Page 37 of Who Pissed Off Ivy Dell?

He walks out, closing the door gently behind him. But he storms right back in before I can take my next breath.

“The reason I would keep it from you all over again is because of the way your eyes lit up when you watched snowflakes comingdown. The squeal you let out when you saw your first prairie dog. Your ridiculous anticipation about seeing chipmunks. Because a meteor shower was more to you than falling debris. It was all magical in your eyes, and I told myself you deserved a little magic in your life. But the truth is, it was easy for me not to tell you. Because I desperately wanted to see the world through your eyes. And if I had it to do all over again, I’d make the same selfish choice. I’d choose to let you believe in magic every time. If that makes me a coward, then I guess I am one.”

He walks out again, but this time, he doesn’t come back.

“What an asshole,” Zara says.

“He’s the worst man I’ve ever met.”

We both laugh as I fall into her arms.

Petra

Not Done Yet

I don’t need anotherreminder that she’s Patty’s granddaughter, but if I did, these names she’s given my soap scents would solidify the fact. She gave the same scents more than one name, and I don’t even have to ask her why. I already know it’s so it looks like I have more variety available.

If you tell someone they’re smelling Mystic Mint, and then hand them another bar of the same scent but tell them it’s Mint Motivation, some people will detect something different and believe they are two distinct formulas. If they didn’t like the first one, they might like the second. Smart girl.

Patty never attached a name to her paintings, but she always had a few in mind for each piece. If someone asked if it had aname, she’d tell them the one she felt would resonate most. She didn’t do it to mislead anyone. She did it because she wanted people to feel connected to art. To each other. The world around them. Anytime she thought she could provide a connection, there was no stopping her from trying.

“I hope it’s okay that I gave them names.”

“You sneak up on people as well as your Gran, too.”

“You feel safe leaving your door wide open? You’re not worried about an animal coming in?”

“Never even thought about it.”

“I’m envious. I worry about everything.”

“I know you do.”

“Can I come in?”

“You never have to ask.”

“Why wouldn’t she come back, Petra? She hardly went a day without talking about this place. But she didn’t even tell us coming back was an option. Why?”

“She’d moved on, hon. She didn’t need Ivydell, anymore.”

“But she didn’t move on. She never found anyone else.”

“People can move on alone.”

“But we’re not supposed to be alone. We’re supposed to find our person.”

“I’d like to think she did. But her person just wasn’t ready for her. And she wasn’t really alone. She had you and your mom. And I’m sure she had friends.”

“She did. But I wish she could’ve found love outside of family and friends.”

“Again, I’d like to think she did.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to insinuate you didn’t love each other. It’s just that if she wasn’t going to come back here for you, why didn’t she try to find a new love?”

“I can’t answer that. Maybe she did try.”

“Did you?”

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