CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
The day was finally here. April checked her outfit in her mirror for about the tenth time that morning.
She’d been plotting with Emma over text what she should wear for the grand opening of April Blooms, and had decided to manifest sunshine and success with a sundress in a pale pink with an all-over print of small flowers that felt very appropriate for the occasion.
She’d pulled her thick blonde hair back into a low bun, which was both professional and a chic vibe, not to mention practical, as it meant she wouldn’t have to worry about her hair getting in her way as she worked.
Emma had also booked her in with Rachel again on Sunday evening so that she could get her nails redone for the big day.
For a moment she admired the pastel-blue French tip with small daisies dotted on each finger.
It felt like the perfect homage to her store: classy but with a colorful and cute twist.
Noah, Emma, and Izzy had all planned to come into the store at various points in the day to make the shop look busy and attract new customers. Though April was hoping the town would turn out for her, at the very least out of curiosity if nothing else.
She smoothed down her hair and marveled that she’d managed to get her eyeliner wings to flick and match perfectly.
Not a hair was out of place, all of her stock had arrived, and things were going surprisingly well with Luke.
And for once, she wasn’t worried about things going wrong.
She’d earned this. She deserved this, and she was going to kill it.
The walk over to the store was relatively short but April found that as she got closer, her nerves started to ramp up a little.
The sun was shining and the warmth on her face sent a hopeful feeling through her.
She stopped off at Coffee Affair on the way to pick up her usual strawberry matcha and found herself on the receiving end of several smiles and nods, which she hoped indicated that people would indeed be stopping by to see the store later.
Drink secured, she walked the last part of the journey and unlocked the store, heart beating a little fast as a wave of nerves hit her at once. She was really doing this. No more delaying or asking herself if it was the right thing to do.
The green walls inside made her smile every time she walked through the doors—her doors—and she was excited to think that soon her customers would be met with the same feeling, too.
She had about half an hour until her official opening time, so she set about turning on the cash register, misting the flowers, and ensuring everything was in its proper place.
Her mom arrived with fifteen minutes until opening, as she’d be helping April to man the register while she was busy creating bouquets.
Of course, that was assuming they’d be busy enough for April to need the extra pair of hands.
“Honey, what’s the matter?” Kathy placed a hand over April’s as she showed her mom how to use the register.
“It’s nothing—just nerves, I think,” April mumbled, noticing that her fingers were shaking a little as her mom withdrew her hand.
“I just really want today to go well. It’s so silly, I keep thinking that a good first day is going to set us up for long-term success, which I know isn’t really true.
I just can’t shake the feeling that all our hard work getting this place ready is riding on today. ”
“April, look at me.” Her mom’s voice was surprisingly stern, and April did as she was told, feeling like a small child as she looked into her mom’s face.
“I’m not going to stand here and tell you this is going to be easy, because heaven knows it won’t be.
But you can do it.” There was a fierce look in Kathy’s eyes as she said these words, almost defiant.
“You’ve already done some amazing work here.
Your brother and I had no idea what to do with this place after your dad was gone, and you’ve come back and built this business from the ground up.
Yes, you’re going to have to work hard to make it a success, but I know that you’ve got it in you.
Ever since you were a kid, anything you set your mind to, you could do.
And it might feel like you lost yourself a little bit in the middle there, with New York and Tyler, but look at you now.
You’ve got that spark back. I know you’re going to give it your all, and that’s what counts.
And we’ll be here for you, every step of the way. ”
April was at a loss for words as tears blurred her vision.
Kathy wasn’t one for emotional pep talks—that had always been her dad’s job—but hearing that her mom had so much faith in her business, in her, was exactly the boost that April needed.
Sensing that April wasn’t sure how to respond, Kathy pulled her into a firm hug, one hand rubbing her soothingly on her back.
“Thank you, Mom,” April mumbled into Kathy’s shoulder, relishing the solidness of her mom, the fact that she was there for her.
