Page 49 of A Winter Thaw

“Oh, we’re really going all out with planning, aren’t we?” Harper laughed. “Sounds great. This way we won’t forget about any of our good ideas.”

“I love a notebook list.” Audrey smiled. “And after taking so many notes at the business conference, I feel like I love them more than ever now.”

“Oh, I never asked you how that was! Was it everything you hoped it would be?”

“And more.” Audrey grinned. “We really had an amazing time. Getting stranded was definitely not part of the plan, but we ended up having a lot of fun.”

“Your pictures that you sent our group chat looked awesome.” Harper waved a hand. “I’m sure you two history nerds were having the time of your lives exploring Boston.”

“It really was thrilling.” Audrey nodded. “But I felt so bad I wasn’t there for Penelope when she reached the end of all the legal nonsense with Robert. It’s so good for her that that chapter in her life is coming to a close, but I know it’s hard too.”

“I saw her that night,” Harper said. “She told me that you’d said you wished you could be there for her. I think it meant a lot to her, and she understands that you couldn’t be.”

“I’m glad she was able to spend time with you.” Audrey felt relieved that Harper had been there for Penelope. “What did you guys do?”

“We ordered some pizzas and watched a bunch of goofy movies. She seemed pretty down at the start of the night, but by the end she was laughing and she seemed okay. She’s just got to battle through this, and then she’s going to be better than ever.”

“I know she is.” Audrey nodded. “I’m glad you were able to cheer her up. Milestone days are always the hardest, I think.”

“I think so too, and you’d know for sure. You’ve been through this before, with your own divorce.” Harper’s eyes gleamed with compassion.

“I have.” Audrey sighed. “Evan brought that up too. He said I’m in a good place to really know what she needs to hear and be there for her emotionally, since I understand what she’s going through. I want to do more than that, though. I want to do something that will really lift her spirits and make her feel sure that she’s going to be happier than ever in this new stage in her life.”

“I totally agree.” Harper grinned. “We should do some sort of ‘girl power’ approach, making it a celebration. Really point out the fact that now that she’s her own woman, she can conquer the world and her life is going to be much happier.”

“Ah, yes!” Audrey took a sip of her mocha and clicked her pen open. “A girl power party. Sounds perfect.”

The two friends began to plan a party for Penelope, putting their heads together as they sipped their beverages and wrote down their ideas. Audrey felt her heart lift up with anticipation, and she felt excited about their plans for making something wonderful for their friend.

* * *

Theo ran his fingers through his long, dark hair as he checked his watch for what felt like the hundredth time. Ordinarily, he didn’t feel nervous about performing with his band. He typically enjoyed the hour leading up to a performance, and spent it chatting with the guys, sipping on ginger ale, or wandering around The Brick Oven and chatting with the guests who were about to become audience members.

Today, however, it felt like things just kept going wrong. He’d started his day distracted, thinking about Michelle and wondering if things would ever work out between them. Then The Brick Oven had called to say that they were having issues with their furnace, and the whole restaurant might have to close for the day, which would mean that the show would need to be postponed. Theo had just finished calling all of the guys in his band to give them the troubling news when The Brick Oven had called him back to assure him that the furnace had been fixed and that the show was on again for sure. Theo had called everyone again, but he hadn’t been able to get in touch with Bert, their drummer. Now it was ten minutes past showtime, and Bert still hadn’t shown up.

“What are we going to do, Theo?” asked Cody, who played the electric bass. “Should we just try to play the set without him?”

Theo shook his head. “John said he got a hold of him, and Bert said he was on his way. That was half an hour ago, though. Where on earth is he?”

“I’m here!” Bert stumbled into the backstage area, where the rest of the band members were assembled. He was panting, and there was snow on his winter hat. “My car wouldn’t start. I ran here.”

The guys all whooped and patted him on the back. Theo grinned, breathing a huge sigh of relief. The show would go on, after all. He really needed it that day. He was still feeling troubled about Michelle, and music always had a way of lifting his spirits.

“Let’s go tell the sound guys we’re ready,” Theo said, opening the door that led out into the stage. “We can get everything hooked up and start the show in another ten minutes or so.”

“Only twenty minutes behind schedule.” Cody laughed and then jerked his chin toward the stage. “Let’s get this thing started.”

They trooped out to the stage. Because the lights weren’t on yet, the audience seemed to realize they weren’t beginning the set yet, but some people whooped and cheered anyway. Theo and his band waved cheerfully and got to work connecting cables and checking microphones.

After a couple of minutes, it was clear to Theo that his team had everything well in hand, so he slipped behind the curtains and made his way to the backstage area to grab his guitar. He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw the backstage door open and someone step inside.

It was Michelle.

He felt like he’d been punched in the gut, but in a good way. He stood there and stared at her for a moment, not knowing what to say.

“Hey, Theo.” She cleared her throat. She was still wearing her winter coat along with a lime green knit hat and matching mittens. She looked adorable, and Theo felt like his stomach was turning inside out.

“Hey.” He swallowed. “Are you—um. Did you get lost or something?”