Page 79 of One Chance to Stay
Jon had that fluttery look again. “Love isnevercomplicated.”
Amanda’s girlfriend, at first, appeared less than thrilled. The roll of the eyes and neutral face resembled Seamus. Amanda’s over-the-top energy couldn’t be repelled, and she thawed. A quick peck turned… I leaned back into the shack.
“That stopped being PG pretty quick!”
Jon held up a hand, shielding his eyes. It only lasted a second before he spread his fingers, stealing another glance. “Oh. It left PG-13 and we’re rounding an R rating.”
Jon eyed me, his eyes narrowing. I could hear the deluge of questions forming in his head. Avoiding eye contact, I went to make him a drink. Without my usual tumbler, I had to rely on a candy cane to stir his drink. When I raised the glass, ready to offer him oneon the house,I locked eyes.
“What!”
“I have a question… it’s selfish.” He took the red cup, sniffing the cocktail. “Are you leaving Spectrum?”
“Why would… no. At least no time soon.”
“Even if you go back to school?” Jon licked the candy cane clean before taking a swig.
“How did you—” My eyes rolled back. “Evelyn? Grace?”
He chuckled. “Bonnie brought it up while I checked out. She thinks you’re doing the right thing. Carl went back to school, and he loved it.”
“I’m glad I have Bonnie’s approval.”
“She said you could have his backpack.”
I refrained from making a snarky comment. Had I even met Bonnie? It’d be easy to focus on the intrusive nature of Firefly. They were a nosy bunch, but they were like a fan group. Even this mystery woman offered her support. A stranger. I needed to have as much faith in myself as the people who only knew me by name.
“That’s sweet,” I mumbled to myself.
The sky turned that blue-gray shade of early snow. Kids shouted on the rink, and someone somewhere was roasting marshmallows. I could feel my face flush, but not from the cold.
“So, you’renotleaving me?”
Grace had walked me through the process. First school. Internship. New job. Until the last step, I didn’t plan on leaving Spectrum. While I wanted more, I’d never be able to say goodbye to the people who made it home.
“When I decide to leave, you’ll be the first to know.”
He sucked on the tip of the candy cane, making perpetual eye contact. Thanks, Jon, I appreciated turning an innocent conversation weird.
“Once you stop serving drinks, maybe we’ll get you on the dance floor.” The smirk couldn’t be more devious if he tried. “With the company of one fine silver fox?”
He waved, vanishing into a crowd of ice skaters before I could reply. I didn’t have time to dwell on the idea of Seamus on the dance floor, especially with the thump of techno pop hits.A mom and dad with three kids wearing Santa hats reached the counter. It was time to put on my game face.
“Welcome to Valhalla’s first annual bonfire! What can I get you and your family?”
“It’s for your wish.”
I held the sheet of paper, flipping it back and forth. Bundled in layers of sweaters and a scarf that left her resembling a snowman, Evelyn rolled her eyes. She handed sheets of paper to a couple, still sipping their drinks.
She turned back to me.
“Write your wish for the new year. Then fold it and toss it into the bonfire.” I still didn’t get it. “You’re literally putting your wish into the universe.” She gestured like a big explosion. “Just do it or I’ll bill you for all the pie.”
“Hey!”
“Wishes!” Evelyn turned about, yelling. “Who needs wishes?”
I didn’t quite know what to write. Every time I looked at the blank piece of paper, I tried to think about what I wanted. How did I put hope for the future into words?
