15. Jess
Jess drove to work the next morning with Liberty beside her.
“Thanks for letting me have the car for the day,” Liberty said for the second time.
“Of course, honey,” Jess said.
“I think I’ll drive around a little and see what’s happening on Driftwood Key,” Liberty said.
“Well, that won’t take long,” Jess laughed. “Driving between Seashell Lane, the town center, and the resort, you’ve just about seen it all.”
“It really is tiny,” Liberty said.
“It really is,” Jess agreed. “But the little town has grown a lot since I lived here. I think you ought to walk around the park, maybe sit at the café and have a coffee.”
“That sounds nice,” Liberty said, flashing a smile.
Jess knew her oldest was hurting. It was in her eyes no matter how she tried to hide it. Hopefully, some time here in the warmth and fresh air would melt the ice in Liberty’s heart and help her find peace.
“Here we are,” Jess said, pulling up near the flower shop.
“I’ll pick you up after your shift,” Liberty told her as she hopped out to take her place behind the wheel.
That made Jess smile, thinking about how she had said the same to Liberty so many times when she was working as a camp counselor or a ticket girl at the local movie theater back home.
“Sounds good,” Jess said, giving her a little wave.
She had expected to feel nervous about today. And practically speaking, she knew she was going to have to learn how to work the cash register and answer questions for customers.
But somehow, she didn’t feel overwhelmed.
Maybe Glory was onto something when she said all that nice stuff about me to Joanie. Whatever happens today, it can’t be as hard as navigating all those personalities at the home and school association back in Aynwick.
She opened the shop door, sending the bells on top jingling and releasing the sweet scent of a thousand flowers.
“Jess,” Joanie said happily as she stepped out from behind the counter. “I’m so glad you’re here.”
“Me too,” Jess replied. “This is a really special day. Thank you again for hiring me.”
“It’s my pleasure to have you here,” Joanie told her. “Let’s get you settled and then I’m going to teach you everything I know about how the cash register works. Don’t worry, that should be quick. Want a cup of coffee? I’m having one.”
“Oh, I’d love that,” Jess said.
She’d been too full of nervous energy to eat anything this morning, but coffee sounded good right about now.
“Come on back,” Joanie said. “You get full access now that you’re an employee.”
“I get to go backstage,” Jess joked automatically.
“Theater girl, are you?” Joanie asked. “Florists always get on great with theater people.”
“I guess we do love to buy flowers,” Jess said. “I was raised by a theater person. But honestly, I’m more of a backstage crew person myself.”
“I used to sew costumes for an acting troupe on Key West about a million years ago,” Joanie said. “Just as a volunteer, of course.”
“The costume people are always the coolest,” Jess said. “Everyone knows it.”
“You’re pulling my leg,” Joanie laughed.
“It’s true,” Jess said. “My uncle used to say if you want the very best gossip, go help out in the costume shop and keep your mouth shut. You’ll hear it all.”
“Amazing,” Joanie said as they reached the coffeemaker. “Now this here’s the most important machine in the place. No point having a cash register if my coffee machine doesn’t work.”
It was a simple model, Jess was relieved to see. She hadn’t been able to work the fancy one at home since Silas left.
“I’ll make sure it’s always clean and well cared-for,” Jess pledged. “And if you tell me when you’re coming in, I’ll see that there’s hot brew waiting for you if you show me how you like it.”
“I should have hired an assistant a long time ago,” Joanie said to herself, winking at Jess.
They chatted while Joanie prepared the coffee, and Jess noted how much of everything Joanie used. Soon, they each had a steaming mug and Joanie had pulled down a tin of butter cookies.
“Let’s take these out front and chat while we watch the world go by,” Joanie suggested.
They headed out onto the broad front porch, which overlooked the park and the other shops in the tiny downtown. Joanie set the cookies on one of the café tables, and they each pulled up a chair.
Just as Joanie had said, Jess saw plenty of people wandering up to the shops. Some appeared to be owners opening up, others were clearly customers. In the park, a few parents and caregivers watched children playing on the swings and in the grass.
“Oh, there’s a new face,” Joanie said, pointing toward the café.
Jess glanced over and spotted Liberty, sipping an iced coffee while she gazed out over the park, just as Jess had suggested.
“Oh, that’s my oldest,” Jess said with a smile. “She got in yesterday.”
“I didn’t know she was coming down too,” Joanie said.
“I didn’t know either,” Jess told her, trying to hide her worry about what she was starting to think of as the Chase situation. “Turns out my middle daughter is coming too. I guess it’s going to be a bit of a reunion.”
“That’s nice,” Joanie said. “Is your husband here already?”
“Oh,” Jess said, wondering how much she should share.
“I’m very sorry,” Joanie said, putting her coffee down. “I didn’t mean to assume.”
“No, no,” Jess told her. “We’re separated, but there’s no animosity. At least not on my side.”
“There is on his?” Joanie asked, surprised.
“I honestly have no idea,” Jess confided, feeling comfortable with the older woman. “He left and didn’t give me a reason. But I’m sure he had one. He always did for everything else.”
“That’s… terrible,” Joanie said, her eyebrows lifting.
“It is what it is,” Jess said, shrugging.
“You don’t want to know?” Joanie asked.
Jess sighed.
“I want to know more than anything,” she confided after a moment. “It used to keep me up nights, wondering what I could have done differently. But… if he didn’t want to tell me what was wrong, I guess I couldn’t have done anything differently. Now I only want to know because I want closure, and sometimes I’m afraid I’ll never really get it if I don’t find out why he left.”
