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One
LILY
My baby was in the shop.
With the grumpy mechanic.
I chewed my fingernail as I checked my phone for a missed message. There wasn’t one.
Jake said he’d call when he knew what the problem was, but that didn’t ease my nerves. When he’d arrived to tow Berta, he’d asked whether I wanted her fixed. Clearly, he didn’t think she was worth saving, and his opinion burned in my stomach like a hot brand.
Berta was my grandmother’s baby blue VW van. She’d driven it for as long as I could remember. The van was a regular sight around town, filled with the flowers and plants she brought home to nurture.
Even if it was prone to breaking down and being unreliable, it was a symbol of her—the one person who understood me. Who believed in me. Who shared interests that my mother thought were frivolous. My mom didn’t think I’d ever make money selling plants.
I envisioned the van as my brand. I wanted to take photographs of it in front of the red barn, surrounded by flowers, to entice locals and tourists to visit or plan their next event on my farm. But it was a pipe dream because I hadn’t even made my little flower shop profitable yet. Then there was the problem with the van that kept breaking down.
My partnership with Gia’s wedding planning service, Happily Ever Afters, was the only saving grace. The floral arrangements I contributed to the weddings she planned kept my little business afloat.
Gia’s voice drew my attention.
“I wanted to introduce the new additions to our team. I’d like to welcome Everly, who creates beautiful wedding invitations.” Gia held up one of them, which had blue and yellow flowers with gold embellishments. “And my best friend, Harper, who’s going to get us organized with an amazing computer scheduling program.”
Gia’s passion was making plans, rules, and spreadsheets. When she wasn’t meeting with clients, she spent her time on her computer or her tablet. She launched into the logistics of Harper’s plans to organize the business, and I tuned her out. The schedule affected the wedding planners more than it did me.
My mind drifted to Berta and Jake as I chewed my nail. What if he couldn’t fix her? I couldn’t imagine the flower shop or the farm without Berta. The possibilities swirled in my stomach, making me shift restlessly in my seat.
“Everly will be creating custom invitations upon request, but she’s graciously offered a few packages for our budget-conscious brides. Even if a couple doesn’t have a lot of money set aside for invitations, they’ll be of amazing quality.”
“And they’re unique,” Sophie said, smiling as she paged through Everly’s binder.
“Thank you,” Everly said. “I’m so grateful for the opportunity. I’ve been working in an office job and selling online, but it’s my dream to make a go of this. To make it my full-time business.”
“Oh, what are you doing now?” I asked.
Everly’s nose wrinkled. “I work for a medical office, answering phones.”
“We’ve all been there. We’ll support you in whatever you want to do,” Sophie said with a sympathetic smile.
“I prefer to meet with wedding couples in person to get a feel for their love before I create something.”
“You’re in the right place if you want to build your business,” Gia said with an encouraging grin.
We were all business owners and thrived on being our own bosses.
“Harrison is the one who introduced me to Everly,” Gia said.
Harrison owned a supply company and provided the tables, chairs, linens, and silverware for our weddings. I rarely saw him, as our responsibilities never collided, so I didn’t know much about him.
Everly smiled. “We’ve been friends since we were kids.”
“We’re so excited to have you here. We work as a team, but we’re also friends, so we’re happy to have you on board,” Gia said before turning her attention to her tablet.
She probably had an agenda for the meeting and wouldn’t dismiss us until she relayed everything.
“This might seem silly, but it’s important that we’re always seen as professional. Some won’t want to work with female business owners, or they’ll think we’re not business savvy, and we don’t want to give anyone the impression that we’re just here to have fun. We’re here to build a sustainable business, one that will support our families and us for years to come.”
Everyone nodded, clearly on the same page.
