A Cinderella Story

"Well, that sounds great. Do you have a favorite food?" Skylar settles
into a chair as she continues to watch us work.

"Yes, yes, yes. I do. It's 'za."
Skylar’s brows draw together in confusion. "Za? Do you mean pizza?"
Everly smiles. "Well, yes, of course. Do you have a favorite food?"
"Who doesn't? But yes, my favorite food is tacos. Tacos are like a beef
love letter you mail to your stomach," Skylar says with a wink, earning a
giggle from Everly.
"Hmmm, a beef love letter," I say and this makes both of them giggle.
Finally, the tortillas are ready. We set the table, I pour our wines into
goblets, and we start to eat. Complete silence surrounds the table as we grab
taco after taco. Making your own tortillas means smaller portions, so I'm on
my third taco and Skylar is on her second. Everly is battling with her
second when we hear a screech and a crash like dropped glass come from
upstairs.
I look at Skylar. She motions upstairs with her head. "Go, I've got Ev.
And please be careful."
I smile at her, drop my taco back onto my plate, and head to the dividing
door. I open it and quietly shut the door behind me, taking the stairs two at a
time. Once I'm in my mom's house, I realize I have nothing on me that I can
use as a weapon and reach for the vase she's got sitting at the front entrance.
I quietly make my way into the living room with the giant vase raised
up over my head, and I find my mom on the couch staring across the living
room with a small smile and tears streaming down her face.
My mom sees me from the corner of her eye and waves me closer into
the living room. "Look, Carter, look!"
I turn toward where she's pointing at. What I see knocks the breath out
of me, and I drop the vase.

Oh, my God. Oh, my God! I'm totally freaking out. It's been ten minutes
since Carter went upstairs and we heard a loud crash.

My brain immediately went into fight or flight mode and my first action
was to keep Everly calm. "Everly, let's do something fun and play hide and
seek while Daddy is handling what’s happening upstairs."

Everly clapped with delight. "Oh, Skylar, what a fun idea. I’ll hide first.
You count to twenty-three and then you come and find me."

“Let's make it a little more challenging and you don’t come out of your
hiding spot until I find you. Make sure you don't make any sounds because
then you'll give away your spot and I'll find you sooner." She smiled and
ran off to hide.

That was about five minutes ago. Now in complete silence, in a place I
don't know, my brain is firmly nestled in the flight mode.

I have a million scenarios running through my mind. A zombie
apocalypse. A mass murderer. A thief. Ted Bundy (even though the guy’s
been dead for more years than I've been alive). Even Pennywise. Yes, I
watch a lot of TV, but when you live alone, are unemployed (not for long),
and have a subscription to Netflix, TV becomes your best friend.

I pace as quietly as I can from one end of the living room to the other,
trying to figure out what to do. My gaze falls on a baseball bat that's
propped up against the wall. I'm pretty sure it's plastic, but it'll do the trick. I
grab it and find myself a hiding spot behind the dividing door with the bat
raised high above my head, ready to swing at the poor soul that's going to
walk through these doors next.

I do a silent evil laugh to myself and mutter, "I pity the fool," just as the
door swings open.

I’m ready, adrenaline coursing through my veins. I have Everly and
myself to protect and to save the people upstairs. It’s occurring to me now
that maybe calling the police would have been a better idea than to hide
behind the door with a plastic baseball bat, but it is what it is at this point.

As the door swings open, I jump out of my hiding spot and swing the
bat at the intruder’s head. Bullseye! My plastic weapon makes contact with
his forehead in a solid strike.

The intruder groans and rubs his forehead. "What the hell!"
Uh-oh, I know that voice. It's not an intruder. It’s Carter and I've just
assaulted the man I've been dreaming of kissing all freakin’ night. Ugh,
what a disaster.
The bat hits the floor and my hands fly to my mouth in horror. "Oh, my
God, I'm so sorry, Carter. I thought you were an intruder or a zombie or
Pennywise," I ramble.
He's still rubbing his forehead when he starts to laugh. "Zombie or
Pennywise? I think Pennywise hides in the sewers and is a lot shorter than
me."
I'm ready for the ground to crack open and swallow me whole. I've
never been so embarrassed in my life, not even when, in fifth grade, I spent
most of third period with my skirt stuck in my underwear and flashed the
entire classroom for a whole forty-five minutes.
"Where's Everly?" he asks, glancing around.
"Oh... Everly… She's been hiding for the last fifteen minutes." Oh,
goodness, this is a disaster. She probably fell asleep in the spot she was
hiding, and now it’s going to be a real challenge to find her.
Carter frowns. "Hiding? Why would she be hiding?"
"Well, I was trying to keep her safe from the intruder!"
"The intruder? What intruder?" A teasing grin tugs at the corners of his
mouth.
He's way too amused for me to keep going with this conversation. "Help
me find her."
"Calm down, Skylar… Everything is all right."
At this point, I’m freaking out. He trusted me to keep his daughter safe,
and I failed miserably. "How can you say that? Where is she?"
"I know all her hiding spots. Let's go and we'll find her."

I follow him to Ev's bedroom, where he opens the closet door and looks
inside. She's not there. He looks under the bed. She's not there. He flips the
top of the toy box and voila, there she is, fast asleep inside her toy box.

I give Carter an apologetic look. "I'm sorry. She's been hiding in there
for the last fifteen minutes. I heard a loud crash after you went upstairs and
my immediate thought was to keep her safe. And I didn’t kn—"

"Shhhh." He places his pointer finger on my lips to end my rambling.
I'm stunned for a second. I wasn't expecting the physical contact so I just
look at him, and he lifts his finger off my lips. "Let's go to the living room
and I'll explain everything."

Carter puts his hand on the small of my back and leads me out of
Everly's room. "Listen, Skylar, I'm so sorry for tonight. I mean, first I forgot
to mention we live in my mother's basement suite, then the flour fiasco in
the kitchen and the so-called intruder…” He sighs. “This was not the first
date I had hoped for us."

"It was bizarre, but I still had fun. I think the most fun was when you
came upstairs with the apron that said Kiss Me, I'm a Daddy and saw me
looking at the pictures with your mother. You should have seen your face." I
smirk at the memory of his embarrassment.

He cringes. "I bet it was a good one. Listen, I'm going to skip another
step here and invite you to join me upstairs for the rest of that wine. There's
someone I'd like you to meet."

I give him a smile. "Oh, of course. I mean, what's one more important
person… I've already met your mom."

We head upstairs with our glasses and the half-full bottle of Merlot.
Mrs. Montgomery is busy with a dustpan and broom, cleaning up the pieces
of the broken vase. The very one I've complimented her on when I first
arrived.

"Oh, Mrs. Montgomery, what happened?”
"Don’t worry, dear. Everything is all right. Just our Bridget gave us a bit
of a shock. And please, call me Anne." She smiles.
I turn toward the kitchen where Carter is filling up four wine glasses
with a distant smile on his face. The vibe in the room is that I've stumbled
upon an important moment for this family, and since I've just attacked
Carter with a plastic baseball bat, I feel obligated to stay.
Either way, I can't hold myself back. "Bridget? Who’s Bridget?"

A new voice now joins us and responds, "That would be me, and you
must be Skylar. It's very nice to meet you."

She's in Army greens. Even though they’re a baggy fit, you can tell she's
very fit under there. She's average height, has brown shoulder-length hair,
and ocean-blue eyes just like Carter.

“Nice to meet you, too, Bridget,” I say.
She smiles at me and motions for me to take a seat. I can’t just sit and
make myself comfortable. I have way too many questions to ask this
newcomer. Just as I’m about to protest and tell her she should be the one to
sit, Carter comes out of the kitchen with our glasses of wine, hands one to
me, and sits, motioning for me to take the seat next to him.
"Skylar, this is my younger sister, Bridget. She's just returned from her
third tour in Afghanistan and surprised us. She's an Army doctor."
I’ve never been so impressed by a young woman as I am of Bridget, and
it must show on my face because she gives me a smile.
In such a short time, the length of a very awkward first date to be exact,
these people feel very close to me. However, I still feel like I'm intruding on
a special family moment.
"You know, it was very nice to meet both of you, but I have a meeting
with my mom's lawyer early in the morning, and I don't want to intrude any
more than I already have on your family moment."
"Skylar, please, honey, you're not intruding," Mrs. Montgomery chimes
in. Bridget smiles at me, and I can see how tired she is and how much she
appreciates the gesture.
Carter smiles and stands. "I'll walk you out."
He runs downstairs and grabs my jacket and purse for me. Once
properly dressed, he walks me to my car.
"Your family is lovely, Carter. I really had a great time cooking,
cleaning and ‘clubbing’ with you tonight."
"It truly was an unforgettable evening."
We both chuckle and his focus shifts from my eyes to my lips. It's a
silent question. Heart racing, I smile at him. That smile is all the answer he
needs to jump into action.

That smile is my undoing. It promises mischief, fun and excitement.
Once she gives me that go-ahead smile, I move slowly like I'm about to
touch a wild animal. I take a step closer to her, place my hands on both
sides of her lovely face, and tilt my head. She meets me halfway.

Our lips touch for the briefest second, and it's an electric shock to my
entire system. It's been so long since I've kissed a woman, I'm afraid I might
just fall over right here.

I pull back, and she makes a sound of protest. Smiling, I take a breath
and go in for another taste. This woman tastes delicious, like Merlot and
cherries. Her soft lips move in sync with mine as her hands run through my
hair, the small whimpering sounds she's making at the back of her throat
driving me crazy.

I can't contain myself and walk her back to her car. With her back
pressed against the car door, I lift her ass and wrap her legs around my hips.
I deepen the kiss and gently caress her tongue with mine. She must have
reapplied the lipstick that made her lips look scrumptious. I'm totally and
completely drunk by the kiss and the way her lips move against mine.

I groan into her mouth, and when she moves her hips, I see stars. We
lose ourselves in the kiss. Nothing in the world matters until the soft click
of a door closing followed by a shocked “oh” breaks us apart.

I sign in disappointment and place my forehead against Skylar’s. But
still, a beast in me has been woken, and all I want to do is to find that
person and beat them to a pulp for breaking us apart.

Skylar slowly unwraps herself from my waist and stands up, going up
on tippy toes to give me a kiss on the cheek. "I think I should head home
before this date becomes a sleepover."

"Hmmm, now that's an idea," I say with a wink. "We'll call it saved by
the bell. Next time you won't be that lucky."

"Who says I'm the one who's saved by the bell, mister?" There's that
smile again, the one with so full of promises.

