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I wake up with a snap, not with my usual fog and sludge weighing me down. Instead, as soon as my eyes are open, I feel alert.
I left the curtains open, so the room is bright and cheery. Wedges of blue sky are visible through the windows. I can even hear the seagulls from here.
Filled with a sense of eager anticipation, I get dressed in a hurry in a pair of jeans and tank top, with a long-sleeved lightweight flannel on top in case the gallery is a dusty mess. It’s good to have layers of protection, my dad always taught me.
It’s early, but as I walk down the road toward Main Street, I already see people going about their daily business. Ladies in hats tend to their gardens. Kids yelp from playgrounds and cheese each other under the palm trees. A lime-green lizard darts across the sidewalk into the scrub.
I can see that there are several pickup trucks in front of the gallery. I imagine they are already at work. It has only been about thirty-six hours since the last time that I saw the space, but I’m still excited to see what has happened in the meantime.
As I’m walking, I see a familiar figure outside the general store and cross the street to chat with Dusty. When she sees me, she opens her mouth in a wide, excited smile. She seems to be on break again.
“Hey, you!” she calls out. “Looks like everybody is hard at work! This is really happening?”
“I’m just on my way over there,” I explain. “But yeah, it’s really happening. I’m glad to catch you… I didn’t get your phone number or anything.”
She smiles even broader. “So you are really serious about that? About giving me a job?”
“Of course I was serious about that. The gallery opening event is in seven days. I’ll teach you everything you need to know. Can you send me your email?”
Dusty bounces up and down on her toes, clearly excited. “Sure! I will get you everything you need. You won’t be disappointed, JoJo. I’ll make you proud!”
“I know you will, Dusty,” I smile, feeling very satisfied that I put all this together. “We will talk more later, okay? I’ll see you soon!”
“Bye!” she calls out happily as I continue to the gallery, feeling confident and secure.
The sound of circular saw screams out over the sidewalk as I get closer, and the gallery door swings open. My dad lumbers out, holding a door over one shoulder. He chucks it into the back of his pickup before he sees me.
“Hey there, boss lady,” he smirks. “Coming to check up on the crew?”
“Oh, you’re the boss,” I laugh, holding my arms out. “I’m here to work! I wore socks and everything!”
He twists his lips into a smirk and looks me up and down. Before I can say anything else, his arms close around me, squeezing me in a tight, dust-scented hug.
“You are the cutest construction worker I ever had,” he remarks. “But to be honest, I think we have the whole thing handled. You want to see?”
“Definitely!”
Dad leads the way, swooping his arm out gallantly so I can enter. As soon as I walk over the threshold, I stop, trying to take it all in.
The whole place is different. Not gutted, but not the same. The suspended ceiling is gone. The office door is now the color of unfinished wood with a gleaming pewter handle. It’s as though everything has been scraped down past the grime. Not finished, exactly—but it’s more of a clean slate.
“Now, I realize you’re going to have to use a little imagination…” he begins cautiously.
“Oh, I totally see it!” I reassure him, a smile stretching across my face. “In fact, if I squint, it almost looks like it has a chance! Really!”
He nudges me gently on the shoulder with his elbow. “It’s got more than a chance, JoJo,” he chides me. “It’s going to happen. I give you my word. What’s really great is Phyllis had all of the electrical and plumbing upgraded right before she passed on. And the structure is in great condition. The rest is just the bathrooms for wheelchair access and cosmetic stuff. We got this.”
I look up at him, grinning. “You know what? I’m not even worried,” I tell him truthfully. “I think this is going to be okay!”
Dipping his head to kiss me on my forehead, he gives me a wink and pivots away to a small group of men who look like they are not working at peak efficiency right now. On my own, I sort of circle the perimeter of the room, trying to imagine it in a few days. When the new ceiling tiles and the track
lighting are in, the whole place will feel different. New drywall and refinished floors… Paint... Signage and some well-placed sculptures…
Holy cow. It’s going to be okay.
Absentmindedly I drag my cell phone from my back pocket and start dialing before I even know I’m doing it. In a few seconds, Didi’s voice is on the other end of the line.
“Hello?” she says tentatively.
