46. Zara
ZARA
My phone rings from the kitchen counter. I snatch up the phone in time to see it’s my cousin, Serena, calling. “Hey. How’s New Orleans doing?” I grab the duster from under the sink.
“It misses your fine ass. How’s Maple Ridge?”
“It misses your fine ass.” I kneel in front of the middle shelving unit in the living room and stare at the empty spot next to the wooden elephant. The spot where a framed photo of Garrett and Kenda and me—taken during college—usually stands.
The photo also isn’t on any of the other lower shelves.
“And how’s Garrett doing?”
I can’t see Serena, but I can tell she’s grinning at the phone. She has known about my secret, not-so-secret crush on my best friend longer than Emily and Simone have. “He’s doing good. How’s the guy you recently started seeing?”
I drop to my stomach and look underneath the shelving unit as Serena animatedly talks about him. Dust bunnies have formed a committee under the shelves, but there’s no sign of my photo.
Peony was here yesterday. Maybe she picked it up and moved it somewhere else .
I check under the couch and the armchairs and the coffee table, but the photo isn’t under any of them. Where the heck did it go?
Three days after I spoke to my cousin on the phone, I’m standing in the newly expanded Picnic & Treats, doing a mental happy dance.
It’s Saturday—and the grand reopening of the café.
Lauren McNair’s powerful voice fills the space as she sings one of her popular songs.
A song about girl power and how supporting each other will make the world a better place.
Six little kids, including Peony, are dancing to the music in front of the small stage set up for Lauren. Athena is standing to the side, dancing with Peony. Both look carefree, big silly grins on their faces.
I record a short video to share with Garrett once he gets back from his Wilderness Warriors weekend excursion. I wish he was here to celebrate with me, but at least Peony and Athena showed up.
“The turnout for the event is crazy.” The equivalent of a huge smile is in Abby’s tone.
“I know.” My tone matches hers. “I didn’t anticipate it being this big.”
It’s been like this since the celebration began three hours ago.
A teenage girl and her two friends walk through the entrance. She laughs at something one of them says. I blink at the memory of the last time I saw her two and a half months ago. The day Joseph dumped me. The day her drunk father came into P&T and smashed the chair.
She looks nothing like she did that day. Now she appears happy, relaxed.
Abby returns to the counter, and I walk over to the three teens. “Hi. Sarah, right? How are you doing? I was here that day your father…” I leave the rest of the sentence flapping in the wind, unsure of the best way to end it.
Her eyebrows lift. “Went apeshit?”
That’s one way to put it .
“Things are better. My aunt found out what happened and moved to Maple Ridge and is staying with me. Dad called her after he landed in jail.” Her voice falters on the last part.
One of Sarah’s friends puts her arm around Sarah’s shoulders in support.
“My mom died unexpectedly from an aneurysm just before last Christmas. Dad didn’t handle it well and started drinking. A lot. And all the time.”
Oh, Lord. I can’t imagine what she’s going through. “I’m so sorry for your loss.”
“Thank you. My aunt pushed for Dad to go into rehab, which is where he is now. She also got me into grief counseling, and he’s doing it too.”
“I’m glad to hear that. Please let me know if there’s anything I can do to help.”
She nods like she’s heard that so many times and is going through the motions, even though she’s not sure how sincere the person is.
“I mean it.”
She smiles, the tilt of her mouth genuine. “Thank you.”
We talk for a few more minutes, then I leave the three friends and make the rounds, checking how everyone is doing.
A man approaches me, carrying a big bouquet of flowers. Carl, a veteran who Garrett is friends with. “Hey, Zara. I’ve got a special delivery for you.” He holds out the flowers for me. His wife owns the floral shop in town. “And congratulations on the expansion. It looks great.”
“Thank you. And thank you for the flowers. Any idea who they’re from?” The beautiful array of colorful blossoms includes my favorite, jasmine.
“You’ll have to open the card to find out.” He winks at me and leaves.
I carry the bouquet to the front counter, remove the plastic wrapping, and open the card.