"Have a great night, fairy Skylar." We share a last, lingering look before
she gets into her car and pulls away.

I stand staring after her car disappearing into the night for a few
minutes. I haven't felt this way in a very long time. It both scares and
excites me. How can I move on from the love of my life, the person who
gave me the biggest gift of all but was taken too soon? How will Everly
handle this if we decide to take it any further than a first date? And the
bigger question is, how will Skylar handle knowing what happened to
Willow…

I'm overwhelmed by my feelings when Bridget joins me outside.
"Hey. I’m sorry I broke the two of you apart earlier. I thought she had
already left when I came out. Didn’t mean to walk into your intimate
moment and cut it short." I can see the apology clear as day in her eyes, and
I can’t stay mad at her for long.
I shake my head. "No need to apologize. I'm so happy to see you in one
piece and back with us, Bridge. We've missed you so much." I think the
wine went to my head, or maybe that kiss did, but I'm becoming a total sap.
"Aww, don't go getting all mushy on me now," she teases. She hesitates
a moment before admitting, “So... I’ve got some news.”
“All right, let’s hear it.” She is almost never nervous to share anything
with me, so her shyness has me on edge.
“This is going to come across as a surprise.” She hesitates again.
Looking at her with worry and impatience, I motion for her to continue.
“Go on, then. Surprise me.”
She smiles and takes a deep breath. “I think I’m ready to retire from the
Army and find a steady job in a hospital,” she blurts out.
I motion to the set of Adirondack chairs on the front porch. We both
push back from the railing we’ve been leaning against and head over to sit
down for this conversation.

“Wow, okay. I was not expecting that at all. But you know nothing
would make us happier than to have you near us.” I’m thoroughly shocked
by her declaration, but I can’t say I’m upset about it. She gives me her
brightest smile and I can see the tension leave her shoulders with each
breath she takes.

“So, what brought this decision on?” I ask curiously, and she goes stiff
as a board. Her discomfort only piques my interest more. I nudge her with
my elbow and tease her, “Moving back for Jake?”

This earns me a genuine laugh from my sister, her eyes crinkling on the
sides and tears running through her eyes.

“It wasn’t that funny, Bridge. Want to tell me what is actually going on
with you?”

“Not just yet, not just yet,” she says, wiping her eyes.
I can’t stop myself from teasing her more. "Well, if this decision isn’t
because of Jake, he’s going to be some heartbroken." My best friend has
always had a thing for Bridge and she’s always known it.
Bridget chuckles. "Jake… how is he, by the way?"
"You’re a master subject changer. Jake is Jake. He’s now chasing after a
Starbucks barista who won’t give him the time of day.”
"Oh, boy, we need to find him a nice girl like your Skylar.” She winks at
me, and I exactly know what the next question is going to be. "All right,
mister, how about you? Tell me about Skylar. How did you guys meet and
all the dirty little details?"
I smile at my sister and her ability to defer from subjects she's not ready
to talk about. Unfortunately for her, I also inherited the same trait from our
father, and Skylar is a no-no topic for now. I give her a noncommittal
answer.
"This was our first date, and it was an eventful night, to say the least.” I
shrug “I'll tell you more if she comes back for seconds."
She laughs at me and pats my back. "What I saw from that kiss, she'll be
back."
"We shall see."
The patio door clicks open one more time and my mother pokes her
head out. "Hey, you two, are you coming inside and including me in
whatever has you all so consumed out here?" she chimes in.
Bridget and I look at each other. We smile, shrug, and go inside to join
our mother and finish our glasses of wine.

I sigh as I walk through the door of my apartment. This night was just
one for the books. Who would have thought on a first date I would meet
Carter's mother and then his sister who just came back from her third tour.
Who would have thought I would assault the man I haven't been able to
stop thinking about with a plastic baseball bat. The ridiculousness. I chuckle
to myself just thinking about it.

It's barely past nine o'clock at night, and I'm not ready to call it a night
yet. I go to my kitchen and grab a wine glass from the hanging wine rack.
Head to the fridge, grab my half-empty bottle of Merlot, and pour myself a
glass. From there, I head to my room and get changed into a pair of
sweatpants and a sweater. We’re well into October now, and everyone is
getting in the mood for Halloween, so what's better than a glass of wine,
comfy clothes, and Haunting of the Hill House to finish this day off?

I get settled in front of my TV with the remote in hand when my phone
rings. It’s Jen. She won't let up until I answer the phone, so there's no point
in ignoring it. I don't let her get in a single word as I know her exact words
are going to be, "Spill, woman."

"Hey, I was just going to settle in with a glass of wine and watch
Haunting of the Hill House. Want to join?"

"I love it. Count me in!”
I chuckle at her response. "All right, see you soon. Oh, hey, I only have
half a bottle so if you want more than one glass of wine, come prepared."
"Aye, aye, caption! See you soon."

After we hang up, I go back to the kitchen and pop some microwave
popcorn and pour it into two bowls. I don't share my popcorn. I pull out the
comfiest, coziest throw blankets I can find and wait for my best friend to
arrive.

Jen lives in a duplex just a couple of houses down the street, so I know
it’ll only be a minute or two before she gets here. The first sign that Jen has
arrived is my nowhere-to-be seen cat appears and runs to the door. The
second is the laughter I hear as Jen walks right in and collides with a very
excited Mr. Mustachio. Meeeaaaooooowwwwww comes the cry from the
entrance as Mr. Mustachio tries to gather himself from being trampled by
Jen.

"Hey, you," I yell from the living room as she walks in holding a
brooding Mr. Mustachio in her arms.

"I swear, Sky, your cat is more human than you sometimes."
I smile at my adorable cat. "Oh, you better believe it. He's a master
manipulator, with all that cute furriness."
"So… I've been in the house for two minutes already and you haven't
mentioned Prince Charming once yet. Spill the beans, now!"
I put up my hands in resignation. "All right, all right, I'll tell you all the
dirty little details."
"Wait, wait, wait, wait. I need to get settled and I need wine for this. I'm
living vicariously through you these days. You know this."
I wait for her to grab her glass, pour her wine, and sit down next to me
on the couch. We each pull a throw blanket over our legs because comfort is
the best thing ever.
"You may start."
"Fine… well, to tell you the truth, the whole night was a bit unexpected.
First, I went to the wrong door and ended up meeting his mother."
Jen holds up a hand. "Wait! He lives with his mother? Run! Run the
other direction."
I chuckle lowly. "It's not like that. I don't really know the whole details
of what happened, but he lives in his mother's basement suite. They have
separate entrances and definitely separate lives."
"All right, go on, and then what?"
"Secondly, there was a flour explosion in the kitchen that I had to help a
three-year-old clean up. That part was quite cute actually." I smile at the
memory of Everly helping me sweep.

"Hmmm. And?"
I cringe even before I get the words out. "See, this is the bad part… I
clubbed him in the head with a plastic baseball bat."
Jen spits the sip she’d just taken back into her cup. "Ummm, excuse
me? What the what now?"
"I totally clubbed him the head.” I dive into the story. “In the middle of
dinner, we heard a scream from his mom's apartment, so he went to check it
out. Five minutes after he left, we heard a loud crash. So my mind went to
zombies and Pennywise. I hid Everly and went and hid behind the door
with a bat. Once he came down the stairs, I was hell-bent on saving us and
didn't stop to think for a second, so I swung."
Even before I can finish, Jen is howling with laughter on the floor. "Oh,
Sky, only you.”
“Turns out, the crash and the scream were because his sister surprised
them by returning from her third tour in Afghanistan early."
"Wow, that's sweet. Must have been awkward for you but a great family
moment."
"It was so sweet, but I didn't want to intrude any longer, so I made an
excuse and left." I know she wants me to dive more into the details of my
date, but I want to take my time before I give out all the goods. I smile
enigmatically and take a long sip from my wine glass, avoiding her
searching eyes.
"Skylar, is there anything else you want to add to that story? I don't
believe your night ended there, judging from the deepening redness of your
face." She lifts an eyebrow, as if she knows exactly what I'm hiding.
"Fine, we kissed and oh, boy, what a kiss that was." I hug my knees as I
recall the sensations of his lips against mine. Until I hear gagging sounds
coming from my best friend. "Oh, shush."
She laughs at me, her eyes twinkling. "So, any idea of a second date?"
"I really think Carter and I should talk. I have no idea about Ev's mom
or much about him either, actually. So I was thinking of maybe asking him
to meet for coffee later this week."
"That's a great idea. You should set some boundaries while you're at it
too. Let him know you’re not replacing Ev's mother or anything like that."
I take a deep breath and divert the conversation into her way. "Anyways,
enough about me. Tell me what's been going on with you."

"Oh, you know nothing's been going on with me. I go to work, I look at
the menu, I pair the right wines, and then I come home and do the exact
same thing." She shrugs. "Say, does Carter have any brothers? Any
friends?"

"I have no idea about brothers. Hell, I didn't even know he had a
younger sister until she showed up, but he's definitely got friends." I wink at
her. "As a matter of fact, you should come meet me for coffee at the corner
Starbucks tomorrow. They usually go there for their coffee and maybe we
can arrange a little cute meet."

"Who exactly am I being set up with?" she asks with an apprehensive
look in her eyes.

"You will see." I’m having way too much fun with this conversation to
reveal anything more than I already have to her.

It's a crisp November morning. It's beautiful. The sun is shining, and
there are fresh flurries. This is the perfect morning for a coffee date at the
park. I pull out my phone and nervously text Skylar. We’ve only texted a bit
after our unusual date last week.

Hey Sky, how are you doing?

A couple of minutes later, my phone vibrates with her response.

–I'm good, getting busy setting up for my opening in a few weeks. How
are you?—

I write the message several times before I finally press send.

I'm good, just getting ready for work. Do you have a few minutes this
morning? It's such a beautiful morning I wanted to see if you'd like to grab
some coffees and go for a walk down to the park?

—What a great idea. Yes I’d love to do that. Want to meet at Starbucks
in ten minutes?—

The breath I’ve been holding rushes out of me.

Perfect, see you then.

Skylar and I meet as decided in front of "our" Starbucks. She orders a
grande mocha. "It's the perfect morning for a coffee and hot chocolate," she
adds with a smile.

This woman drives me insane. I want to forego the coffee and just
devour her, but my mother taught me to be a perfect gentleman and
anything less is worth a good ass whooping, so with an internal groan, I
order my coffee. "A venti Americano, please."

She's wearing her usual ensemble of skinny jeans, tall boots, and a snug
green winter jacket. This morning, she's also added a green hat with a pom-
pom at the top, matching gloves, and a burgundy scarf.

