“I mean, notthatclose…” I laughed weakly. “He should have all the information he needs now to make the booths.”
“Nonsense!” Janice replied enthusiastically, releasing our hands with a signature flourish. “As theformerhead of community events, I suppose it’s my job to tell you that you’ve won the Small Business Grant.”
I blanched. “The… Small Business Grant?”
My mind instantly began to spiral.
“Yes,” she replied matter-of-factly.
“I’m sorry, Janice. I don’t think I applied for that.”
In fact, I didn’t even know those existed. How come I didn’t know those existed? Free money was the biggest thing missing from my life.
She beamed at me. “That’s because Frank and I applied for you.”
My skin grew cold as all three of them stared, blinking, waiting for some sort of response or sign of life.
All I could think about was that ever since my grandmother passed, Janice took it upon herself to step in. But that wasfour years ago. I should’ve had it together by now. I should have no longer needed to be looked after. For a while, I was positive that I finally proved to her that I could survive without help. I was wrong.
Then I felt it: the grip of shame twisted around my gut, reaching from deep in my chest. I didn’t go to college, I didn’tleave town, I didn’t doanything. And I couldn’t even keep my grandmother’s memory alive on my own.
I wanted to fix it allandsave Marigold’s. Maybe something would be left for me when the dust settled.
“Thank you,” I managed to say after it had already become clear that I’d gone catatonic.
There was a beat of silence before Janice continued, “And we thought you should hire Rhett for the repairs.”
My jaw hinged open and my eyes flew wide. “He’s too busy with the festival,” I sputtered, too distracted by the conflagration of emotions to avoid appearing ridiculous.
“Hecan handle it,” Rhett cut in, watching my profile.
“There’s no one else worth their salt in town,” Janice added with a concerning sparkle in her eyes. “He needs this contract. And you need repairs.” She settled back beneath Frank’s arm, absentmindedly wiping a bit of pie filling that had gotten stuck to his mustache.
“Don’t worry, you’re getting the friends and family discount,” Rhett muttered, relaxing into the corner of the booth and laying his arm across the back of the banquette.
“I don’t need adiscount.” My face flooded with color again as I hissed at him. Once more coming apart at the seams, I turned in my seat and struggled to gather a smile. “That is to say… Thank you. When would you like to begin?”
I strained to keep each word as neutral as possible. Janice, Frank, and least of all Rhett didn’t need to know about the raging wildfire they unleashed in my mind.
“Tomorrow morning,” he replied. Dark eyes studied me closely, the corner of his lips lifting a fraction.
Later, when I burst out the door and onto Main Street, I wasted no time in ripping my hat off and fanning myself with it. The entire walk home, I grappled with the guilt that had a home in my chest for years. We were once able to live side-by-side, likesome sort of symbiotic relationship where I could live as normal while the parasite lay dormant. Now it seemed determined to color and consume my every thought.
My grandmother trusted me with Marigold’s. She believed in me. And I was running it into the ground.
Sleep that night was fitful.
???
The next morning, I devoured whatever was left of the pastries from the cafe and dressed as early as I could. I wasn’t going to belateon top of everything else.
The week had been warmer, and my hair decided to behave, so I just threw on my favorite t-shirt with my jeans. Easton enjoyed a quick walk—I made a mental note that he would get an extra long one later—and I even told Juniper three houses down that I didn’t have time to talk.
So, Janice cornered me. I had to accept the help, whether I liked it or not. But that didn’t mean I couldn’t make the best of it. No matter what, Marigold’s would be successful. The Summer’s End Festival would be the best one yet. And Margot was going to see how great everything could have been if she hadn’t broken her promise seven years ago.
By the time I was strolling down Main Street, I felt like a new woman.
I stared up at the trees towering over each shop and stretched my arms wide to feel the balmy sea breeze against my skin. This would be my turning point. Finally, it was all going to come together—
