“Mimi said she’d forgotten to give these to her on Sunday. You’re seeing her tomorrow, right? She and I won’t be at church this week. We have a contractor coming to give us an estimate on replacing these old wood floors.” Riley lightly stomped her foot for emphasis.
Olivia nodded and took the skeins. She always had supper with her aunt Bea and uncle Bill before Wednesday-night church. “I’ll make sure she gets them.”
For the next hour the women continued to knit and crochet while talking about babies, interspersed with some campaign planning. Olivia wondered if Riley was feeling left out of the baby talk. She didn’t seem to be. Olivia kept quiet and focused on fixing her project, which somehow ended up even more of a mess than it was before.
As they packed up to leave before 9:00 p.m.—Olivia always kept track of the time—Anita walked over to her. “Is everything all right?” she asked in a low voice.
“Of course.” Olivia put the knitting in her bag.
“You seemed quiet.”
“I’m always quiet.”
“More so than usual.”
She looked at Anita, still fighting her resentment. “I’ve had a long day.” Not exactly true. Her day wasn’t any longer, or any busier, than any other Tuesday.
“Good, then.” Anita tugged on the hem of her SunshineCafé T-shirt. “I thought you might be upset. About my news.”
Guilt over hurting her best friend snapped Olivia back to her senses. “Oh, Anita. I’m not upset. I’m so happy for you and Tanner.”
“Really?” Anita stepped back, still looking unsure.
“Absolutely.” She smiled and meant it, pushing away her petty resentment. “I can’t wait to organize a shower for you. Harper too. This is so exciting.”
“Isn’t it?” Anita beamed. No, she glowed. But her smile faltered a bit. “I’m a little scared,” she admitted. “Okay, I’m a lot scared.”
“Don’t be.” Olivia held her hand. “You’re going to be an amazing mom.”
“That’s what Tanner said too.”
“Listen to him. He’s right.”
Anita nodded, smiling fully again. “I’ll listen to both of you. And if I have any questions or run into trouble, Kingston can help.”
Another twinge.Don’t ask... Don’t ask...“What’s he been up to lately?” Ugh. Why couldn’t she obey the smart part of her brain when it came to him?
Anita shrugged. “Working, for sure. Other than that, I don’t know. Mom hasn’t talked to him much either. She’s pretty put out with him. She called his admin last month to schedule a phone call.” She chuckled. “I’m sure he got an earful. Oh well, that’s Kingston. Always busy. I do miss him, though.”
Me too.
Olivia drop-kicked the thought out of her mind as Riley turned off the lights.
“It’s nine fifteen, Olivia,” Harper joked as she opened the back door. “Sure you won’t turn into a pumpkin?”
The three women laughed.
Olivia didn’t respond. Normally she didn’t mind their teasing her about her passion for punctuality. But tonight it grated. She followed them out of the shop and to her car, waved goodbye, and put her bag on the passenger side as she sat down behind the wheel. She turned on the car and flipped the air conditioner to medium, leaving the window cracked to let the hot, humid air escape.
As the interior cooled, she tried to think about work. School. Church. Aunt Bea. Even Flo and RaeAnne, despite their incessant chatter and nosiness. But Kingston kept rolling around her mind, like a pebble she couldn’t get out of her shoe.
So she employed the strategy that had gotten her through the weeks after he’d ghosted her a second time: she tried to be thankful. Even if they had dated, he would have eventually hurt her. She didn’t even rate an apology from him. He’d had an entire year to do so. No excuse.
She put her car into Drive and headed home, welcoming the bitterness enveloping her. Anything to short-circuit her brain and extinguish any thought of him. Who cared what Kingston Bedford was doing with his life? She sure didn’t. Not. One. Bit.
A short while later, after she’d dressed in her pajamas and prepared a warm mug of milk and honey, she called her mother. Once a week they alternated calling each other, the calls lasting no longer than twenty minutes. That had started when her parents moved to Asheville, North Carolina, after she graduated from high school, and their relationship hadsettled into a true long-distance one. There were the perfunctory visits on holidays, but other than that, they didn’t see each other. Her parents were both academics—her father was a professor of ancient Mediterranean studies, and her mother taught anthropology, both at UNC. They had always been consumed with their careers.
As usual, after the first ring, her mother picked up. “Good evening, Olivia.”