We grab our respective coffee orders and head out toward the shale path
that leads to the river view park. We walk in comfortable silence, watching
the fresh snow falling, just enjoying each other’s company. After a few
minutes of walking, we come across a secluded area surrounded by pine
trees and a view of the half-frozen river and decide to sit on a park bench.

She half turns toward me, her eyes shining bright against the sunny sky.
"This is a beautiful spot, isn't it?"

I want to respond with something like, "Not as beautiful as your eyes,"
but the cheesiness of the line makes me want to gag and I'm really not in the
mood to get laughed at this morning.

"It sure is peaceful," I respond with instead then jump right into the
subject that’s been keeping me awake since I met Skylar. "Skylar, I wanted
to talk to you about Everly's mother.”

She gets a look on her face that says, Oh, here we go.
"Oh, good because I also wanted to talk about her. I don’t want to pry or
anything, but are you divorced?"
I give her a sad smile. It's the perfect day to talk about my Willow to the
woman I can't seem to stop thinking about.
Ignoring her question, I blurt out, "She loved the first snowfall of the
year, always found it peaceful. She would always call me from work as
soon as she was able to catch a snowflake with her tongue and knew it
would stick, and say, 'Let's go for a walk, Carter. It's hot chocolate and a
walk kind of day.'"
"She sounds lovely. My mother is also a snow queen, her words not
mine, but she's always believed the magic of the first snowfall. What
happened, Carter? You talk about her with so much love and longing." She
looks sad when she adds that last part.

I take a deep breath, preparing myself for the hurt that always comes.
"Her name was Willow, and she was the best thing that ever happened to
me. I mean, she gave me Everly. What more could I ask for? We were
college sweethearts. Ten years of marriage and a baby later, she went to
sleep one day and never woke up again. Doctors said it was a heart attack
that came in her sleep and that she went peacefully, but I couldn't bring
myself to sleep in the same bed anymore or live in the same place where
there were so many memories. My mother opened her doors for me and
Everly just when the sleeplessness started getting the worst of me."

Skylar sucks in a breath, her eyes full of sympathy. "Oh, Carter, I'm so
sorry to hear that."

"It's been two years now. I’ve never been able to bring myself to be with
anyone else until you came along with your emerald eyes and mischievous
smiles that drive me completely insane.” I take a sip of my coffee and
continue. “I'm telling you all this because I want to know where you stand
with what's going on between us. Do you want to continue what we are
doing, now that you know my past? Because if you’re on the fence about
things, I don’t have the luxury of bringing someone into my life and then
taking them out just as easily. I have to think about Everly's feelings too."

And I won’t let her get attached to Skylar, only to have her disappear,
too. That wouldn’t be fair to Everly.

Skylar looks at me with so much emotion in her eyes. "I really like you,
Carter, and I enjoyed spending time with Everly. She's a lovely little girl.
And yes, I understand everything you've said, and yes, I do want to be with
you. You’re an amazing man who's been dealt a bad card in life. You don't
deserve the hardships you had to face, but you're stronger because of them."

I smile at her. "Thank you, Skylar. This makes me so happy."
She leans in and gives me the gentlest and softest of kisses, where she
communicates all her emotions with me. "Tell me more about Willow," she
says when she pulls away.
"Well, she was very creative. When she had an idea, she would work on
it for hours on end. She loved when an idea started becoming a reality. Her
one passion was writing. She loved creating stories for children.” I turn to
look at Skylar, breaking my hypnosis of the falling snow. “I have a few of
her books at home that she wrote for Everly and never got the chance to
read to her. I've read them all to Everly now, of course. Her favorite one is
The Willow Tree and Its Fairies. She just loves that story."

"That sounds lovely. Can I read it one day?" she asks hesitantly.
I smile, grateful that she wants to be involved. "Of course, you can. She
wanted to publish her work one day, but never got the chance to. I want to
get them published for her but I'm not sure if that would be appropriate."
She gets an incredulous look on her face. "Oh, goodness, of course it
would be. You'd be honoring her wishes. If you think that would be
inappropriate, you can always make copies and donate them to the library
with a note saying, ‘in loving memory of Willow.’”
I consider that. I hadn’t ever thought of it that way. "That's not a bad
idea. I’ll talk to the library and see what we can do. Speaking of which…
your store is opening soon. Which night is it again?” I ask taking a sip of
my nearly empty coffee.
She beams at me with excitement. "It's the night of the light up, and the
best part is, the town and the organizing committee went around looking at
my space, and they said because of the fireplace and the comfortable leather
couches, my store would be the perfect spot for Santa pictures.” She takes a
sip from her mocha. “So, the day before the event, they’re going to come
and decorate the entire store and rearrange a bit of the furniture but that's
okay. Can you imagine the amount of traffic I'll receive on opening night?
I'm so excited."
I smile just as big as she's smiling at me. "That’s amazing news. We’ll
be the first ones in the line and I'll even stay for a draft at The Best Draft." I
wink.
"I can't wait! I’ll be having a little party in there for friends and family
the day before the light up. The place will be decorated and why not just
take advantage?" Then as if she'd just remembered something, she says,
"Hey, is your friend Jake dating anyone?"
Now that's a new line of questioning that piques my interest. I lift an
eyebrow. "He's trying to date the barista, but no go there." We both chuckle
at his expense.
"Perfect! Bring him to the opening day party with you. I have the
perfect friend to tame him."
I laugh at the thought. "Good luck to you and your friend."

Two weeks pass in a blur, and today is the day. The opening party. I
haven't slept all night, I've been so excited. I quickly get changed and head
to my store to meet with the decorators. I stop by Starbucks and grab my
regular drip coffee, get a box of treats for me and the decorators, and leave.

The shop is about a ten-minute walk away from my apartment, and I
seem to be about ten minutes late. Even though everyone is bundled up for
the weather, I can see some of the ladies shivering outside of my store.

"Oh, I'm so sorry I'm late. I stopped in for some coffee and treats for us
all," I say as I unlock the door to my brand-new store. I open the door and
flip the lights on. After almost three months of research, phone calls with
lawyers and distributors, and heavy shopping trips to furniture stores, here
she is… pure beauty.

"No problem. We just got here a few minutes early, that's all," the
organizer, Angie, chimes in. The crew unloads boxes full of decorations
while I set up the treats I got from Starbucks.

They all look like the chill of the November morning has settled into
their bones, so I make a beeline to the fireplace in the corner and turn that
on.

"Thank you, Skylar, that's lovely. Now, we don't really need you for this
part of the decorating. If you have any errands to run, go for it. I know
you're planning a small get-together tonight here for close friends and
family," Angie says.

"That's amazing news because I do need to finalize a few details before
the party."

"Go for it." She smiles and adds, "This shouldn't take us any more than
a couple of hours, and once we’re done decorating, we'll do a final sweep of
everything and your store is yours again."

I smile, grateful for this woman. "Perfect. Angie, I'll see you all in a
couple of hours. Oh, and please, help yourselves to the treats. Those are all
for you."

The first order of business is to call Jen. I need her with me to get
organized and pick out the wines and appetizers I'll be serving. I pull out
my phone and dial her number.

She answers on the second ring. "Hello?"
"Hi, Jen. How are you?"
"Oh, good. What's up? Aren't you supposed to be busy with
decorations?"
"Well, I guess they don't need me, just my keys. The organizers and the
decorators are in the store now, doing their job. I have a few last-minute
items to take care of and I need my best friend with me."
"Of course, you do." I can hear the smile in her voice. "Where are you
at?"
"I'm just outside the store. How fast can you be here? It's cold outside."
I shift from one foot to the other.
"I'm on my way. Be there in five minutes tops. I'm sure you walked. I'll
bring my car so you won't freeze any more than necessary."
I nod enthusiastically at the idea even though she can’t see me. "Oh,
thank the lord."
She laughs at my expression and hangs up.
Within minutes, my best friend pulls up next to me in her red Toyota
Matrix, rolls down the window, and yells, "Get in before you turn into an
icicle!"
She doesn't have to tell me twice. I'm half-frozen anyways. I don't waste
any time before I jump in. She's already got the heat blaring and the seat
warmers on. The perks of owning a new vehicle is that it warms up way
faster than an older vehicle. Within minutes, I'm toasty and comfortable.
"So, where to Ms. Business Owner?" she asks.
I show her the last few invitations I have and tell her Carter's address. In
all the craziness of getting ready for the opening day, I forgot to invite Anne
and Bridget to the party. Once we get to Carter's house, I get out of the car
and go knock on the door.

Bridget answers after the second knock. "Oh, hi, how are you? Carter’s
at work at the moment if that's why you're here."

I smile at her confusion. "I'm actually here to see you and Anne. I'm not
sure if Carter had mentioned that I’m throwing a party in my store tonight
for close friends and family, and I know this is very short notice, but I
would love it if you and Anne could make it. In all the craziness, I totally
forgot to give your invitations to Carter, so here. I'm hand-delivering them
on the day of the event." I struggle to catch my breath.

"Just breathe." She chuckles. "I don't believe we have anything planned
for tonight so we should be good to attend." She gets a thoughtful
expression on her face. "I think I need to go dress shopping if you don't
want me to show up in my Army fatigues."

"Well, you know, my friend Jen and I are just running some last-minute
errands. You’re more than welcome to join us. We like dress shopping." I
smile and wink at her. "Girl time is always great," I add because I get the
feeling she hasn't been out much since she came back.

She smiles. "All right, let me grab my purse and lock up. I'll be right
there."

I head to the car and inform Jen that Bridget is going to join us. She’s
immediately on board with the plan. "The more, the merrier. I do enjoy a
good girls’ shopping spree and need a new dress myself."

We’re laughing at a joke on the radio when Bridget gets in the backseat.
Jen immediately introduces herself because that's who she is. "Hi, Bridget!
I'm Jen, the best friend extraordinaire." She smiles through the rear-view
mirror.

"I'm Bridget, the sister…" She trails off with a questioning look to
Skylar then adds, "Sister of the boyfriend?"

All of us laugh at the uncertainty in her voice, and I say, "Yes, boyfriend
is right."

She takes a deep breath. "Oh, thank God you confirmed that. If not, I'm
sure poor Carter would cry a thousand tears and drown the whole world,"
she says with laughter in her voice.

I smirk at the comment but don’t address it. "Well, before all the dress
shopping happens, I need my wines picked out and appetizers organized so
we need to hit the grocery and liquor store."

"What? You didn’t hire a caterer for this event?" Bridget asks,
bewildered.

