Page 21 of Catch Me When I Fall

It was time to start a new one.

“Here you go,” the cashier said, holding my long receipt out to me.

It was nearly nine o'clock, the sun had finally set, and I was officially the new owner of Blue Beauty. Of course, on Monday, there would be more documents to sign, the transferring of the title, and I’d be transferring the money over to Sarah and Michael’s account.

Once I told her I wanted to buy it from her, she jumped up and down with glee, told me to keep the keys, and that was that.

I was a homeowner.

Me.

We exchanged numbers, and she told me to come by the bookstore tomorrow whenever I could—as if I’d miss out on another one of Margo’s lavender lattes. That was divine. I’d be old, gray, and still thinking about that coffee.

I smiled at the cashier of the store that was like a Wal-Mart and HomeGoods all in one. It was Astoria’s General Store, and you could get anything you needed, from groceries to power tools or clothes to home decor. I absolutely loved it. “Thank you for not rushing me out,” I said softly, putting my hands on the cart. “I know you’re about to close.”

I’d been in here for the last hour and a half, a good chunk of that time spent in the kitchen section, deciding on dishes. It was a big decision; one I’d never had the opportunity to make before.

I took it seriously.

The young girl waved me off. “I have to do inventory tonight anyways; I’m not going to be out of here until midnight. Besides, Sarah called me,” she explained.

I blinked. “Is this a town where everyone knows everyone?”

She laughed. “No, no, just the business owners. We look out for each other.”

Huh. I assessed the girl more closely. “You own this store?”

“No, my parents, Jimmy and Marsha, do. They’re on a mini vacation this weekend. They’ll be back tomorrow.”

I nodded. “Right. Well, thank you. I appreciate it.”

As the cool summer night air hit me, I looked down to the full shopping cart.

I’d gotten everything. I may have gone overboard, but who cared?

This was my life, right?

I could go overboard if I wanted to.

Ten minutes later, after packing up the backseat and trunk, I made my way through town, taking in the lit sidewalks, bustling nightlife, and people walking up and down the main road. When I pulled into my driveway, I braced myself for how many trips it was going to take to get my haul into the house.

It took ten more minutes of back and forth, but once everything was inside, sitting in the middle of the living room, I released a heavy sigh, my shoulders sagging.

I’d been on the go for over thirty hours at this point. I needed a hot shower, some food, and some sleep.

“Come on, Carrie,” I mumbled, grabbing the bags filled with groceries and heading into the kitchen.

One stocked fridge and a devoured PB&J sandwich later, my new bedding was washed and in the dryer. The dishwasher was loaded with the new dishes. I unloaded the cleaning supplies I’d bought and went to clean the bathroom.

Despite my exhaustion, I knew I wouldn’t be able to relax until I was settled in.

I scrubbed the tub just like my father’s maid taught me when I was teenager then cleaned the toilet, followed by the sink. Once that was done, I hung up the floral shower curtain. It was white with tiny pink tulips on it. I thought it fit well. Plus, it was pretty.

I went back downstairs and cleaned the half bath as well. After that, I took my bathroom supplies I’d bought upstairs and organized them. Again, I might have gone a little overboard, but I didn’t mind. I got what I needed and then some. After spending the last year living off the bare minimum of someone else’s standards, I needed it.

My entire life, I had been shaped and molded into someone I wasn’t. I was made to satisfy the people around me. No one, aside from the friends I once had, saw me as a person, but that was quickly ripped away from me—

I shook my head. “No. I’m not going there,” I said to my new cute make-up bag. “I’m here. I’m in my new chapter. I’m getting settled. I’m doing what’s best for me. There is nothing wrong with that.”

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