Chapter 80 Junie
Junie
About two weeks after Junie convinces her Good Hair Days girls to streak the green, she gets the call from the construction
crew. Well, her father got the call, and he diverted it to Junie saying, “This one’s for her.” The shop is complete, walls in place and painted, flooring secure, can lighting installed, mirrors replaced, hair chairs
dolled up. Junie puts out a call to gather her people. It’s time to see June’s in all her renovated glory.
They meet in the parking lot. Cece and Tina are the first to arrive, and they greet Junie and Georgia with wide waves as they
pull up. Soon, Rich and Eddie join them. Georgia unloads the wheelchair onto the curb and helps Junie into it. She hasn’t
been out much in the past weeks, mostly sticking close to the house and her garden.
Junie wanted to invite everyone who helped, all their neighbors who pitched in, but there will be a grand reopening hoopla
for that.
This part is for family only.
“I’m not sure I should be here,” Eddie says, looking around at the group gathered.
“Pishposh, buddy. We’ve taken you as our own whether you like it or not,” Junie says, reaching out from her seated position to squeeze his arm.
He and Georgia have been sneaking off together and canoodling, and Junie has relished every bit of watching the feelings between
them rekindled. More than once she’s spotted Eddie sneaking out of Georgia’s room looking tousled and red in the face.
Georgia pulls him into her and smooches him exuberantly. “You’re welcome here.”
“Alright, well, enough messing around. Let’s see the place,” Cece announces, clearly having had enough of the googly eyes
and excessive politeness.
Georgia positions Junie at the front, and the others form a loose line behind her.
“Y’all ready?” Junie calls over her shoulder.
The others call out an enthusiastic yes, and she leans forward, turns the doorknob, and nudges the door. It swings wide open, and Georgia pushes her inside.
It feels like the world pauses when Junie passes onto the edge of the main floor where she can see it all. Like the moment
in a solar eclipse when all the birds stop singing because it would be rude to interrupt a moment so divine.
June’s Beauty Shop. She’s back. Back and grown-up, glowed-up, reinvented just like Junie and the rest of this gaggle of Louises—Louises,
that is, by birth or by their own decree or by extension because being a Louise is about living, not a stupid little name.
The Marshmallow Fluff walls are delicious, and Junie pats herself on the back for that one. And Dolly Parton. She’s here, and just like the design promised, she’s sprinkled tastefully around the place in a way that makes her presence more fun
than scary. The decor details are put together like toppings on an ice cream sundae. Fluffy towels, light and bright drapes.
Even the carts have gotten a refresh with trendy rose gold details.
The mirrors are new and have inset lighting that’s modern but glam. Shiny glass jars of clips and scissors line the vanity area, and even the Goldilocks branded section fits right in.
This reveal is the final piece for Junie’s heart to be at peace: seeing how her good intentions gone awry have been made right—and
with the helping hands of so many people who love her, love this family and this shop.
Georgia leans down from behind. “You did so good, Junie Bug.”
Tina leaps out from the group and squeals as she skips across the floor to her refreshed wig wall. She runs a hand along the
thick wooden floating shelving with an “ooooh.” The wigs have been edited down to a smaller selection, and the team even created
a beautiful “look book” to show the other wig options Tina has in storage, though she’s now short a few that Junie has taken
off her hands.
Cece beams from ear to ear and lets out a whoop. “Look at those fancy basins.” The porcelain shines, and the brass hardware
adds a fun, trendy element. “Would’ve been nice to have that when I was around.”
“Don’t you worry,” Tina says. “You’re welcome to pick up a basin shift anytime you’d like.”
“You ladies really knocked it out on this one,” Daddy says. He looks around smiling, and it’s the proudest Junie can remember
him looking. He slaps Eddie on the back in celebration.
“I have to agree with Rich,” Eddie says. “Big congrats are in order. I’m probably going to sound like an idiot asking this,
but is there going to be a reopening party?”
“Grand reopening,” Georgia adds. Her eyes glitter when she looks at him, and she floats from behind Junie’s chair to intertwine
her hand in his.
Junie’s heart swells at the sight of them. She laughs when the thought hits her, and then she says it out loud. “Hey, Eddie,
remember when we dated?”
Eddie half laughs, half scoffs. “Still firmly in the long-term memory. No worries there, friend.”
Tina looks over warmly. “I never would’ve fancied ourselves coming so far in this short a time.”
Junie giggles, and when she should stop, she keeps on. The laughter comes from her belly, the depths of the little that’s
left of her skin and bones. Life may not always be happy endings, not for her, but this scenario with June’s and the Louises
she loves? It is the best case within her life. The life she’s had might be worn-out, but it’s worn-out from her putting it
to very good use.
She has no tread left on the tires of her life, but she’s put on miles of exploring, of being loud and sometimes difficult,
of being honest and doing her best.
She has worn holes in the socks of this life from dancing at every whim.
She has made it beautiful, as much as she could in a world that is admittedly ugly and harsh as well.
She could not picture a more beautiful sight than this hole-in-the-wall beauty shop made new, filled with her beloved people,
after a very big storm.
Tears run. Because she wants to stay in this moment forever, but it won’t last and neither will she. But then again, the best
things in life never do. All of it is fleeting, which is perhaps a prerequisite to magic.
She has known such magic here.