"Ummm, no. I didn’t even think about it actually. That would have
made life so much easier." Why hadn’t I thought about it? That would have
been a game-changer.

"No kidding." Jen rolls her eyes at me.
Bridget gives me a reassuring look. "Okay. No panicking. I know a
personal chef. We can get what you need and I'll give him a call to see if he
can arrange a few appetizers with those."
I beam. "Bridget to the rescue! That'll give us time to dress shop."
On the way to the grocery store, Bridget calls her friend who's a
personal chef, and he instructs us to get some meat, different variety of
cheeses, a package or two of cream cheese, vegetables, sliced bread, some
crackers and a few packages of smoked salmon.
The three of us run into the grocery store and decide to handle this as a
divide and conquer. Bridget runs to the crackers and bread isles with a
basket in her arm. Jen runs to the cheeses and vegetables while I run to get
all the meat needs. The way we’re all moving around the grocery store like
mad women feels a lot like we’re in an episode of Guy's Grocery Games
and are in the shopping spree part at the end. In a way, it's the same. We’re
running against time and still have to get wine and go find some dresses.
Tick tock, baby. There's no time to waste here.
Thank goodness, Trevor, Bridget's friend, said he'll meet us at the
grocery store to grab our groceries and wine pairings and go to the store to
prepare right away. All three of us make it to the register within seconds of
each other, pay for everything, and head to the liquor store.
This here is all Jen, and by the things Trevor asked for, she's got a pretty
good idea which wines to get. She runs to the American wines and grabs a
few bottles of Riesling and a few bottles of Merlot and adds a couple of
rose for the hell of it. Within minutes, we’re out of the liquor store and are
meeting with Trevor.
He looks at the wine choices Jen picked and hums appreciatively. "Good
choices, ladies."
Jen lifts an eyebrow and huffs, earning her a chuckle from the
newcomer. We hand him all the bags, I give him the address and the name
of my store, and we bid each other farewell.
Jen and her led foot take us to Calgary in no time at all. The fact that it's
a weekday and everyone who's employed is at work helps with the traffic
situation as well. We get to the mall, park, and get out of the car.

In our conversations, we already discovered our styles clash, and there’s
only one store in the mall that's going to satisfy us all. We head straight to
BCBG. There's no time to waste here since we’re on a time crunch. Jen, the
dramatic person she is, heads straight to the rack with big, bold colors.
Bridget, the straight-edged person she is, heads to the rack of little black
dresses. I'm more of an impulsive person and love fun designs. So when Jen
and Bridget lean toward more of a classic route, I head to the rack with all
the fun, flirty, bright and off the shoulder dresses.

Each of us grabs a handful of hangers off the racks and get into our
respective dressing rooms, where we start the process of trying on a million
different dresses. The first one out is Bridget. "Heyo, I'm out. Poke your
heads out and give me your opinions."

Jen and I do as instructed and get out in half-dressed states as well.
Bridget's got on a short, black cocktail dress that highlights her amazingly
fit body.

"Wow," Jen and I say in unison.
Jen adds, "Don't try any more dresses on. This is your dress."
"Are you sure? It doesn't make my butt look too big?" Bridget asks,
uncertainty in her voice. At her uncharacteristic timidness, my mouth falls
open, as if I've just been punched in the jaw.
Jen lifts an eyebrow. "Ummm, excuse me, Miss You-can-bounce-a-
quarter-off-my-ass-it's-so-tight, where's this hesitation coming from?”
Bridget averts her eyes, as if she's hiding something and a light bulb
goes off in my mind. "Oh, my God, you're trying to impress someone."
"Oh, now, now, now, my little grasshopper," Jen says and puts an arm
around Bridget's shoulder. She’s still only half wearing the blood-red dress
she was in the process of putting on. "I pity the fool that'll ever negatively
comment on your body. You could probably strangle them with your
tights." Then adds in an appreciative tone, "P.S., that dress looks amazing
on you and whoever this fellow is, he’s going to want to rip it off you with
his teeth."
"Hear, hear," I add.
Smiling, Bridget says, "Well, then it's settled. This shall be the dress."
She goes back into the dressing room to get back into her jeans and sweater.
"And now it's time to find a dress Carter will love you in." She pokes her
head out and winks at me.
"And Jake's not going to know what hit him," I add, pointing at Jen.

To this, a now fully dressed Bridget says, "Oh, what a perfect match
that'll be," and starts dancing on the balls of her feet.

Next up, Jen comes out, finally wearing the dress fully. Not very many
people can pull off red, but Jen can. My jaw hits the floor. The dress is a
floor-length and blood-red with a halter top and empress cut in the front. It
has a low waist, so the dress goes in two pieces of fabric for the breasts and
starts to fall off right at her waist in a flowy fashion. It accentuates her
fantastic breasts.

"Oh, wait till you see the back of this thing," she says and turns around.
There’s a gasp but I'm not sure if it comes out of me or Bridget or if it's a
collective effort, but the dress looks even more fantastic from behind than it
did from the front.

"Holy crap, girl, you can wear a dress,” accentuates an impressed
Bridget. I still have no words. The dress has no back until the waist, so her
entire back is on display.

"I'm guessing you ladies like?" Jen says
"I haven't found words since you turned around. I think it's a safe bet to
say we love it."
"Well, I suppose I do look pretty great in it," she says not very modestly
at all and we all laugh.
And now, it's my turn. I have a pink dress and a yellow dress I picked
out. One is an off the shoulder knee-length cocktail dress, and the other is a
floor-length mermaid cut. I wear the mermaid dress first and immediately
get told to "go back in there and take that shit off."
Well, I guess that one is a no-go. I bid farewell to the yellow mermaid
dress and put the pink dress on. This time when I come out, they don't send
me back in the dressing room, but they praise the look.
"There we go! This dress fits your personality to a tee," Jen says. "It's
fun, sexy, and flirty all in one small package." She laughs at her own joke.
"I agree. Carter is going to love you in this," Bridget adds.
To this, Jen and Bridget high five each other and send me back to
change into my street clothes so we can head home to get ready. Finally, we
all pay for our dresses. Everyone decides they have the necessary
accessories at home, and we go out to the car.
Once in the car, Jen and I drill Bridget. "So, Bridget, who is the mystery
man you’re trying to impress tonight?" I ask.
"Oh, nobody," she responds nonchalantly.

"Spill, now," Jen yells from behind the wheel.
"Fine. His name is Trevor. We’ve known each other since kindergarten,
and I’m certain he’s had a thing for me since the day I drop-kicked him at
recess," she reveals.
“Umm, you drop-kicked him at recess?” Jen asks, impressed.
“Well, he declared to everyone that he was going to marry me one day,
and I wanted nothing to do with that.” Bridget shrugs at our laughter.
My matchmaking side can’t contain herself and I blurt out, "Oh, this is
so exciting! Then I'll just have to make sure he stays the entire night and
enjoys some of that food he's making as well."
My matchmaking senses are all tingling. First, I'm going to introduce
Jake and Jen, and then I'm going to set these two love birds up. My night
can't get any better.
"Skylar, whatever has you smiling like a lunatic, you better stop it now.
You're going to scare our new friend here," Jen teases me.
"Oh, shush, you," I say to her gentle jab and we listen to the radio the
rest of the way.

I pick Everly up from daycare early tonight. It's the night of the party,
and everybody is very excited. This morning before I dropped her off at
daycare, she said, "You need to come and get me early, Daddy. We need to
wash my hair, dry it and make it pwetty for the pawty, and then I need to get
into my dwess."

As instructed, we wash her pretty hair in the sink and blow-dry it. Her
usually loose curls are extra bouncy by just being washed and dried. I’ve
been researching ways to make curls tighter. This is what my life has been
about since we got invited to Skylar’s party. Her hair is now extra shiny and
curly, which makes her very happy. She gives me a couple of barrettes to
put in her bangs, which makes me very happy. Once the hair is done, she
runs to her room to get dressed and I take the opportunity to jump in the
shower as well.

A quick shower and shave later, I'm ready to put my suit on. With a
towel wrapped around my waist, I go to my bedroom. Ev's and my bedroom
are next to each other, so I pass by her room and give it a quick look. What
I see inside makes me stop in my steps. She's all dressed up in her blue
puffy dress and looks exactly like a toddler version of a fairy tale princess.

Everly sees me looking through her mirror and turns around. "What do
you think, Daddy? Will Skylaw like it?"

"Skylar is going to love it, sweetheart. You look like a real-life fairy tale
princess." This earns me a smile and I add, "Never have I ever laid eyes on
a more beautiful three-year-old."

"Aww, Daddy." She does the one foot behind the other shy dance and
then gives me a big hug.

"All right, beautiful, it's now my turn to get dressed."
She follows me into my room. I quickly put my dress pants, white
button-down, and suit jacket on. Put a comb through my hair, spray a bit of
Polo Sport on, and we’re ready to rumble. Everly heads upstairs to tell the
ladies we’re ready, and within minutes, she comes down with both Bridget
and my mom dressed to the nines.
Bridget looks at me with disapproval. "That just won't do. I know what
your beautiful girlfriend is wearing, and you don't match." She runs into my
room, rummages through my closet, and brings a very light pink dress shirt
out to me. "Change into this."
Everyone can hear the authority in her voice. "Sir, yes, sir," I say and
mock salute her, which earns me a smile from both my mother and sister.
"Stop being a smartass and do as she says," my mother chimes in.
I hold my hands up in the air in resignation. "All right, all right… call
off the firing squad. I'm getting changed."
Once again, I head back to my room accompanied by their satisfied
smiles and nods and get changed. This time, when I come out, all three of
them smile at me. "Now this is more like it. Do you have a tie at all?"
I knew this question was coming sooner or later. I pull out the tie that's
been hiding in my suit jacket. It’s baby blue and will match my outfit
perfectly. Bridget grabs it from my hand right away and gets to work
putting on me. She makes quick work of the tie and we head out.
We stop at the corner flower shop on our way. "Everyone, just wait here.
I'll be right back."
I head into the store. There are rows and rows of roses, daisies, and
lilies. I'm totally out of my element here. One of the salesgirls sees me
struggling in between the rows of freshly cut, beautifully colored, perfumed
flowers and comes to my rescue.
"Anything I can help you with, sir?"
I scratch my head, feeling lost. "Yes, you can. My girlfriend is having a
store opening party tonight, and I want a flower or a plant that'll both say
'good luck’ and ‘I adore you' at the same time."
I'm at 'I adore you' now, but I'm very close to 'I love you' as well.
She points me in the direction of bamboo plants and picks one out that's
sitting in a beautiful heart-shaped vase. "This should do the trick, sir."

