45. It’s Right There
45
IT’S RIGHT THERE
Mara
After a week apart, I was longing to see Ford again. He’d left so suddenly that we hadn’t had a chance to say goodbye. Thank goodness he was finally flying home today. In fact, his plane was in the air right now.
Over the past week, we’d video chatted every night, so he’d kept me up to date on everything he’d been doing. He’d gone to coddle an investor who had cold feet. The guy needed reassurance, but Ford’s normal charm wasn’t working on him.
Investors could be tricky. I knew that from personal experience since Destiny and I had had them with Stel-Wood. Ford had just won best director at Sundance, though. That should convince them he knew what he was doing.
If Destiny and I partnered on this new game, we’d have to look for backers again, too. Something I dreaded.
I’d been busy this past week, so it was probably for the best that Ford had been out of town. I’d contacted Chance’s agent, Amy Tate, and she’d explained various options for distributing the Ghost comics on a larger scale. I wanted to have as many people as possible read Chance’s graphic novels. Amy was brilliant. She’d shop the print rights to a few different publishing houses this week. With luck, I’d have multiple deals to choose from and could pick the one that worked best for me, as well as for Chance’s legacy.
I had plans to meet Lianna after work tonight, so Ford and I would see each other a little later this evening.
After I closed Ghost of a Chance, I went upstairs to my apartment and changed into a summery leaf-green skirt and a white top, then I headed over to In Vino Veritas to meet Lianna. The new wine bar had become one of my favorite places to rendezvous with friends after work, especially now that summer was in full swing.
I spotted Lianna standing near the entrance, reading something on her phone. Her slim-fitting pink capris, gauzy pink-and-white top, and white flats suited her. She looked more relaxed than I’d seen her in months.
My phone chimed announcing a text.
Ford: I just landed. Heading to my weekly cooking class. See you soon. Can I bring dinner?
Me: I’m having dinner with Lianna, but I always love your cooking. Come over when you’re finished and bring me something yummy.
Ford: Will do. Can’t wait to see you.
Lianna spotted me and tucked her phone into her pocket. “Hi, sweetie. They’re holding a table for us on the back patio.”
We headed through the restaurant and back to the garden. It had the feel of an Italian villa, with gorgeous pillars, grape arbors, and a bubbling fountain.
After sending our server off with our orders, I sat back and watched a pair of birds splash and preen in the nearby fountain as I let the stress of my busy week melt away. Lianna’s contentment radiated off her.
“I don’t think I’ve seen you look this happy and relaxed in ages,” I commented.
Her inner glow seemed to shine even brighter. “I guess it comes from shedding all that excess weight.”
I frowned. “Excess weight? What are you talking about?”
“Paul. My almost ex-husband was weighing me down. We filed the divorce papers and now we’re in the ninety-day state-mandated cooling-off period. In two months, three weeks, and three days, I’ll be single again. Fortunately, Paul was more than happy to buy out my share of the house.”
“I know this is what you wanted, but still, a divorce has to be hard. You’re handling it well.”
“It is. I’ll be relieved when this is behind me.” She glanced at her watch. “I can’t stay long. I’m meeting my realtor soon to look at a place that just came on the market. She thinks it’ll sell quickly.”
The server dropped off our wine. “Your order should be ready. I’ll bring it right out.”
“Thanks,” Lianna said.
I gave Lianna a slow, disbelieving shake of the head. “I didn’t realize you and Paul had already finalized things. Holy awesome, girl. You’re amazing.”
Lianna waved away my praise. “I only did what I had to do. What’s going on with you these days? Any news on the movie? I still haven’t forgiven you for keeping that a secret for so long, but I’ll get over it. Eventually.”
I shrugged as I set my sunglasses on the table. “The movie brings a lot of changes with it. My store is finally turning a profit now that I’m getting so many new customers. Plus, I’m working with Chance’s literary agent to develop a plan to get his graphic novels into more stores.” I sipped my Chardonnay. “Meeting Ford changed everything. It felt like all these doors opened up around me, but sometimes I wonder if I’m walking through the right ones.” I set my wineglass on the table directly in a beam of sunlight. It fractured into a rainbow prism on the white tablecloth. I put a fingernail in the pool of colored lights, shifting it from side to side as I watched the colors move across it.
“The two of you are good together.”
“I think so too.” I glanced up at Lianna. “Ford’s amazing. I can’t figure out what’s wrong with me, though. I’m seeing an amazing guy, my brother’s comic is being turned into a movie, my store is finally turning around—it’s all so overwhelming.”
“You have a lot of changes going on in your life. Of course, you’re feeling off-kilter.” She lifted her arms and made a sweeping gesture toward herself. “Come on, tell me all your problems. You need to talk through this.”
