Chapter 17 #2
“Come and you’ll find out.” Max winked, layering the sliced bananas into the bowl.
Annie finished putting away the remaining dishes as Max topped off their bowls with blueberries, fresh homemade granola Lynn had dropped off yesterday, and a drizzle of honey.
“Want to eat outside? It’s not too muggy yet.
” Max’s eyes twinkled in the sunlight pouring through the kitchen window.
Annie nodded, following Max onto the landing of her steps outside her front door, where they had taken to hanging out in the mornings to have tea or talking late into the night to the sound of crickets.
They ate sitting shoulder to shoulder, the sound of their spoons clinking against ceramic bowls interrupting their conversation as they looked out over the sprawling green landscape. In the distance, Annie could make out the faint outline of the waterfront downtown area.
Max’s phone rang, her face scrunching up in confusion. “Oh shit, I need to take this,” she said, answering as she set her empty bowl aside. “Kit, hey, what’s up? Everything okay?” Max jumped to her feet, mouthing just a sec before stepping back inside.
Annie took her last bite of breakfast, savoring the crunchy-creamy texture of the yogurt-granola combo.
She thought of texting Lynn to ask her for the granola recipe; it was definitely something she could whip up to have on hand.
She could hear Max’s muffled voice through the door, but was unable to make out what she was saying.
Setting her bowl aside, Annie pulled her knees up to her chest. Letting her thoughts wander back into the bathroom and the way she had stopped herself from bringing up the Michigan of it all with Max.
They had never really talked about what Michigan would mean for their relationship.
Now that Annie was thinking about it, they had never really talked much about their relationship beyond the fact that they were indeed girlfriends, indeed exclusive, and indeed in love. Beyond that—Annie wasn’t sure.
She sighed, resting her chin on her knees, not loving the feeling of catching herself in the pattern of going through the motions when she would much rather know now whether she and Max were on the same page about where the future could take them.
If Max was moving to Michigan to follow her winery dreams, Annie wanted to move with her, no matter how crazy that idea seemed.
The sound of the front door opening filled her ears as she wrestled with her indecision on whether or not she should just rip the bandage off and tell Max what she wanted.
But she decided not to say anything as Max reappeared, fully dressed, her messenger bag in hand and her ear pressed to her shoulder where her phone was balanced.
Max spoke rapidly into the phone as she attempted to tame her hair into a ponytail.
“Okay, getting in the car now, I’ll be there in thirty minutes.
” She hung up the phone, looking at Annie apologetically.
“I’m sorry, Kit needs me to come in ASAP.
She and Dave want to talk to me about something,” she explained.
Annie popped to her feet, deciding that now was not the time to bring up Michigan, especially not with the anxious demeanor Max had returned with. “Oh okay, yeah, of course. I’ll walk to your car with you.”
They made their way down the flight of creaking exterior wooden steps, waving to Lynn who was on her front porch doing yoga.
“See,” Max said, a hint of flirtation in her words, “this is how I know you love me. That’s a lot of stairs to climb back up for the sake of saying goodbye.”
“I’ve come to love these stairs, just like I’ve come to love you.” Annie grinned playfully, trying to ease whatever anxiety Max was feeling.
Max scoffed, tossing her bag into the back seat.
“Did Kit say what she and Dave wanted to talk to you about?” Annie asked tentatively.
Max shook her head. “No, only that it was really important and I needed to come in ASAP before opening.” She paused for a moment, breathing deeply. “I don’t think I’m getting fired? I really can’t think of anything I would have done, and they love me…”
Annie stepped forward, her arms slipping around Max’s waist, squeezing her with reassurance. “I don’t think you’re getting fired. I’ll lock everything up when I leave to meet my mom for lunch. Key under the flower pot still?”
Max hugged her back. “Don’t worry about it. Hang on to that key; I had another one made so we don’t have to keep coordinating on where we hid it. How are you feeling about lunch today? I know you haven’t seen her since the party.”
Annie stilled because there it was again—the way Max casually slid that reveal in, mixed in with her thoughtfulness and care. Did Max making her a key mean what she wanted it to mean? Okay, yeah, that sealed the deal—they would definitely be having a conversation about all of this soon.
“I mean, I’m not excited, but it’s better to go and get it over with, you know?” She shrugged, sliding her hand into Max’s, threading their fingers together.
