Chapter 69 Junie
Junie
About a week later, it’s the Saturday morning pancake breakfast hosted by Whitetail Bank at the local community center, and
it is the first of these fundraising events where Junie feels like she needs to be on her best behavior. A lot of old white
men with comb-overs attend, so she wears a dress that buttons up right to her throat. She can’t help but point out the high
correlation between comb-overs and banking professionals, and Tina busts out in laughter as the rest of the crowd chews in
dignified silence.
Aside from one close call where Cece almost confronts one of the bankers about a contested hand at Cards, the women don’t
cause a ruckus. Eventually all of them shake hands with the bank owner before piling into their cars and meeting back up at
June’s.
They tumble into the shop buzzing on maple syrup and coffee and begin arranging chairs in a circle.
“Eighteen thousand dollars is what the guys said,” Junie announces. “Let’s add it all up and see. We have to be getting close.”
It’s not that Junie particularly wants this brand of fun, the saving June’s fun, to end, but—especially as she gets sicker—she does want the shop fixed. It’s important and necessary, and even if the thrill of chasing the fix has been fun, it’s the grown-up thing to do.
She doesn’t want to have to scare off Leonard from the licensing board again.
Georgia pulls out her phone. “I’ve got the running tally. So we had the $7,100 from our two Cards nights and garage sale.
Then $3,000 from the bounce event and $1,200 from bingo. Michaela’s show ended up bringing in $12,000. And the $22,000 total
from the bank.” She pauses. “That’s $45,300 total!”
Tina whoops. “We’re there! Just about!”
“Don’t forget to add in the $4,000 from the oil change promotion the auto shop did,” Cece says. “They let me know the total
just yesterday, so that’s $49,300 total.”
Junie grins, looking around the shop, imagining what’s to come. It feels right that this place is being saved by everyone,
the entire community. She can’t remember why she thought it was so important that she do it on her own, but now she knows
that this shop belongs to all of them. Especially as she continues to get treatment, and possibly get sicker, it’ll need to
be covered by more than her.
Cece clears her throat. “So, Georgia, what does this mean for you? Will you head back to the office in Atlanta? Anything you
had in the fridge is probably moldy.”
Georgia looks at her, and Junie can tell from the look that it would take a force of nature to pull her sister away from her.
Not that she wants Georgia to stay against her will, but Junie needs her. She wants her big sister here for the treatments
and to be her buddy and confidant at the Clementine. But if Georgia wanted to return to that life, she wouldn’t stop her.
The bell on the front door jangles, and Daddy pops in. “Ladies? Room for another?”
“You know what,” Georgia announces. “This is perfect. Come on in, Dad. I’ve got something to tell everyone.”