Page 86 of Her Favorite Fumble
—Wayward Harbor Online Community Group
When Helen got home from her night out, she found Lucy sitting on the floor of her bedroom with her belongings spread all over the bed and the bins sitting, still empty, next to her.
Lucy looked up at her. “I didn’t get very far.”
Helen chuckled. “You’re surprisingly bad at this. I mean, it’s all going with you. It’s just a matter of making it all fit in your car again.”
“I know.” A tear slipped down her cheek, and she swiped it away.
“What’s really going on, honey?”
“I don’t know if I want a fresh start.”
“I don’t understand. You want to go back to Las Vegas?”
“No. Not Las Vegas.” That never even crossed her mind. “I really like it here, Gran.”
Saying it out loud broke the logjam of emotion in her mind, and she sobbed into a fistful of tissues until there was nothing left in her but sniffles and hiccups.
Gran brought her a glass of water and then sat quietly on the edge of the bed, letting Lucy sort herself out. It took a while, but her grandmother was patient and waited until it didn’t seem like there were any tears left in her.
Then she stood. “Let’s go sit on the couch. I’m too old to perch on a bed like this.”
Once they were settled on the couch, Helen reached over and covered her hand. “Lucy, if you want to stay here, you’re welcome to stay. I hope you know that. As a matter of fact, nothing would make me happier, but I didn’t want to say it out loud and influence you. I want what makesyouhappier, and I thought that was being a fancy mixologist in Miami.”
“I thought so, too. But this town feels likehome.”
“It is home. And no matter where you live, it can still be home because I’m here. Taylor’s here.”
“Nick’s here,” Lucy whispered.
“Ah.”
“You know how you told me building a life is like building a home and you’re my foundation?” Her grandmother nodded. “Youaremy foundation, but in my heart, the house I was building had Nick in it.”
“Did you tell Nick that?”
“No.” Lucy shook her head, not wanting to admit she was too afraid.
“Okay. So I guess it’s safe to say that Nick’s already made some visits to your house. And that he liked being in your house.”
Lucy snorted a laugh. “That sounds a little dirty, Gran.”
“It really does, but it was too late. I’d committed to the analogy.”
“I think Nick liked being in my house. But I think it’s because he knew my house isn’t permanent. Like maybe visiting my house was okay, but he doesn’t want to live in it.”
“But you didn’t invite him to try, right?”
“It’s complicated.”
“It always is. But tell me why.”
“I’ve had this dream of Miami for a long time. But even if he agreed to go, he’d be miserable, Gran. Maybe he’d try to hide it, but I know he’d hate Florida. And he’d hate being so far from his brothers. And Beck’s kids.”
“But you’d have to give up your dream to stay here with him.”
“That’s the thing, Gran,” Lucy said, suddenly unable to sit still. She stood up and threw her arms in the air. “I don’t know if that’s even what I want. I dreamed about Miami at a time I had nothing but a job serving drinks, friendships that were superficial at best and Iris. Sydney, who was a good friend, said I should go to Miami and work with her, being my own boss doing a thing I’m passionate about.”
