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“He did.” I wink at her. “So you’re moving into my place.”
Willow hits me. “I am not.”
I laugh, “Kidding. I know it’ll take time, but you could have pretended to be excited about it.”
Sitting back in her seat, she watches the country go by. “I’m very excited about all of this. And I’m glad we’re taking our time.”
At Sunflower, Mom and Sylvia are sitting on the porch, waiting with lemonades half-drunk, condensation glittering in sunlight. They both rise out of their chairs as we pull up and park, big smiles Willow’s greeting.
“I’ll see you at dinner.”
“You’re not coming in?”
“I told Jonny I’d drive him to meet Mary for a smoothie in town.”
Willow grabs her heart. “Oh my gosh, I can’t wait to hear what happens.”
“At dinner,” I kiss her. “See you soon. I’ll take your suitcases in first.”
“I’ve got them.”
“Oh no. I’ve got them.” Jumping out of the Jeep, I say, “Hello ladies. Let me just get Willow’s luggage inside.”
Mom smiles, “We were going to give you Laura’s room but instead how about you choose from that one or the one Maggie and Pete were in.”
The decision comes fast, for the latter. “I love the gauzy curtains and bay window. It’s just like the ones Dax and I had and I just love it. And the pale lavender with the antiques, so charming! But would you rather have me in a room with double beds? You can’t book this as a private room for your guests. Aren’t those more expensive?”
“Our guests,” Rachel corrects her warmly.
Sylvia explains, “Actually we make more off the double bedrooms shared, two people paying their fee, so no, having one left over is fine.”
“I hadn’t thought of that. But what if there are more couples who need their own room and want one bed?”
Rachel tilts her head, thoughtfully. “We rarely have couples. Maggie and Pete were a rarity. People usually go on retreats with friends or on their own. Couples tend to book vacations where they go wherever they want. With strangers sharing a room, unlike how Laura did with having her own, they get to know other people more. It’s nice.”
“I can attest to that. Dax and I got close because of it.”
I take her hand, pull her in for a quick kiss. “I’ll see you at dinner.”
“Goodbye Ben. Thank you for picking me up.”
Sylvia whispers, “Such manners.”
On a laugh I leave with, “We all heard that, Syl.”
“I just like her is all!”
“Good, because I like her, too.”
I head out with the three women watching me, and I gotta say, this is without a doubt one of the best days of my life. The future is looking bright and this is just the beginning.
Dinner goes extremely well, as if Willow has always been with us, with Willow, me, Jonny, Dad, Mom and Sylvia getting along great — easy conversations, shared stories…laughing a lot.
But separating from Willow at the end of the night is something I’ll have to get used to. She meets me outside for a quick kiss while Jonny talks with Sylvia, putting his dishes in the dishwasher.
“I’ll miss you tonight,” Willow says, “But it’s nice knowing you’re only next door now.”
“I love you.”
