Page 5 of Always Been Yours

Miss Genevieve Davies,

Thank you for your interest in the University of California, Aurora Hills School Administration graduate program.

We’ll be taking applications for next fall in the new year. So, there’s still plenty of time to perfect your application. However, I know how important it is to choose the right program for YOU. Especially as a full-time teacher. Attached are all the informational flyers and a list of the required courses. That should be a good place for you to get an idea of what our program entails.

Lacey Hampton is a highly respected educator in our department, and she’s spoken highly of you. While I can’t make any promises about admission, I would love the opportunity to sit down with you sometime soon. We can discuss the program further in depth, if it seems like something you may be interested in. I can also give you tips on filling out the applicationand interviewing for the program.If you’re interested, please let me know a few times that work best for you, and I’ll schedule you in.

Best regards,

Kathleen Humble, College of Education Advisor

University of California, Aurora Hills

Calypso and Lexi are already at my house when I walk through the door, waiting to watch the next episode of our current Netflix show. We like to watch shows together and the desire to finish a series helps to motivate us to regularly see each other outside of the bookstore and obligations. I don’t know what I would do without either one of them.

“Hi, Viv.” My sister sashays into the small foyer with three plates and forks in her hands. She drops a kiss on the top of my head, which is easy enough for her considering I stopped growing at the whopping height of five foot four when I was thirteen. Calypso continued to grow until she was sixteen and landed at a height of five feet ten inches. She says being so tall isn’t always great, but I don’t believe her. Calypso still has the body of a ballerina even though she bakes for a living now. She looks exactly like our mom, who is equally as beautiful. Their strawberry blonde locks, and honey brown eyes, are the perfect match to their peachy pale skin. Red is her signature. Today it’s a red cropped hoodie and red plaid socks paired with high-waisted black leggings.

“Hey, Lyp.” I kick off my sandals next to her Docs.

Lexi is nestled into the couch with her favorite blanket and laptop propped up on the arm. All I can see is her orange flannel and her silky black hair tied up in a messy knot on the top of her head. When she looks up at me with her upturned onyx eyes narrowed, I know I’m not going to like where this is going. So, I choose deflection.

I walk into the kitchen, grab three wine glasses from the cabinet and the big Riesling bottle from the fridge. Between seeing Grady and wherever Lexi’s taking this, I know I’ll need a couple glasses.

“The store doesn’t close for another two hours. What are you guys doing here so early?”

About six years ago, Calypso and Lexi bought the old bookstore near the beach. The building itself is a piece of history around here. Between Lexi’s trust fund and Calypso’s inheritance from our father’s life insurance claim, they were able to buy the building and put in just enough renovations to bring it to this century and add a small kitchen for a bakery.

Now they are the proud owners of Brighter Daze, bakery and bookstore.

“We asked Gavin to close for us. He wants the extra hours before his classes start anyway,” Calypso says.

I set the glasses down and start pouring us each a full glass. “Why did you ask him to close?”

“It was slow today. And we wanted to talk to you about the family who came into the store today. You’ll never believe who it was.” Lexi’s giving me her slyest grin.

After an entire childhood of hating each other and then ten years of unconditional friendship, you know someone better than almost anyone else. So, I know she’s goading me.

“Grady Miller himself, with two of the sweetest little girls I’ve ever met.”

“They were pretty sweet,” Calypso agrees. She isn’t necessarily a fan of kids so it’s a high compliment.

“He said he was on his way to the school… Have you seen him yet?”

Chapter Two

Grady

The entire drive, I’m distracted, occasionally catching bits of the girls’ conversation as they plan the night with their cousins. Mostly though, I’m trying to block out the swarm of relentless memories going through my mind like flies buzzing around a trash can.

The girls and I moved into our house a month ago, the weekend of the Fourth of July, so naturally I couldn’t help but think all about meeting Genevieve for the first time on the pier.

We pass the hole-in-the-wall smoothie shack; I’m reminded of all the times that Vivi couldn’t make up her mind between a Mango Sunrise and a Blueberry Blast so we’d end up sharing both.

I park on the street outside of Bella Donna’s Diner; I’m assaulted by dozens of flashbacks of lunches after long days playing in the ocean with everyone, sometimes just Vivi and I.

Even the pizza joint we are picking up from is associated with countless childhood memories. My sixth birthday when I told Vivi that she was my best friend for the very first time is the featured film tonight. It was also the first time in my life that I recognized the moment as something important, something life changing.

“What kind of pizza are we getting?” Stella’s voice pulls me outof my nostalgia.

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