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Ididn’t have a child. I wasn’t a mother. What he said wasn’t wrong, but it hurt in ways I could barely understand. Pain pierced my chest, exploding like a bomb, reaching every part of my body. My body ached. I was exhausted.
When I’d married Levi, I’d wanted it all, a husband, children, a home. I didn’t get those, and when it all fell apart, I thought it wasn’t in the cards for me.
The worst part was that Ben didn’t take back his words. He hadn’t apologized or even contacted me since.
It was like he’d used those words to put a wall between us. He wanted to pull back from our relationship, and if I’d learned anything with Levi, it was to take people at face value. Ben was telling me he didn’t want to be involved, and I needed to heed that if I didn’t want to get hurt even more.
While the shop was closed for renovations, Hailey came to my house each day to plan the reopening. People expected us to do something since we were renovating the store.
I was losing customers to Ben during the closure, but hopefully, I’d gain new ones when people found out what we planned to offer in the future.
We hired Gia from Happily Ever Afters to handle the party. She’d managed a few of the other shops’ grand opening parties, and everyone raved about her.
She’d suggested an evening cocktail party. We’d serve wine and appetizers to showcase the new drink and food menu. It was perfect, and it would set us apart from Bean Rush.
The security system company had postponed their scheduled maintenance to next week, saying they couldn’t work on the system with the construction crew there.
I hadn’t invited Ben personally because I wasn’t sure where we stood. I’d invited all the Shops on Main owners, though, and he was included with them.
I understood that Ben was stressed with his store, the move, and Cammie, but I deserved more than comments about how I didn’t get it. I understood having a business and juggling a personal life along with it. Maybe not to the extent he did, but I could be there for him if he let me.
The renovations finished on Wednesday night, and I’d done a walk-through with Sam on Thursday, thanking him for his work. As an added bonus, his crew had cleaned before they left. Hailey helped me stock the new shelves with our gourmet food and wine behind our new bar. We’d even hired a chef to handle the appetizers and small plates we’d serve in the evenings. Originally, I’d wanted to wait to add food, but I changed my mind. I didn’t want to be cautious anymore. I wanted to go all out.
On the night of the party, I dressed in a gold dress that shimmered when I twirled. I felt beautiful, even if it felt like something was missing.
I unlocked the door before anyone else arrived and ran a hand over the new bar top. The coffee machines stayed, but we’d added wine and champagne glasses and bottles of wine on the shelf. When a customer walked in, it would be clear we weren’t just a coffee shop. I hoped the rebranding was what the shop needed.
I’d boldly decided to make a change, and I hoped it worked out. If it didn’t, I didn’t have the finances to tide me over until I figured out something else. It had to work.
Gia arrived shortly thereafter, and I helped her with the displays and decorations. It was classy and elegant. It would be a nice evening out for the shop owners and anyone else curious about my renovations.
When the first customer walked in, there was a gasp. “You’re not a coffee shop anymore?”
I smiled reassuringly. “We still serve coffee, but we also serve wine.”
She clasped her hands together. “That’s just perfect.”
I’d left the new sign out front covered. I wanted everyone to be surprised when they walked in. The full reveal was planned for later in the evening.
I was pleased that so many people came. I thought it might just be our shop friends, but there were plenty of curious people who’d shown, and I hoped it translated into a steady customer base.
A couple of hours into the party, my cheeks hurt from smiling, and my chest felt hollow because I didn’t have anyone to share my joy with.
“Are you ready for the big reveal?” Gia asked.
“I am.”
We moved everyone outside, and Gia handed me the string that would remove the tarp.
“One, two, three,” Hailey prompted.
I pulled the string, and the tarp slipped off the new wooden sign that read Market Tavern. There were vines intertwined in the letters with purple grapes.
Zoe had designed the logo for me, and it was perfect.
“You should be so proud,” Hailey said as cheers erupted over the crowd.
I took a moment to bask in the moment. I’d done it. I’d pivoted when it was necessary to try something new. I was innovative and creative.
