Me:
I think part of me always believed that if I didn’t have kids by now, it probably wasn’t going to happen. And I told myself I was okay with that. But when Everett told me he might have a daughter, it forced me to realize something.
Lily:
And what’s that?
Me:
That it’s too late to figure out how to be a mom.
Lily’s response was fast.
Lily:
Vi, being a mom doesn’t have a timeline.
I swallow.
Me:
Maybe not. But it usually starts when the kid is born.
Lily:
Says who? Being a parent isn’t about when you arrive; it’s about whether you stay.
The words sit heavy in my chest. Because that is the truth, isn’t it? Motherhood isn’t one single path. Sometimes it is messy and unexpected. Different from the path you once imagined. But that doesn’t make it any less real.
I look out the office window toward Main Street. People hanging banners. String lights going up outside the theater. Kids riding bikes past the entrance like it is already the most exciting place in Lavender Creek.
And Everett made that happen.
Lily:
Do you love him?
The question appeared, and I didn’t even hesitate.
Me:
Yes.
Lily:
I’m so happy for you Vi!
I exhale slowly, because I did. I’d been circling around it all week. Analyzing every angle. Thinking about if I was ready for a future that looks different from the one I’d always pictured. But every time I imagined walking away from Everett, something inside me told me that was wrong.
I step out of the office and return to the front counter. And there he is again. Everett. This time standing outside the theater talking with a group of townspeople.
I think about the way he looked sitting beside me in the theater seats that night.
Vulnerable. Honest. Terrified of losing me. He didn’t hide anything. He told me the truth even when it could have cost him everything that has started between us.
It means he trusted me enough to let me see the messy parts of his life. Not just the easy ones.
I slip my phone into my pocket and look down the street again. Tomorrow the theater doors will open. The whole town would show up. And Everett would finally see his dream come to life.
