excited squeal. "Can you imagine? We'd be the best sisters ever!"
Emily's blessing filled me with confidence. It was time for me to take the next step and plan a grand romantic gesture to show Nate the depth of my feelings.
"I want to do something special for Nate, just to show him that all the soul-searching this week made me realize how much I do love him," I said, my mind already whirling with ideas. "Something that celebrates our journey so far and all the special moments we've shared. Like a scavenger hunt!"
A spark of excitement lit up Emily's eyes, brightening the entire room. "That's perfect!" she exclaimed. "Imagine sending him on a treasure hunt through all the places that hold special meaning for your relationship, each clue leading to another cherished memory." Her hands flew out with enthusiasm as she spoke, gesturing as if she were already plotting out the adventure.
My heart quickened with anticipation as ideas tumbled out. "Yes! Rosewood Cafe, where we first met. The ice cream shop. The park,” I laughed.
Emily nodded enthusiastically. "Ooh, and the last clue could lead him to a romantic spot for the big reveal, like that gazebo outside the community center near the park."
"I love it!" My hands trembled slightly just imagining Nate's reaction. After bottling my feelings for so long, I was ready to declare them boldly.
Emily squeezed my hand again reassuringly. "He's going to be so surprised. I'm happy for you, Susan. You deserve this."
I smiled gratefully at Emily, my mind already racing ahead to plan this special scavenger hunt for Nate.
"Thank you, Emily. And you're right, the gazebo would be the perfect final stop," I said. An idea popped into my head. "Oh! Since Nate loves astronomy, what if I arrange to name a star after him? I could reveal it at the gazebo as the big finale!"
Emily clapped her hands together. "Susan, that's brilliant! He'll be so touched."
"I'll make each clue a riddle of sorts, incorporating little memories and inside jokes," I said. Emily and I spent the next hour enthusiastically brainstorming locations and clue ideas, writing everything down.
As we pieced it all together, I could hardly contain my excitement. This scavenger hunt would show Nate how deeply I cared by retracing our journey so far. I couldn't wait to see his face when he discovered the star named just for him, a symbol of my love.
Later that evening, after saying goodnight to my mom, I retreated to my room to begin crafting the first clue for Nate's scavenger hunt. I wanted it to be meaningful yet mysterious, piquing his curiosity.
I flipped through the notebook, where I'd jotted down lyric snippets and random poetic phrases, searching for inspiration. A quote caught my eye that seemed perfect! I carefully wrote out a message in my loopy handwriting on a page and rolled the paper into a small scroll shape.
Next, I pulled out the miniature antique telescope. Nate and I had met one day for lunch at the antique store and Nate's eyes lit up when he first spotted it, imagining the stories it could tell. He nearly bought it himself, but I convinced him to leave it for someone else to discover, planning on going back later and purchasing it. It would be the perfect surprise.
I fastened the scroll around the telescope with a ribbon. For the final touch, I added a hand-drawn constellation on the outside, mimicking the stars we'd gazed at together on the couple's retreat.
My heart fluttered as I penned the riddles, weaving in our inside jokes and favorite philosophical quotes. The first clue was ready, and I packaged it carefully in a small box and set it aside to drop off at the library tomorrow morning.
The time had come. I took a deep breath and drafted a text to Nate:
" Hey you, I know we need to talk. Sorry for the silence. I'll explain everything when you get to the final destination. If you are still interested. I have a surprise for you tomorrow at six pm. Meet Frances at the library, and let the quest begin! I can't wait to take you on this journey. Xoxo "
I hit send before I could overthink it, exhaling sharply. My pulse raced with nerves and excitement. I could only hope the man who had stolen my heart would take this leap with me. Tomorrow night, under the stars, I'd bare my soul.