17

Fudge Ripple

TESS

I’d barely slept in days, and I’d never been happier.

We’d been in full beast mode, prepping the store for the magazine editor—a new photo corner, some new hanging displays using fresh flowers to replace the dried ones, a rearranging of the furniture to include more tin buckets for our market bouquets. Luke had even refinished a beautiful hutch that we’d stuffed with curios and potted plants.

None of us had stopped moving, and today would be no different. But despite my exhaustion, I bounced out of bed, ready to tackle my insurmountable list with the determination to surmount it.

The house was a wreck of supplies and half-finished projects, though the renovation was finally coming together. I could see the light, the finish close enough to envision. And Luke had done exactly what he’d said—he’d kept Mom present. An accent wall of her ugly, old wallpaper, bracketed by simple, modern curtains that stretched floor to ceiling, the effect making the wallpaper look vintage rather than dated. The cabinets still held the familiarity of what they’d once been, spruced up with a coat of fresh white paint and new hardware. A new couch and TV stand—an antique sideboard from the shop’s storage—had updated the whole feel of the place, but we’d kept the old rug, tying her back in with a thread that ran throughout the whole house.

I found Dad eating a bowl of Cheerios in the early morning light.

“Mornin’” he said around a full mouth. “Get any rest?”

“A little. We’ve got a big day today, but I’m not tired. Isn’t it strange?”

He chuckled. “Passion will do that to you.”

I smiled, thinking about Luke. “Funny how things change,” I mused. “I never thought I’d enjoy it so much.”

“It’s easier to see, the older you get, the more seasons you endure. Everything is temporary, no matter how we try to fight it. But when we embrace the change, lean into it, the easier it is to endure. And the more fun it can be.”

“Wise words.”

“Another perk of surviving those seasons.” He took another bite of his cereal. “How’s it going with Luke?”

The question was thick with meaning. I hadn’t told Dad about Luke and me yet, and with a deep breath, I decided now was as good a time as any. “Good, Daddy. Real good.” I took a seat next to him. “I’m afraid I was wrong about him after all.”

The corner of his lips flicked up in a half-smile. “You don’t say?”

“I know,” I said on a laugh. “He’s been … well, he’s been everything the shop needed. Everything I needed.”

“It’s about time you bit the bullet and told me. I’ve been waiting for that for weeks, ever since you came home, all googly about him tapping you to do the windows.”

“Hey, I never said we were seeing each other,” I teased.

He gave me a look. “Please, Pigeon. You think I don’t know when you’re seeing somebody?” A derisive laugh. “I’ve watched that boy puppy-dog after you for weeks, and I’ve been talking to Matilda about the promise you made to be wild.” He nodded to Mom’s monstrous ivy plant. “I’m glad you took a chance on him, Tess. And seeing you happy is the most I could have asked for. It’s all I want for you.”