Page 86 of Falling for You Again

I miss you.

I hug the phone to my chest. Then I text back.

I miss you too.

Chapter 26

Good to Us

Emi is at my door first thing in the morning with two to-go cups of coffee, looking as put together as ever in court sneakers, tube socks, cuffed jean shorts, a baseball tee, and a head scarf. “Ready to go to work?”

“Ready as I’ll ever be.” With my hair in a high pony, I ditched my coveralls for loose, ripped jeans cuffed at the ankle, an old AC/DC concert shirt I snagged from Uncle Bear when I was a teen, and black Pumas. I swipe up my keys and Uncle Bear’s master keys for the shop and take one of the coffees as I join Emi in the hallway.

“Shae and Tam said they’d meet us there. They’re picking up doughnuts. Oh! How did Isadora’s delivery go yesterday?”

Emi is too chipper for me this morning. I woke up drained from yesterday and I’m dragging.

“Interesting.” I cover a yawn as we step into the elevator. “I’ll tell you about it on the ride over.”

The elevator stops at my parents’ floor. When the doors open, Mom is waiting there in jeans, purple sneakers, and the infamous purple puffer vest zipped over a short-sleeve light-blue tee.

“Good morning, Meli, Emi,” she says, boarding the elevator.

Emi and I exchange a surprised glance.

“Good morning, Mrs. Hynes.”

“Hi, Mom,” I say with genuine enthusiasm at seeing her, and Emi gives me a double take. “What’s got you up so early this morning?” It’s Saturday. If she has a shift, the library doesn’t open for several hours.

“I thought I’d help you gals pack up the shop. Do you have room for me in the truck?”

Emi’s mouth falls open.

“Absolutely. We’d love to have your help.” I grin broadly so I don’t tear up.

“And, Emi, dear,” Mom says with a glance at her, “when are you going to stop calling me Mrs. Hynes? It’s Gemma.”

Emi sputters her astonishment and nods. “You got it, Gemma. Nice to have you along.” She leans around Mom and mouths “Oh my God” to me.

“I can see your reflection in the door, Emi.”

Emi straightens and schools her face like she’s been reprimanded by her teacher, and I laugh. It feels really good to laugh, especially when Mom’s mouth twitches with a smile.

I don’t get the chance to catch Emi up about yesterday with Isadora and my mom since Mom sits between us on the old bench seat on the drive over. I know Emi’s dying to know what brought on this change in Mom and our relationship. But we’ll have time to talk later. Emmett and Vincent are waiting in the alley like two stealthy cats with the transport truck when we arrive. I open the shop’s back door, probably for the last time, then I lift up the big roll door, also probably for the last time. I flick on the lights and ceiling fans. I go to unlock the front entrance and find Shae and Tam waiting there with big disposable coffee carafes, a couple of boxes of doughnuts, and their video equipment.

“It’s the end of an era,” Shae announces, greeting me with a hug.

“We’re going to document the entire day,” Tam says.

“You guys. You’re going to make me cry.” I hug Tam, then help them bring everything inside.

The crew gathers around my workstation where I spent years designing furniture for countless clients. Shae already has the video camera rolling, and Tam gives her wife ahang loosesign when Shae aims the lens at her partner.

My lungs have been burning since the drive over, and I take a deep breath to ease the discomfort.

Emi nudges me. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, everything.”

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