I hesitated. I hated the idea of unloading on someone, but maybe she was right, and talking would help. “You asked for it, so here goes,” I said, drawing in a breath. But even I didn’t expect what came pouring out. “Even though these new opportunities have been exciting, everything else is the same. My dad is still a jerk. Running the store has become routine, even though I’m busier now. I can’t help wondering if this is what my life will be like from now on.” I sighed. “In the beginning, I really loved Ghost of a Chance and conquering all its challenges, but I’ve lost that feeling. I need to figure out how to get it back.”
Lianna settled back in her chair and stared at me for a heartbeat. “What does interest you?”
“I’m not sure. Coding, mostly. I love the side gigs I do.” I slumped back in my chair and stared at the fountain. One of the birds flitted off, and a little yellow one took its place.
The hostess led a large group to a nearby table, and when I glanced over, I locked eyes with my mother.
“Mom?”
She hurried over to us. “What a nice surprise.”
“Hi, Monica. Nice to see you,” Lianna said.
“I thought you had a late rehearsal tonight,” I said.
“The director had something else going on this evening. Your dad’s on call, so I decided to have dinner with friends.” Mom said. “You’ll come to our show, right?”
“Of course,” I said. “Wouldn’t miss it.”
“Me too,” Lianna said. “Congratulations on Chance’s movie. You must be excited.”
Our server brought our artichoke and cheese spread and our bruschetta and set them on the table.
“Absolutely,” Mom said, clasping her hands together. “I still can’t quite believe it. I’m absolutely thrilled.” Her smile dimmed. “I wish Chance could have been here to see it happen.” She blinked rapidly a few times, then glanced over her shoulder to where her friends were sitting. “I don’t want to keep you. It was wonderful to see you both.” She hurried back to her group.
“Mom’s thrilled, but Dad’s kind of been a shit about everything,” I grumbled. “Big surprise. He keeps talking about bolts of lightning and dumb luck, completely dismissing Chance’s years of hard work.”
“That’s terrible,” Lianna said, sounding genuinely affronted.
I suddenly sat bolt upright. “I’m such an idiot. I got an email and I wanted to talk to you about it, but I got sidetracked. I could really use some advice.” Butterflies fluttered in my stomach.
“You know me. I’m all about advice,” Lianna said with a smirk.
I pulled up an email on my phone and took a deep breath as I handed it to Lianna. “Destiny sent me this a couple of hours ago. Read it.”
Lianna scanned the email, then her mouth fell open and she almost dropped the phone. “Is this what I think it is?”
The butterflies in my stomach turned into killer bees. “If you think it’s a formal offer to form a new company with Destiny, then yes.”
“Tell me you’re doing it,” she said, handing the phone back to me.
I chewed my lip and didn’t answer. Was I? What I wanted and what I felt capable of doing battled within me. I’d walked out on Destiny once before. How did I know I wouldn’t do it again? What if I fell apart under pressure and bailed on her? Besides, Ghost of a Chance was finally starting to do well. Did I really want to abandon it? I’d always said I couldn’t take on both jobs and do them well. That had changed.
As the silence between us lengthened, Lianna frowned. “I know you want it. What’s holding you back?” She hesitated, then said, “Is it your brother? What you think you owe him?”
I took a big gulp of wine to drown the killer bees. Fortunately, they backed down. “That, yes. Plus, I’m afraid that if I leave, it will fail. Chance was a role model for me. He always stood up to Dad. I’ve tried to emulate him, but leaving the store to go back to Destiny feels like giving in to Dad’s pressure.”
“I’m sorry your dad’s been such an ass, but don’t measure your success using his yardstick.” She looked into my eyes. “I met you right when you first moved here. You were grieving. Don’t underestimate how much pain you were in, or how much it influenced you.” She paused, gathering her words as she chewed a bite of food. “You’ve taken his legacy farther than your brother ever would have imagined. I doubt he expected Ghost would become a movie. That’s impressive.” She swirled her wineglass. “By any measure, I’d say you’ve accomplished what you set out to do. No one is going to forget Chance, or Ghost.”
I shrugged. “I suppose so, but I can’t really take any credit for the movie. That was a fluke.”
She set her glass down with a thump. “Fluke! Now you sound like your dad. If you hadn’t sold him your brother’s comics, Ford never would have read Ghost . You’ve always been your brother’s biggest fan. Don’t let anyone take that away from you. It wasn’t dumb luck. It was hard work and persistence. You showed real grit.”
I rocked back in my chair. I remembered Dad telling me the movie deal had all been a fluke. A fluke . Exactly the word I’d used. His scorn had weaseled its way into my subconscious.