I pick the plant up and read the write-up on the little card that's attached
to the vase. "The Lucky Bamboo," it reads, perfect for new businesses and
new relationships.

I have an aha moment and smile at the store clerk who helped me. She
knew exactly what I needed and packaged it perfectly. I pay her and head
out to the car. Once in the car, I hand the bamboo plant to Bridget, who's
sitting on the passenger seat next to me. She lifts an eyebrow, shrugs, and
shakes her head at me to imply how clueless she thinks I am. Driving
around for a few more minutes, I finally find us a parking spot and we head
outside.

I told Jake to meet us outside the store, and from the looks of it, he's
been waiting here for a while now. It's a cold November evening, and he
only has a leather jacket on. He has his hands in his pockets, shoulders
hunched up, and is bouncing around to keep warm. When he finally sees us
approaching, he takes his hand out of his pocket and motions for us to hurry
up.

"Hurry the fuc—fudge up." He changes his wording at the last minute
once he realizes both Everly and my mother are with me.

"Yeah, yeah, we’re coming. Don't you ever check the weather before
you leave your house?”

"Shut it, lover boy. Let's go." Bridget and Ev giggle at his antics and I
have nothing to do but shake my head.

Something on the ground catches my eye and I look at it. It's a wrapped
up painting of sorts. I look at Jake and lift a questioning eyebrow.

Jake shrugs. "At least, I didn't get her a lucky bamboo. What is this, a
housewarming party?"

"Hey, these things are popular for new businesses and relationships. It's
a one stone, two birds deal," I say, defending my decision.

"It's a stone of a deal all right. Don't you like this woman? Don't you
want to—" he does a pumping motion with his hands "—you know…?"

My mom chimes in, "Don't censor yourself on our account, Jake. I've
known you since you were in diapers."

"It appears your son has lost all sensibility, Anne; he's got his girlfriend
a plant that literally screams, 'Good luck to you and hope you can pay the
bills.'"

My mother doubles over with laughter. "Yes, yes he has. And I can't
wait to see what Skylar will have to say about that."

The party is going swimmingly.
Trevor’s pushing appetizers out left, right and center, and it all looks
delicious. A couple of last-minute servers I hired are carrying trays of food
and various kinds of wines. There's the happy clatter of cutlery hitting
plates and the ringing of the wine glasses as my closest family and friends
chat with each other and toast to me. There's soft classical music playing in
the background along with the crackling sound of burning wood from the
fireplace.
Even my parents made it from the island and are staying with me for a
few days. I'm extra excited to introduce them to Carter and Everly. I'm sure
my mother will be an instant fan of them both. I can even see the possibility
of a great friendship between Anne and my mother.
I look around my store in awe. This was my dream for so long and now
it's finally happening. I take in all the sounds and smells. The view in front
of me is out of a fairy tale. It's almost like we fell right into a Christmas
story and are living in it.
When I got into my shop this afternoon, Angie and her team had already
left for the day. Angie had left the spare key I had given her with Trevor,
promising to return before the actual opening and Santa event tomorrow
evening.
My ceiling-to-floor mahogany bookshelves are lit up with garlands on
the sides, and they connect in the middle with a red bow. The sliding ladder
has been decorated in tinsel. This entire scene is begging for me to have a

Belle in Beast's library moment, and it takes everything in me not to just run
and jump on my sliding ladder and have a moment.

There is a lit-up garland on the fireplace, and three argyle stockings
hang off the beautiful Santa and reindeer themed stocking holders. There
are mock presents poking out of each one of them. The dark surface of the
bar is decorated similarly, both simple and elegant. At each end of the bar,
there's a copper lantern with a white candle surrounded by berries and
pinecones.

The corner window is covered with fake, sparkly snow on the bottom,
and they added red and black checkered curtains that part in the middle and
are held open by red sparkly bows. On each side of the window is a brown
leather lounge chair and in the middle is the fantastic Christmas tree
decorated with rose gold and dark silver ornaments. At every ledge, there's
a mistletoe, and at the entrance, there's a bell that rings each time someone
walks through the door, and the sign above the bell says, "Every time a bell
rings, an angel gets his wings."

I’ve heard that bell ring many times tonight, and each time it hasn't been
who I was hoping. Now when it rings at last, it's the two faces I've been
dying to see all night. My little Cinderella and Prince Charming have finally
arrived at the ball.

Everly makes a beeline to me, looking around in complete admiration.
"Skylaw, awe we in a Chwistmas movie?"

I smile at her. "This is my new store; do you like it?"
She jumps up and down. "I love it. My daddy told me Santa will be here
tomowwow. Can I come and make a wish?"
"You are always welcome here, pretty princess. You look fantastic." I
lean down and give her a kiss on the cheek, which makes her squirm and
giggle.
I look up from where I’m talking with Everly and catch Carter's eyes on
me. He's looking at me like he's a hunter, I'm the prey, and he'd just like to
catch me and devour me. I blush under his gaze, and he smirks at me.
Gosh, I thought he looked good in a pair of jeans before, but now,
seeing him in a suit, is there anything this man can't wear?
He stalks toward me, very slowly, deliberately taking his time. "Skylar,
the place is beautiful. But nothing beats your beauty tonight."
Someone behind him yells, "Cheeseball!" and we all burst into laughter.

When I finally start to calm down from my fried nerves and his
comment, he looks at me and points up. Just like I suspected, we have
somehow managed to move right under a mistletoe.

"It’s bad luck not to kiss while under a mistletoe," he says, his eyes
shining with mischief.

"Is that so?" I say, rising to my tiptoes and giving him the sweetest of
pecks on his cheek.

He looks taken aback but he plays along. He smiles while wagging his
finger at me. "Oh, you," he says with wonder in his voice.

I smile in return and he motions for me to follow him. "Let's find Jake
and Jen and introduce these two crazy kids."

Just as I'm about to agree, Bridget chimes in, "You're a few minutes too
late on that, guys."

"Hmm, how so?"
Bridget points to a corner of the shop, and there, under the same
mistletoe we stood under a few minutes ago, we see Jen and Jake in a
Hollywood movie embrace, locked together at the lips. He's got her dipped
in his arms, one of her legs half-bent at the knee, sticking out behind her.
There's no force on earth that could break them apart. Everyone breaks into
hooting and hollering and clapping for the little show they’re putting on and
they finally come up for air.
Once they break apart, Jen quickly beelines to me, pulls me in behind
the bar, and informs me that she needs a drink and needs it now.
"You don't need a drink. Just spill. What the heck just happened?"
Just as I’m about to start on my third degree, Bridget joins us and
wiggles her eyebrows. "Yes, do tell."
"All right, cool your jets, both of you!” she huffs and motions for me to
get her drink ready. “He came and said, 'I haven't been able to take my eyes
off you,’” she lowers her voice to imitate Jake’s deep voice, “and he pulled
me under the damn mistletoe. Before I could even protest or ask his name, I
was dipped by strong arms and deliciously full lips were on mine."
A new voice joins us. "Deliciously full lips, huh?" You can hear the
smirk and the confidence in his voice.
Jen turns around, composes herself, and levels up to him, giving him a
dangerously sweet smile. Just as he's about to return the smile and
antagonize her a little more, she slaps him across the face. "Next time, buy
me a drink first." And with that, she struts away.

Bridget and I chuckle at the open-mouthed, dumbfounded look on Jake's
face. "What just happened? I thought she said my lips were delicious."

Shaking her head with a smile etched on her lips, Bridget pats him on
the back. "Next time, buy her a drink first." She winks as we both walk
away.

Finally, I locate my parents in the corner, sipping their wine, in deep
conversation about God knows what. "Hey, guys, how are you feeling?”

They smile warmly at me. My mom beams. “Oh, we’re great, Sky. This
place is amazing.”

I feel like a child in need of her parents’ approval and can’t stop myself
from saying, “Really, do you like it? I tried to keep your legacy alive." I
point to the bundle of sage I hung on top of the bar.

She looks at me with watery eyes. "Skylar, I couldn't be prouder. I'm so
happy for you and can't wait for the official opening tomorrow. Now, point
us in the direction of your man friend and all will be good."

Tonight is the night all my dreams come true. My parents are here with
me, are happier than a pig in dirt, and are so proud of me, it shows on each
of their faces. I smile at both and give them a hug. My dad, who is usually
quiet and awkward in social situations, gives me a one-armed hug in return.
“Stop trying to buy time. We won’t put the third degree on him too much.”

I smile at the mischievous look on my father’s face. "All right, you
guys, let's go. There are a few people I'd like you to meet."

I guide them away from where they were standing and lead them to
where I saw Anne and Everly. "Anne, Everly, these are my parents, Jolene
and Miles." I point to my parents.

Anne immediately goes to my mother and gives her a big hug. "It's so
very nice to meet you, Jolene. I've heard nothing but great things. In the
short time that I've gotten to know Skylar, I want to tell you she's an
outstanding human."

To my amazement, my mother blushes and smiles at her. "Oh, well, we
did what we could."

Anne chuckles. "Don't we all. This here is Everly, my Carter's little
girl." She points toward Everly.

"Hi," she says shyly and hides behind Anne's legs. My mother goes
down to eye level with Everly and gives her a candy cane she brought with
her.

"Now you're in her good books for sure." Carter joins us, putting his
arm around my back.

My mother stands up and holds out her hand. "You must be Carter. I'm
Jolene, Skyler's mother."

He takes her hand in his and gives the back of her hand a small peck.
"Enchanted, Jolene."

"True to the nickname of Prince Charming, I see," my mother says, and
I want the ground to open and swallow me whole.

Carter gives me an amused look and doesn’t push the subject any further
right now, but the glint in his eyes promises a different story. He nervously
leads me to another corner of the store where we can be alone, leaving
behind the embarrassing story exchanges our parents are sharing.

From where we’re standing, I look around and take in all the happiness
and excitement running through everyone's faces. Carter looks at me with
adoration in his eyes. "I'm so proud of you, sweetheart. This wasn’t easy to
accomplish but look at what you've done in such a short amount of time."

With that, he reaches over to where his coat is, grabs a plant, and gives
it to me. "I know it's not something big, but the flower shop girl said a lucky
bamboo is for new businesses. It's supposed to bring luck and prosperity."

"Oh, you didn’t need to do that Carter, but thank you.” I really don’t
believe in plant-based luck but appreciate the gesture anyway. It’s a
beautiful plant. “I’ll put it by the register, hope that it’ll bring prosperity.” I
wink and smile at him.

