30. Lucy
lucy
. . .
Things were looking up in the best sense of those words. When I first arrived at Port-Cartier, I expected healing to be a more difficult process. I expected to be haunted by memories I spent so long running away from, to be tortured by my past, to be eager to return to Seattle and assure myself leaving was the best choice I ever made. And all my fears revolved around one person: Luke.
How ironic was that? The person I so feared to encounter, the person I left this town for, was now also the person who changed my life for the better—and most of my days passed without a single thought of Jason. Any wounds I had come here to heal were long forgotten; all I could think about was my future.
When I did think of it, it was by Luke’s side.
“Hello? Earth to Luce!” Sailor called out on the other side of our video call. I had some floral arrangements to get through today, so I figured I could call my best friend and chat while doing it. The truth was, I missed her terribly. These past five weeks were the longest we had gone without seeing each other since we met. Only two more weeks were left of my supposed stay here, and I still hadn’t made up my mind about what I was going to do. That was partially why I had been so silent today and why I called her to help.
“Sorry, I just have a lot on my mind right now,” I mumbled, adding another lily to the arrangement I was working on. It was for the wedding of one of the girls I went to high school with, so I wanted to ensure everything was perfect. For the longest time, I thought marriage wasn’t an option for me. It definitely wasn’t when I was dating Jason. But with Luke… “I don’t know what to do, Sailor. I’ve gotten myself in…this situation, and I don’t know how to get out of it.”
“You mean you and Luke?” She tilted her head to the side. I nodded. “Well, you do still have two weeks. Before you’re meant to come back home. You will have to talk to him at some point…”
“I know, I know…I just…I can’t ask him to leave the business he just bought from his father, but I’m also unsure where I belong. My life has been turned upside down. For the past decade, I have tried my best to stay as far away from this town as possible, afraid of the heartache it may trigger. But now that I’m back here, it feels like it’s where I’ve belonged all along. It’s the weirdest thing.”
“First of all, you belong by my side. What kind of a question is that?” Sailor interrogated with a pouty expression on her face. I couldn’t help but smile. “But, our friendship is so strong that it can take miles and miles of distance. If you ever look for a place where you belong, you will always find one by my side. With that said…if you’re sure you’re making the right decision, I’ll support you if you decide to stay in Port-Cartier.”
I rubbed my forehead. That was partially the issue. I wasn’t sure if I could leave the life I had built in Seattle behind. What if I was about to make the biggest mistake of my life?
What if…
What if…
What if…
I hated those damn questions.
“The Sailor I know would never suggest I leave a life behind for a man,” I pointed out teasingly. She rolled her eyes. “Who are you, and what have you done to my best friend?”
“Well, this Sailor can tell you’re very much in love, Luce. And she only wants the best for you. If your heart is so torn about leaving…then leaving may not be the best choice after all.”
“I know, but?—”
“And you can always try long distance. I mean, what’s the rush? You can travel back and forth, and so can he. There is no reason either of you should leave your life behind for now, right? And if you do it for, say, a year, then I think you’ll have a much clearer answer on the right move.”
Some of the tension in my shoulders practically vanished at her words. I had been so stuck with mulling this over that I forgot it was possible to meet in the middle. “That…may be a good idea.” It wasn’t ideal, of course, but it was the closest to the optimal solution we’d come up with. At least until more answers crystalized in our minds. “I mean, I don’t want to spend much time away from him, but what can I do?”
Sailor gave me a sympathetic look because we both knew this was as good as it could get. “It will be okay. You’re one of the most resourceful and capable people I have ever met, and I don’t doubt you’ll figure this all out. At one point, you’ll know what’s right, and you’ll go for it. Because that’s the kind of person my Lucy is.”
A warmth spread through me in an instant. She often gave me more credit than I deserved, but I felt invincible with her by my side. If there was one person I could always count on to make me feel better, it was her. Fate must have brought us together for moments like this when we stood by each other and helped make impossible situations a little more possible.
“How’s Eve doing, by the way? Still stuck at home?” she swiftly changed the topic, which I greatly appreciated.
“Unfortunately. Her doctor says she’ll be out for at least a few more weeks before she can even attempt to work part-time. Her recovery is going well, but she’ll need time. I think the fact that she can still be useful from the house is making it easier for her. She’s always been a workaholic.”
“Sounds like someone else I know,” Sailor interrupted me. I rolled my eyes.
“Right now, I don’t have a choice. I want everything to be set up for my mom once she can return to work. The software and her POS system are set up. I’m making a few more adjustments in her system, which should be it…” I was determined to prepare everything for my mom’s return. Everything aside from one—and perhaps the most important—thing.
“What about a new employee? I mean, what’s going to happen once you leave? If your mom still can’t work…”
Within the next two weeks, while I was still in Port-Cartier, I had to find another worker for my mom’s business. A part of me refused to find someone already because giving this position to someone else felt definitive, and I wasn’t ready for that yet. This town was filled with good people who poured their hearts into everything they did, but I also couldn’t help but feel that none of them would be good enough for the job. But that was a worry for another day. Today, I had to sort out the floral arrangements before me.
“I guess I’ll cross that bridge when I get to it. I’ve gotten some applications, but honestly, I haven’t taken a look at them yet…”
“Is there a reason?” Sailor questioned me.
My heart twisted in my chest as I pondered my response. For the first time in forever, I couldn’t bring myself to be honest with Sailor. “I’ve just been swamped,” I said softly. “Thank you—for all of this. I legitimately don’t know what I would do without you. But I really need to get these sorted out”—I gestured at the flowers in front of me—“and you keep distracting me!”