With a jolt of determination, I ruthlessly purged all of Dad’s negativity from my mind. It was easier than I’d expected. Maybe because they weren’t really my thoughts.
“How did I let him get into my head that way?” I asked her, irritated with myself.
She lifted one hand. “Habit?”
“I have to admit,” I said, rolling the stem of my wineglass back and forth, “it feels good to have other people interested in Ghost. It’s social proof of Chance’s talent.”
“All your doubters will have to admit you succeeded. You’re the bomb.”
“That reminds me. I have more good news. Doug got transferred to Chicago. Ford’s brother Max called in a favor to make it happen.”
“What?” Lianna inhaled sharply and choked on her wine. She coughed for a few seconds. “That’s amazing. Awesome.” Her grin nearly split her face in two. “It’ll be hard for him to drop by the store and harass you from three states away.”
I chuckled. “Yeah. The man has always been pretty delusional. As if gaslighting me would make me come running back to him.”
Lianna arched a single eyebrow. “Who are you to call someone else delusional?”
“Say what?” I blinked at her.
Lianna leaned forward, her gaze skewering me. “You heard me. You’ve been busy deluding yourself. You know exactly what you need to do to be happy. You keep dancing around the solution when it’s obvious to everyone else. I can’t understand why you can’t see it for yourself. Your brother had the courage to follow his dreams. You need to do the same.”
I frowned in confusion. “What are you talking about? Ford? My dad? Destiny? The store?”
Crap. She could be talking about any of those things. Or all of them. I suddenly felt as though I was going through life with blinders on, avoiding any problems I didn’t want to confront. Was I really that out of touch with my own wants and needs?
Lianna’s phone vibrated, and she glanced down at it. When she read the screen, her eyes widened in surprise. “I had no idea it was so late.” She opened her wallet and set some cash on the table. “I need to get going or I’ll miss my appointment with my realtor. I have a feeling this house could be the one.”
I could only gape at Lianna as she rose to her feet. Was she really going to leave me hanging like this? I pushed away from the table and stood.
When Lianna registered my confusion, she let out a heavy sigh. “You’re a smart cookie.”
“I am?” I stared at her in wide-eyed panic, like a kid in the front of the classroom who didn’t know how to solve the math problem on the board.
She tapped my cell phone on the table. “The answer’s right there. Call me if you need to talk. Don’t forget, we have a book club meeting next Tuesday.”
A solar flare of comprehension burst into my brain. Of course. The email.
As Lianna walked away, all the puzzle pieces slid into place. It was so obvious. Was I really so blind that I couldn’t see what was right in front of me until Lianna literally pointed it out?
Of course not. I was simply an expert at avoiding conflict. And this email from Destiny had conflict written all over it.
It was time to stop avoiding and start doing.
But—could I? Could I make this change?
I remembered something Ford once told me: “Sometimes, you’ve got to take a step back and reframe the problem.” Maybe that’s what I needed now.”
What did I really want? I’d always told everyone I wanted the store to be a success, but now that I thought about it, I realized that didn’t encapsulate what I really wanted. My true goals had more to do with Chance and his graphic novels.
I used to think the store was my way of staying connected to Chance. After he died, I threw myself into Ghost of a Chance, not just to keep it alive, but because it felt like I was keeping him alive. Every time I ordered a new shipment of his comics, saw a customer fall in love with one of his stories, or even just rearranged the shelves, I felt like I was preserving a piece of him that the world hadn’t taken from me. But lately, it felt like I’d been hiding behind the store. Keeping it running had become more about obligation than passion. I’d convinced myself that it was the only way to protect his legacy, but maybe I’d been wrong.
The truth was, Chance’s genius wasn’t limited to these four walls. The world deserved to see his work, to know his name—not just through this little shop but on a much bigger stage. And maybe that was why I’d been so resistant to change. Letting his story go out into the world made it feel like I was losing that last piece of him I could still control. But if I really wanted to honor Chance, it was time to stop holding on so tightly and start sharing his brilliance with the rest of the world. That’s what he would’ve wanted. Not to be boxed into a single store but to let his talent and vision soar far beyond me.
I grabbed a paper napkin and wrote down my biggest goal: Make sure Chance is never forgotten and share his genius with the world.
I held my breath, staring at the words. That was a big goal. Maybe that was why I’d never framed it that way. It felt too enormous, too daunting.
But with Ford’s help, I wasn’t doing this alone. He believed in me—he believed in Chance. And the world was about to see my brother’s story, just as it should be.
Before I could second-guess myself, I took one more steadying breath. My heart pounded in my chest, but I wasn’t afraid. This was right.
I hit “send” on Destiny’s email.