Page 92 of Dream a Little Dream

Your Mom

I didn’t move for a long time, and I had the room to myself to marinate on what I’d learned and to fully absorb my mother’s words. I owed the bank a debt of thanks for that. When I did stand up and return the box, keeping the letter, I knew I’d been given a gift. While my goals for myself floundered, my mother’s goals for me took over. They were now mine, too. Not only that, but everything in me wanted to live my life like my parents had, in love and light, the opposite of how Faber had lived his.

Instead of going home, I drove in silence through the streets of Dreamer’s Bay, following the thread of my thoughts, which seemed to be moving at a million miles an hour.

Donald Faber didn’t have love in his life. At most, he had lust. And the hot young thing he’d been so infatuated with had used him for a cash grab. That’s what a loveless life looked like. No, thank you. I refused that destiny. It was as if a light had been turned on in a dark room. My parents, my true parents, against all obstacles had reached for each other and filled every room of our house with love. I looked up to them. I treasured the life they made for all of us, and in a contest, I’d choose them over the Donald Fucking Fabers of the world, timeand time again. I gave myself my marching orders, and they involved ending my pity party and taking control of my life the way my mother once had when she was young, pregnant, and likely afraid.

Nothing in life was easy, but if my parents could overcome difficult obstacles, so could I.

I needed to find Kyle, and it had to be right now. No sitting around and thinking or planning or trying to make sure everything was neat and tidy. I was done with that. Life wasmessy, and that was okay.

As I made a right hand turn toward town center, my phone rang. Seeing it was Elizabeth, I slid onto the call and placed it on hands free. “Hey,” I said, only a little surprised by the newfound energy in my voice. “Everything okay?” Elizabeth and I only ever called each other about the turnovers at the Airbnb. All friendship communication was relegated to text.

“Yeah, I’m great! I just had this intense feeling that I needed to check in on you. Shake your tree a little.”

I didn’t hesitate. “It’s been a day I can’t quite describe. And I’m not surprised you were nudged. Today is full of all the nudging. Wait till you hear about a sketch of my aunt’s that sent me to the bank, which wound up being, honestly, one of the most intense and important moments I’ve ever experienced.”

“I can’t say I’ve ever had an intense experience at the bank. I’m jealous.”

“Rightfully. But I’m okay. Actually, things got really awful earlier. The worst ever. Then I rebounded to a high. I have a new perspective on things. Also, I’m rich now.”

A pause. “Savanna, it’s sounding like you might have robbed the bank.”

I laughed. “It does, doesn’t it? I promise that no laws were broken. But I do have updates for you soon. And I want to get a list of some of your favorite causes. But before all that, have you seen Kyle around anywhere?”

“Oh, I’m heading to the bowling alley to see her now. She’s subbing in on the Ballbusters. Did you know she used to bowl?”

“I do remember. I think I’ll swing by.”

“Fabulous! Does this happen to mean anything significant?”

“I think it just might.” I said goodbye to the sound of Elizabeth squealing, clicked off the call, and turned my car right around. I’d never wanted to see someone so badly in my life as I did Kyle Remington inthat moment. Bridges were fine, but I heard bowling alleys were where it’s at. If Faber was my surprise past, Kyle was my future, and it was truly time to turn the page.

“Thank you,” I said quietly to my mother, as I squeezed the steering wheel. I wasn’t alone, and never would be again.

Chapter Twenty-nine

An Important Announcement

The sound of music and bowling balls colliding with pins greeted me when I stepped through the sliding doors into the slightly too cold bowling alley. They always kept the air conditioning on even in the colder months. I was also smacked in the face with the mingling aromas of nachos and pizza. I’d never realized how chaotic this giant room was or just how awesome.

I scanned the lanes, each one occupied by teams of people, some of them high-fiving each other. Children walked by, lugging balls under their arms, en route to the few lanes not being used by the Tuesday night adult league. One guy carried not one but two pitchers of beer.

I spotted Elizabeth first. The Ballbusters wore their blue and canary yellow bowling shirts tonight. With them, you never knew what you were going to get in the way of fashion. Like professional franchises, the Busters had multiple versions of their uniform, which made me smile. A moment later, I saw her. Kyle had her hair in a ponytail tonight and wore scrubs beneath her bowling shirt, which meant she’d likely just finished a shift. She was laughing at something someone on the next lane had said. My stomach went tight, my chest warm. All the feelings I’d kept tamped down for months moved through me in a burst. I loved this woman with every fiber of my being, and it was time I put my longtime fear of abandonment in a headlock and left it in a closet for all time.

I realized I was clutching my phone extra tightly, one part excitement, the other part nerves. I approached the counter where a bored-looking teenager was doling out shoes and waited until there was a lull in traffic. Finally, I leaned in.

“Hi, there. Could I possibly make a brief announcement?”

His eyebrows shot up.

“I promise it’s for good and not evil.”

That seemed to help. He relaxed into a grin. “My manager’s not here tonight, go for it.” He slid the mic on a stand my way.

“Not to bother anyone, but I need the attention of Dr. Kyle Remington for one moment. I suppose the rest of you can listen, too.” I watched. Kyle swiveled in my direction, her eyebrows pulled in curiosity, her lips pulled into a small smile. Elizabeth spotted me immediately and beamed like a lit-up Christmas tree. When Kyle’s eyes found mine, I saw everything in her soften, as it so often did when we connected. I would never get tired of that effect.

“Hi, Kyle.” Around her, bowling balls continued to be thrown down the lanes. Pins flew into each other in a blur. People tossed a glance or two my way, but for the most part we were alone. She raised a hand back to me with questioning eyes.

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