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Rose takes a few steps, looking at the crowd for the cheers she’s come to expect. They clap for her, encouraging her.
I move back. “Come on, a little further.”
Again, she gets frustrated with me. Reaching her arms up in the air, she says my name. “Tett. Tett.”
I go to pick her up.
Ashely stares at me. “Oh my gosh! She said your name! That’s amazing.”
Boston and Beckett watch on with smiles on their faces.
Rose pats my chest. “Tett.” She looks at each face in her audience, smiling proudly at their admiration.
To my relief, everyone thinks it’s special that my name is her first word. No feelings are hurt. Having shared the news, I can just take a breath and enjoy the fact that our niece is now forever attached to me in this special way.
It’s the perfect time to make my announcement to this smaller, closer branch of the family.
Excited butterflies tickle as they take flight in my stomach. “I’ve got something else to tell you guys as well.”
Beckett stares at me, a curious look in his eyes. “Oh yeah? What’s that?”
Ashely’s brow knits as she studies my face. “It’s not what I think it is, is it?”
“Maybe,” I smile.
She claps her hands together, jumping on tiptoe as she squeals. “You got it. Didn’t you?”
Too excited to speak, I just nod as she pulls me in for a tight hug.
“Congratulations, Tett,” Boston says. “That’s awesome.”
Beckett comes over to me, wrapping me in his warm embrace. He plants a kiss on top of my head. “That’s great news. I’m so proud of you. When did you get it?”
“The CO got approved yesterday,” I say. “I was just waiting to see what the move-in date was.”
“Have you settled on a name?” Ashely asks.
“Yup.” I feel shy, saying the name out loud. “I wanted something light and fun and girly. It’s going to be called Betty Boo’s Car Care.”
Ashely loves the name. “Oh, that’s super cute! Any special meaning behind it?”
“Um…” Heat rushes to my face.
How do I explain that the name is a way to take my power back? To put a positive spin on a nickname that made me cringe and created so much fear inside me?
One thing I love about Ashely? She can read the room. She smiles, moving on.
“More lemonade?” She holds up a pitcher, filling my glass with her homemade sparkling lemon-limeade. “Tell us more. What’s your timeline?”
“I’ve been waiting on pins and needles for the inspector to approve the certificate of occupancy, which he did, yesterday. This morning, I finally got the call from my real estate agent saying that the space will be ready for renovations in three weeks.”
Boston takes Rose from Ashely’s arms, kissing the top of his baby’s head. He gives me a grin. “Congrats again. Women will be swarming.”
“Thank you. I hope so.”
The fact that Ms. Grace wanted a “woman’s touch” for the care of her precious Buick got me thinking. Women tend to be blocked out of the automotive world, or confused by it, or sometimes, sadly, taken advantage of by it.
What if there was a female mechanic, running an automotive care center specifically tailored for women? Beckett loved the idea. He’s stood by me every step of the way.
