Chapter 35 #2
“Of course it was,” she murmured, “Freaking Saint Ellie and her freaking beautiful heart.” She wiped at her eyes and then rested her head against my shoulder.
“Do you think she’d be proud of us?” she asked me as we stared forward at the nook.
The whole idea of the reading corner was to take what my closet was as a teenager, my shrine to my mother, and make it available to everyone else.
It had pieces of her favorite clothes, the smells of her perfumes floating through the air, and a record player with all her favorite records, too.
I hoped people would take the time to pick up a book, curl up in the reading nook, and feel wrapped in love from the memory of my mother.
It was like a second chance to feel like she was there, too, giving us her love and comfort.
“Of course she’s proud of you, ladies,” a voice said from behind us. I turned to see Uncle Landon standing there with a big smile on his face. “How could she not be?”
My jaw dropped as both Lorelai and I hurried over to wrap him into a tight hug.
“Oh my gosh! I thought you were filming in Alaska?” I questioned.
“I was, but you didn’t think I could miss the grand opening of my niece’s bookshop, did you?
” He smiled, and I couldn’t help but smile back.
There was something so great about how smiles could remind a person of home.
Having Uncle Landon show up was exactly the support I needed.
I knew how busy his life was. He was one of the biggest actors in the world, and he could hardly get a break to breathe, let alone travel, so having him there was a huge deal.
He came in wearing a baseball hat and sunglasses.
I would’ve mocked him for the sunglasses at night, but I knew if people noticed him, he would’ve been hammered with requests for autographs and photos.
Uncle Landon didn’t live a life where he could just walk into stores anymore.
That made it even a bigger deal that he showed up for me.
“Are Shay and Ava and Lance here, too?” Lorelai asked.
Landon nodded. “Of course. They are up front talking to Ellie and your dad.”
Without a moment of hesitation, Lorelai rushed up to the front of the store to greet them, leaving Landon and me standing in front of the reading nook.
We stood there for a second, not saying a word. Uncle Landon took in the whole space and a tiny smile stayed plastered on his face. “I’m so fucking proud of you, Karla,” he whispered. When he turned toward me, I saw the glassiness of his eyes.
I let out a nervous chuckle. “Don’t go getting emotional on me. You know I don’t know how to deal with people’s feelings,” I semijoked.
He laughed. “That’s true. But this is remarkable.
Your mom would be so proud of what you’ve become.
I’m so proud of what you’ve become.” He placed a hand on my shoulder and turned toward me.
“I’m so proud of what you’ve become,” he repeated, this time the words dripping with deep admiration.
“You did it. You did this. I’m so amazed, Karla. It looks amazing.”
“I still can’t believe that it happened. I’m proud of this li’l ole thing.”
“Me too.” He kept his hands on my shoulders and his smile spread wider as he asked me his favorite question of all time. “How’s your heart?”
I grinned and placed my hands against my chest. “Still beating.”
He pulled me into a side hug and kissed my forehead. “Good.”
The two of us talked a little bit longer before heading to join the rest of the crew.
Shay looked amazing as always, and so did their two kids, Lance and Ava.
Even though we weren’t cousins by blood, those two kids were cousins by heart to both Lorelai and me.
Ava and Lance were twins, and about to turn ten any day now.
They were a wild pair, and Lorelai loved being their older cousin who taught them all the ways to be mischievous.
That was probably why they loved her so much—she was the same type of troublemaker.
Grandma Claire showed up and was quick to pull me into a hug and celebrate my big accomplishment.
“I always knew you were magic,” she said as she held me in her arms. “Your mother would be so proud of you.”
I smiled, knowing she was telling the truth. I always loved when she was around, because I could always see Mom in her eyes. That felt like a gift that kept giving.
As time passed by, the bookstore began to get packed with visitors, some known, others new, and the celebration began to expand right along with my heart. I felt so overjoyed that so many loved ones and strangers showed up for me and Second Chance. It felt like the greatest dream come true.
“Karla! Karla! Oh my goodness, look at this!” Joanna said frantically as she rushed into the bookstore, wearing her layers of sweaters and a big trench coat.
