Page 84 of Drop the Mitts

She turned and looked at her reflection in the windows. This was hers. A sense of pride and gratitude washed over her. This gift didn’t erase the hurt Troy caused when their marriage ended, but enough time had passed that she could accept it for what it was. Troy cared as much as he was capable of caring.

The thought sent a drop through her belly, and she clutched her scarf to her chest. Was she any better? Sure, she wasn’t chasing after her next potential partner, but she was putting up her own brand of emotional walls.

André scared her. The idea of opening up to anyone again was terrifying, but what she was feeling for him made the fear ten times worse. Troy had signed divorce papers and jumped from woman to woman to avoid getting vulnerable. She took the even easier route of going radio silent.

Grace swallowed hard and pulled out her phone. She made a note to contact Troy’s real estate agent, Gina, to see if she could bring in a photographer early next week. Hopefully they could get it listed as early as the first few days in April.

She walked to her car and slipped into the driver's seat. Just as she hit the start button, her phone buzzed on the passenger seat.

Grace glanced over and saw her mom’s name scrolling across the screen. She hit Answer.

“Hi, Mom.”

“Well, hi, sweetheart!” Her mom sounded bright for that early in the morning. “Just checking in to make sure you’re still planning to be here by Easter?”

Grace nodded automatically. “Yep, that’s the plan.” One week. The building would be listed. The charity game would be over that weekend. And depending on what she found out at her next meeting with Brady McGinnis, she’d at least havesomething to bring to their court date. But that was something she could work remotely. There would be no reason for her to stay in Calgary after that point.

She flicked on the defrost and stared out the windshield, watching condensation melt into rivulets that traced the curve of the glass.

“Perfect. I booked your haircut for the Saturday before. Nadia had a cancellation. You know how far she books out.”

Grace blinked. Right. The throwback to home was almost jarring.

She was going home. The realization should have made her relieved, and a part of her was. The part that was tired. The part that wanted to crawl back into her old life even though she saw clearly now how much it was lacking.

It was Toronto. Her apartment, her practice, her espresso machine and overpriced ergonomic desk chair and whole-wheat morning muffins from the bakery on Queen Street that always got her order wrong but somehow remembered her name.

It was home.Wasn’t it?

So why did her stomach feel like it was lurching sideways? Why was she thinking about girls’ nights at Dusty Rose and nachos at hockey games and Sunday Suppers and bonfires in Curtis’s backyard?

Grace cleared her throat. “Sounds great.”

“You okay, honey?”

Grace loosened her scarf and made her voice lighter. “Just tired. The reno’s been a lot. And we’ve got the charity game this weekend.”

Her mom hummed thoughtfully. “That’s a lot. I’m sure it will be such a relief to be back to your old routines.”

Yes. That sounded like her. Safe. Predictable.

But the truth pressed hot and heavy under her ribs. She’d been checking flights without booking. She hadn’t answered herassistant’s email about which clients she wanted to schedule first.

Her mom sighed. “Well, we’ll have champagne ready when you land. And maybe something from that little bakery you like. The one with the raspberry almond tart?”

Grace swallowed. “Perfect.”

_____

Grace turned the corner, and there was André leaning against his truck. Ball cap pulled low, black hoodie stretched across his chest, faded jeans, and slip-ons. Her breath stalled.

“Wanted exercise this morning?” he called.

Grace gave him a look. “It seems someone took the last good parking spot.

He pushed off his truck and gave her a crooked smile. “You snooze, you lose.”

“I was coming from another meeting. Ran a bit late.”

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