Page 35 of Chalk It Up

There’s something to be said for not being alone in your trauma. August has helped me with this. He’s helped me reacquaint myself with the value I already knew I had, but had long since been robbed by someone else.

I drive back to my cottage with my thoughts as my passenger between walls of pines. August’s gruff exterior was always a defense mechanism, and just because we’re together doesn’t mean it’s gone. He wanted to make sure no other woman was going to hurt Addie and I have nothing but respect for that. Could he have approached it better? Sure. But I’m not perfect in all of my methods either. That’s not dismissive, but understanding.

And he’s definitely still gruff with people, present company certainly excluded, but you can’t blame a papa bear for being a papa bear. He’s going to protect from any possible threats.

I know I have a lot of cleaning to get done in my cottage and I decide the most effective way to tackle it is a best friend dance party. August has helped me feel so much lighter and I want to enjoy this spirit with Thea. She’s been so patient in my valley and right now I just need some girl time, loud music, and a clean house. I tap on the screen in my car and connect the call over bluetooth.

“I know you’re going to tell me exactly where you’ve been the last couple of weeks since it hasn’t been talking with me.” Thea demands with a laugh and no greeting. I roll my eyes amused at her straightforward approach to everything.

“I know, I know. I’m the worst. Come over and dance with me, help me clean, and I’ll make up for it.”

“You ghost me for what I’m assuming is a boy and then demand I clean your house? Estas loca. Pero I’ll come over and dance while I watch you clean.” Thea knows exactly what’s been going on and where I’ve been. I don’t have a sister of my own, and Thea is the closest I’ve ever been to one so she gets play-by-plays of everything “me and August.” My favorite part is that she still has to work with him and see grumpy August on the outside and laugh to herself about the happy August that I’ve told her about.

“Oh hush, you know exactly what’s been going on. I’m on my way home right now so feel free to come over whenever you’d like.”

“You’re on your way home this early on a Saturday morning? Young lady, where have you been all night?”

“Calm down, little one. Nothing like that happened. Feel free to join my dance party and I’ll fill you in in person.”

“I’ll be there soon.” And she clicks the call off immediately. Thea is nothing if not enthusiastic. She could get a snowman excited about the sun.

By the time Thea arrives, I’ve already got 90’s pop blaring on the surround sound, the windows open, and the house smelling like lavender Fabuloso. Thea shimmies into the house already fully dancing and carrying two coffees in hand, one hot for her and one iced for me.

She does a little twirl as she hands mine off to me while I have a mop in one hand, and I can’t help but laugh at her. I love that she will either eat away my sadness with me or personify my joy in dance. Thea and I are symbiotic and it’s a privilege to be in her gravity and help her too.

“Your drink, my beautiful sunbeam.” I grab it with a laugh.

“More like rain cloud. You’re the sunbeam.”

“Then together we make a perfect day, don’t we?”

We dance and shake and jump to whatever each new song calls for while doing really productive cleaning work on the house. In hindsight, having the windows open in November probably wasn’t the smartest move, but Fabuloso always gives me a headache no matter how much I love the smell.

“So, tell me all about your nightly escapades with Single Daddy.” Thea takes a sip of her coffee and winks in my direction. We’re taking a charcuterie snack break at the kitchen island. She munches away on all of my strawberries while I eat my weight in Vermont sharp and dark chocolate.

“First off, let’s agree neither of us calls him ’daddy’ again. And secondly, it’s beyond great. We connect so effortlessly and I genuinely never thought something like this could happen for me.”

“I’m so glad, Evie. You absolutely deserve all the love.” Spoken in true Thea fashion between bites of strawberry. “Have you told Adeline yet?”

“No, and that part is so hard and feels so dishonest, but we already agreed it’s for the best. Kids can’t really keep secrets, I don’t want to jeopardize my job, and we both have a lot going on right now between the Christmas program, my inspection, Addie’s tutoring, and August’s ex-wife coming to town.”

“That’s honestly the biggest buzzkill. Why is she even coming here?” She waves a strawberry around emphatically.

“August said she has work to do here and she wants to renegotiate their custody agreement. He said it was weird since she hardly does the bare minimum now and she’s never wanted to renegotiate before.” Thea seems to sit on that one for a while, while her phone buzzes and she steals a glance down at it.

“But hey.” I pull her attention back up to the present. “You already know everything about me and August. How’re you doing? Are you talking to anyone?” Her demeanor changes subtly and immediately. She tries to readjust to normal, but I already saw it. I had to ask. She’s been checking her phone constantly and with a little smirk on her face. I know there’s something she’s not telling me.

“Thea, you’re as subtle as a fart in church. You keep glancing at your phone and you’ve been smiling like an idiot all morning. C’mon, you can tell me anything.”

Thea takes in a deep sigh and sets her phone down screen up. “I know I can. I just, I’m not sure I’m ready to share this one quite yet. It might be a tiny bit complicated and I don’t even know if it’s going to go anywhere so no sense in getting all worked up about it just yet.” She says it all in the kindest way.

“Alright, if anyone understands not being ready to talk about a relationship just yet, it’s me. I get it. But whenever you want to talk about it you know I’m always here to listen.” I cover her hand with mine across the island. Thea’s love language is physical touch, so I make sure to meet her heaviness with a light touch. “And I haven’t lived here long, but I do know where to bury a body if need be.” I joke back with her trying to bring the simplicity back into her eyes. She can talk about someone else’s heavy, but she prefers to keep hers locked down while she processes it and I respect that difference between the two of us. I need a sounding board and she needs silence.

With our cleaning spree done and both of us dead on our feet from dancing while cleaning, we decide some garlic chicken pizza delivered to the house is the best bet. In all the fun we were having I completely forgot about my phone until I pulled it out to order the pizza. I had a text from August waiting on my home screen.

Billionaire

I miss you and can’t wait to see you again. We’re having a great time with Ms. Wilma but it would be better with you here. When can we see you again?