AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Harvesting zucchini the size of my arm, but I can’t stop thinking about you. I looked into flights last night but then Jonny had a bad night. He lost his grandma. They were close. I have to stick around here for a while.”
My spirits sink. “Oh.”
“But if you want to come here…”
“For a weekend?”
“Forever. Now wait, before you say no. I was thinking about your job and I asked Mom if she needed help at Sunflower. She reminded me they used to have another friend working with them, someone they don’t know anymore. Had a falling out, but, ever since, it’s just been the two of them and she said she’d love the help.”
“Ben!” I laugh, heart pounding. “I uh…”
“Too fast. I know. I’m probably freaking you out, but I’m just saying it a possibility.”
“No, I’m not freaked. Not in a bad way. I just…Gemma was just saying how I could work at Sunflower.”
“She was?”
“Yes!” I tuck my hair behind my ear, taking a pause to think. “Do you really want me to?”
“Yes.”
“But what about Jonny, isn’t it extremely fast to spring this on him?”
Ben inhales, takes a beat. “I was thinking about that. Mom came up with the solution before I even asked her. You could live at Sunflower. Take what was Laura’s room, until we all got to know each other more.” He grumbles, “I want you here with me, now, but really it’s about my son. There’s a lot of change in his life.”
Tears come to my eyes of so many things — fear, excitement, feeling special, pure joy. Gemma shows up in my doorway, holding the frame, watching me expectantly while I tell Ben, “Let me think about it. I have to get ready for work.”
We say goodbye, hang up, and I tell her, “Rachel said I could live and work at Sunflower.”
Gemma bursts into tears, runs forward, “Oh my God, Willow! This is what I was talking about. You’re in the flow of YES.”
“But what if it doesn’t work out?”
“Do you love him?”
“Yes.”
“Do you think he loves you?”
“I…um…Yes.”
“Do you think it’ll work out?”
“I think it’ll be the happiest life I could have hoped for!”
Gemma hugs me hard, whispers through her tears, “Me too, Will! I think you’ve found the one!”
We separate. “He said I could live at the retreat house so we could all get to know each other. It would give me a chance to let Jonny know me, too.”
“Oh my God, you’re going to so friggin’ happy.”
“What if he doesn’t like me?”
“Not possible. What if you don’t like him?”
I smile, thinking of our conversation at dinner. “Not possible. But moving all the way to another state?”
“If it didn’t work out, you could always move back.”
