Chapter 22 #3
Heather pulled her into a fierce hug. “I knew you could do it.”
“You, Dan and Wendy pushed me, in a good way.”
Heather slowly turned the pages. Each one had a different event the city hosted during June’s festivals and Berry was the emcee of it all.
“Do you know why I love this event so much? It saved my life.”
Heather’s eyes watered as she glanced at Chelsey. “I don’t know if you ever knew I was pregnant once.”
This was news to Chelsey. She remembered Heather telling her she was engaged right out of high school, and they broke up a few months later.
“Leo wanted me to end the pregnancy and when I said no, he left me.”
Chelsey took Heather’s hand. “I’m so sorry. That’s rotten.”
“It was for the best.” Heather shrugged. “We were too young and rash. I ended up having a miscarriage and that’s what really wrecked me.” A tear slid down her cheek. “Your mom offered me a job as an assistant to her assistant. She had me running errands all over the valley to keep me busy.”
That sounded exactly like Rhonda Hooper.
She had a way of knowing who needed help and how to do it without them losing any dignity.
Chelsey hadn’t realized the extent of her reach until her funeral.
People she’d never met came in droves to the viewing and regaled her with story-after-story of her mom’s kindness.
“She recognized that I was good with a needle and asked me to make a couple of ties and scarves for the mayor and city council.” Heather traced the title of the coloring book with her fingers. “I made one for her with strawberries on it. To thank her for saving my life.”
Chelsey gasped. “I keep that scarf in a box with all my treasures. I thought it was just something Mom wore for Strawberry Days.” She saw her mom and the scarf in a new light now. “I’ll cherish it forever.”
Heather reached over and pulled Chelsey into a tight squeeze. “I love you like a sister; you know that right?”
A lump formed in Chelsey’s throat. How was she so lucky to have a friend like Heather Jones in her corner?
“Oh.” Heather stood suddenly. “I have something for you too.” She disappeared down the hall to her room and was back with her hands hiding behind her back. “Now, this didn’t take me long to make, but everything on it reminds me of you.” She held out a bracelet with multiple charms.
“Oh. I’ve always wanted one of these.”
“Really?” Heather clapped her hands. “There’s enough room on it to add more if you want to.”
“A strawberry, of course.” Chelsey chuckled as she touched each charm. “A daisy.”
“Your mom’s favorite,” Heather said.
Chelsey glanced at her. “How do you remember all of these things?”
She shrugged. “I’m good that way. There’s another one on there you won’t want to miss.”
“Roller skates?”
“The first time you kissed Taylor.”
Chelsey’s eyes widened. “How would you remember that?”
“I remember the day. It was a perfect spring day with sunshine and a slight breeze. He dropped by the old office building and asked your mom if he could take you roller skating.”
Chelsey sat up straighter. “I didn’t know that.”
“Yup.” Heather nodded. “He was a gentleman, even when he was a teenager. Of course, your mom said yes. ‘Take care of our girl,’ she said.”
Our girl? Had her mom known something before dating Taylor was even a thought in her head? Taylor had always taken care of her. He was kind and attentive, even at sixteen.
“When you came back to work, your face was flushed, and your clothes were wrinkled.” Heather patted Chelsey’s cheek. “Your mom was sure you were already in love; you just didn’t know it yet.” She laughed. “She knew right away that you’d had your first kiss.”
Chelsey put a hand on her warm forehead. “I can’t believe I didn’t know any of this.”
“You just need to open your eyes a little bit more, girlfriend. And your heart.”
Open your heart.
“You don’t have to stay rooted just because you’ve been planted here. Run away from home. You’ll always have your memories, but you may not always have the love of your life.”
Run away. How many times had Chelsey thought the words? It made her smile to think she could pack her bags and fly anywhere in the world. Running away with Taylor was a whole other story.
Chelsey’s stomach growled vehemently. Why did it always do that at the quietest times? And why was it so loud? Why did she think the brownie she ate an hour ago would sustain her a lot longer than it had?
Heather chuckled as she stood and pulled Chelsey from the couch. “You should listen to your stomach more often and feed it healthy food. Rodney’s taking me out tonight. I’ll pick up take-out for you. I can’t have you eating brownies for dinner.”
Chelsey blew a strand of hair out of her eyes. “Why does everyone think I subsist on chocolate?”
“Because you do.” Heather pushed Chelsey to the door. “Now go see that man of yours.”
“He’s not—”
Heather held up a hand. “I don’t want to hear it. He’s always been yours. Who else would spend the time he has this week making sure your event ran smoothly? Besides us paid people, that is. Now go. Shoo. Call me later.”