Page 46 of The Last Lavender Sister

Dear Aster,

I like that as a culture we begin salutations with the word dear. It communicates a certain fondness that kicks the correspondence off to a warm start. I smile when you write Dear Brynn, and it keeps going for the rest of your letter.

I hope you’re sitting down. The saga of Tyler and Sage continues. As much as Tyler doesn’t want to shout it from the rooftops just yet, she’s hard-core in love with your brother. She’s stopped all correspondence with her classmate from school and makes gaga eyes at Sage all over town. They hold hands, Aster. They kiss in public. They’re the new supercouple of Homer’s Bluff. I’ve never seen Sage look so happy. He’s really come around, leaving his playboy days in the dust. You’d be proud.

You never answered me about working too many hours?Are you? If you are and you’re loving it, then I’m thrilled, but if you come home each night dead and sad, then I’m going to keep pushing. It’s impossible for me not to care. You get that, right?

Sending you moonlight,

Brynn

Aster placed the letter back in the envelope, her heart full, her energy replenished, sending her to work in the best possible mood. She rolled out the dough for her pistachio shortbread crust for the goat cheese cheesecake, the dessert on special that day. She smiled at her executive chef, who quirked her head at Aster. “You seem happy.”

She nodded. “I am. I really am.”

* * *

Herbert, the giant orange cat, eyed Brynn, and she eyed him right back. “I’m your friend, Herbert. I don’t know how many times I can explain that to you.”

Herbert offered a meow and looked at the wall, refusing her affection.

“I just want to feel that little mass you have under your arm.” He still refused to look at her. “Pretty sure it’s just a fatty tumor, but let’s check it out to be safe. You know, if I haven’t told you so, you’re very handsome.”

“You’re great with him,” Tessa from the boutique said. “I always think so. It’s the time you take to let him warm up to you. No rush at all to get us in or out.” Brynn smiled inside because that very skill was something she’d been working on.Match the speed of the town. And people moved slow in Homer’s Bluff. Molasses style.

Brynn scratched behind his ears. “Well, he prefers we take it slow is all, and I can do that for him. How’s the shop?” Brynn had stopped into Yay Clothes! the week prior and picked herself out a heavier jacket for the change in seasons. Fall was on the way out. Winter was crashing in.

“Business isn’t what it could be, but we’re hanging in there.” As Tessa talked, Brynn slowly shifted her ear scratching to a veiled examination of Herbert’s mass, pleased to feel that his tumor wasexactly as suspected, harmless, unless it one day got in the way of his mobility. “Oh! I meant to tell you. I saw your girlfriend a few weeks back. She did a stroll through the shop. Didn’t buy anything, but was nice enough.”

Brynn winced. “We broke up.” She released Herbert, who decided it was okay to look at her again.

“Oh, that’s too bad.” Tessa’s eyes were the size of saucers. “I’ve gone and made it awkward in exam two. I thought maybe we’d have wedding bells for you, Dr. Brynn.”

“Sadly, no.” She smiled, feeling a little melancholy about the whole thing. It was a shame to say good-bye to Micah because what they’d had had been nice. But over time, she couldn’t lie to herself anymore. She watched Sage and Tyler and how happy they were once they finally faced their fears. She wanted that for herself in one way or another, and no matter how she organized her thoughts, it became clear that it wasn’t going to happen with Micah. A segment from Aster’s last letter had resonated and tossed her brain into evaluation mode.

Dear Brynn,

I’m proud of Sage for finally owning up to what he feels for Tyler and of Tyler for giving him the chance, no matter how terrified she must have been. I know we all wanted to knock him upside his head, but it’s scary, declaring yourself and going after what you want. In so many ways, those two are meant to be. I’m happy they’re finally getting their shot. I think maybe we can all take a page from that book. We’re only here once.

No matter what Brynn did to distract herself, Aster’s words followed her. She was content with Micah, but content wasn’t happy. And as time moved on, as her heart healed and found strength, she had to face the truth. Micah didn’t bring her that kind of happiness you grow up imagining you’ll find. She didn’t give Brynn goose bumps or make her race home because she simply had to see Micah and tell her all about her day. She’d had a taste of that happiness with Tiffany back in the day before her heart had been ripped out.

But there was someone else standing off to the side who was capable of toppling all others.

And she couldn’t stop thinking about her, no matter what she did.

For Brynn, the time had finally come to step out onto that very scary ledge and see what this life was all about. It might deliver big, overwhelming, disorganized feelings, but it might also be the best thing that ever happened to her.

“Well, now that you’re single, do you have any big plans for yourself?” Tessa asked, trying to smooth things over. “I know when my marriage ended to Karl the creep and a half, I was sad, but also amazed at the freedom I had to explore life on my own terms. I went to waffle shops. Karl always hated waffles, so he can suck it.”

“I like that idea. Not the sucking it or the waffles specifically, but the freedom to explore what you haven’t before.” Brynn placed a hand on top of Herbert’s head and he pressed back, purring quietly. She was forgiven. “I’m actually headed to Boston later this week to do just that.”

“Beautiful city. On business or pleasure?” Tessa asked.

“I’m hoping pleasure. Time will tell.”

“Dr. Brynn, this sounds saucy. Are you getting saucy on me? With who?”

Brynn smiled, her stomach wrapped into a nervous knot because this was a pretty big deal. “I’ll let you know.”

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