“That sounds like something June would say.”
Lila went back to her stone-skipping, and June made her way up the beach to the blanket. She dropped down beside Melissa, close enough that their shoulders touched, and let out a long breath.
“She’s getting good at that. The skipping.”
“She’s getting good at a lot of things.” Melissa watched Lila hunt along the shoreline for the perfect stone. “Second grade seems to agree with her. She actually wanted to tell me about her day when I picked her up on Friday.”
“That’s huge.”
“I know.” Melissa paused. “She made a friend, I think. A girl named Emmy who also likes animals. They’re planning some kind of project about endangered species.”
“Of course they are.” June smiled. “She’s going to save the world, that kid.”
“Probably.” Melissa reached for June’s hand, lacing their fingers together.
They sat in comfortable silence, watching Lila throw stones and the light shift across the water. A family with two teenagers was packing up further down the beach; an elderly couple walked slowly along the shoreline, hand in hand. Normal life, happening all around them.
“I’ve been thinking,” June said after a while.
“About?”
“The catering thing. I talked to a woman at the farmers’ market yesterday. She runs the event space on Birch Street and she said they’re always looking for recommended caterers for small events.”
“That’s great, June.”
“It’s terrifying, is what it is.” But June was smiling. “I’d have to get licensed, figure out the business side, find a commercial kitchen to rent. There’s so much I don’t know.”
“You’ll learn. You’re good at learning.”
“I’m good at cooking. The rest is—” June shook her head. “What if I fail? What if I spend all this money on licenses and equipment and then nobody hires me?”
“You could start in our kitchen,” Melissa said. “Just doing a few things unofficially. Building up a client base.”
“Our kitchen,” June echoed. “I like that.”
“I can talk to a few of my acquaintances. See if they need food for a party or an event. Get you a few recommendations before you put serious money into it.”
“That sounds good,” June said. “Yes. Okay.”
Melissa squeezed her hand. “The point isn’t that it has to succeed on the first attempt. The point is to do the thing you actually want to do, instead of the thing that feels safe.”
June looked at her sideways. “When did you get so wise about career risk?”
“I told a legislative committee I was bisexual on live television. I think I’ve forfeited my right to advise caution.” Melissa smiled. “Besides, I’ve eaten your food. Anyone who doesn’t hire you is an idiot.”
“You’re biased.”
“Completely. Doesn’t make me wrong.”
Lila called out, and they looked up to find her crouched at the water’s edge, something cupped carefully in her hands. “I found a frog! Come look, come look!”
They walked down to her and she opened her hands to reveal a small green frog, no bigger than a golf ball. It sat very still, apparently stunned by its capture.
“His name is Professor Hopsworth,” Lila announced. “But I don’t know what sort of frog he is.”
“Perhaps we need to get a book on just frogs,” June said.
“A book on something other than otters,” Melissa said. “Imagine that.”
