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“How about…you take the couch, and in exchange, I let you pay me for Junie’s swimming lessons?”
At that, Busy makes a face. “That’s not even close to the same.”
“But, I’ll let you do it and I’ll stop arguing with you about it. And wouldn’t that feel amazing?”
We’ve been in a major disagreement about Junie’s swim lessons for at least two weeks, mostly because I’ve been refusing to let Busy pay me. I figure I’ve got the free time and it’s getting me back into the water I’ve been avoiding for so long, but she doesn’t see it that way.
She sighs. “You’re not going to let me win this, are you?”
My nose wrinkles. “I’m not going to sayno, but I’d say it’s very unlikely.”
Busy scratches at the back of her neck for a second, thinking something over before she sticks out her hand. “Fine, I’ll keep the couch if you let me pay you for swimming lessonsandyou let me feed you once a week for the rest of time.”
I chuckle at the dramatic stipulation, foreseeing a lot of blue box pasta in my future. Then I take her hand in mine and give it a shake. “Deal.”
“And, I have a gift for you.”
At that, my eyebrows rise. “What?”
She turns then and exits my cabin, the screen door closing behind her. After a few seconds, her face appears again. “Are you coming?”
Laughing, I follow in her wake, Sydney at my heels as we head outside then cross over to the green cabin.
“Misery!” Junie calls out when she sees me at the door. Then she puts her hands on her hips. “Where Sinny?”
Sydney runs inside and Junie squeals with excitement, the two dashing into Junie’s room to play like they so often do.
“I’ll be right back,” Busy says, disappearing down the hallway toward her room for a beat and leaving me alone in the living room.
I drop down onto the deep green leather couch Nick and I delivered earlier today, sighing when I settle into it so comfortably. This might be one of my favorite pieces I’ve ever created—part of a line of green leather furniture I’ve been developing over the past year or so—and I can’t imagine a better place for it than in Busy’s home.
“Okay, so…now that I have it in my hands, it feels a little ridiculous,” Busy says, walking out from the hallway and rounding to stand in front of me. She’s holding something small and rectangular pressed up against her stomach.
“Well now I can’t wait to see whatever it is,” I tell her, grinning.
Busy sighs then looks down at the item before she hands it over, her cheeks turning pink.
It’s a framed photo of me, Busy, Junie, and Sydney from our hike to Washburn Trail, a selfie she took with her phone while we were all sitting on the bench together, looking at the view. But it’s notjusta photo. She added to it, defining some of the negative space and painting pine trees and wild geraniums into the image in splashes of gold.
The imagery is stunning, and I have a feeling this is just a small taste of what Busy can do when she allows herself to jump into the water.
“If you don’t like it, you don’t have to put it up anywhere. I promise I won’t be upset,” she tells me.
I look back up at her, raising an eyebrow. “Are you kidding? This shit is going on my shelf.”
It’s hard not to miss the look of relief that sweeps over her at my words. My eyes drop again, and I look at the image, my thumb sweeping over it, tracing the image behind the glass.
“It’s incredible,” I tell her, my voice reverent. “Thank you so much for taking the time to make it for me.”
When she doesn’t respond, I look at her again, finding her watching me with a kind of glazed look for just a beat before she shakes her head slightly and takes a step back.
“I’m glad you like it,” she tells me, rounding the couch and heading into the kitchen. “Now…I was going to make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches tonight, but I know you love mac and cheese. Any preferences?"
I chuckle quietly to myself.
“I’m down for whatever,” I tell her, shaking my head, unable to erase the smile on my face. “It all sounds good to me.”
chapter seventeen
