“Probably,” Sienna said, squinting at the building.
“I don’t know,” Blair said from the backseat. “Does Luke Bryan like that sort of thing?”
Sienna turned around. “You’re trying to catch me, and I’m not telling you who owns that house!”
The light turned green.
“Sienna’s answer was ‘probably,’” Emily said. “So, what musician would probably go to that restaurant? What about that guy with the really gorgeous wife?”
“I know who you’re talking about.” Blair snapped her fingers. “He might. Hard to say.”
“Maybe all three of us could come back next year and see if we can catch him there,” Emily suggested. “Would he say hi if we were with you, Sienna?”
“I have no idea,” Sienna said with a laugh.
They pulled into a parking spot and got out of the car.
“Surprise!” Sienna waved her arms in front of a lavender storefront with lacy curtains and a neon ice-cream-cone-shaped sign by the door with the name Tropical Treat.
The place was brimming with tourists. Through the large window, pink-skinned vacationers filled the tables. They dipped their spoons into decadent bowls of confections—vanilla ice cream with whole pieces of cake on top and drizzled with chocolate, or milkshakes the size of milk cartons.
“We’re doing a sundae flight,” Sienna said.
Emily wrinkled her nose. “Flying ice cream?”
Blair let out a chuckle.
“I really need to get you into the Nashville bar scene,” Sienna said, shaking her head. “A flight is a sampler of small-portioned drinks. But we’re doing sundaes instead of alcohol.” With a dramatic flourish, she opened the door and ushered them into the pastel-colored interior that smelled of sprinkles and sugar.
“Oh, let’s grab that.” Blair slid onto a shiny booth that had opened just as they walked in. “I’ll hold our seats. I’m game for whatever. Surprise me.”
Emily and Sienna went to order.
“We have to pick five flavors,” Sienna said, peering up at the chalkboard menu with eight rows of options. “Any standing out for you?”
Emily studied the choices. “The Beach Bonfire S’mores looks good. ‘Toasted marshmallow ice cream with ribbons of melted chocolate and crushed graham cracker pieces, just like a summer night by the fire,’” she read.
“That does sound delicious.” Sienna pointed to the middle column. “How about Coconut Cabana Crunch? ‘Toasted coconut ice cream with macadamia nuts, white chocolate chips, and a caramel drizzle.’”
Emily nodded enthusiastically. “We only get five? We might need two flights.” She read the next on her list: “We have to get Sunset Sorbet Swirl. ‘A dreamy mix of mango, raspberry, and peach sorbet in a creamy vanilla base, swirling like a summer sunset.’”
When it was their turn, they settled on their last two: Strawberry Picnic Shortcake and Boardwalk Breeze. They put in their order, and one of the Tropical Treat crew got to work on their selections, pulling out a miniature teal-and-yellow surfboard with divots to hold the mini sundae glasses. With precision, she placed each glass into its spot and then with scoops, ladles, squirt bottles, and finally a spray of whipped cream, she handed over the flight, along with a handwritten explanation card, a pile of napkins, and three long-handled spoons.
Sienna took it to the booth Blair was holding for them and placed it in the middle of the table.
“I have to get a photo of this,” Blair said, wide-eyed. “It’s adorable.”
Emily and Sienna stepped aside so Blair could capture the purple-striped wall and bright-green-and-pink flowering plants in the background. Then, they sat down and each took one of the spoons.
Blair waved them together. “Get close. I want a photo of you two.”
Sienna and Emily posed for the shot.
Emily took that second to commit the moment to memory. “This trip really does feel like a turning point,” she said. It was a line dividing who she thought she’d be and who she wouldbecome. “Thank goodness for you two. I couldn’t have managed without you.”
“Of course.” Blair set her phone on the booth seat beside her. “Back at ya.”
Sienna leaned on the table. “Truly. This trip couldn’t have come at a more opportune time. I needed to get used to the idea of this baby before I told Tyson. And I couldn’t have done it without the support of you two.”
