Chapter 9 #2
“Can I help you find anything?” a girl in her mid-twenties asked, appearing next to her out of virtually nowhere, making Sarah jump.
Yeah, she definitely had a strong aversion to art stores, but she had an idea for how to help Beth with her painter’s block problem, and once Sarah got an idea in her head, there was no backing down.
“Actually, yes. I’m looking to help a friend of mine get over a little bit of painter’s block. I need a roll of canvas and paint. Nothing too expensive, but nice enough,” she added as an afterthought, following the girl three aisles over to a wall of paints.
“What kind of paint? Watercolor, oil, acrylic, spray paint? What are you trying to make?”
“A painting,” Sarah responded automatically. “Oh, duh, I guess. Um, I think acrylic will work for what I have in mind.”
The girl showed her the acrylic paints and informed Sarah that “canvas by the roll can be found in aisle fifteen” before leaving her to shop in peace.
Sarah stared at the paints, unsure where to even start.
She wasn’t good at this. Had never been good at any of this, but art was the reason she and Beth had met all those years ago, and Beth loved art, so Sarah had learned to love art too.
She’d tried her best over the years to really listen and take in all the tidbits of random art knowledge and factoids that Beth had peppered her with.
Still, unfortunately for her, she had a mind that struggled to listen to things she wasn’t interested in—something she had worked very hard on over the years to correct.
She decided to grab one tube of every color and two of white and black, remembering how Beth would fly through those colors when working.
In aisle fifteen, she found the rolls of canvas right where the girl had said they would be.
Sarah brought her cart of items to the register, where the same girl began ringing her up.
“Do you have a perks points account with us?” she asked, and Sarah was sure it was due to a corporate policy that pushed enrollment in the program.
“I think so?” She rattled off her phone number.
“Beth Gallagher?” the girl asked, catching Sarah off guard. It had been years since she had heard her last name attached to Beth’s name.
“Yup, that’s me,” she said quietly, wondering why Beth had never updated the account. Or if she even still used it.
Sarah paid for the supplies and loaded everything in her car, firing off a text to Beth before driving home.
Sarah: 4:37 PM
Do you have a free evening this week? I went back and grabbed a bottle of that Viognier you liked so much from Grapes of Wrath. I’m thinking wine and chat? Maybe a cheese board? Thoughts? Would a surprise sweeten the deal? Because I have one of those for you, too.
Sarah set her phone aside and began her drive home. She had just pulled onto the road leading to her house when a new message flashed across the car’s display, and the automated voice read it aloud for her.
Beth 4:46 PM
Sounds like exactly what I need right now. Painting was a no-go this weekend, and to be honest, I’m kind of feeling like shit about it. I’m free any day but Thursday.
Sarah waited until she was parked in her driveway to respond.
Sarah 4:52 PM
Wednesday? Lily is going to stay with Dylan in the city for a few days. Want to come over around 5?
Beth 4:53 PM
Works for me. See you then.
Sarah didn’t like how slowly the days went by before Wednesday night.
They gave her too much time to ruminate on the resurgence of her feelings for Beth.
But the more she examined them, the more she realized they had never truly gone away—she had just gotten better at compartmentalizing them in recent years.
She rationalized to herself that these feelings had been bound to pop up now that she and Beth were friends again and spending more time together. But right now, it was best to keep that door closed.
Sarah peeled back the plastic shrink wrap around the roll of canvas, tossing it aside and unfurling the material across the hardwood floor of her living room. She had pushed the furniture to the edge of the room to create enough space for the surprise she had in mind for Beth.
She stepped back, flicking her wrist to check her watch.
4:51. She still had plenty of time before Beth was set to arrive.
As she looked around the room at her handiwork—the couches moved, canvas laid flat across the floor, tubes of paint put on the coffee table—she hoped she wasn’t overstepping.
It wasn’t her job to fix Beth’s painter’s block.
She knew that. But she also knew a part of her had never been able to resist clearing obstacles that stood in the way of the people she loved and their passions, and Beth was, after all, her family.
The doorbell rang, and it took Sarah a moment to realize it was Beth. She had become so accustomed over the years to Beth knocking and letting herself in that the sound of the bell was a reminder of how much things had really changed between them.