“You’re the one who called me !” she retorted, waving her finger at me through the screen. Chuckles broke out from both our mouths, and for a split second, life really wasn’t that complicated. “Without me, you’d be far lonelier and laughing less. Anyway, I love you, girl. I’ll talk to you soon. And don’t you worry; you’ll figure it all out. What’s meant to be will find a way, and the more I hear you talk about Luke, the more I’m sure this is meant to be.”
“I love you too. And thank you. Again.” I couldn’t say it enough.
Just as Sailor hung up—almost on cue—the front doorbell rang, and Luke entered the flower store. A smile was plastered across his face—the kind that made my heart yearn for more of his presence.
“Welcome to Blushing Blooms. What can I do for you today?” I teased him as he approached my counter. His smile widened.
“Well, I’m looking for someone to bring to my family’s BBQ this Sunday.” He arched his brow. “If you know someone, I’d be thankful if you’d let me know.”
“Hmm…” I hummed as I approached him, wrapping my arms around his neck. Luke leaned in, kissing my lips softly. The butterflies fluttered in my stomach like they did all those years ago. It was the feeling I remembered so vividly over the years—the feeling I thought I would never experience again. “Well, I’ll have to check my schedule, but I may be available to join you.”
“Wonderful,” Luke responded, keeping his hands on my hips. “You know, you’ve been missed on these BBQs over the years. My family tried not to mention you because they saw the breakup wasn’t easy for me either?—”
“Then you shouldn’t have broken up with me,” I pointed out.
Luke rolled his eyes before he continued, “But every now and then, your name would pop up. As it should have. You’ve always been a part of my family.” I felt the same way. We had been together for years and were friends for even longer beforehand. And while our past could never be changed, our future could. And I looked forward to building it with him.
“We’re older now. We have to do better. No more secret schemes and no more lies.” My eyes locked on his, noting the everlasting softness that resided there. The more I stared at him, the more I realized how much I searched for him in every man I dated over the past ten years. But no one could ever compare—because they weren’t Luke.
“I promise. I’d be an idiot ever to let you go again. Whether you like it or not, you really are stuck with me…”
While we both wanted to enjoy this piece of heaven for a little longer, I knew we had to discuss what was going to happen once these last two weeks were up. And we needed to be realistic. Neither of us could allow ourselves to lose our jobs.
“There’s nothing I’d like more,” I admitted, finally prying myself away from his warm embrace. “But we do need to discuss what we’re going to do. I’m only staying for two more weeks, and then I have to return to my job.”
I had some savings, but working at my mom’s place would be a financial hit. She loved her flower shop, and people who lived here loved it as well, but the truth was, her prices were far too low and barely making any profit for her, let alone the two of us. And I truly did love teaching, even if it wasn’t the path I originally planned.
“That’s easy,” Luke said calmly. “I’ll follow you in Seattle.”
“Luke, you can’t just follow me in Seattle. We’ve only reunited weeks ago. This may very well be a honeymoon phase. I don’t want you to do something you’ll regret?—”
He pressed his index fingers against my lips to silence all my concerns. Rolling my eyes, I swatted his hand away from my mouth.
“First, we’re not just in the ‘honeymoon’ phase. From the moment I first met you, I knew you were the one for me. We’ve spent the past ten years away from each other, but I’ve only been more sure of it in your absence,” he explained. The fluttering sensation in my stomach returned, but I tried to chase it away. I needed to stay focused. “And I’d never regret coming with you. You know what I do regret? Letting you go all those years ago. I meant it when I said it, Luce. I’d be a fool to let you go again. I’m never making that mistake again. You’re the best damn thing to have ever happened to me.”
“Now you’re just trying to sweet-talk me into that BBQ…” I crossed my arms over my chest, still keeping that teasing tone in my voice. Luke laughed, sending a wave of tingles through my body.
“I thought that was a done deal kind of thing?” His brows shot up.
“I have to make you work for it—if even just a little bit.” I leaned back against my counter. “Anyway, I talked to Sailor.” Luke arched his brow, so I quickly explained, “My best friend, remember?”
He nodded. I couldn’t blame him. That aspect of my life still remained an enigma to him, but I looked forward to introducing him to the life I had built in Seattle soon. “Right.”
“And she suggested that we could do a long-distance thing for a while. I mean, I’ve been so stressed out about how this will work that I didn’t even think that was an option…” I expected to see the same relief I felt when Sailor first suggested it, but Luke’s expression didn’t yield. He didn’t even have to say it; I knew he wasn’t sold on the idea. “You don’t think that’s going to work?”
“I think…I’ll do whatever you want me to. I’m committed to this—to us. But I can’t lie and say that a long-distance relationship will be easy. It won’t. I’ve spent so many years away from you, and the thought of having to spend even a single second away from you all over again is enough to drive me insane.” He stepped forward, trailing his fingers down my arm. “And while I’m not overly fond of it and would much rather follow you to the end of the world if this is what you think is the best for us, I’ll do it. Because it’s about both of us now. I promise never to make a decision that impacts us both on my own as I did all those years ago.”
I squinted my eyes. “Who are you, and what have you done to my Luke? Had you appeared a little sooner, all of this would’ve been much simpler…”
Again, his laugh spread through the flower shop like wildfire. It was infectious. “I’m still your Luke, baby, only now, I’m more in love than ever.”