Joanie nodded, understanding in her eyes.
“It’s even worse because he hasn’t signed any of the divorce papers yet,” Jess said, unable to resist sharing just a bit more of her strange tale. “I mean, who leaves without a word and doesn’t want it over and done?”
Joanie shook her head. She didn’t say anything, but her lips pressed together and her brow furrowed in thought.
“Anyway,” Jess said, shaking her own head to clear it. “That’s the last time you’ll hear me bring it up. But if you and I are going to be working together, I think it’s only fair for you to know my situation. And that’s it.”
“You’ll find someone new,” Joanie predicted suddenly.
“I don’t want someone new,” Jess laughed. “I’m too old for all that.”
“You’re a pup,” Joanie spluttered.
“Well, I feel too old for all that,” Jess amended.
“You’ll feel differently once you have your closure,” Joanie noted, taking another sip of coffee.
Jess took a sip of her own coffee and wondered if that could be true. It wasn’t really that she felt too old for anything. But society seemed to expect any middle-aged woman to feel ancient, and so it was an acceptable excuse to say she was too old for all that.
But the truth was that Jess had never really felt very old at all. She might be about to celebrate her fiftieth, but in her heart, she was still the same as always. Sure, she had put on a few pounds over the years, and there were smile lines around her eyes now, but the things that made her laugh or cry were no different than back when she was in college.
Honestly, she probably felt younger now than she had when the girls were all little and she never got a full night’s sleep or ate a balanced meal. It was more that after so many years of a happy marriage, she just couldn’t imagine dating again.
She used to joke that she had met Silas so young she practically grew up with him. She had formed all her habits around his, and until the day he left, their life together was as smooth as the surface of a pond on a sunny day.
How was she supposed to align her foibles with someone else’s when hers were so ingrained?
And besides, dating now was all conducted on the computer, with random strangers swiping in different directions and communicating with emojis like teenagers.
Jess had always wanted butterflies in her tummy from a handsome man catching her eye. Silas had given her exactly that.
I had real love already. Now I have my girls. And that’s enough.
“How about you, Joanie?” Jess asked.
“My Ed passed a few years ago,” Joanie said. “I’ve got Felix now.”
“Felix?” Jess asked, impressed that Joanie had taken her own advice and found herself a fellow.
“That’s the cat,” Joanie laughed, pointing to the shop window, where a big furball was sunning himself on the top of one of the built-ins beside a pot of daffodils.
Jess laughed and Joanie joined her, sighing and sipping her coffee again when she was done.
“Hey there,” a lady said, jogging up the steps. “This looks like a nice way to spend the morning.”
“Hi there, Suzy,” Joanie said, getting up. “This is Jess, my new helper. What can we do for you?”
“I’d love a bouquet of something pretty,” Suzy said. “I’m going to visit my mom.”
“Excellent,” Joanie said. “Come on in, we’ll find exactly the right bouquet for her.”
They headed inside to do some work, and the day started to roll by. After they had helped Suzy with her bouquet a boy came in looking for an aloe plant, and they got a delivery order by phone. While Joanie chatted with the caller, the door jingled again, and an older man came in. He was tall and slim, with hazel eyes.
“Hi there, how can I help you?” Jess asked.
The man blinked at her in confusion for a moment, like maybe he was in the wrong place.
“Jess Steele,” she said, holding out her hand. “I’m Joanie’s new helper.”
“Ah, the new helper,” he said, shaking her hand. “It’s nice to meet you Jess. Francis Raymond.”
“Nice to meet you too, Mr. Raymond,” she said. “What are you looking for today?”
“I’m just going to grab a bouquet,” he told her. “I’m a regular, so I know exactly what I want. How long have you been working here?”
“Today is my first day,” Jess confided.
“You picked a very nice place to work,” Mr. Raymond told her.
“I sure did,” she told him. “I’ll let you grab what you want, but if you need anything at all, just let me know.”
He headed over to the glass cases and selected a pretty bouquet of lilies.
“Mr. Raymond,” Joanie said once she was off the phone. “Did you meet Jess? She’s newly back to town too.”
“Sure did,” he said, winking at Jess.
The bells rang again and Jess headed to the front to greet the next customer while Joanie rang the older man up. The woman standing in the threshold was strangely familiar.
“Anna?” Jess breathed. “Anna McKinnon?”
“Jess,” Anna yelled, wrapping her up in a hug. “I know we’re seeing each other tonight, but I just couldn’t resist stopping by. Mom said you were working here.”
“Yes,” Jess said. “Joanie was kind enough to hire me. I’m learning the ropes today.”
“I won’t keep you, in that case,” Anna said. “But I’m going to be baking a few treats for tonight and just wanted to make sure you and your girls didn’t have any food allergies.”
“Nope. We’re lucky in that regard,” Jess said. “And you were always the most amazing baker. I can’t wait to see what you fix.”
“You haven’t seen me since I was a little kid,” Anna laughed.
“I stand by what I said,” Jess told her. “I’ll never forget that blueberry bread you made for Liam’s birthday.”
“It’s a customer favorite at my bakery now,” Anna said, grinning. “I can’t believe you remember that.”
“It was amazing,” Jess said. “Of course you have a bakery.”
“You’ll have to come visit me there,” Anna told her. “It’s just over past the Towel Shack. But for now, I’ll run and let you work. I’ll see you tonight.”
She pulled Jess into another big hug and Jess held her tight for a few seconds, unable to believe how her world had come full circle.