The worddinnerlands heavier than it should.
“Oh,” I say quickly. “I’m not really . . . doing that right now.”
He nods once, easy. “Yeah. No problem.”
I’m not sure whenright nowturned intoyears.
“Sorry,” I say with a smile. “Thanks for the help, Grant.”
I walk out of Hank’s Hardware, feeling Grant’s eyes follow me to my Volkswagen Beetle parked out front. I get in, shut the door, and rest my forehead against the steering wheel for a second longer than necessary.
When I turn the key, the upbeat opening notes of “Unwritten” by Natasha Bedingfield fill the car. I huff out a quiet laugh and reach to turn the volume down.
I back out of my parking spot, the words drifting through the speakers, familiar and persistent.Live your life with arms wide open.
I don’t sing, but I don’t change the station.
By the time I pull into my driveway, my throat feels tight and my ears burn. I blink hard, telling myself it’s just the heat, the day, and a stupid song I’ve heard a hundred times before.
I carry the bag from Hank’s into the house, setting it on the kitchen counter. When I pull out the sandpaper and stain, a folded piece of paper flutters to the floor.
I crouch to pick it up but pause at the crooked font, holding my breath. I close my eyes tightly, but when I open them, it hasn’t vanished.
I tentatively grab the paper, slowly unfolding it.
Try Something You’ve Never Done
Speed on a back road.
Order dessert first.
Quit something you’re “good” at.
I stare at it for a while, then fold it twice over before tucking it into the back pocket of my jeans without quite knowing why.
I tell myself it’s trash.
I tell myself I’ll throw it away later.
Then I pick up the sandpaper and stain because responsibility calls.
8
SADIE
Ibalancethe baking pan in my mitted hands, the lemon bars still warm enough to fog the plastic wrap. The house smells like sugar, citrus, and responsibility.
I set the pan on the counter beside the grocery list—milk, eggs, butter— and peel off my oven mitts, wiping my sweaty hands on my apron.
My phone buzzes against the laminate.
Sophie
Can you make that chocolate cookie-dough pie you made a few months back for supper tonight? IT WAS THE BEST!
My shoulders tense as I stare at the lemon bars. I add chocolate chips to the grocery list.
Sadie
