Page 107 of Dropping the Ball

Not for Madison, apparently. She gives Mom a warning stare. “We will dig intothatlater. Right now, we deal with the auction.” She looks at me again. “If I start making calls today to schedule a board vote for a makerspace on Monday, will you be ready?”

“Yes. I’ll have a comprehensive proposal. This center can be a reality in less than a year.” Madison and I know our board well. If we have the numbers, they’ll say yes.

Harper makes a couple of nursing noises from her baby seat next to me and gives a small grunt.

“She’s going to want to eat, like, five minutes ago,” Madison says.

“Drive back to the warehouse,” I tell her. “You can nurse her there.”

Madison takes us back to the warehouse while Harper fusses. “Micah’s here,” she notes, spotting his truck.

I ignore the cajoling note in her tone that saystell us what’s going on there.“Good timing. He can show you the changes himself.”

We park, Madison gets Harper out, and I lead the three most important women in my life to the door. “I’d ask if you’re ready for this, but there’s no way you can prepare.” Then I open the door.

Christmas music spills out. Madison and Mom step in.

And they gasp.

Chapter Thirty-Two

Micah

When I spot Kaitlynand the others, I’m working down near the stage. I stop the music and make my way over.

Mrs. Armstrong doesn’t notice me, but even though her voice is faint as her eyes travel over the rebar, I hear her say, “I had no idea.”

Madison is silent as she stares up at the canopy of massive marigolds. Her face wears the wonder I felt when I saw the Basìlica de la Sagrada Famìlia in Barcelona on an architecture tour my senior year of college.

I’ve seen people look pleased or charmed by things I’ve designed, but I’ve never seen someone look like this, and I’m fiercely proud again that Madison chose my proposal.

“This is incredible,” Mrs. Armstrong says, trying to look everywhere at once. “I know I’m in a warehouse. Concrete floors. Windowless walls. Hideous lighting. But it feels like . . .”

Kaitlyn smiles as I reach them. “You’ve left my mom speechless.”

I stay quiet so her mom and Madison have their experience in silence. And itissilence. I have no crew in here today. I came in on my own to work on a side project.

Kaitlyn squints at the unfinished project on the other side of the warehouse, a wire cage partially filled with Styrofoam packing peanuts. Her eyes come back to me and the bits of white fluff sticking all over my gray thermal and black jeans.

She looks at me longer than she needs to in order to figure out what the white stuff is. Her eyes trace my shoulders and thighs like I’m letting these clothes live their best life.

When she catches herself staring, she darts a look back to my project. “Micah, are you building a snowman?”

“Yes.”

“Are you supposed to have today off?” she asks.

“Yes. And I’m spending it building a snowman.”

Harper lets out an angry wail.

“She needs to eat,” Madison says.

I point to the supervisor’s loft and the table and folding chair beside the door at the same time. “You can sit either of these places or one of the front offices if you want.”

“Here and now is always better,” she says as Mrs. Armstrong takes the baby.

Madison settles into the chair and begins to unbutton her blouse. Mrs. Armstrong hurries to stand in front of her and gives me a polite smile. “She’s going to nurse.”

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