Make a Wish (Spark House #3)(88)
“That seems like a lot of work and planning.” London folds one of her paper stars and tosses it on the table.
“I just figured that sometimes parents with younger kids have to leave the reception early, so it might be cool to offer a play space for a couple of hours. Nothing extensive, or permanent, just something we could try out for the events where the little kids wear out early.”
London and Avery give each other another sidelong glance.
“This all sounds great in theory, Harley, but if you’re running a daycare during the event, who’s going to take the photos?” Avery asks.
“I think this is a much bigger undertaking than you realize. We’d have to have a room safetied, and we’d need licensed professionals. You still have at least a year or two before you’ve finished your degree. This might be something we could consider in the long-term, but we’re in the middle of setting up a franchise and that needs to take precedence,” London says gently.
“Right. Yeah. Okay. It was just an idea.”
“I don’t think it’s a bad one,” Avery says. “But I think there’s a lot more planning that we’d need to do, and we have other things happening that take top priority.”
“Just forget I said anything.” I’m frustrated, and I don’t want to lash out or say something I’m going to regret. While majority rules works for the most part, it’s times like these I wish it were more than the three of us making decisions. I get what they’re saying, that maybe the timing isn’t the best, but every time I try to create a place for myself that might make me happier here, it’s either shot down or taken away.
“We’re not saying no forever, Harley,” Avery says. “Only that we need to put a pin in it for now. I think it’s a great idea. But we’ve all got enough on our plates without adding another thing to it. Plus, now you’re going to plan a party for Peyton, so that should be good, right?” Obviously she’s trying to smooth things over.
“Yeah. It’ll be fun,” I agree.
“I’m still sorry that we had to take the birthday parties away,” Avery says.
“I knew they weren’t helping our bottom line at all, though. And they were a lot of work for something that wasn’t lucrative and took away from planning time on the other, bigger events, which is where we want our focus.” They sound like words with no real emotion behind them.
“Exactly.” London seems relieved. “I know all the changes haven’t been easy, but this is what we’ve been working for.”
“I know it’s for the better of Spark House.” And it is. We’ve turned a family-run business into a burgeoning franchise over the past five years. It’s an accomplishment, and Spark House has been Avery’s passion for a lot of years, so seeing it flourish is amazing.
I just want to figure out where I fit into all of this. And hopefully, in time, I can find a place for myself in Spark House that gives me the same kind of joy Avery and London have.
Later that afternoon, I pick up Peyton from school. The fall colors are long gone, trees bare and the grass faded, having lost its summer vibrance. The first flakes of snow start to fall on the way to the park, swirling around us and melting as soon as they touch our clothes or skin.
“I can’t wait to make snowmen this winter! Dad and I usually make two for the front yard, one of him and one of me, but this year we can make three, and you can have your own snowman too. We dress them up in our old clothes and change their outfits sometimes.” Peyton skips along beside me, chattering away.
“That sounds like a lot of fun.”
Peyton slips her mitten-clad hand in mine. “It is. On Christmas Eve we always go to Granny and Grandpa’s place, and then on Christmas Day we see Nana and Grampy. Will you spend Christmas with us?”
I glance at her, taking in her hopeful, expectant expression. I don’t want to overstep, and this isn’t a conversation I’ve had with Gavin yet. “I usually spend Christmas Day with my sisters, but we’ll have to see what works.”
She nods and her smile turns wistful. “It must be so fun to have sisters at Christmastime. At Granny and Grandpa’s my auntie Louise and uncle Frank come too, and they bring my cousins Jasper and Jennifer. They live all the way in Boston, so it’s a long trip for them, and last year Jasper was brand-new and he couldn’t do much but stare at things, but this year he’s talking and walking, and Granny says he’s a going concern. I think that means it’s going to be a lot of fun. If you don’t see your sisters on Christmas Eve, maybe you could come to Granny and Grandpa’s with us and meet my aunt and uncle and cousins.”
Gavin doesn’t talk about Marcie’s siblings, but from what I know, they’re spread across the country and they only really see each other during the holidays. “That sounds like it would be a lot of fun. And your birthday is coming up soon too. You must be excited about that.”
“I am. I sort of thought maybe I wanted to go to Chuck E. Cheese for a party, but I also kind of want to have a princess party. And I want one of those before I’m too old to love dressing up like princesses. But I don’t know if that will ever happen because I want to be in plays, and then I’ll get to dress up and pretend to be princesses, or whatever role I get in the play. This year I get to play Santa’s lead elf in the Christmas play, and I’m really excited. I have lots of lines and I have almost all of them memorized.”