Page 39 of Better Luck Next Time

The rest of the group had followed them over. While Jack still seemed a little pissed, or at least out of sorts, River had apparently come around. He walked over to the shed door and took hold of the handle. “Addy, we know that you haven’t had a space at home to work on your art. You shouldn’t have to drive across town to do what you love. So Jack, Finn, and I set this up for you.”

He opened the door, revealing that all the junk it had previously contained had been cleared out. The built-in back shelves, which had sported rusty tools, were now covered with blank canvases and multiple coffee cans with paintbrushes. There was a small plastic container full of tubes of paint, and wooden and plastic artist’s palettes. An easel was propped up against the wall.

There hadn’t been any lighting in the shed, but now a string of outdoor lights had been strung around the ceiling and River walked in and plugged it into an extension cord. The lights burst to life, making the room bright and cheery, despite the fact that it only had two small windows, one on either side.

“Dottie said light was important,” Jack said, having joined them at the corner of the shed.

“If it’s not enough,” Finn said, “we can add more.”

She shot him a look of surprise. “You helped with this?”

“It was his idea,” River said. “What do you think?”

Adalia couldn’t help noticing that Dottie had been surprisingly quiet through all of this. She must have helped them figure out what supplies to get, especially since everything was brand new. The shed rehab must have cost hundreds of dollars. River was running short on funds, and Jack was borrowing from his savings until Buchanan was in the black, refusing to take a salary since Georgie was funding everything. Who had paid for it?

“Oh!” Georgie shouted behind her, and Adalia turned to see her running through the side gate. “You showed her without me. I haven’t even gotten dinner started yet.”

“Adalia knew something was up,” Finn called out to her, as if that were explanation enough.

“Is this when you have me committed?” Adalia asked, nervous to face her sister after she’d blown up on her earlier. Again.

“What?” Georgie asked. “No! Why would you say that? After Finn told River about…you know, they decided to create a studio for you.”

“But you helped,” Adalia said.

“Nope, this was all them. I was stuck at work all day. Some nightmare with the machinery.”

“But you paid for…” Her voice trailed off as the truth hit her, and she glanced up at Finn.

He cringed. “Before you cover me with paint, just listen, okay?”

Tears filled her eyes, and she tugged her hand free, then wrapped her arms around his neck, burying her face in his chest. “Thank you.”

Before he could respond, she pulled free and turned to face them all. “This means more to me than you know.”

“Do you want to get started on something?” Georgie asked, motioning to the open door. “Or go in and look around? I know you want your privacy, so we’ll all leave you alone. You can do…whatever you need to do. I’m making you homemade mac and cheese and fish sticks.”

“Fish sticks?”

Georgie gave her a sheepish look. “It was your favorite when we were kids. So do you want us to give you some time out here?”

Adalia shook her head. “No, this is enough for now.”

They’d gone to so much effort to put this together and give her a space of her own. Their generosity, their wish to help her, it meant so much to her. But even if she gave in to her urges and let herself create, she wouldn’t do it here. It made her feel like a bitch given all the effort and money they’d poured into it, but she felt absolutely no draw to this space.

Maybe she would never create again.

Georgie gave her a curious look, and Adalia walked over and gave her a hug. “Thank you.”

“Why do you smell like gas station burritos and tequila?”

Adalia laughed as she gave Georgie another squeeze. “It’s a long story,” she said, pulling free. “Let’s go inside, and I’ll help you turn on the oven.”

“That part isn’t hard,” Georgie teased.

“Which is why I’m so good at it.”

Adalia started to head for the back porch, but she spotted Finn making a beeline for the side gate. She rushed over and blocked his path.

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