"You're welcome," Carter says, returning my smile.
We see the dynamic trio of Jen, Jake and Bridget staring at us and
snickering between the three of them. Jen and Jake have finally warmed up
to each other. I mean, how could they not after that Hollywood-esque kiss
they shared in front of the entire store? And Bridget keeps disappearing
somewhere every half an hour or so and coming back with swollen lips and
messed up hair.
I point at Bridget. "What do you think? Trevor and Bridget?"
"Easy there, Miss Matchmaker. Nothing’s going on between those two.
They've known each other since they were three," he says with the
confidence of an older brother who thinks he knows everything in his little
sister’s life.
"Oh, honey, you're so blind if you actually think there’s nothing going
on there.” I chuckle and point at Bridget again to emphasize my point.

“Have you noticed your sister has been disappearing and coming back
looking rather disheveled?"

He lifts an eyebrow. "You're out of your mind. Nothing’s going on. Hey,
Bridge, come here a second," he yells across the store.

Bridget slowly makes her way over. "And how did the bamboo go?"
I give a little smile. In the short time that I've known this woman, she's
slowly becoming one of my favorite people on earth.
"That's not why I called you here for.” He avoids the question
masterfully. “What's going on between Trevor and you?"
It’s Bridget's turn to defer. "Just checking on the food, man. Chill."
Carter turns to me. "See, nothing’s going on. She’s just keeping an eye
out for you."
I give Bridget a look. "Mhm, sure." Then I turn to Carter. "I forgot to
mention, I have a little gift for Everly I wanted to give her tonight. Would
that be all right with you?"
"Absolutely, that's fine."
I find Everly standing with Anne and my mother. "Hey, Ev, can I
borrow you for a minute? I have a special gift for you."
"Okay," she says and follows me.
I go behind the bar to get my purse and take a little box out of it. "Come
on, let's go by the tree."
I point to the angel sitting on top of the tree. "It’s like the angel is
watching over us, making sure we’re all safe.” I smile down at her. “It's our
guardian angel"
She nods. "Yes, it's so pwetty," she says with a dreamy look on her face.
I open the box and her eyes sparkle with excitement. Inside is an angel
necklace on a thin chain. I briefly considered real gold but decided on the
less expensive gold-plated necklace just in case she lost it. That way, it
won’t be as big of a deal.
"This angel is just like that one on the tree, but this angel is so much
more special.” I choke up with emotion. “I got this for you because since
the day I met you, my life changed for the better. You are my guardian
angel."
She smiles at me and picks the little necklace out of the box to get a
better look at it. "Can you put it on me, Skylaw?"
"Of course, honey, but before I do that, I want to show you something
else on it, too." I turn the necklace over to show her at the back of the angel

where I got both our names engraved and the date we've met. "Now turn
around and hold your hair up."

She does as instructed, and I fasten the little necklace around her neck.
She happily runs to Anne to show her, then to Bridget and my mom. Before
she can get to Carter, he makes his way to me with storm clouds dancing in
his eyes.

I see red when she pulls out that angel necklace and fastens it around
Everly's neck. Who does she think she is? What is she trying to do, replace
Everly's mother? How dare she.

I see Everly heading toward my mother and Jolene. She's smiling from
ear to ear. I look at Skylar. She's watching Everly with pure love in her
eyes, but all I see is an intruder in our lives, someone trying to replace my
child’s dead mother, and I can't hide my anger.

Before Everly can make her way to me, I lock my gaze on my target and
start walking toward her. She must have felt watched or had an intuition
that someone was heading toward her because she looks up and sees me
approaching. The look of pure joy and happiness on her face turns into
confusion at my look and mood.

I get closer to her, and she has the audacity to smile at me. "Hi."
I motion toward the kitchen with my head. “Not here!” I growl at her.
Once we get in the kitchen, I see Bridget and Trevor locked at the lips,
and my betrayed soul gets another kick to the genitals. I can’t contain my
emotions anymore. Skylar was right about Bridget and Trevor, and the fact
that Bridget didn’t tell me herself hurts me even more, but I can't deal with
them now. I make a guttural sound that breaks them apart. Bridget looks
like a deer in headlights while Trevor is looking anywhere but my face.
“Leave the kitchen, please. Skylar and I have something to discuss,” I
spit out with a resigned huff of air, then I turn on Skylar. "What do you
think you’re doing?" I yell through clenched teeth.

The anger that’s radiating through me catches her off guard. She tries to
touch my arm, but I pull away, still waiting for her to answer my question.

There’s a wounded, confused look on her face when she responds,
"What do you mean? What did I do?"

"Don’t act dumb. You know exactly what you did! Was this whole thing
a joke to you?" There’s no containing my feelings anymore. I get in her
face. When she tries to reach out and touch my arm again, as if a touch can
calm me down, I lift my hand. “Don’t touch me! Just answer me this, did
you have fun playing your little games with us?”

"I.. I—I don't understand, Carter. Please tell me what's gotten you so
upset," she stammers, too shocked and hurt to string words together.

I shake my head and take a step back from her. "And to think I liked you
enough to invite you into my life." There are unshed tears gathering in her
eyes, but I keep going. I'm on a roll now, and I can't stop myself. "Did you
think you could replace Everly's mother? Do you think because you gave
her a stupid angel necklace, you would be the one to watch over her now?"

Her eyes get as big as saucers. "That's not what that gift was about,
Carter."

I start walking away and she follows.
"Stop,” she pleads. There is a prayer in her voice, but I've had it with
this conversation. “Listen to me, please."
As I turn my back on her and walk out of the kitchen, I realize the party
has stopped, and everyone's now watching us.
Everly has tears in her eyes. My mom and Bridget are just shaking their
heads at me in disappointment. Jake just shrugs. I don't even bother looking
at Skylar, I'm so angry at her for trying to take Willow's place in Everly's
life. I pick Everly up, and as she kicks and screams at me, I motion to both
my mother and Bridget. I turn around and leave the store. The last thing I
hear is her voice.
"Carter," she calls with so much yearning, but I leave anyway.
Who would have thought a night that started with so much promise
would end in so much disappointment and sorrow?
I turn the car on and let the ladies get in while I clean the snow off.
Willow always loved freshly fallen snow and how hypnotizing it is.
Tonight, while I clear it off my car, I have only the feeling of resentment
toward the snow, toward everything. I'm not even sure what I'm upset about

anymore, but I’m not ready for the conversation that’s waiting for me in the
car either.

I take a deep breath, prepare for the battle, and get in the car. As I
expected, there's a deep feeling of disappointment radiating from both my
mother and Bridget. Everly is upset beyond words and is silently crying on
my mom’s lap.

Finally, Bridget can’t keep her disdain to herself anymore. "You are a
world-class idiot, you know that," she scolds with a head shake. "Where in
the world did you get the idea that Skylar was trying to replace Willow?
She's got nothing but respect for you and your boundaries!"

There’s a ringing in my ears and the start of a headache at my temples.
"Well, great way of showing it by giving my daughter an angel necklace
with both of their names engraved on it, as if to say from now on I'm
watching over you." I rub my temple as I battle with a warrior.

"Oh, my God, there's no words…” she huffs. “This is ridiculous. Mom,
tell him how ridiculous he's being right now." Bridget turns toward my
mother and urges her to make a comment.

"We will talk about this when we get home, not in front of Everly," my
mom says with authority in her voice that I've only heard when she means
business, and continues to soothe Everly.

We travel the rest of the way in complete silence, everyone stewing in
their own misguided emotions. You could cut the tension with a knife.
Finally, the turn off to our road comes, and I can’t escape this car fast
enough.

We get out of the car. Bridget slams her door shut and heads straight
inside. I huff my displeasure at her behaviour and follow suit by slamming
my door shut as well. Once inside, I try to get Everly to bed, but she's
inconsolable.

"You wuined everything, Daddy. You are a ruinew."
"Honey, please," I plead with her, but she wants nothing to do with me.
"Nooooooo, I want Grandma!" she screams.
I sigh in resignation; this night has been nothing but unpleasant, and this
is no surprise. “Good night,” I say and leave her to her screaming. She’ll
eventually fall asleep. Yes, I’m letting my three-year-old child cry herself to
sleep because I'm ready to cry myself to sleep.
This entire night has been one disappointment after another and now I
must face the music. I grab a cold beer out of the fridge and head upstairs.

"Are you actually going to make her cry herself to sleep?" my sister
asks in a judgemental tone.

"Yes, I am. And before you ask, no, you may not go down there to
console her. She needs to learn how to soothe herself."

"Wow, big brother, is there a reason for the level of assholeness today?"
she asks with an eye roll.

"That's enough out of both of you," our mother says firmly from the
kitchen. She comes out with two glasses of wine, one for herself and one
for Bridget. She motions for us to sit, and we do as we’re told.

I sigh loudly, and she looks at me. "What happened tonight? Everything
was going great, and then you flew off the handle." Her tiredness is evident
from the irritation in her voice. She’s usually a calm and cool person, and it
takes a lot to frazzle her.

I shake my head in shame because I upset my family. "Mom, that gift
was so unwelcome."

"Why do you feel that way? Did you even let her explain to you what
that gift meant?" she responds, taking a mouthful from her glass of wine. I
can feel Bridget nodding in agreement with my mother, even though I’m
not looking at her.

"It clearly shows what it’s about," I argue with her. “I mean, she didn’t
even ask if she could buy my daughter a piece of jewelry!” I exclaim,
feeling defeated, and this is where my sister decides to chime in.

"Let me tell you something,” she starts. “Skylar came to me before she
bought that necklace and asked if it would be overstepping if she got it for
Everly."

That bit of information piques my interest but before I can say anything,
my sister silences me with a finger and adds, "At first, I thought the same,
that she was trying to steal a claim on Everly and was about to tell her that
too, but then she explained to me her thoughts behind the necklace."

I open my mouth, ready to argue the fact that she bought something so
personal and expensive for a three-year-old before consulting with their
parent, but she silences me once again.

“Look, I know it is a personal gift, and this won’t change the fact that
it’s a personal gift, but it’s gold-plated and it meant a lot to Skylar to share
something with Ev,” she adds softly.

I sigh and lift an eyebrow with an expression that clearly says get to the
point.

"She told me the angel represents Everly in Skylar's life, and the
engraved names and the date represents the date they met," she explains.

