Chapter 14 #2
"Thanks. See you later." Mona walks out, and for the first time since we flipped the sign this morning, the shop is empty.
I grab a lemon yogurt from the refrigerator and walk into the office.
It's more of a large utility closet than an office, but I've made it a workable space with a desk and some shelves.
There's a framed photo on the corner of my desk.
Nana, Kinsley and I were in the mountains.
We were ankle deep in fresh white snow, and the three of us were bundled up enough for a trek through the Arctic.
Our cheeks and noses were red from the cold and we're all wearing ear-to-ear smiles.
Nana rented a small cabin, and she baked brownies and steamed hot cocoa, and the three of us played card games in front of a roaring fire.
There were so many memories like that, simple, sweet ones where we laughed till our sides hurt, and we filled our bellies with home-baked treats.
Nana made it impossible for Kinsley and me to miss having a mom and dad.
Our parents were both so lost and confused about life that neither of them should have ever been parents.
Mom was young and struggling with depression and other issues when she had me, and Nana came to the conclusion that Mom couldn't take care of me.
My mom put up no arguments. She handed me off readily.
I was too young to know anything about it, which was for the best. When she got pregnant with Kinsley, our dad, Brian—about the only thing I knew about him was his name—left town with another woman.
Mom handed Kinsley over in the hospital.
Nana became our legal guardian, and our mom took off for South America.
We were in elementary school when Nana got word that her daughter had died in a car accident.
Kinsley and I didn't know how to process it as a loss because she'd never meant anything to us, but we were extra good and helpful for a few weeks while Nana floated around in a sad daze with her handkerchief pressed constantly to her nose.
I grab some granola out of my desk drawer. It's my own special mix of nuts, oats and dried fruit based on one of Nana's recipes. I pour it into the yogurt and sit back with my lunch. My phone rings. It's Rio. She rarely calls and only occasionally texts.
"Rio? Is everything all right?"
"Well, Olivia decided that she no longer likes Dylan, so Dani wanted me to help her get Dylan, and when Olivia heard she blew her stack and decided she still liked Dylan. But that's not what I called about."
I laugh gently. "All right but it does sound like you have quite the dilemma on your hands."
Rio sighs loudly. "Story of my life and the funny thing is that Dylan is not that great. He's got this kind of weird smile that borders on, I don't know, serial killer, I guess."
"Oh wow, then maybe you should do both your friends a favor and point that out to them."
"Tried that. Apparently, they think his serial killer smile is hot. But whatever. I wanted to thank you for the free cookies."
"You don't need to thank me, Rio. I don't get to see you that often, so it's my pleasure."
"Ahh, you're so cool. See, I tell Kiki that all the time, and she insists she's the cooler one, but I'm not too sure about that."
"Well, I'm glad to have you sort of on my team."
"Sure thing. Oh, and one more thing, and it's kind of a biggie. I think Zander likes you. Now, before you say anything, I have some big qualifications. I predicted that Joey Burns liked Zoey Jacobson, and now they're a couple."
"So, Joey and Zoey," I say with a laugh.
"I know. It's almost as if they were destined to be together.
But the point is, I'm good at seeing these things, you know, crushes and true love and all that, and my Uncle Z has the hots for you.
I thought he might throw that dandy-looking guy right through the sandwich shop window today.
Is he your boyfriend? Oops, didn't mean to call him dandy-looking.
He's handsome in that sweet tooth kind of way. "
I chuckle. "No, it's all right. Dandy-looking is pretty spot on, but you're wrong about your Uncle Z. We're just friends. We've known each other forever, and he doesn't like Dane because he's working for Dane at a jobsite."
"Aha, but which came first the chicken or the egg?" she asks.
"You've lost me, Rio."
She giggles. "Did he stop liking Dane because he was working for him, or did he stop liking him because he found out you were dating Dane and then he decided he didn't like the guy?"
"Hmm, that was a little confusing, but I think I can clear it up. He didn't like Dane from the start. You know your uncle, he's not exactly easy to warm up to."
"Nice way to put it. Well, I stand by my prediction that you and Zander will end up together."
I laugh. "All right, but I'm afraid this one isn't going to be as victorious as your Zoey, Joey prediction. Besides, Nevada and Zander don't sound nearly as poetic together."
"I don't know. The two names could be formed into one of those cool nicknames like the celebrities have where they combine both names to make one cool one. Zevada? Or Nander? Never mind. I'll work on it. Gotta go. Thanks again for the cookies."
"And thank you for the fun conversation, Rio."
I hang up and my smile seems to be permanently branded onto my face. Jameson and Indi are raising an incredible kid. Even if she is far off on her romantic notions.