Page 14 of Second Chance Valentine

“With a lot of help.”

“Is that a photo booth?” she asks, pointing to the backdrop in the corner, near a table strewn with props. “What a great idea!” She clasps her hands together at her chest and I’m lit up inside knowing I did something that made her happy.

“Well, it looks amazing. Thank you. It means so much to…the people at the senior center.” She looks up at me through her lashes, “And to me. Listen, Branson, about the other night.”

“Where do you want these?” Sully asks, hidden behind the stack of white boxes he’s carrying.

She looks back at me, but I don’t want to have this conversation now. Not with people all around.

“Hey, we’ll talk about it later. Ok?”

“OK.” She smiles and nods. “Put those over on the big table. There’s more stuff in the back of my car we need to bring in,” she calls out.

I spend most of the dance in the photo booth, taking photos of the seniors in all their finery. They seem to be loving the vintage props I gathered from the local antique shops: an old Evergreen School letterman jacket, a pendant, a marching band hat with a big plume on top and a bunch of other fun accessories.

“Branson, you always were a cutie!” Miss Pearl says, pulling off a feather boa and patting my cheek.

“Will you do me the honor, Miss Pearl?” I hold out my hand and she takes it, stepping to the upbeat tune in a way that I don’t expect from someone her age. “Miss Pearl, you’ve got moves!”

“Honey, what did you expect? Shake what your mama gave ya!” she shouts, as she hip bumps me with her hands in the air.

I’m barely able to keep dancing, I’m laughing so hard. The older men are all taking turns dancing with Fiona, who seems to be glowing with the attention. Sully and Mariah are holding each other close, as if they’re the only two people in the room.

“Oh look at Miss Hoity Toity. No shame with that woman,” Miss Pearl stage whispers in my ear, although I have no idea what she’s talking about. “Hey, Nellie. Did you finally decide to quit hiding that man in your room?” she calls out across the dance floor.

The woman shrugs and pulls the man she’s dancing with closer to her. “YOLO, as the kids say!”

Miss Pearl rolls her eyes at me, as if I’m in on the joke. Then her eyes sharpen and she pulls her mouth up on one side, like she’s thinking about something. “You know, Branson. They say it’s never too late for love. Everyone deserves a second chance.” She pokes my chest. “Sometimes it just takes a little convincing.”

“I know, Miss Pearl. I’m working on it.” I give her a wink, her wisdom giving me confidence in what I’m about to do.

Ginger is behind the punch table, laughing at something Mr. Danson is saying. A classic dad joke, no doubt. I slip outthe back door of the gym to plug in the lights and make sure everything is ready for Ginger’s surprise. I take a deep breath, say a little prayer and walk back inside to claim my one true love.

“Ginger, could we have that talk now?”

“Sure. Mr. Danson, can you watch the punch bowl for a minute?”

“Of course. Take your time.” He grins at me and nods his head.

I take her hand in mine and lead her toward the back door. When we step outside, I hear her suck in a breath and I know it had the effect I was going for. White twinkle lights are strung through the trees all around us and the light gleams across her face.

“Oh, Branson. It looks just like the fireflies.”

I touch her cheek and have to remind myself to go slow, that there’s a lot to be said if I want to do this right.

“The last time we saw the fireflies together, I told you no matter what happens, I’ll always come right back here to you. And I messed it up. I broke your trust and I hurt you. Then I told you that we could just be friends, but that’s a lie. I could never be just friends with you. Because that connection between us, that magical electricity will always be there. I know you felt it that night at Fiona’s and that’s why you left. You’re scared of getting hurt again.”

“Yep. I am scared of getting hurt again.” She nods. “I know that if I fall in love with you again, I’m never going to fall back out. Because honestly, I never fell out of love with you in the first place. That’s one thing I have learned over the last tenyears. She points between the two of us. “This is never going away. It’s a pull, like gravity. Even when you were on the other side of the world, I felt it.”

“I felt it too,” I whisper, resting my forehead on hers.

“So what do we do?” she asks, her hands on my chest.

“I think we listen to the universe. I know that no relationship is easy. But I promise I will never leave you again, Ginger. I have loved you since I was sixteen years old and I will spend the rest of my life making up for our time apart.”

She nods. “I believe you.” She pulls my head down to hers and kisses me, not slow and sweet like before, but deeply, possessively. It feels like a declaration. She walks me backward and pushes me against an oak tree that’s still twinkling with lights.

“Wait. I almost forgot.”

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