"So?"
She rolls her eyes. “How thick are you? How can you just say ‘so?’ Do
you not get it?” Looking at her like she just grew three more heads, I shake
my head. “Must I spell it out for you? She was trying to say Everly is her
guardian angel, and since she's found her shoe at that mall, everything has
been going her way. Her lifelong dream came through, she's met you… are
you following me?" She has a growing grimace on her face when she
finally finishes her rant.
"Oh, fuck," I say and shake my head at my own stupidity.
"Oh, fuck is right." She claps her hands, leans back, and takes a
satisfying sip of her wine, as if to say my work here is done.
To my surprise, my mother nods in agreement. She'd been silent
throughout our conversation. "Honey, listen. I know you've had a very
rough few years with being a single parent to the best little girl ever, and
what happened to Willow. I know how much you loved her and maybe still
do love her, but you must open your eyes and see what's in front of you
now. You can't live in the past. That's not what Willow would have wanted,
nor is it healthy for you."
"I know, Mom." I sigh and take a drag out of my beer. "This woman, she
drives me insane. I can't stop thinking about her and that scares the shit out
of me. There was so much happy going on, the snow with the lights and the
feel of Christmas and the excitement on Everly's face…. She never got to
have a Christmas that she can remember with Willow. I… I just got
overwhelmed by all of it and the fear… I just couldn't."
I’ve been alone, living in my past for so long, I haven’t realized what
was right in front of me. Yes, Willow’s time with me was short, and with
Everly even shorter, but we’ve made the best out of those years together.
My mother is right; she wouldn’t want this for me. She wouldn’t want me
to become a shell of who I was.
But the fear of letting go and stepping into something new with
someone new had me paralyzed. The thought of losing Skylar the way I lost
Willow forced me into sabotaging myself and this beautiful budding
relationship.
I see my mom giving me a sad smile from the corner of my eye. "It'll
get better, I promise you, but you need to give yourself permission to move

on."
"I know, Mom. But I guess I've ruined that chance. I never thought I

would feel this way for another woman after Willow, but I think I'm in love
with Skylar." The revelation has me shocked but relieved as well. I take a
deep breath, filling my lungs. It feels like coming up from underwater.

"Hallelujah!" My sister first pumps the air. "You blind bastard! I've been
back for almost a month now and from the first night I met her, I could see
that you loved her."

This reminds me. "Speaking of love… what the hell is going on with
you and Trevor?" I ask with a knowing smirk.

She shakes her head. "Oh, no no no, we’re not getting into that now. We
first have to find a way for you to fix your colossal fuck-up."

I'm curled up on Jen's couch with a blanket wrapped around my knees,
many used and discarded napkins on my lap, a Kleenex box in one hand,
and a wine glass in the other.

"What did I do? I don't understand." I sniffle.
After many "it was just a big misunderstanding" and "you'll see he'll
come to his senses" later, my parents left to go sleep, and I can see Jen so
wants to do the same, but she won't leave my side.
"I'm heartbroken, Jen. My intention was never to overstep when I gave
her the necklace.” I sniffle again. “It was just supposed to be a symbol that
she's my lucky charm and that my life has finally turned around since I met
them. That darn shoe…"
"I know, honey, but listen… your mom and dad, they’re right. It was a
big misunderstanding. You two will talk and everything will be okay. I
promise.” She hands me another box of Kleenex. “Can you please stop
crying now? I'm running out of Kleenex. Goodness, woman."
I make a half-hearted sound, somewhere between a laugh and a cry.
"Okay"
"Tomorrow is a new day, and everything will be just fine. You'll see."
She pulls me up, gives me a hug, and gently swats my butt. "Go and sleep.
Your eyes look as puffy as feather pillows and red as the devil’s spawn."
Jen has always had the ability to pull me out of my head and bring me
back to reality, and I love her for it. I do as she asks and head to the
bathroom to brush my teeth and wash my face. A little before-bed eye

cream should fix the puffy eyes in the morning. After all, I still have a big
day tomorrow.

I stumble toward the guest room and curl into the firm queen-sized bed
with the world’s coziest down duvet cover. I make a cocoon out of it and
wrap myself in it, but sleep comes late and with difficulty when it finally
claims me.

I move slowly when I wake up the next morning. It feels like I've been
hit in the head with a sledgehammer. The eye cream did nothing for my
eyes, and they look exactly like Jen said. Red and big, almost like I've got
pink eye. The one day I really need to look the part, I look like the love
child of demons. I still have pillow marks all over my cheek and I'm pretty
sure there's dried drool stuck on the side of my face as well. I need a shower
and I need it pronto.

As I'm heading to the bathroom to take a much-needed shower, I run
into Jen. "Dude, is that drool on your face?" She reaches to touch it, but I
swat her hand away. "Your mom is in the living room, sleeping beauty. Go
say hi and then jump in the shower and get rid of that thing on your face."

"Yeah, yeah, I'm going…" I shoo the air between us, motioning that she
needs to stop teasing me. "Hi, Mom. How's it going?"

My eyes are half-open, my posture needs work, and someone needs to
remind my feet how to work properly, as they’re just dragging at this point.

"Wow, Skylar…" She cringes. "Is that dr—"
I stop her before she can finish that sentence. "Yes. I'm going to have a
shower now."
"Make it quick. We have an appointment in an hour," my mom yells
behind me. I give her a thumbs up from the bathroom door.
Ten minutes later, when I emerge from the shower, I'm a new person.
The eyes are still a bit puffy, but that's nothing a little concealer won't fix.
The pillow marks are gone, the drool is gone, and my head doesn't feel like
tiny dwarfs are playing drums in it.
Dressed and ready to take the day on, I head to the living room. "All
right, I'm ready."
"There she is," Jen and my mom say at the same time.
"Yeah, yeah, settle down, both of you." I smile at them. "What's this
appointment about, Mom?"
"Well, you know I can't not go see Aubrey when I'm in town. So, I made
us both an appointment. If you’re ready, let's go."

This time, I don't hide my eye roll. "Again? Hasn't she caused enough
trouble?"

"She did nothing… Trouble is all in your head. Shoes, mitts, hat and
jacket. Let's go."

Just like when I was growing up, I groan and whine, "Mom, I know," as
I put said items on.

My mom already turned the car on to warm it up for us. I doubt she's
ever turned it off to be honest. It's nice and toasty in there when we get in.

The first few minutes of the journey are pleasantly quiet, which lasts
only until the next stop sign.

"So," she starts, and I know exactly where this conversation is going
even before it starts.

"Mom, can we not, please?" I whine.
"Oh, Skylar, face the music will you…" She sighs. "Anne called me last
night."
"I can’t right now. I just can't be accused of trying to steal a dead
woman's daughter," I respond with a grimace.
"Everyone knows that wasn't your intention. That's why Anne called
me. She said they know your intention was to show Everly that she's been
your guardian angel and lucky charm. She knows it, Bridget knows it,
Everly knows, and now Carter knows it too."
Carter knows it. This is news to me. Why hasn’t he called to apologize?
Then I realize it’s too late. It’s too late for my happily ever after. "It's just
too late. If he understood and knew about the gift and what it meant, he
would have called me already.” I’m near tears again when I add, “Even if he
knows now, the fact that he even thought I would ever do something so
despicable …” I shake my head in agony. “He doesn't know me at all."
"Sky, this isn’t the time to be proud and pigheaded. Hear him out."
"Yeah, whatever." I turn my head, indicating I’m done with this
conversation, and start watching the road from the passenger seat window.
It's not long before we’re in the area of what used to be perfectly
manicured lawns and white picket fences, but now everything is covered in
snow. My mom finds a parking spot and we go knock on the door of house
number twenty.
The same woman with the infectious smile and ombre hair opens the
door and welcomes us in. "Jolene, it's been so long. I'm so happy to see you
again. Hello again, Skylar."

We both smile. My mom gives her a hug. I do an awkward wave thing,
and we get into the house.

Aubrey leads us to her little reading room full of dried spices and
essential oils. She picks two different decks from her collection of tarot
cards, gives me the deck with angels to hold, and hands the fairies to my
mother.

I snicker at the sight of the angels and my mother gives me a warning
look that clearly promises a very long car ride if I don't start acting like a
well-mannered adult. I clear my throat, compose myself, and leave the
room with my cards to give my mom privacy during her reading.

While waiting for my mom to be done, I turn the cards this way and that
in my hands, watching out the window. There are two deer eating frozen
berries off the tree in the front yard. They’re perfectly content with each
other’s existence. Occasionally, one of them lifts their head up and looks
around and then continues eating. It’s a peaceful scene to watch, and I’m
lost in it so I don’t realize when my mother comes out with what I assume
to be happy tears on her face.

"Are you all right, Mom?"
"Oh, never better, dear. Now go in and get your reading done, and we'll
go and have a little hot cocoa date after."
Hot cocoa has always been my favorite. My mom knows I won't be able
to resist. It's also our good mood food, and I'm not in one of those today. I
give her a noncommittal nod of my head and go into the reading room.
"Perfect, you're here." Aubrey smiles. "Let's get started. Shuffle the
cards for me please, Skylar."
I do a quick shuffle, cut the deck in half, and hand them over to her. She
picks out five cards, lines them up in order, and slowly starts to turn them
over.
The first card is an open road surrounded by beautiful snow-covered
trees and an angel face where the snow is shining. Aubrey smiles at me.
"You have finally moved the roadblock out of your way. I'm so happy to see
this. You're following your destiny now."
"You’re right. I did leave behind a lot of things that were pulling me
behind, and there was a roadblock, including the deadbeat job I had. In fact,
I'm starting my own business,” I blurt out. “Tonight is the official opening.
Why don't you come?" This woman, I swear she always pulls the best from
me even when I'm in a sour mood.

"Thank you, Skylar. I would love to. However, I do have prior
engagements tonight." She smiles and turns another card around.

This one is similar to the first card she’d flipped for me on my first visit
all those months ago. It's a coin with Michelangelo's face on it. She hums.
"This card is awesome. It symbolizes immense success. What's your
business you have started, Skylar?"

"I’ve taken over my mom’s old shop and turned it into a beer and books
store. It's a library bar. You can go browse the books, pick one up, order a
drink, and enjoy a few minutes of bliss." I can’t keep the happiness out of
my voice whenever I mention my new business to someone. It’s my dream
come true after all.

"Ah, that sounds amazing. I love books and bliss." She smiles and adds,
"Speaking of bliss, this card here symbolizes harmony in your life."

I look at the third card she’s flipped. It's an angel sitting on a rooftop,
pointing at the rising sun.

