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“Did you know that sometimes, your heart attracts the very things that scare you?” She tilted her head, studying me. “It’s what helps us to grow and push ourselves. Make no mistake that having both of these opportunities crash into your life at the same time means something.”
I nodded, quietly sitting next to her. She reached for my hands and brought them to her lap. The frail fingers, worn fromeighty years in this world, clutched my hand in hers. The room grew still as she continued to keep her gaze on me.
“You do understand that you deserve these things.” She narrowed her eyes on me. “Right?”
A lump unexpectedly formed in the back of my throat. “I don’t know what I deserve, Mimi. I’ve been pretty happy here on Marigold. I love my little house, my job at the store, my family…”
“But what if your heart has room for even more?” she asked, and I realized Mimi had a way of soothing away troubles.
Tears brimmed my eyelids as I cleared my throat. “I do love Lucas.”
She held my hands tighter. “I know you do.”
“And I love the feelings my words bring me.”
“You can’t hide those from the words, Emily. You have a gift, just like Grandma Cecilia. She loved poetry.”
My heart tugged for her, but I knew how lucky I was to have Mimi in front of me too.
“I’m sure this sounds crazy, but the only reason I applied for this residency was because Grandma Cecilia loved the Great Smoky Mountains, and I truly never believed I’d be chosen.”
“I believe it.”
“Did you know that your grandmother and Lucas’s grandmother were friends when they were younger?”
“Really?”
“Indeed.” She nodded. “But their friendship fell apart.”
“Why’s that?”
“Mrs. Edwards was a poet, but so was your grandmother. The difference was that Mrs. Edwards shared the words with the world, but Grandma Cecilia was too afraid to do so.”
I frowned, thinking about my other grandma. She never seemed like she was afraid of much.
“Cecilia was afraid of failure. So much so that she didn’t even dare to try. When Mrs. Edwards submitted her poems and became a published poet, I hate to say it, but I think Cecilia became jealous.” She drew in a breath. “My point in telling you isn’t to cast a shadow over your grandma’s memory but to make you realize that you should never let the fear of the unknown stop you from doing what your heart demands.”
“I had no idea they were friends.”
Mimi chuckled. “I have a long memory, but yes, they were indeed friends in their twenties, but it fizzled out. And I’m pretty certain that’s why.”
Mimi’s words felt like a guiding light in a very uncertain moment.
After all, none of this would have been possible had I not submitted some poetry merely on a whim.
“So, I think you know the next step,” Mimi continued.
“Accept the residency?”
She chuckled. “Well, yes… that. But also, tell Lucas the good news.”
I smiled at the thought of sharing something so special with him. I was also grateful I’d mentioned it to him so that it wasn’t a complete surprise.
Although, I think it would still shock him like it did me.
“I think that’s my cue to tell Lucas the news.”
She tapped my hand before letting go. “I think so too.”