Sarah opened the door to Beth standing on her front porch, glass container in hand, filled with what looked like Beth’s famous trail mix.
“Hey, come on in,” Sarah said, pushing the door open further.
“Hey.” Beth’s greeting floated to her as she breezed over the threshold of the house through the door Sarah was still holding open. The signature floral scent of lavender accompanied her, and Sarah couldn’t help but inhale deeply as she followed Beth back into the kitchen.
“I made a big batch of trail mix yesterday.” She shook the contents of the container in her hand slightly. “I know how much you like it, so I made some extra for you. Oh, and catch.” Beth tossed a small rectangular package.
“M&Ms?”
“Yeah, you always pick all the chocolate out of the trail mix. It’s infuriating.
So I brought you a bag to help keep the savory-to-sweet ratio even in this batch.
Without that delicate balancing act, the whole experience is ruined.
” She slid onto one of the counter stools as Sarah reached into the cabinet above the wine fridge, pulling down two stemless wine glasses.
Beth removed the lid on the trail mix, fishing around for a moment before plucking out a raisin.
“If you’re gonna call me out for my hoarding of M&M’s, I’m one hundred percent calling you out for stealing all the pretzels.” Sarah uncorked the chilled bottle of white, pouring it into the glasses in front of her. The liquid sloshed around as it settled.
“I know, I know.” Beth reached over into her purse, pulling out a small plastic baggie with extra pretzels. “That’s why I brought extras.”
“Looks like you thought of everything.” Sarah smiled, holding out the glass of wine to Beth.
“I try.” She raised her glass in a silent toast to Sarah before taking a sip, and Sarah watched the way the light reflected off her wine-kissed lips like the sun shimmering on the water.
She licked her bottom lip slowly before catching herself, hiding the gesture in her own sip of wine.
Beth, it appeared, had not noticed because of course she hadn’t.
They were friends—there shouldn’t be a single flicker of romantic energy between them anymore.
Not after Sarah had worked so hard to put away all the pieces of herself that were capable of loving Beth like that again.
Sarah busied herself with setting out the small charcuterie plate, eyes cast down and focused on the task at hand, but that wooshing sound in her ears grew louder and louder.
“I was so excited to get your text on Sunday,” Beth started, popping a cashew into her mouth. “Honestly, the weekend kind of went downhill after I ran into you and Nell.”
“What happened?” Sarah asked, layering a delicate stack of fig jam, an apple slice, and goat Brie onto a cracker, popping it into her mouth.
“Well, Lily and I were supposed to go for a walk Saturday morning.” Beth reached forward, piling her own cracker with cheese and turkey pepperoni, carefully drizzling her creation with honey.
“But I got ditched in favor of Wren again. I know it’s normal, and I love Wren so much, but I was looking forward to some quality time with Lily. Is that too much to ask for?”
Sarah looked around the kitchen, drawing out the act with playful dramatic flair.
“What are you doing?” Beth’s blond eyebrows knit together with confusion as Sarah laughed.
“I’m looking for Donna Walsh because I could have sworn she was just here. I’m pretty sure she used to say those same things when you and I started dating and I was monopolizing all your precious time. You blew her off for every long weekend and school break that first year to stay with me.”
“Oh shut up, I’m nothing like my mom.” But Beth was grinning, knowing that as much as she liked to deny it, she and her mom had always been similar.
“Sure, Donna, keep telling yourself that,” Sarah teased, popping another cracker into her mouth.
Beth shot daggers at her with those intense blue eyes, and Sarah couldn’t help but laugh.
The daggers morphed into a glare, only making Sarah smile wider, before Beth inhaled deeply, continuing with her weekend recap.
“And then Sunday rolled around. Tori—my date from Friday—texted me. I got all excited thinking we would be setting up our second date, but no. It was a text letting me know she’s getting back with her ex, and while she had fun on Friday, she needs to prioritize making that relationship work. ”
Beth took a sip from her glass as Sarah leaned against the counter opposite her, trying not to reward the tiny piece of herself currently jumping up and down with excitement that Beth was back at square one when it came to dating. Seriously, Sarah? So mature.