Ever since I was a student in her AP English class, Joanna Rivers had been a defining character in the story of my life.
She’d become my safe space when I used to escape to her classroom for lunch hour, and then after my touch with death, she visited me every week at the recovery center.
After I went off to college, we’d still have our weekly coffee dates.
To this day, we still met up for a friendly drink.
She was definitely one of my favorite human beings.
Mrs. Rivers—Joanna, as I now called her—was also the highlighted author of the event that night.
Because at the age of seventy, Joanna was now officially a published author.
And even though Second Chance was a used bookstore, I couldn’t help but put up a display of her new release.
It was a reminder that no matter one’s age, they were never too old to have their own dreams come true.
Joanna called her novel Wish for Me her own personal second chance.
She said it was the first time in all her seventy years that she’d done something just for her. That made me happier than ever before.
“This place is stunning,” Joanna exclaimed as she pulled me into a tight hug. I melted into her hug as I always did when we met up.
“Thank you. And thank you for agreeing to do a reading from Wish for Me. I am so happy and proud of you for showing up today to help celebrate the grand opening.”
“I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.
This is just remarkable, my dear.” She glanced at her watch.
“But I might need a little bit of your father’s whiskey to get me prepared for the reading.
” She patted her hand against her chest. “I have a wave of nerves. I swear my heart has been pitter-pattering crazier than ever for the past twenty-four hours.”
“Well, luckily for you, we have all the cocktails available,” I said as I walked her to the bar. “Would you like one of the specialty cocktails for the evening?”
“Oh, no, sweetheart. Just a shot of whiskey. I like my drink with a bite to it.” She winked and nudged my arm.
“I got you covered.” I waved over the bartender, Daniel, who was one of my closest friends.
We’d formed a book club a few years ago with our three other friends—Grace, Eric, and Becca—after meeting on an online forum for booklovers.
When I told Daniel I was opening a bookshop with a café and bar, he was quick to apply for the position. I’d hired him right on the spot.
I ordered a drink for Joanna. She kept tapping her chest from nerves, and I gathered my hands around hers. I placed them against my own chest, against my heartbeat. “The book is a masterpiece, Joanna.”
“Do you really believe that, or are you just saying that because I’m your favorite teacher?”
“You are my favorite teacher,” I said. “And I really believe that.”
“Thank you, but”—She smiled, squeezed my hands, then dropped them and picked up the glass of whiskey—“I’m still going to need that drink.” She downed it and then slid the glass toward Daniel. “Another one, Daniel.”
She then took my hands back into hers. “Thank you for giving me this opportunity. I always wanted to be an author.”
“You were always meant to be one, too.” I winked. “I’m going to make sure everyone gets seated. Don’t have too many shots of my dad’s whiskey—it’s strong.”
“So am I, Karla.” She downed the shot. “So strong.”
I giggled. She was ridiculous. “Just don’t be up there slurring your words.”
She held up her hand. “Scout’s honor!”
I left my dear friend at the bar and headed over to the main event space where a small stage was set up for Joanna’s reading.
We had chairs set up in rows for all of the community who made it to the shop that night, yet somehow, we still didn’t have enough sitting space.
About twenty to thirty people were standing.
They filled all the aisles among the bookshelves.
That sight alone was enough to get me a little misty-eyed.
I wondered if the curious strangers who stopped by knew that they were a gigantic part of my dreams coming true.
Next up was the part that I dreaded the most about hosting the grand opening event. It was now time for me to step up on that mini stage and introduce everyone to Second Chance. I was terrified. There were a few things in life that I hated; bullies and public speaking were at the top of the list.
Even though over the past years I’d achieved many milestones, public speaking was not one of them.
It caused a wave of panic in my heart and brain as I stepped on any stage, or in any space that was unknown to me.
People would look at me, which in turn meant that they’d look at my scars.
Those were my greatest insecurity, even after all these years.
It had taken me a while to feel comfortable around my book club friends. We’d chatted for months on Reddit before the five of us all met up in person.