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“The sooner we start, the sooner you reunite with Jasper. He knows how important this dream of yours is. He’ll show up for you, Franky.” I settled down next to him in the bed, waiting for his response.
“Okay. Let’s do it,” he said.
“Perfect.” I began typing furiously, creating a list of things to do. “We could pay for social media ads, create a website, and get Cole to make a few calls. Kincaid Wood will be huge—”
Franky slammed my laptop closed and silenced my eager rambling with a kiss. “How about we just spread the word locally?”
I’d been about to argue, but he dropped another kiss to my mouth, then whispered a reminder. “A simple life, Leelee Bear.”
I smiled against his warm lips. “A simple life,” I repeated.
A week later we had the event space rented, the furniture transported, and the doors opened on the first Kincaid Wood pop-up shop.
We’d kept promotion to the bare minimum. We asked neighboring businesses to hang the flyers in their windows, and we handed out flyers with drinks at The Daisy.
The locals came out in droves, and by day four we even had some out-of-towners. Word-of-mouth was spreading fast, and Franky’s wish for a simple life might not end up being so simple after all. Furniture was figuratively flying off the shelf, and his list of requested commissions was as long as my arm.
“This is unbelievable,” Noon said, as two strapping men hauled a cherry wood chest of drawers into a U-Haul out front.
“I know,” I said, watching Franky talk prices and care instructions with customers.
“He isn’t so bad, you know,” Noon said.
“Is that how you really feel, or are you just high off the fifty-percent discount you got on that dining set?” I asked. Noon clapped me on the back as he chuckled.
“Nah, he’s good to you. Goodforyou. He found a way to choose you no matter what, and as your friend, that’s all I could ask for.” Noon had visited me at Franky’s house several times while I’d been recovering there, and since he knew about our past, Franky never felt the need to shield his feelings for me around him, even before I began returning those feelings. Noon also clandestinely shared his copy of the bar keys with Franky so that he could work on surprising me with the art studio. He’d witnessed Franky atone for his mistakes, so if he said he thought Franky was good for me, I knew he meant it.
The front door opened again, and again Franky snapped his head in that direction, his chest caving in when it wasn’t Jasper’s face that greeted him. He went back to helping customers.
“Jasper still isn’t talking to him?” Noon asked.
“No. And today’s the last day. I thought for sure he’d show up.” Didn’t help that Cole’s return flight from a last-minute business trip was delayed, causing him to not be here. He was bummed he couldn’t make the grand opening, but he assured us he’d be here today. One son’s support would’ve been better than none.
“There’s still time,” he said.
“Yeah, you’re right,” I responded, but my tone lacked optimism.
“Alright, I gotta go.” Noon dragged me into his chest for a hug. “Call you tomorrow.” He waved to Franky on his way to the door.
Evening rolled around, and the last customer said their goodbyes. The only thing left was a coffee table and a few chairs. I handed Franky a Stella, and we took a seat, drinking in silence.
I didn’t know what to say, especially when I knew nothing would make him feel better. Only one person could do that. I’d been about to lock up for the night when a familiar face walked nervously through the door. Franky hopped to his feet, and so did I.
“Jasper,” he whispered.
“Franklin,” he said, his long, blond hair wavy and wild. He looked just like Selene.
“I’ll leave you two alone—”
“Stay,” Jasper said to me. “You’re a part of all of this, so stay. Please.” He gestured for us to sit, then came over, removing his satchel and taking up the empty seat across from us.
Franky and I set our beers aside, then I held his shaky hand for support. He gave me a grateful squeeze.
Jasper dug a stack of photos from his bag, then began quietly laying them out one by one along the coffee table. I glanced at Franky for clarity, and he shrugged, confirming his own confusion.
The first photo was of a kid wearing a tattered shirt and shoes with barely any rubber left around the soles.
“This is me one year before you came into our lives,” Jasper said, his finger on the picture. A row of homes was in the background, some abandoned and some just run-down. None of them looked up to code to live in, though. “This was where we lived at one point,” he said.