"That looks peaceful and harmonious." I smile sadly.
She flips the fourth card and I can't stop myself from laughing. She
looks at me with an arched eyebrow.
"It's just that this card is so real." To say I am shocked at what I see is an
understatement.
"What do you mean?" she asks with a knowing smile on her face.
The card is an angel sitting on a willow tree and watching over three
people. Two adults and a small child walk down a road covered with
blooming trees. And it dawns on me. "This is my family, isn't it? And that
angel is our guardian angel watching over us."
She smiles beautifully and nods. And flips the final card.
I laugh. "What are the chances?"
She laughs and repeats the words she spoke to me the very first time.
"See a lost shoe, pick it up, and Prince Charming you will find."
There are tears running down my face when I leave Aubrey's reading
room. My mother comes to me, wiping her eyes with a crumpled Kleenex,
and gives me a hug. “It’s all going to be all right, Skylar. You’ll see,” she
says reassuringly.
We both hug Aubrey and wordlessly get in the car to go get our hot
cocoas.

The first order of business is to mend Everly’s broken heart. I messed up
big time last night and ruined Everly's night, along with many others’. But
there are only two people who matter right now and one of them is here.
This isn’t going to be an easy task.

I walk into Everly's room and find her playing with her dolls. She acts
as if she doesn’t see or hear me come into her room, giving me the cold
shoulder.

"Hi, beautiful princess," I say and win a small head lift. I sit next to her
and pick one of her dolls up to play. "Hi, Princess Everly." I try imitating a
girl’s voice.

"It’s Princess Matilda," she says with an eye roll.
All right, then, let's try this one more time. "Hi, Princess Matilda."
She literally growls at me. "I don't want to play with you!"
If she were standing, she would have stomped her feet too, I'm sure of it.
I put the doll away but stay in the sitting position I’m in. At this point, my
plan is to annoy her into talking to me.
"Honey… why don't we put some Mickey Mouse Clubhouse on, and I'll
make us some pancakes?"
She gets a menacing look in her eyes. "Nooooo, I wanna go to
Grandma's. Her pancakes are better."
I smile at that. "Oh, yes, they sure are. But these pancakes come with
lots of maple syrup and maybe a candy or two after."
"Grandma always gives me candy," she counters easily.

I realize I'm not going to win this by playing nice. Time to grab the adult
card back and make her listen to me. "All right, young lady, let's go. It's
breakfast time."

She recognizes the tone change right away and realizes she may have
pushed her luck a little too much. "But I still get syrup and candy?” she asks
with a defeated look on her face.

We go to the kitchen together. She loves helping me cook, so I let her
break the eggs and whisk them in the bowl. The first order of business is
scrambled eggs, our favorite breakfast. Before long, we have the music on,
and we’re working in full harmony. She giggles at the way I flip pancakes
in the pan and wiggle my butt along with the music. Finally, we’re ready to
eat.

She runs to the table, turns Mickeys Clubhouse on, and gets settled.
While she wasn't looking, I snuck in a cookie cutter in the shape of a heart
and made her a heart pancake. I get her plate and put the pancake on it and
add strawberry syrup on it to make it look like an actual heart.

She looks at it and smiles at me. "I love you, Daddy! And I love
pancakes. But I’m still mad at you."

I can do nothing but smile at her, my smart, beautiful girl. "Doesn't
matter how badly I've messed up last night, you are still not getting a pony."

This earns me another giggle. "No, not a pony. I just want to wear my
necklace,” she says with sadness in her eyes. “I hid it after you got mad."

Oh, the guilt trip a three-year-old can serve… I feel it right where it
hurts. "Of course, you can wear it. In fact, I need your help with something
today, and I definitely need you to wear it tonight for the light up."

"Awesome!" she yells and does a little dance move that shakes her
entire body.

"All right, you still need to help me with a plan to win Skylar back and
to apologize."

"Daddy, I have the bestest idea!" she shrieks.
"Let's hear it then…"
"You know when we met, she found my shoe…"
Listening to her and humming to encourage her to continue, I
understand where she’s going with this line of thinking and it’s genius.
I grab her by the cheeks and give her a big kiss on the forehead. "Let's
go, pretty girl. We need all hands on deck for this plan to work."
"But, Daddy, I wasn’t done telling my idea."

"Oh, but I know exactly what we need to do. You gave me a great idea,
sweetheart. Now first things first, we need to go and talk to Auntie
Bridget."

Her eyes get as big as saucers with excitement. "Let's go."
In a few minutes, we’re upstairs talking to Bridget. I tell her the idea
Everly and I came up with, and she beams with excitement.
"Oh, Carter, this is perfect. She's going to love it. Now what do you
need me to do?"
"I need to know Jen's schedule and need to somehow talk to her. Can
you get me in the same room as her and come with me as a bodyguard?" I
give her a sheepish smile.
"Oh, she's harmless, but if you’re really that worried, I'll come with you.
Maybe instead of me, take Everly with you. She'll be a better buffer." She
nods, as if agreeing with herself.
"Perfect, let's do this."
A few minutes later, Bridget lets me know everything is arranged. Jen’s
going to meet me at the coffee shop in an hour. I jump up and fist pump the
air.
I order myself an Americano and a hot chocolate for Everly, and we sit
down at a table by the window. Jen arrives a few minutes after we sit down.
I lift a hand up in a small wave. She nods and orders her coffee before
joining us.
"Let's hear this elaborate plan of yours," she says as she sits down
across from me.
I point to Everly. "She actually gave me the idea and I think it's going to
work out."
"All right, lay it on me." There’s still distrust in her voice, and I
understand why and respect it wholly.
"Before I tell you the plan, I also wanted to talk to you.” Apologies have
always been awkward for me, but the key to a good, lasting relationship
usually stays in the hands of the best friend. I need to convince Jen I’m not
actually an idiot, just a poor soul who made a mistake.
“Listen, last night was a big misunderstanding, and I know that now. I
know whatever I say won't be enough to make you trust me but give me a
chance to prove myself," I plead.
"It's not that I don't trust you, I don't really know you and what
happened yesterday… I haven't seen Skylar that upset in a while." She

sighs. Her eyes burn with disdain toward me and I can see she wants to say
so much more but is holding herself back for Everly's sake. But Everly is
absorbed in the show she's watching on my phone.

"I know I've made a mess of things and you had to clean it up. I want to
thank you for that. Only a true friend would do what you've done."

With an eye roll and a smile, she says, "You're good with words, aren't
you, lover boy? All right, come on. Tell me about this plan."

I don't stall anymore and dive right into it. "When Everly and I first met
Skylar, it was at the mall. Ev was wearing sparkly purple rain boots that
were a little too big on her, so when I pulled her out of the car seat, she lost
one."

Jen folds her hands under her chin and gets a dreamy look on her face.
"Oh, yes, I know this story. When Skylar first told me about it, I couldn't
believe it, especially about the father who took one of his shoes off and
walked around the mall with one shoe on for his daughter."

I smile at the memory. It's only been a few short months since that day,
but a lot has changed since then, including my heart. And the realization
hits me hard, but my heart and soul now only belong to one woman. Willow
will always be a part of me, but my today and tomorrow are with Skylar.

"I'd do anything for Everly.” I take a sip of my warm coffee and add,
“And now Skylar. I haven’t felt this way for a woman since Willow, my
wife, and it took me a long time to realize where my heart lies. I'm in love
with Skylar, and like I said, I'll do anything to get her back."

Jen smiles at me. "Count me in on your scheming. I love a good
romantic gesture, and sparkly purple boots are my favorite."

Everly looks up from my phone just at that moment and chimes in,
“Mine, too!”

Jen and I share a chuckle on her behalf. “Listen, so here’s the plan.” I
reach into the bag and take out the boot that started it all.

At home, I start getting ready to go to The Best Draft. I wet my wild
hair and blow-dry it. After, I pull out one of my little black dresses, along
with a pair of sparkly nylons, black pumps, and start putting my look
together.

My mother walks in my room and looks at my outfit. "Good picks,
sweetie."

“Thanks, Mom. What's up, do you need anything?" I ask while applying
mascara.

"Not at all. I just wanted to check up on you. Jen will be here to drive us
to the opening in twenty minutes. Is that enough time to put your face on?"

My mom has never agreed with my idea of staying natural and not
wearing makeup, so when I say, "My face is already on," I get an eye roll
and eye shadow thrown at me.

"This'll match your outfit. It's not too much. In fact, it’s a very natural
look."

I have to agree with her choice. It's a light tan color with a little
shimmer to it.

I cave. "All right, I'll put it on."
"That's my girl." She smiles and leaves my room. My mom and her
antics, I wouldn't know what to do without her.
As promised, within twenty minutes, I hear Mr. Mustachio throwing
himself at the front door and purring like he's been deprived of affection for
centuries. There's only one person he acts this way around and that person
is standing in the doorway of my room, staring at me.

"Wow, Jen, creepy much." I shake my head
"Yup! That was my intention, creeping you out... And of course, to
check on you to see if you're in any sort of desperate need for help with that
makeup you're struggling with."
"Ugh… I hate makeup. Just get in here and put it on for me. I'm just too
nervous to deal with this right now."
Jen, being the best friend a girl could ask for, does exactly as I've asked.
She grabs the color pallet from me, along with all the brushes, and gets to
work. Ten minutes later, I don't even recognize myself. Gone is the girl with
red puffy eyes and drool stuck to her cheek from earlier, and here I stand, a
beautiful and strong business owner.
The four of us pile into the car, and the energy radiating off everyone is
charged with anticipation, almost like everyone is waiting for the other shoe
to drop and for me to finally lose it.
"Cut it out, everyone. I'm fine. Just nervous about the opening," I blurt
out, fidgeting with my jacket zipper.
"What are you talking about? Nobody's even said a word…" my mother
says in a confused voice.
"You can cut the tension in this car with a knife. All your weird auras
are freaking me out!" I snap.
"We’re just excited for you," Jen chimes in. Is that a wink I see thrown
over the rear-view mirror to my mother…? I’m completely losing it.
"Okay, complete silence it is. Just contain yourselves and stop secretly
smiling and winking at each other. I might be an airhead but I'm not blind.”
I’m so amped up, I’m ready to explode without looking at who’s in my
path.
"Calm down. We’re almost there," Jen says, reaching over to pat my
knee. "Let's listen to our song and chill on the way there."
Once we stop at the red light around the corner from my store, she pulls
out her playlist and hits play on the one song that's always been able to get
my spirits up. Keith Urban's "Somebody Like You" comes on and we forget
the rest of the world as we break into the song.
Once we get to the store, I'm feeling airy and relaxed. Jen always knows
how to calm my nerves. I unlock the store and the memories of last night
come rushing back. The excitement, the happiness, the fun and then the
end… but I made a promise to myself that I won't let it get to me and ruin