Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 92368 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 462(@200wpm)___ 369(@250wpm)___ 308(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92368 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 462(@200wpm)___ 369(@250wpm)___ 308(@300wpm)
Daisy charms dangle on it. Willa’s favorite flowers. Wild daisies for my wild-child sister. “I’ll always hear you coming now,” I say quietly, a little mesmerized as I stare at the silver bracelet I gave to her.
My dad’s brow knits in question. “What do you mean?”
I look up.
His eyes flicker with curiosity. He so clearly wants to know something about his other daughter—my best friend. To learn something new about her. I can give him that. I’m the only one who can give him that.
“It was this thing we did when we gave each other these ankle bracelets,” I say, eager to share at last. “We pretended they meant different things. Like I can hear you sneaking into my room to take my lipstick or I’m going to steal Mom’s dark chocolate. They were inside jokes. It was just…this thing we did.”
His smile tells me he likes knowing this thing. “Thanks for sharing that.”
Memories are all we have, and so we keep them alive in our own ways. Sometimes, we can keep them alive together.
I clutch the jewelry, this piece of Willa, tighter. “Let’s keep talking about her,” I say, my throat catching.
“Yes. Let’s do that.…Jules.”
It’s rare when he uses my name. It feels like starting over.
EPILOGUE: THE STARS AND THE FLOWERS
Jules
That afternoon, I go with my boyfriend to Little Friends to adopt a cute long-haired dachshund mix that Finn names Tiramisu.
In the evening, as Finn’s making dinner, I hang out with Zach in the little backyard as he tries to teach the tiny girl to sit.
“Sit, Tira—” he stops, then starts again. “Sit, Tirami—”
I chuckle under my breath.
Frustrated, but not with the pooch, Zach straightens his spine, holds out a treat for her and says, “Sit…Captain Dog.”
A few more attempts and the dog is sitting and she has a new name. When I go inside to help Finn, I come up behind him, and give him a kiss on the neck. “Guess what? Your son renamed the dog.”
Finn gives me a look like no way. “He did?” He sounds crestfallen.
“Yes, way,” I say, then I tap his chest. “And because you’re you, you’re not going to have a single issue with it.”
I’m right.
Later that night, when I’m home at my apartment—there will be time later for sleepovers—Finn texts me a photo of a tuckered out pup snoozing next to an equally tired boy. It’s captioned You were right. Here’s Captain Dog.
When I see Shira that week, we talk about what’s happening in my relationship and she nods, absorbing it. “It sounds like this feels like a really healthy relationship for you,” she says, and that’s good enough for me. “When you’re ready, I still think we should talk more about what may have set your anxieties in motion. The loss of your sister.”
She’s right. We should talk about it. And so, I do.
A few days later, I’m in the small theater in our Opening Number offices, finishing a screening of the first episode of The Rendezvous with all the key players—Bridger, Solange, and several other producers. When it’s over, everyone claps, but Solange quickly quiets the applause and asks for feedback in a few key areas.
I file that away—her willingness to learn. It’ll come in useful for me if I’m in her position someday. Though, come to think of it, that’s always a key skill—willingness to learn.
She listens as a few producers make minor suggestions, then when we’re done, she catches up to me as I’m gathering my laptop and purse. Everyone else is gone. “How’s everything going, Jules?”
It’s a generic question, but not really. She means something very specific. “I’m doing well,” I say, then we chat briefly about the show and the business. But once we’re done, I add, “And thank you again for your advice in Paris. I appreciate it. I’m with Finn, but I’m definitely finding my own way.”
“Oh,” she says, a little thrown off, but then she recovers. “Good. That’s what I hoped for.” She holds my gaze for a weighty beat. “Truly it is.”
“I know,” I say, meaning it.
Then I leave, headed to Finn’s home. “How are things with Streamer, boss?” I ask my guy after he gives me a chaste kiss at the door. Finn’s had a busy few days finalizing a couple distribution deals. “Did you use your tycoon attitude?”
He shuts the door, then dips his voice. “I did. Is that something you’d like me to use on you soon?”
I smirk. “That’d be a yes.”
“Good. Now tell me how everything’s going with your projects.”
As we head into the kitchen, I update him on the shows I’m working on, and the script reading I’ll be doing tonight. “Most of all, I’m excited about Captain Dude,” I say, then cross my fingers. “Maybe I can be more hands-on with it.”
“I bet you will be.”