Page 104 of The Lies I've Told
I swore, that infant slept more than she was awake.
But I guessed it was hard work, growing that fast.
I remained relatively quiet while Rita fussed over Ruby, and the two moms talked babies for a few minutes.
“It’s amazing how quickly they grow,” she said. “Soon, little Ruby will be starting kindergarten, and then, before you know it, she’ll be off to college. Heck, I remember the two of you coming in here, shopping for clothes, like it was yesterday.”
This was it.
My moment.
“Actually, that’s why we came in,” I said, stepping forward, the dress still at my side as my heart raced in my chest.
“Oh? You need something? I’m afraid I don’t have a lot in stock. I’ve put mostly everything on clearance, trying to sell off what I have before I close in a month.”
A month? That was really soon.
I gulped down the dread.
“No, well, actually, I might take a look around, but that’s not why we came in. I wanted to show you this,” I said, holding out the dress. “And to make you a proposition.”
Okay, I said to myself, letting out one last breath,here goes nothing.
“Why isn’t this town bigger?” I asked as my sister drove us back to the inn.
“Um, well, it’s an island. It can only be but so big. And why are you asking?”
I didn’t think I’d blinked since we left the store, the whole of Ocracoke passing me in a blur. “Because I need more time to process this. I just bought a store, Molly.”
“Well, not quite. You have a contract, but there is still the matter of money. You’ll need to apply for a loan—”
“I have the money,” I said.
“You what?” She nearly drove off the road.
I nodded, my eyes still wide and scary-looking. “I have the money. I’ve been working my ass off since college. With the exception of my apartment, which I’m going to sell, I’ve hardly spent any of the money I’ve made over the years, and I’ve made a lot of it.”
“But your clothes… and the shoes?”
I shrugged. “Most of it I got as swag from shows or as just a perk of my job.”
“That’s a nice perk.”
“Yeah, it was. But not as nice as owning my own store,” I finally said, a sly smile creeping up my cheeks.
“So, it’s starting to process?” she asked.
“Yeah, I think so.”
“Good, because we’re home.”
I looked up at the inn and let out a happy sigh. “I bought a store today, Molly.”
My hands were clinging to the preliminary paperwork Rita and I had signed, which the realtor had brought over after I shared my plans with Rita. I looked down at them to make sure they were still there.
Still real.
“You once told me everyone needed a little bit of nomadic time in their lives, where they could wander and explore and truly find themselves. It’s that advice that pushed me to finally step off this island and discover who I was without Jake. And it’s that advice that ultimately gave me the courage to find the path that led back to him. Are you sure your nomadic days are behind you?”
