Total pages in book: 92
Estimated words: 89238 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 446(@200wpm)___ 357(@250wpm)___ 297(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 89238 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 446(@200wpm)___ 357(@250wpm)___ 297(@300wpm)
“Because it’s colorful, and it reminds me to see things in new ways,” she says, then turns to me with curious eyes. “Are you going to take me to the tea gardens soon too?”
That was on the list of our fictional dates. “Yes.”
In the new year, I add silently.
And I’ll be counting down.
Until then, I’ve got my work cut out for me. Elodie’s a package deal, and I want my wife to know I’m all in when it comes to her and the fantastic young woman she’s raising.
Today’s a big day for Amanda, and I’m ready, if all goes well.
37
SNOW DAY
Elodie
After our secret date, I pay off the loan. It feels great to see the balance dwindle to zero.
What a beautiful number.
But Friday afternoon, something even better happens when I hear a shout from the back room where we make the chocolate shortly after Amanda arrives.
“I got in!”
I swivel around, excitement whipping through me. “Bug!”
With her bandana on, Amanda rushes from the back room, squealing as I wrap her in a big congratulatory hug.
Kenji’s here, and he gets in on the act, embracing her too.
“I knew it! You’re going to be the world’s greatest potter,” he declares.
When she breaks the hug, she says, “Ceramicist.”
He wipes a hand across his brow. “Oh thank god you said that. I hate the word potter.”
“Me too,” she says, then I hug her again.
“I’m so proud of you,” I sniffle into her hair.
“Thanks. Me too,” she says, and I can hear all the emotion in her voice. It’s so well-deserved.
There’s no time to linger in it, though, since the bell chimes and a customer walks in.
We’re busy for the next few minutes, and when there’s a break, she asks earnestly, “Can I go to the art school though?”
My heart climbs into my throat, tightening with all the emotions, and pride, too, that I can make her dreams come true thanks to this little shop that fed Special Edition.
“Yes.”
That afternoon when we leave, I do a double take. Scents & Sensibility next door has a sign in the window that says For Rent.
“Huh. I wonder if that’s what Samira meant by perfect timing,” I muse, thinking back to when she popped into the store a few weeks ago. Good for her. She seems to be nearing retirement age. She probably just wants to be a real estate magnate now.
“Probably,” Amanda says. “Maybe it’ll be a cool pottery place.”
“A girl can dream,” I say.
We head to Zane’s home so I can change and freshen up before Gage and I go back to work at Special Edition, and when we arrive, Eliza is peering out the window that looks onto the front entrance.
Her eyes widen, then she swings open the door. “It’s a snow day!”
I blink then smile, amused by her use of metaphor. “Yes, it’s a snow day,” I repeat. “With Amanda’s good news and all.”
“Shoes off. Let’s go,” Eliza says.
Amanda toes off her Converse in no time, asking, “Where are we going?”
Eliza zips her lips, then grabs Amanda’s hand, and tugs her through the home. Amanda eagerly follows the younger girl, laughing. I kick off my shoes and go too, curious where Gage is. Margo is watching the girls tonight, so maybe he’s already at Special Edition. But he said we’d go over together.
When I reach Amanda’s room, Gage and Margo are waiting outside the closed door.
“Since it doesn’t ever seem to snow in San Francisco, we brought the snow to you,” he says, then gestures to the door.
“What is this?” Amanda asks.
“Congratulations,” Eliza says, and when Amanda opens the door, I’m stunned. Her floor is covered with white packing peanuts easily a foot high. It looks just like snow.
“We can make snow angels and have snowball fights,” Eliza says.
“Oh my god,” Amanda says, then walks into the indoor winter wonderland.
I turn to Gage, jaw agape. “You did this?”
“I helped him,” Margo says proudly.
“It’s incredible,” I say, awed.
“They’re made of cornstarch, so they’re biodegradable. Eliza’s idea. When they’re done, I can take the snow out to the yard and hose them down and boom. They disappear,” he says.
I can barely handle how my heart is melting for this man. This is such a gift. He is such a gift. They are a gift.
I can’t help it. As the girls make snow angels, I smack a kiss to Gage’s cheek. Then it hits me. That’s the first time I’ve kissed him—a chaste kiss—in front of them.
I’m not sure they’ve noticed, but Margo does since she clears her throat and says to her grandson, “Roller coasters. Like I said.”
I give him a questioning look.
But he just shrugs like he has no idea.
The theme that night is the holidays, and we serve up truffles on Friday and then Saturday night with the richest chocolate filling and candy cane flakes, along with gingerbread martinis and hot buttered rum.