DREAMS #2
I don’t need her photos, though, because by the end of the ceremony, my camera roll is filled with pictures and videos of Molly from every major moment of the forty-five-minute event.
When Emory announces, “Molly James Nelson,” and hands her the fake graduation certificate, it may as well be a medical degree.
I’m sweating through the dress shirt I donned for the occasion, and my eyes are sweating, too.
A lot. And that’s exactly what I tell everyone as I weep with pride at the kid who has my best friend’s smile, is a miniature version of the woman I love, and who has stolen my heart completely.
“Well, I think this has been a wonderful event,” Tisha says, clasping her hands together. “You’ve done such an excellent job, Emory. It will be a shame to see you go.”
I give Emory’s hand a squeeze, so incredibly proud of her and the fact that I get to be the one standing next to her, though I've done absolutely nothing to deserve it.
“Thanks, Tisha. I’ll actually be nominating you for next year’s presidency,” she says, winking at the woman who seems to be a genuinely kind human. “You’ll do a far better job than me, and you’ve certainly learned how to train the animals.”
“Oh, I'm gonna miss you.” Tisha pulls her into a hug like she'll never see Emory again, then when she releases her, Tisha takes a look around the farm from our vantage point beside the front pasture’s fence line. “Ever since our first visit, it seems you’ve done so much work here.”
Emory winks at me. “I’ve had a ton of help.”
“And now that this event is over, we can get to planning the next adventure.” Dinah wraps her arm around Emory and squeezes.
Even if I wasn’t here doing grunt work around the property, I have no doubt those two could make the farm into whatever they envision.
Together, they’re a force to be reckoned with.
“Yup. It sure is a mighty fine piece of land.” Trey pulls out a handkerchief from his pocket and wipes the sweat from his forehead, cheeks, and neck, before returning it to his rear.
Dinah does an excellent job of pretending it doesn't gross her out.
Emory smiles, but it doesn’t reach her eyes. I realize, too late, where the conversation is going and that I’m about to have a lot of explaining to do. “Well, I’m sure you have big plans for it, now that you own the east side.”
Trey is too busy making googly eyes at my girlfriend to notice the panic in mine.
“Oh, I wish.” He chuckles. “It would have made a beautiful driving range, but it was too rich for my blood.”
“I don’t understand… Debbie said you were closing weeks ago.” Emory’s head ticks to the side and Trey barrels on.
“I’m surprised you didn’t hear. I got outbid by a mile.
Lost the land the second I thought I had it.
” He slaps my back and points a crooked finger into my chest, ensuring that all eyes—including Emory’s—are on me.
I briefly contemplate pantsing him, right here and now.
“This guy’s gotta be some kind of trust fund baby, because those pockets run deep.
He snatched it up right from underneath me, paid in cash, and signed the papers before I could argue otherwise.
Seems I’ll have to get used to losing to him. ”
Dinah whispers something that sounds a lot like, “secret billionaire,” before Jack grabs her arm and drags her away. Tisha quite literally tiptoes out of our small group after Trey finally gets a clue and picks up a faux phone call before racing off in the opposite direction.
Tears brim in Emory’s eyes. Tears I can’t abide when all I ever want to do is help her.
She briefly glances around at the crowd of kids and parents still meandering through the pasture in the afternoon sun and then at the ferris wheel, where Molly and Theo have been riding together for over an hour.
“Please don’t cry, Red,” I whisper, catching a tear against her cheek with my thumb. Then, weaving our fingers together, she lets me lead her around the corner of the house where we won’t have an audience.
“You bought my farm?”
“I bought a piece of the land, Sweetheart.”
“I don’t understand. Why didn’t you tell me?” She wipes her cheeks, but she lets me take hold of her waist and draw her close. Allows me to hold her.
“I’m so sorry. I wanted to tell you sooner, but I didn’t want it to seem like I was pressuring you into anything you didn’t want… that you weren’t ready for. And I’m still not, okay? The land is yours. It’s always been yours.”
“I don’t… I don’t know what to say.” Her eyes narrow. “I’m… You should have told me.”
“I know. I know, and that’s totally fair, but Emory, I couldn’t let you lose that land.
Because I remember watching you fall in love with it.
I remember the way you looked the first time you and James toured the property.
How you dreamed up the house and the farm and what you’d build here. And you did. You did it all.”
My hand clasps onto Emory’s waist for dear life.
“I wanted to tell you so many times. The night of book club I thought I’d get my chance, but then it felt like you were finally close to forgiving me.
Something changed between us that night—before then, even—and I couldn’t… I didn’t want it to scare you.”
“But the money. I can’t pay for it. I can’t—”
“I don’t care about the money. The land was never for me, Red. It's for you and Molly… and for James. Because I didn’t stay when you needed me… when it was too hard. Back then, I would have done anything to switch places with him, so it wouldn’t have been him you lost.”