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"With what?"

"Dinner." I point to the basket. "From that Italian place you wanted to try. Ellie picked it up and dropped it off before I came to get you." I say, putting the key away in my pocket.

"The landlord met me here this afternoon. We’re allowed to stay for a couple of hours, and I promised to leave it exactly how we found it."

She walks toward the blanket, looking down at the candles, then around the empty room.

There’s not much to see yet. Bare walls, a few marks where shelves used to hang, and an open space that’ll need some work before she can sell anything from it.

But I’ve watched her look at pictures of this place on her phone often enough to know she sees more than that.

She turns back to me.

"I don’t even know what to say."

"You could show me where you want everything. I’d like to know where I’m carrying that commercial mixer before you buy it."

"Your shoulder isn’t carrying a commercial mixer anywhere."

"I have teammates. Big ones. You’ve fed most of them."

"Do they know that you’re volunteering them?"

"Absolutely. It’s time they contributed something. Besides, they like to feel needed."

She laughs and comes toward me, reaching for the front of my shirt. Then she pulls me down and kisses me.

I put my good arm around her waist and let her take as long as she wants. Her other hand slides behind my neck, and when she pulls back, she doesn’t let go.

"Thank you."

"You’re welcome."

"This is…" She looks around the room, then shakes her head. "I love this."

I kiss her once more before letting her step away.

"Good. Now show me your shop."

I follow her around while she explains where she wants the display case, the extra fridge, and enough cooling racks that she won’t have to keep borrowing mine. She gestures with both arms, occasionally stopping to pull up something on her phone.

There are paint colors I can’t tell apart and chairs she assures me are completely different from the ones in the previous picture.

"That one’s blush," she says when I make the mistake of calling it pink.

"My apologies."

"And this is dusty rose."

"I’m going to need labels and a color wheel to keep this all straight."

"You just need to carry them."

I nod. "That I can do."

She laughs and keeps going. I’ve heard her talk about the shop before, usually while she’s adding up what she still needs to save. Tonight, she’s standing in it, telling me where everything belongs. I want to be here when those things arrive.

Even if we’re no longer together, I want to help her move in. Whatever offside rules she puts between us, I can still show up and carry a few boxes. At least until I leave at the end of the season.