Golden Girl,
Sorry I couldn’t be there for your big day. I’m so proud of you. We’ll celebrate when I get home Sunday night.
Garrett
My silly heart swoons at the sweet gesture. Don’t read too much into the flowers . Sure, Garrett has never given me any before, but that doesn’t mean he’s in love with me. It just means he knows how much the celebration and reopening means to me. Right?
My family, including both brothers, walks into Picnic & Treats.
My parents are holding hands, smiling with the same pride in me on their faces that I witnessed growing up.
They’re the same two individuals who were there for each other, through the highs and the lows, during the season Dad battled testicular cancer thirty years ago.
Dad swore Mama’s love and devotion were what helped him get through it.
Helped the family get through the ordeal and be stronger.
A brazen picture of a much older Garrett and me saunters into my head. Of him giving me flowers just because. Reading to me like he did when I was sick. Kissing me as if I’m the sun, bathing him in adoration and warmth.
A dreamy, wistful sigh escapes me.
Mama pulls me in for a big hug. “I’m so proud of you, sweetheart.” With the grand sweep of her hand, she gestures to the busy café. “This is incredible. What you’ve accomplished is incredible.”
The softhearted expression on her face tells me she didn’t doubt for a second I’d be able to pull it off—spondyloarthritis be damned.
I hug my father and my two brothers, Samuel and Jerome. Kim steps forward, carrying Sidney in her arms, and I squeal. My niece is not only the daughter of one of my closest friends from childhood, she’s just a few months younger than Peony.
I hug Kim, the award-winning photographer responsible for Garrett’s Golden Girl nickname, then I kiss my niece on the cheek. “I’ve missed both of you.”
After we catch up for the next few minutes, they leave to take Sidney to a table that has just opened up by the windows.
A few tables over, a young couple is walking away from where Emily is sitting. I recognize the bride-to-be glow on the woman’s face. The couple is newly engaged .
“How’s it going?” I ask Emily and sit in the empty seat across from her.
She isn’t a full-time wedding coordinator, but her business has been growing steadily for the past two years.
She’s also busy as Kellan’s full-time office assistant.
The assistant he cannot survive without.
She occasionally meets with potential clients here.
“It’s going really well.” Emily’s glow is brighter than the one the bride-to-be who just left had. “I’ve just signed another new client. Their wedding is planned for during the holiday season.”
“That’s great. I’m so excited for you.” I’m practically buzzing with excitement for her.
“Thanks, but what’s that saying? Always a bridesmaid, never the bride?” She lets out a self-deprecating laugh and rolls her eyes. “I’m always the wedding coordinator, never the bride.”
She picks up one of her photo albums and shoves it into her oversized bag. “Maybe I should just ask Kellan to help me find a boyfriend…since he doesn’t see me as anything other than a friend and office assistant.”
My gaze flickers briefly to the counter and the large bouquet from Garrett. “Or you could just tell him how you feel about him?”
She lifts her eyebrow in a silent question. She’s clearly asking me when am I planning on telling Garrett I’m in love with him.
“You never know,” I say, sidestepping the deep crevice of the question. “Kellan might get jealous of all the men he’s helping to set you up with, and he’ll finally realize he’s madly in love with you.”
“Or you could do the same with Garrett. And before you know it, I’ll be arranging your wedding.” She rubs her hands together, as if she’s eagerly anticipating that fictitious day.
I pick up one of the glossy pamphlets from the table without really seeing what’s on it. “You mean with another man or with Garrett?”
“Definitely Garrett.” She taps the pamphlet in my hand.
More specifically, she taps the photo on the front page. The photo Jess took last year of me in a white gown, my hair in an elegant upsweep. My hand cups Garrett’s face and our noses are kissing. It’s a gorgeous photo, capturing the joy of our make-believe wedding day, our fairy-tale love.
Capturing the happiness we felt in that moment, even if the love in Garrett’s expression was faked .
Too bad the same can’t be said for me.
“You really should tell Garrett how you feel about him,” Em insists. “Before it’s too late.”