Page 40 of Falling for My Ex Next Door

“Hmm.” I was somewhat dismayed; his report only meant that the coffee shop would be closed for another full day.

“Thank you very much, Dr. Newman.” My mom said.

Dr. Newman smiled and left us alone.

“Come on, eat.” My mom urged, sensing the change in my mood but not minding nevertheless.

Jacob soon left for work. I perceived he might have left some things undone since he had been with me for the entirety of the previous day.

Soon afterwards, Old Napoleon visited with two familiar, beautiful faces: Nora and Tina! I felt thrilled to see them, so I introduced them to my mom. Nora was especially pleased to meet my mom, likely because of her fond memories of Aunt Madeline.

As I lay in bed, they gathered around me. They were eager to catch me up on their lives since we last saw each other.

“You won’t believe it,” Nora started, her eyes sparkling with excitement. “We’re organizing a fundraiser to build a sensory room in the library. But we’re struggling to find a venue.”

Tina nodded in agreement. “Every place we’ve checked is too expensive or already booked.”

A sudden idea struck me. “How about the coffee shop? You can use it for the fundraiser.”

Nora’s face lit up. “Really? That would be perfect!”

“Absolutely,” I confirmed. “It’ll be a great way to honor Aunt Madeline and unite the neighborhood.”

“Thank you so much,” Tina said, squeezing my hand. “This means a lot to us.”

As we continued chatting, I couldn’t help but feel a spark of hope. The coffee shop might just become the heart of something amazing.

“There’s one more thing,” Nora said, nudging Old Napoleon and winking conspiratorially. “We have a surprise for you. But you’ll have to wait until the fundraiser to find out.”

Chapter Twelve

Jacob

“The chairman’s chopper has touched down,” Jackson reported as we hurried toward the conference room.

“Are the executives already seated?” I asked.

“Yes,” Jackson confirmed.

“Hey, brother,” Daisy called out, appearing from the other direction and joining us with a nod to Jackson.

“Hey, sister.”

“Mom’s incredible. I canceled major plans just to be here,” she complained, as expected.

“Yeah, yeah.”

“But it’s okay. It’s fine. I had plans to come down to Sunnyvale. I’ll meet with Clara after the meeting.”

“I’m glad you two have settled your differences.”

“Yeah,” she smiled.

I nodded at Jackson, and he took the cue to leave.

Daisy and I reached the door to the conference room, and I twisted the handle, opening it to reveal the assembled executives and board members. They were suited up for our major annual conference, except for Daisy, who stood out in a Mattel’s Barbie costume from a recent photo shoot.

I greeted a few acquaintances and took my seat next to the chair at the head of the table.

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