“You don’t need to thank me, honey. This is what I’m here for,” Kathy said softly, before giving her a quick squeeze and pulling back from the hug. “Now dry those eyes, missy. You’ve got exactly seven minutes left to show me how to use this machine before your first customers arrive.”
When there were only two minutes left until opening, April dared to peek outside and felt her stomach flip in excitement when she saw the small line that had formed down Main Street.
People were lining up to come into her store.
It felt too surreal. But she was proud of what she’d created with the help of her family and friends, and she liked to think her dad would have approved too.
The space itself was gorgeous, but it was also what it now offered that had her tearing up—possibility.
Freedom. She could do whatever she put her mind to, and April Blooms was evidence of that.
Maybe she could even do more with the store, hosting classes for flower arrangements, or workshops for other arts and crafts.
Caught up in her daydreams, the alarm on her phone made her jump when it went off.
It was time.
April flipped the sign on the door to read Open and propped it open. Awkwardly, she popped her head out and waved to the small crowd. “Hi! Welcome! Thank you so much for coming!”
“April, this is wonderful!” Angie Larkin, Penny’s mom, beamed as she walked in through the door. “I can’t believe how different this place is looking. You’ve really breathed some new life into it, I have to say.”
“Oh, that’s so kind of you, Mrs. Larkin. I’m pretty happy with how it’s all turned out,” April replied, reveling in the glow of satisfaction that Angie’s words cast over her.
“Well, I bet you’re sick of hearing this, but I’m sure your dad would be proud.” Angie smiled at her warmly as she spoke.
“That’s really kind of you to say,” April said, surprised at how the mention of her dad didn’t cause her the pain she often felt when locals offered their condolences. Instead, she felt a small seed of pride growing in her chest as she watched Angie walk across the store to look at the displays.
April noticed a customer waiting by the counter, clearly hoping to ask for her input on flower choice, and she rushed off to serve them.
Soon, she was busy wrapping bouquets and advising on which seeds would do best in various types of soil, and it didn’t take long for her to find her rhythm.
She found she loved chatting with the customers, hearing who they were buying flowers for, and giving suggestions for color schemes or specific flowers for various occasions.
The stream of customers hardly faltered all morning, and by eleven a.m. she was almost exhausted, but in a strangely satisfying way.
Emma was the first of her friends to visit, at around eleven thirty.
“I’ve got something to show you,” she sing-songed as she bounded over to April, beaming.
April turned to her friend, having just finished with a customer, a curious look on her face as Emma held up her phone screen.
April gasped in delight as she registered what Emma was showing her: an Instagram page, @April_in_Bloom, dedicated to the business, the feed full of pictures and videos taken over the last few weeks.
April took the phone from Emma’s hand, scrolling in wonder as she saw different stages of the store’s renovation, including sneaky pictures of April painting the walls and organizing the displays.
As she reached the top of the feed, she almost couldn’t believe what she was seeing.
“Em, a thousand followers already? That’s crazy—I’ve only just opened!” April couldn’t hide her shock and delight as she took it all in: the fact that Emma had set up the account in secret weeks before just to try and help her business hit the ground running.
“Oh, it’s nothing, really, April. You’re, like, seriously unobservant sometimes,” Emma said teasingly. “I’ve been filming you and taking pics of you the whole time and you never even batted an eye!”
“That’s only because you’re literally always shooting content!” April retorted, unable to keep the laughter out of her voice. “Seriously, Em, this is incredible. I’m really not sure how to thank you.”
“Wellll,” Emma said, a sly grin on her face, “you could help me shoot some more personal content now the store’s open.
Maybe even a live interview? I’m happy to keep doing the content for the page; I just want to make sure we’re keeping it fresh.
And I bet we’ll be able to build the follower count now we’re moving on from the renovations into phase two of the business! ”
April hated the thought of her face and her story being publicly shared, but she knew that Emma’s instincts for this sort of thing were always right.
Plus, the excitement shining in her friend’s eyes and the generosity of her offer to keep running the account even with her own busy schedule were impossible to say no to.