Page 51 of The Funnel to You

We get to work outdoors first since the weather is decent. It takes us a couple of hours to get it all set and the timers scheduled. Then we go next door to help one of the neighbors do the same. It looks like everyone else is waiting before they set their lights up.

Around dinner time we head inside to get cleaned up and see how mom is doing.

“Wow, it smells good in here.” I say to mom once we get back to the kitchen.

“First day of Christmas means homemade soup. I went with a lemon, chicken, and orzo soup today. It’s not as heavy as some of the other options but it’s not too cold out yet so I wanted this one.”

“It’s a favorite.” Dad says before going over and kissing mom on her cheek and then helping to dish out the soup.

“Have you talked to Sasha yet?” Mom asks once we sit at the table and start eating. I didn’t realize my fingers were so cold until I held my bowl in my hands for a minute. I take a moment before I respond.

“Not yet. I did send her flowers today with a note, so I’m hoping she accepts those and I can start working on apologizing. I knew she wasn’t going to be excited about everything, but I didn’t think she would block me out this much.”

“When do the girls leave for New York?” Dad asks as he uses his bread to get the rest of the broth out of his bowl.

“They leave on Tuesday. Meetings with the company on Wednesday and Thursday and then there is a dinner on Friday. They are set to come back on Sunday so they will have a quiet day or a tourist day on Saturday. It’ll be a good week for them to get everything done. And Ashley was able to take her finals early so she can focus on the meetings and events and not school.”

“Are you going?” Mom is hopeful with her question.

“I honestly haven’t decided yet. I want to be there – for both of them. But I don’t want to overstep or go against what Sasha has asked for. I miss being with her and seeing or talking to her every day, but I want her to succeed more than I want to be selfish or hurt her further.”

“Well then, it’s time to start groveling, son. Actions speak louder than words, so let’s get planning.”

So that’s what we spent the rest of the night doing instead of finishing Christmas décor. The mistletoe can wait until I get my girl back.

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Sasha

Chai White Hot Chocolate

Social post: Last day in the apron is officially done. Thanks for the experience. Time for the next chapter! See you soon, New York! #nomoreorange #lastday #sashaloveslipstick

Image description: Apron laid out on the table with a few loose stem florals next to it.

He sent me flowers.

I’m not sure what I was expecting today. I think part of me wanted to see him today, but I am glad he respected what I said. The bouquet is gorgeous. And huge. I love that he planned ahead to have it delivered right before I left. It definitely made me feel special knowing that he was still thinking of me. I do miss him, but I need to know that I can do this on my own. My numbers on social media this week have been pretty steady. There was a slight dip on Monday and again on Thursday, but I expected that with the holiday. And it bumped right back to my normal the following day.

“Sasha, you are going to do amazing things. I hope these make you smile. Know that I am so proud of you and can’t wait to see what this next chapter brings you. I love you, Matt.”

The note with the flowers was simple, but was just what I needed to see. It’s been more than a week since we’ve talked. I miss him about as much as I expected. I keep reaching for my phone to see if he called or texted me. And I find that I am equally upset and relieved. I’m glad that he is respecting what I asked, but I miss talking to him. I decide to send him a quick text just to say thank you and show him that I got the flowers.

Me: Thank you for the bouquet. It is beautiful.

Matt: I’m glad. I wanted to get you something special to celebrate you today. I hope you had a good last day.

I don’t respond, but it feels good to hear from him again.

Time to get set for New York.

Sunday is spent planning wardrobe and finalizing schedules with Ashley. Dinner shows up right at six from our favorite local restaurant. We didn’t order anything, but there is a note from Matt on each of the take-out containers.

“Don’t add hot sauce to this one – it’s spicy enough and you won’t eat it if it’s any spicier.”

“This is a new menu item. I think you’ll like it.”

“This is for lunch for tomorrow.”

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