Well Met(81)

“Oh, she is.” Chris cradled the mug between her palms. “I’ve known Lauren’s family since she was in diapers, and of course, she’s grown up doing Faire.”

“Of course.” Chris knew Lauren better than I did. She was going into her junior year, and needed an after-school job to round out her college savings. Her being a Faire veteran certainly spoke to her work ethic. It hadn’t hit me until recently that these kids were giving up a lot of their summers. When every weekend was spoken for from June to almost September, long vacations were impossible.

I could relate. Faire had been a grueling experience. Long days, uncomfortable clothes. But it had also been more fun than I’d ever had in my life, and I’d made friends who had become family. Funny to think it had all started as an obligation I’d taken on for Caitlin’s sake, another thing I needed to do while I took care of April. As the summer progressed, all those obligations had fallen away one by one. April had recovered and was back to her old life. She didn’t need me. My obligation to Caitlin would end when Faire did. And as for the bookstore . . .

I dug into my purse and tried to focus on the positive. If I wasn’t needed here anymore, I’d be free to go wherever I wanted. Away from here.

No. That wasn’t a positive at all.

My pack of gum was in a small inside pocket, and as I took it out a scrap of paper came with it. A fortune, from a fortune cookie: Ask the right question.

I smoothed the paper out between my fingers as I remembered. I’d been scared that night, scared to ask the questions that had really mattered. But doing so had knocked me out of my stasis, both with my sister and with Simon. I needed to do that again. I needed to stop being afraid to stand up for myself. I needed to ask the questions that mattered, instead of waiting for life to happen to me.

“Chris, do you have a second?” I was still looking at the paper when I spoke, and I watched the writing shake a little between my fingers. But it was too late; the words were out of my mouth. I forced my gaze up to Chris, who looked at me with raised eyebrows.

“Sure,” she said. “What’s up?”

“I need to talk to you. About the fall.” My voice trembled and I ran out of breath on the last word, but I must have gotten my point across because she nodded.

“Good. I need to talk to you too. How about I’ll send Lauren on her way, and you can make us a couple of lattes?” She looked down at the mug in her hands and back up to me with a plaintive look. “Real ones?”

A nervous laugh escaped from my lips. “I can do that.” While Chris escorted Lauren back to the front I pushed down my nerves and made a vanilla latte for each of us. The repetitive motion calmed me, and by the time I brought them over to the table by the window I felt almost normal again. This was good. Get it all out in the open, so I could start planning my future for real. I always did better when I had a plan.

Chris sat down across from me and lifted her mug, inhaling the steam. “Oh, that’s more like it.” She blew over the surface of her coffee before taking a sip. “So, what are you thinking about the fall?”

I drummed my fingernails on the side of my own mug and tried to figure out how to hurry along my own firing. I’d never done this before. Ask the right question. I focused on the fortune and sucked in a barely shaking breath. “How much longer are you going to need me working here? In the fall? Once Lauren starts?”

Her brow furrowed. “What do you mean?”

I tried to shrug, look unconcerned, but inside I wanted to scream. Why was she being so obtuse? Would she just fire me already? “I’m just trying to plan ahead. Figure out where I’m going next, that kind of thing. I mean, I’ve already trained my replacement.” I glanced out the window so the hurt in my eyes didn’t show. I should probably start packing tonight. I probably had stuff scattered all over April’s house from my months of living there.

“What?” Her surprised, sharp tone made me turn back to Chris. Surprise widened her eyes. “You’re leaving?”

My wide-eyed stare matched her own. “Maybe?”

Her shoulders slumped around a sigh. “I should have talked to you about this sooner. I figured with the way things were going, with your sister and your niece, not to mention Simon, you were planning to stick around. I guess I should have made sure before assuming anything.”

“Well, I mean, nothing’s set in stone . . .” Then I registered what she had said. “Talk to me about what?” This didn’t sound like the kind of conversation that led to getting fired.

“About the future. Let me start from the beginning.” She looked down into her mug. “This spring, my mother had a stroke, and—”

I gasped. “Chris! I’m so sorry! Is she okay? What can I . . . ?”

“Oh, she’s fine,” she rushed to assure me. “She’s fine. She retired to Florida a few years back, and if there’s one thing they’re good at down there, it’s taking care of old people. But assisted living facilities are so expensive, and I worry about her getting the right kind of care. So in September I’m going down to spend the winter with her in Florida. Then I’ll bring her back with me in the spring when the weather’s warm. That way she can stay in her house, and I can take better care of her.”

“But . . .” I was definitely missing something. “How are you going to run the store from Florida?”