“Right,” she said.“What’s it like?”
I turned the faucet on.“Well, where my grandparents live, the sun doesn’t set in summer.So that’s a little weird.You can see the Northern Lights often though, because it’s so far north.You can see the Northern Lights, here too, apparently.”
“Yeah?”
I nodded.“I’ve never seen them here, though.Only in Norway.”
I stuck my toothbrush in my mouth.
“I’ve never seen the Northern Lights before,” Lenni said.“That’ll be cool.To see them, I mean.”
After I spit and rinsed, I wiped my mouth with the hand towel.“You’ll probably see them this year.They’re easiest to see in winter.So, you want to help me feed Mildred?”
The three of us headed down the stairs into the kitchen.“Mildred’s kind of bougie,” I explained.“So, she gets chicken and some veggies instead of dry dog food.”
I pulled out the container of her food that I’d made the night before.Lenni got Mildred’s bowl and set it on the counter.
Mildred sat, patiently waiting for her delicacies.Lenni placed the bowl in front of the dog and then Mildred jumped forward and began to eat.
“What are we doing for breakfast?”Lenni asked.
“I need coffee,” I explained.“And I thought we could stop off at Poet’s for a quick minute and then I’ll take you to Sweet Teeth.It’s right next door to Poet’s soon-to-be bookstore.”
Lenni grabbed the truck keys off the counter.“Am I driving, or are you?”
“Ha.”I wrapped my arm around her shoulder and dragged her against me.“We’re walking.”
“We’rewhat?”
“Walking.That’s what us New Yorkers do.Besides, Mildred needs a walk.”
“I’m not a New Yorker.I’m a Georgian.And we don’t walk anywhere.Plus, it’s really cold and I don’t have a real winter coat.”
“That’s not gonna cut it.”I shook my head.“Poet’ll have something you can borrow and then we’ll get you decked out for a North Idaho winter.”
“Hurry,” Poet said, popping the door open and ushering us inside.“I don’t want anyone to see the place before the grand opening.”
Mildred, Lenni and I stood in the main room of the bookstore that had been nothing more than Poet’s dream a few months ago.
“This came together so fast!”I remarked.
“You sound surprised.”Poet laughed.“I sent you videos of the process.”
“Yeah but seeing it in person is something else.”
The two couches in the center of the room were slouchy and inviting.The bookshelves that Brooks had made for her were polished to a gleam and completely full.The walls were a soft, inviting shade of blue.The counter was an old wooden slab with a vintage cash register.
“This place is so cool,” Lenni said.
“You think so?”Poet asked with a knowing smile.
“Yeah.”Lenni began wandering around, her fingers touching journals and gel pens.“I love this place.”
“You like to read?”I asked.
“Love it,” Lenni said.
Poet looked at Mildred and smiled.“Could she be any cuter in her little pink coat?”
