Page 14 of Always There For You

Her Hadley. Hers.

Amelia choked out a watery laugh. “I think you're definitely stuck now. Plus, there's a big garden here you know I’ll kill by looking at it wrong, and Mr. Buttons goes to you first. I think you’ve been adopted.”

That got Amelia the laugh she’d been hoping for. The one she really needed, because otherwise the pressure of what she’d nearly done would have burst out from her. “Okay but I’m still making him that vest. I already got the pieces cut.”

Amelia really did love this woman. For her, there was no one else. “He’ll look adorable. You better start making more though. I might need to display them in the shop.”

Hadley beamed at her.

“Purple or blue?”

“Hmm?”

Hadley held up two tablecloths. The purple was a thick purple velvet that needed to be hemmed properly. And the blue was so dark it looked almost black, but it would need weights sewn in to keep it from slipping. “I’m undecided. You’re a decider. Help.”

Amelia gave the frame by her right shoulder a nudge to center it. When Hadley sent her the thumbs up, her friend turned that full focus onto her. “The blue.”

“Oh, very decisive.”

“You asked.”

She smiled. “I did. So I’m going to put this upstairs and water the plants.”

Amelia wiggled the hammer in her hand. “Go forth and cleanse the air, my friend.”

That made her wrinkle her nose. “You’d need a lot of plants up there to get all the alcohol out of the air.”

Amelia’s answer was a snort and an eye roll before turning back to the various decorations left to hang up. Hadley took her time fussing with the little corner nook Amelia had given her for her dog and cat sweaters to sell and the tarot readings she’d be doing. The readings were just for fun, but she was already devising a calendar of events; one at Amelia’s behest, of course. But time alone meant her mind wandered, and it never wandered more than when she was absorbed in a calming task like sewing or tending to plants.

She looked over a little succulent that she’d repotted last week and sighed. The wall of various pots and jars, all salvaged from the local recycling center, glinted in the soft afternoon light that poured in from the skylights. The plants were thriving in this spot, just like she figured they would. And in the evening, their leaves shone softly as the pendant lights over the bar and tables flickered on. It was a magical spot, a little indoor garden with wine and conversation and she couldn’t wait to watch it flourish. To watch Amelia flourish.

The bathroom, the confessions, and ultimately Amelia asking her to move in had been three days ago. Three days. It had felt like forever in the best kind of way. She went to sleep with the creaking of trees humming lullabies, occasionally backed up by soft drumming rain. They made coffee to-go at home, said goodbye to Mr. Buttons if he was around, and then drove Amelia’s little hatchback into Breakwater to park behind the store and start their day. It was routine, it was normal.

For Hadley, it was heaven.

Maybe age was the real burden here, so eager to show Hadley what she’d been missing all those years bouncing around the planet. It sounded nice, the life of a wandering backpacker who went from city to city, breathing in oceans and markets and drinking in cafes. But sustaining that got harder each time she had to leave Amelia.

Because she’d been leaving home every time, and every time it hurt more.

There had been a moment that night, when she’d whispered her secret into the humid air and the soft skin of Amelia’s back; a moment she’d thought would turn into something desperately wanted but nearly unthinkable. But then they’d gone back to that same old balance. It was a good balance, made of solid rock and all the troubles and turmoil and celebrations any life went through. And Hadley was used to loving from afar, or as it was now, as close as she could get. Nothing — nothing — could drive her from Amelia. She’d lived with her love buried deep for years. One slip up, one moment of weakness, wouldn’t change that.

From downstairs, the shop bell dinged. “My staff are coming in for training,” Amelia yelled from below. “You good up there?”

“All good!” Hadley spritzed a couple of orchids.

“Good if I send up the new sommelier?”

“Yep!”

There were two part-time sommeliers in training whom she’d already met. But apparently this new person had popped up on Amelia’s radar recently and they’d chatted, which had quickly turned into an interview and then a job. Hadley wasn’t good at any of that wine tasting stuff and admired Amelia’s rarefied taste buds, but she would admit to zoning out when Amelia found another wine nerd to talk shop with.

“You must be Hadley.”

The curly-haired man standing at the top of the stairs was smiling at her with an open friendliness that instantly made Hadley smile back. She could tell right away he was one of those easy chatters, the kind who drew people in with an affable air and calm demeanor. “Yeah, hey. Nice to meet you…”

He took her proffered hand and gave it a firm shake. “Larsen.” As he stepped back, Larsen’s gaze swung across the plant and light filled space. “This is so cool! I got to see up here when I met with Amelia last week but it’s like the jungle grew overnight. Do you take care of all of these?”

Pride swelled in her chest. “Yeah, it’s kind of my ‘thing’. So you never have to worry about them.”

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