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Gray admonished her several times before finally throwing her up in the air. Her giggles filled the air and reminded me how much I missed Maggie’s. Sam had mentioned them coming by to support me, but I didn’t have high hopes with his ex in town. But I understood he didn’t trust her alone with Maggie. I wanted him to do what he thought was best for Maggie.
“Is this the mosaic workshop?” Piper asked, a little girl with blonde hair peering into the room from behind her.
I smiled and moved to greet them. “You’re in the right place. It’s so good to see you again. And this must be Nora.”
“Is ’Melia here?” Nora asked.
“She’s been waiting for you,” Elle said before she hugged Piper.
Then Piper and Elle’s friend, Kelsey, arrived. “I’d love to carry some snowflakes at the lodge. Could you make some for us?”
My insides felt like they were vibrating. “I’d love to.”
“We’d pay you for them, of course. Let’s start with five, but I think we’re going to need at least one for each room.”
I exchanged a look with Elle. I wasn’t sure how many rooms they had at the Mountain Haven Lodge, or how many cabins, but I suspected it would be a lot.
“One snowflake in a room would be lonely, Miss Kelsey,” Nora said.
We all laughed, and Kelsey said, “I think you’re right about that.”
I was still counting the possible snowflakes to fulfill her order when another woman came into the room. “I saw the flyer, and I just had to know how you did it. Can I make one of these and take it home today?”
“You can definitely make one today, but you’ll need to come back and pick it up in a week. You just need to choose the shape and colors before we get started.”
Another attendee appeared, and I was busy getting everyone settled before I started on my introduction. It was the first time I attempted something like this, so I wasn’t sure how it would go. But now, I realized I needed an assistant to greet people and seat them.
With everyone seated, I stood at the end of the table and went through a brief overview of the process. I instructed everyone to choose a shape and colors. While conversation buzzed around the room, I drank from my water bottle.
“This is an amazing turnout,” Elle whispered.
I counted silently in my head. “Everyone’s here.”
Elle bumped shoulders with me. “And you were worried.”
Motivated by the energy in the room, I said, “Everyone seems excited.”
“They love your pieces and want to create something similar.”
I just hoped that their pieces turned out halfway decent. Maybe I shouldn’t have promised a piece that looked exactly like mine.
I put the doubts out of my mind and moved around the room to answer everyone’s questions. In the future, I’d need an assistant to grab supplies while I provided instructions. I enjoyed answering questions and providing guidance for colors and placement. I loved sharing my knowledge with others who seemed to enjoy it as much as me.
Each piece they created was unique, as promised. I’d even sold a few pieces. Almost everyone asked about the significance of the crab. Not many locals in Colorado knew much about the blue crab in Maryland. I was happy I’d taken the time to research it when Savannah reached out to me initially.
When the two hours were up, I was exhausted. My back ached from the tension and lack of sleep the night before.
Gray had long since taken Amelia and Nora to the park, but Elle stuck around to help me clean up.
“You need more help.”
“Tell me about it.” I was exhausted, but in a good way. “But it went better than I’d hoped.”
“I videotaped part of the session. I can play with the video and upload it to your page.”
“I hadn’t even thought of doing that.” I hugged Elle. “Thank you for supporting me.”
I meant for more than just my art. She was the reason I started a new life here. This one was far more fulfilling than the shell of a life I had in California.
