Page 51 of Espresso Your Love

With a sigh, I turn to the stage. The electrician is already checking the sound system.

“Is it still usable?” I ask him.

“I’m going to reset it and test it. But it seems minor so we should have it back up in a few minutes.”

“Thank you. Radio if you need anything.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

I nod and grab a freshly charged radio. I tell Millie to check in with me about the sound before heading straight to the Coffee Loft stand.

“Cassie! There you are!” Ash shouts from behind her booth. “Is everything okay? What happened?”

“Some kids trying to play their music on the sound system. Nothing major; the electrician says it should still work.”

“I saw Ryan rushing over, and Max was sniffing around. I thought it was more serious.”

“So did Ryan. He was still so…I don’t know. He wasn’t himself afterward.”

I tell her everything that happened.

“Maybe, he just needs to come down from the adrenaline rush. If he thought it was a real threat, it takes a minute to settle your nerves after something like that.”

“Yeah, I guess so.”

“Hey, cheer up. Everything is okay! Ryan will be too.” She hugs me. “I have a little break. Come with me to check out the vendors?”

Ash grabs my arm and starts pulling me before I can even answer her.

It’s easy to get swept up in Ashley’s vivaciousness. She leads me from booth to booth, chattering about whatever catches her eye until we reach the candles.

We smell a variety of fragrances while the woman walks us through different pairing suggestions. When I smell the amber, I’m immediately taken back to the day Ryan stood on my porch informing me he was my neighbor. He stepped into my house, and that’s what he smelled like. He smelt the same when I was clutching his shirt tonight in front of the stage.

Why can’t I get more than five minutes without Ryan popping up in my head?

“Good choice.” The woman manning the booth breaks me from my thoughts. “Amber is associated with warmth and comfort. It has a natural earthy quality to it. That’s why it’s a favorite during the autumn and winter months.”

I inhale again. “What’s a good pairing with it?”

“I would suggest cedarwood for a rustic feel or vanilla to add more warmth yet slight sweetness to it,” she tells me.

“Let’s do vanilla,” I say, confidently. “Warmth, comfort, and a dash of sweetness. It’ll be the perfect fall candle.”

Ashley nudges me. “What’s with the smile? Picking a candle scent does not bring that much joy.”

“Maybe it does.” I shrug, and then the woman instructs me how to make the candle.

After we make our candles, Ash heads back to her booth while I roam the grounds checking in on the vendors. The rest of the festival goes on without a hitch. No emergencies or interruptions whatsoever. The bustling sounds of the day slowly fade as the festivities come to an end.

Ash runs up to me. “You did it!” she screams, pulling me into a tight hug. “It was a total success! Look,” she pulls up her phone, “people are tagging the town on social media.”

As she scrolls through picture after picture, my heart swells with pride and gratitude. Families, couples, and friends of all ages can be seen in each photo and video. The captions are flooded with praises for the vendors, the photo backdrops, and the activities at the festival.

My hand covers my heart, overcome with emotion at the realization that I pulled it off. This event was a true success. I did it! I glance around one last time, taking it all in. It’s almost empty now, with mostly vendors and volunteers tearing down their booths. This moment will be etched in my memory as proof of my abilities. Hard work, determination, and support from the Meadowbrook community made it all possible.

“One for the books, huh?” Ashley squeezes my shoulder.

“Absolutely. Thank you, Ash. For helping me and standing by me. I couldn’t have…” my voice trails off as the intensity of emotions threatens to choke me up.

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