Page 90 of Check You Out

“You were incredible,” I say in a low voice.

Johnny speaks after Charlotte, followed by Karen, Charlie, and the rest of the members of the Save The Summerville Library Committee. Mayor Harrington presents the final petition numbers in her speech, which elicits curious glances and murmuring from the council members. Georgie manages to produce a brilliant speech, despite not having written anything at all in preparation. By the end of the Open Comment section, my cheeks are sore from grinning at everyone’s words.

“What now?” Charlotte leans over after the last of the speakers finishes up. “Are they going to vote?”

I shake my head. “I would be surprised if they did. They’ll probably vote later, after they’ve discussed it.”

The council chairperson speaks up. “Thank you all for your voices. We have heard your opinions regarding the budget. The Council will vote in a special session next Monday, June 30. We will now continue with the rest of the meeting. Councilman Sanders, can you please provide an explanation for County Code Section 3, Article 2?”

The meeting continues without any mention of the vote on the budget. Most people in the meeting room file out as the council discusses legislation regarding the size of pipes that are allowed to be installed in new construction of single occupied dwellings, which is apparently a fancy word for new homes.

“Do you want to leave?” I ask Charlotte.

She shakes her head. “I want to see if they mention anything else about the library.”

Xander points finger to Ivy and mouths, “I’m out.”

Nicole and Liam follow shortly after. The rest of the committee members wave their goodbyes and leave. Only a few citizens lounge in the seats.

Dan makes his way over to us and sits down in the chair next to me. He rests a hand on my shoulder. “Great job.”

“Thanks,” I reply. My body stiffens, expecting him to find some little criticism or a helpful tip to make next time go better. But it doesn’t come.

“I liked your speech the best,” he says, grinning like a proud father. “But I will admit I’m biased.”

My muscles relax. I’m not used to this side of Dan. “I appreciate it. My favorite was Charlotte’s.”

The corner of her mouth upturns and she murmurs thanks.

Silence falls over us as we watch the proceedings. My gaze rests mostly on Charlotte as she perches on the edge of her seat. Her attention is focused on every word that the council members utter, looking for any indication of which way they plan on voting.

We remain like that for the remainder of the meeting. Charlotte watching the meeting. Me watching Charlotte. At some point, Dan offers his congratulations to me again, says, “See you later,” and leaves us.

“You can go too and wait outside with the others,” Charlotte says after the doors close behind him. “I just want to see what happens.” The council has moved on to discuss an ordinance regarding zoning laws. “I know it’s a bit boring.”

“I’ll stay. Nothing is boring when I’m with you,” I reply and rest my hand on her knee, squeezing softly. “We’ll stay as long as you want.” I’m barely paying attention to the meeting. My focus is one hundred percent on her.

As the council members exit the chamber and the janitors come in to clean up, Charlotte turns to me. “So, that’s it? Is the library staying open? What’s going on?”

“I don’t know exactly, but they probably need to review things and make decisions,” I say, resting my arm around her shoulders. “Then they’ll make the final vote in a week.” I pull her closer to me and her soft curves rest against my body. “We’ve done everything we can. It’s out of our hands.”

“But what if it’s not enough?” She twists to face me. “What if they still close the library? What if they cut the budget even more?” Her lower lip quivers and her eyes water. “What if we’ve failed?”

“Whatever happens, we’ll get through it.” I press a kiss on her forehead. “I promise you that I’m not going anywhere. You won’t have to deal with it alone. We’ll face the next chapter together. Pun intended.”

“Thank you.” She leans into my arms, resting her head on my shoulder. “I meant it what I said earlier.”

I murmur into her hair, “I love you too.”

“I love you,” she echoes and I pull her in for a kiss.

Except we’re interrupted by one of the janitors, “Hey, we need to stack the chairs.”

We leave with red faces.

39

Charlotte