“And?”
“She said she needs time.”
“That makes sense.”
“I just hope she makes the grand opening.”
Riley chuckles. “Buddy, if she’s the woman you think she is, she will be.”
“I hope you’re right.”
“I expect a full tour of the theater when I’m there.”
“You’ll get one.”
We continue to talk about his life and how Cooper is doing. Cooper isn’t coming to the grand opening; he’s staying back with his grandparents since Riley is only coming for a couple of days. I tell Riley about my conversation with my dad and how we hashed everything out and how I feel like everything is falling into place. I just need to figure this father thing out and talk to Violet.
Hanging up the phone, I head to the barn where I run into Henry.
“You look like you’re thinking too hard,” he says.
“That obvious?” I ask.
“I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about my life and how I want it to play out. I think my next step is buying a house.”
Henry blinks. “Really?”
“I’ve got a daughter now.”
He smiles slowly. “Well, that will change your priorities.”
“Yeah, I want to build a future, and I can’t do that from living at Mom and Dad’s. Plus it’s not a place to have Violet over.”
“There is a place down the road for sale,” Henry mentions.
“Which one?” I ask.
“The blue house near Miller Creek.”
I know exactly which one he means. We used to always play by the creek when we were younger. Catching frogs, skipping rocks, and trying to catch fish with our bare hands.
“It’s move-in ready,” Henry continues. “Doesn’t need a single thing done, maybe some paint, but that’s nothing compared to the theater.”
“That sounds too good to be true,” I say.
“Maybe it’s a sign,” Henry says.
I chuckle.
“Maybe.”
Later that night, I stop by the theater. Most of the lights are off, but the glow from the marquee spills across the sidewalk outside.
I stand in the empty lobby for a minute, taking it all in.
Fresh paint. Polished floors. The faint smell of popcorn lingered from the test run we had done earlier.
For a few weeks, this place has been nothing more than an idea. Now it is real.
