Page 18 of Cups of You

SEVEN

Amber hummed to herself as she pushed her cart down the aisle. She was in a relatively good mood despite not getting much sleep the night before. She had spent most of the night replaying the latest conversation she had with Josiah over and over in her mind.

They had argued again about her trip to Georgia and him again pushing back when he could come down. She had known he didn’t feel the same sort of reverence for her aunt that she did, but the fact that he took her desire to be with he only family she had left so flippantly was another strike on their relationship.

That he wasn’t even trying to see her side and instead insisting that she was trying to punish him for ‘something he already apologized for’ was enough to make her want to call their relationship dead in the water.

“The fact that he even thought that I am supposed to magically say it was okay,” she muttered as she gazed into the freezer.

She opened the door and pulled out the items she needed before letting it close again with a thud. “He seriously has lost his fucking mind.”

“Well good to know that some things stay the same. You always did have a habit of talking to yourself even when out in public.”

Amber flailed before catching herself and turning around. She narrowed her eyes slightly ready to let out a stream of harsh words before she recognized the woman behind her.

“Willie? Wilhelmina Smith?”

“As you live and breathe.”

“Oh wow,” Amber breathed out as she stepped forward and embraced the other woman in a tight hug. They both leaned back and stared. Amber was shocked to see Willie in Millensville. “What are you doing here? Last I heard, you were out in New York City doing big things and making bank.”

Wilhelmina laughed. “Girl, I was, but that shit got old real quick.” Her smile was luminous, and her sand-hued skin was just as smooth and untouched as it had been when they were in high school. Amber had always been a little jealous that Wilhelmina never dealt with the acne breakouts that were at one point the bane of Amber’s existence.

“As soon as I could, I got away.”

“I can’t imagine living it up in the Big Apple could ever get old.”

“Expensive. Loud. Tiny spaces,” Wilhelmina replied listing things on her fingers. Amber chuckled. She understood completely where Willie was coming from.

“Don’t get me wrong. I loved the public transportation and being able to get a slice of pizza at three in the morning, but after a while, I started to miss my family and being able to actually see the stars at night.”

Amber raised her eyebrows in surprise. “Wait; you moved back to Millensville for good? When?”

“About three years ago. The hubby and I decided we wanted to have kids and be back near family, so we lived in a shoebox for a few years to save up money and quit our jobs to move back.”

“Oh,” Amber replied in surprise. She and Wilhelmina had been the best of friends in middle school and high school, and though they had lost touch after graduating and going to college in different states, they occasionally kept in touch online. It had been a while though and Amber hadn’t realized that she missed so much.

When had I lost touch with everyone?The thought was disconcerting. She hadn’t wanted to come back home, but she hadn’t wanted to forget everyone either.

“I’m surprised though. We always talked about how much we wanted to get out and live the big city dream.”

Wilhelmina nodded. “I know. It was great for a while, but then I just started feeling…I don’t know. Burnt out, I guess. Hubby felt the same way and he’s from the city. We worked so much that we barely had time for each other, and neither of us felt comfortable bringing kids into that.”

“I hear you.” Amber could relate.

She and Josiah hadn’t yet discussed how they felt about trying for kids, but Amber knew that things would have to change in a major way before kids were ever brought into the picture. “So, what are you guys doing now? Do you work remotely?”

“Well, Don teaches math classes at the community college and I opened up a bookstore here in town.”

“Oh shit. That new bookstore over on Main is yours? That’s amazing,” Amber gushed. “You always talked about wanting to have your own bookstore so you could read books all day.”

Wilhelmina giggled. “True, though I have less time to read than you would think. Hey, you should come by some time so you can meet Don and we can catch up. How long are you going to be in town or are you back for good?”

Amber shook her head. “I’m just here to help out Aunt Jackie for the next few months while she recovers from her spill and then I’m headed back to Chicago. I’d love to come by though.”

“Oh, that’s right. I almost forgot you moved to the Windy City. How is Chicago treating you? Anyone special?”

“Chicago is great. I love how there’s always something to do or see though it is a bit crowded and expensive.”

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