Page 94 of Tangled Up In You

As the storeslowed down late Monday afternoon, Molly grabbed the care package she'd put together earlier and walked down the street to Jackie's boutique. There was a stylishly dressed young woman organizing dresses on a rack.

She gave Molly a welcoming smile. "Hello. Are you looking for anything special?"

"No. I'm actually looking for Jackie."

"She had to step out. Do you want me to give her a message?"

"Actually, I'd like you to give her this." She handed the gift bag to the woman. "I'm Molly Trent. I run the shop next door, A Better You."

"I thought you looked familiar. I stopped by your sidewalk sale on Saturday, but you were helping someone else. I really like what you've done with the store. I'm Ariel Flint."

"Nice to meet you, Ariel." She was thrilled that Jackie's employee didn't seem to have a problem with her shop. "I'm glad you liked the shop. If you ever need anything, let me know."

"I'm actually interested in your yoga classes, but I noticed your schedule was pretty slim."

"I'm trying to get one of the former teachers back," she said, making a mental note to check with Elaine again. "I'll let you know when we add more classes."

"I'll make sure Jackie gets this."

"Thanks." As she left the boutique, she let out a breath. Step one in her plan to win Jackie over was done. Hopefully Jackie would look in the bag and not toss it out just knowing it was from her.

When she re-entered the store, she realized it was almost five, and there was no one around, so she went ahead and locked the front door, turning the sign to Closed. Adam had texted earlier that he'd be over around seven with dinner. And she was more than happy about that. Despite her morning panic, she wasn't ready to cut him off. She wanted to see him again. She wanted to spend more time with him. Just because something wasn't going to last forever didn't mean it couldn't last awhile longer.

Drew came out of the back room. "I just finished organizing that back wall," he said.

"I've been avoiding that."

"I noticed," he said with a gleam in his eyes. "But it's done."

"You really are a lifesaver, Drew." She paused. "You know, I've seen how excited you get when you're on the computer, when you're building something. Your mind is sharp. It wants to be busy. I know you're trying to figure out your next move in life. I hope you decide to lean into some of your talents. I'm sure you're a great partier, but you're other things, too."

"I guess," he muttered. "But it seems kind of boring to be a computer nerd."

"You don't have to be just one thing. Don't let people try to put you into some sort of box. And don't do that to yourself. Don't define yourself narrowly. You're a complex person. You have lots of talents. Embrace them all."

He shook his head in bemusement. "I have to say, I haven't met anyone like you, Molly. You're so comfortable in your own skin."

"I didn't grow up like everyone else. I had to be comfortable in my own skin, because everything else in my life was constantly changing: my homes, my friends, and the cities I lived in. You can roam around the world, but you're always with yourself, so I had to make peace with who I am."

"That makes sense, in a weird way."

She laughed. "I can be kind of weird, too." She paused as someone knocked on the front door. Looking through the glass window, she could see a man on the sidewalk.

"Do you want me to tell him we're closed?" Drew asked.

"No, I'll take care of it." She walked to the door and opened it. "I'm sorry. We're closing now."

"Ms. Trent?" he asked.

She looked at his unfamiliar face, at his nice suit, at the large canvas bag in his hands, and she suddenly realized who he was. "Oh, my God. You're George Marconi."

"Yes, Phoebe's lawyer. You were supposed to pick this up today."

"I'm sorry. I completely forgot." Her gaze moved to the open bag, where she could see a flash of gold. "Is that the urn?"

"Yes. I've also included the plastic bag that the hospital gave me with the clothes Phoebe was wearing when she was taken to the ER. I didn't know what else to do with them." His eyes filled with compassion. "I know this is difficult, but Phoebe wanted you to have her ashes until you knew what to do with them. I've included the note that I read you earlier."

"Okay." She swallowed hard. "I guess you should give her to me."

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