“I won’t be able to chat until later tonight, but I want to hear all about it, okay?” Max leaned forward, kissing her goodbye before reaching for the handle of the driver’s side door. “Text me when you head to your brother’s later?”
“Will do.” Annie said, waving goodbye as she stepped back up onto the grass. With a wave back, Max was off.
Annie climbed the stairs, running through her mental checklist for the day. She was so utterly lost in the rhythm of her footsteps on the wooden boards that she didn’t realize Lynn was calling out to her from her front porch until her voice cut sharply into her thoughts.
“Hey, Annie. You okay?” she asked, tilting her head in question, her long silver-streaked braid falling to the side.
“Oh, hey. Yeah, I’m good.” Annie’s eyes flicked across Lynn’s front porch and the light-purple yoga mat. “How was yoga?”
“Always enjoyable. I was about to have a glass of iced tea. Want some? I made a fresh batch of my lavender blend.”
The thought of Lynn’s perfectly blended lavender tea on her palate made her smile with delight.
“Count me in,” Annie said, sliding into one of the weathered wooden rocking chairs that adorned Lynn’s front porch, still donning their Fourth of July-themed pillows.
Lynn ducked into the house, returning a moment later with two tall glasses, ice cubes clinking against the sides.
She handed one to Annie, taking the seat next to her.
Annie took a sip, the floral notes mixing with bergamot and citrus in a swirl on her tongue. “That’s delicious, Lynn. Everything you make is delicious. Have you ever considered opening a café?”
Lynn laughed quietly, little creases forming at the corners of her eyes as she smiled. “A time or two, yes,” she said softly.
Annie appreciated that Lynn was a woman of few words. She could probably learn a lesson or two about being more selective with hers.
She shifted in her seat, taking another sip. “What’s stopped you?”
Lynn smiled, leaning back in her chair, thinking before responding.
“I could start a business, but I could also just let a hobby stay a hobby. I get more enjoyment when there isn’t the added pressure of making money.
I’ve never had the stomach for business, not like you and Max.
” Lynn shot her a knowing look over the rim of her glass, droplets of condensation rolling down the side.
A cunning smile unfurled across Annie’s lips. “You know about Michigan.” She stated it as a fact, not a question, on purpose.
Lynn’s smile turned conspiratorial, her hazel eyes glinting in the morning light.
“I know about Michigan,” she confirmed.
“Oh, thank god.” Annie let out a sigh of relief. “How did you figure it out? I’m so bad at keeping secrets and this has been a big one, so I’m going to pat myself on the back for not spoiling it.”
“A few months back, Max mentioned the land to me after some of our mail got mixed up. Since then I’ve kept an eye out, and wouldn’t you know, all roads lead to Michigan.” She let out a laugh. “I did warn Max when she moved in, but the walls of the house are pretty thin.”
Lynn’s words lingered between them. Heat spread across Annie’s cheeks as she wrapped her hand around the cool glass, hoping, for Lynn’s sake, that she’d only overheard their more business-oriented conversations and nothing else.
“Has she asked you to go with her yet?” Lynn asked smoothly.
Annie’s gaze snapped up, Lynn’s smile spreading even wider.
“I’ll take your silence as a no. Would you say yes if Max asked?”
“Absolutely.” The word shot out of her mouth before Lynn had even finished her sentence. “I don’t want to scare her by bringing it up so soon, especially since so much is already changing for her.”
“Max leaves breadcrumbs, Annie.”
Annie scrunched her nose. “What?”
“Max is incredibly independent. She doesn’t always vocalize what she wants right away because she’s so used to doing life alone. It takes her a little time to find the words, but if you look closely, she always leaves a trail—little things she drops along the way that tell you how she’s feeling.”
Annie considered Lynn’s observation, thoughts running through her mind instantly: the spare key that was now her key, their routine of having breakfast together on the stairs, the way Max had moved the AC unit into the bedroom for her.
The breadcrumbs were there. They wanted the same future. Only Max was building it quietly, brick by brick.
“Do you think if I point-blank ask her about moving she’ll freeze?” Annie chuckled, already imagining her girlfriend’s response to being caught off guard.
“I think you have the uncanny ability to help her grow by approaching life in a way that contradicts her instincts.” Lynn took another sip of her iced tea. “I think if anything she’s afraid to ask you to leave your roots in search of her own.”
Annie’s lightning-fast response dripped with her bluntness. “Well, that’s dumb. I’m so ready to get out of here. I hate being here.”