“Weird, how that’s because of the storm. I was in the same storm at my house changing poopy diapers,” Nicole said sarcastically.
“I was at the flower shop. The power went out. It got hot in there. I worried about the flowers in the cooler. Not sexy. No one offered to act out my every fantasy,” Trixie said wryly.
“Fine, I get the point. I had a very enjoyable storm.”
“Damon said he was with you at the library.”
“Your husband is nosy. Yes, he’s been dropping by and helping me assess the books for damage and make notes about which ones are ruined and which need to be replaced.”
“Ah, just doing his civic duty then,” Trixie teased, “because an auto mechanic who worked all day is cleaning up wet books for fun. One of his hobbies, right?”
“He’s helping me out. We didn’t talk much. Just a little.”
“Did you do other things though?” Nicole asked.
“No. We just worked and made notes. We’ve been talking a little bit since the storm, but nothing serious.”
“I think it’s great,” Trixie said. “As the person here who has known you the longest—quit sticking your tongue out at me, Nic—I’m all for this. I’m happy for you.”
“I’m happy for me too,” I said hesitantly. “But part of me is still afraid to jump right in after all this time. We’re different people now. A lot of time has passed. We were kids when we were together.”
“You can get to know each other now as adults,” Nicole said. “Get to know each other biblically,” she teased.
“They already have,” Trixie argued. “Did you not catch the part about them doing it on the couch and then him acting out her fantasies? By the way, what was the fantasy you asked him to act out? Don’t tell me you passed up an offer like that.”
“I didn’t pass up the offer, but that’s not something I’m going to tell you, I said.
“I’m betting French maid outfit and she had him spank her,” Nicole said straight-faced. We all laughed.
“No!” I choked out.
“Whatever you say. You naughty, naughty maid,” Trixie laughed.
“Stop it!” I said, laughing.
“Whatever it was, I just want you to be happy and follow your heart. Sometimes, like with Noah and me, your heart just won’t listen to reason. You just go with it,” Nic said.
“She’s right. Do what makes you happy. We’re here for you. And I for one am definitely here for stories about fantasies you act out with him. Especially since my current fantasy involves six hours of uninterrupted sleep,” Trixie said.
We clinked our glasses and toasted to following our hearts and also getting some sleep.
20
Drew
Things were good, better than good. Things were excellent. It felt like Michelle and I were in a bubble of happiness, insulated from the outside world. We talked on the phone and texted all the time. I stopped by the library after work every day to check on things and see if she needed any help. I stood there, her fingers reaching for mine, and listened to her talk about the progress on the roof, the drywall repairs, and the new carpet.
Twice we met for lunch at the diner. We’d eat and catch up. After eighteen years apart, we suddenly couldn’t go three or four hours without checking in with each other. I’d be elbow deep under the hood of a pickup and hear my phone ping. John laughed because he timed me and said once I made a whole minute and a half without stopping in the middle of a job to wash my hands and check my phone. It would be a message from Michelle with a picture of some weird book title she found while going through the piles of debris or a meme about wine or baby Yoda, which was a thing she liked. I had made it my mission to find things that made her laugh, that helped buoy her through the struggle at work.
Insurance had covered all of the structural repairs, but some of the contents wasn’t covered under replacement value, namely a lot of the books. While carpet and computers were installed brand new, Michelle and I had spent hours looking on used book broker websites for certain titles that she needed at a more reasonable price. With help from Rachel and her mad pie-baking skills, we held a fundraiser at the farmer’s market. Nicole got us permission from the city council to hold it there and let us use two booths for free. We had a bake sale and also sold resin pour cutting boards that Max had made and a couple sets of shelves Noah built, as well as grab and go bouquets from Trixie’s flower shop. Altogether, we raised enough money from the people shopping the farmer’s market for Michelle to replace the books she needed and the ability to add a few new titles as well.