Page 4 of Jumping In

“Yes! Thanks, Mom.” I beam at her despite the pang of guilt deep in my chest. I know I missed them, but I didn’t really think they missed me. Maybe that’s silly of me, but when Brad moved away while I was still in high school, they didn’t seem all that torn up about it. Life just moved on like it always did. I assumed that would’ve been the same for when I moved away, but maybe not.

Dad asks me questions about law school throughout dinner, making sure I am looking into scheduling to sit for the LSAT and filling out applications for law school. I am technically already behind, and while my first dinner back isn’t the time or place just yet, I’m hoping we can talk more about this. Truth is, I don’t think I’m ready to go to law school. I’m not sure what exactly I want to do, but I want to take at least a year off to just breathe. Mom and Dad are so happy to have me back home though, I don’t want to cause any arguments on my first night back, so I just nod and give answers I know he wants to hear.

When we sit down for the movie, I grab a small bowl of popcorn, throw some peanut M&M’s into the bowl, and then sprinkle some extra cheesy seasoning on top. Something about the sweet and salty combination has always been my favorite. Before starting the movie, I snap a quick photo ofmy feet propped up on the ottoman of my favorite comfy chair and post it to Instagram. Caption:Glad to see some things haven’t changed. Happy to be back home for Friday Movie Nights at the Lawrence house.

June 8

I wake up Saturday morning with the golden glow of the sunrise peeking through my bedroom curtains. My tendency to rise early could be attributed to my love for the quiet stillness of the morning before everyone else is awake. The only exception to early mornings is Sunday when I try to sleep in and have a lazy day. I yawn and stretch and then pad my way to the bathroom, smiling at the way the carpet is soft and familiar under my feet.

Part of the self-love journey I’ve been on over the last few years is about reminding myself of the things I love about myself. I’ve found balance in wearing makeup that accentuates my features: mascara to make my hazel-green eyes pop and a swipe of lip gloss. Preparing for the day, I pull my hair into a French braid and then throw on a Taylor Swift concert T-shirt from her Fearless tour I picked up at the thrift shop in Piermont a few years ago. My toes are looking a little less than presentable at the moment, so I throw on my Keds rather than my usual flip-flops. Maybe I can talk Shannon into giving each other pedicures before we hit the creek later.

I hear Mom and Dad downstairs and greet them both in a sing-song voice once I enter the kitchen. “Good morning!”

They both turn with smiles on their faces as they greet me in return, laughing as they both say good morning in unison. My dad scoops a spoonful of Frosted Flakes into his mouth and looks back at the newspaper in front of him. A perk of living in a small town and owning your own business is making your own hours. My grandpa was always a firm believer in taking the weekends off to spend with family, so it’s no surprise my dad is home in basketball shorts and a T-shirt, eating breakfast with Mom on a Saturday.

As a full-service law firm, Dad and his partner handle all the cases within Oakridge, just like his dad did before him. From civil suits to criminal cases, they are a well-rounded team and ready for anything. The town is small though, so the workload isn’t usually that heavy, and taking the weekends off has never been an issue.

Being full-service has always intimidated me, especially since I struggled so much with the pre-law classes I took at Caracrest. If I’m going to take over the firm, I have to know the ins and outs of almost every type of law, or at least know where to look if I need answers.

“What’s on the agenda for today, Peanut?” my mom asks as she rinses her plate that likely had half a grapefruit on it just moments ago.

“I think I’m going to swing by Spoon and say hi to Beck and Sophie. And then I wanted to hit the market and bookstore just to check in and grab a few things. I might drag Shannon along with me so that we can have some girl time, too.”

“Sounds like a full day,” my dad chimes in as he turns the page in thepaper.

“Yeah, and then later, if it’s okay with you guys, I was going to have some friends over to hang out by the creek. Maybe grill something for dinner out there?” It feels weird asking permission to have friends over, but it is technically their house and their property.

“Should be fine. I’m assuming one of these friends is Blake Erickson? Will he be cooking for you guys?” Dad asks.

“Yeah, I think that’s the plan.”

“Alright, well, if you need any help down there, just let me know.”

“Okay, thanks, Daddy! What are you guys up to today? What do your weekends usually look like?”

Mom takes a sip of her coffee and looks over to Dad with a soft smile. “Oh, you know, a little of this and a little of that. We mostly piddle around the house and work on our chores. We have a card game later tonight with the Becketts. You remember their son, Charlie, right?”

I roll my eyes and try not to groan. Oh yes, I remember Charlie. My academic rival through high school, and one of the kids who loved to tease me about being a goody two-shoes. We all tolerated him because he was always around, but none of our core group truly liked him. I clear my throat and nod reluctantly. “Yeah, I remember Charlie. What time is your card game? Maybe you’d want to swing by the creek and say hi?”

“It’s not until six, so I’m sure we can drive the quad down and pop by before we head over to the Becketts,” my dad chimes in.

“Sweet!” I kiss my mom on the cheek then hug my dad from behind. “Well, I’m taking off, but I’ll be back in a few hours with Shannon, so I guess I’ll see you later. Love you!” I grab my keys off the key rack and head toward the front door while Mom and Dad both yell “love you” back to me.

It’s still fairly early for the small town of Oakridge to be up and about, so I easily park in a spot right in front of my destination, Spoonful of Sugar. Affectionately known as Spoon to us locals, it’s my favorite shop in the whole town. A play on the song fromMary Poppins, Beck and Sophie thought they were being clever when naming their little coffee and knickknack shop.

When they first opened eight years ago, I used to beg them to tell me the story of how they came up with the idea. Turns out, Beck and Sophie met in college when they were both going for their doctorates in pharmacy. They quickly became friends, bonding over their love of classic Disney movies. The idea for Spoon came to them during a study session whereMary Poppinswas playing in the background. They both kept coming back to the idea, even after graduating. Pharmacy was always the grown-up plan for them, but they both wanted to do something more fun and fulfilling. Finally, Sophie saw the building for sale when she was back home visiting her family, and the rest was history.

The bell dings overhead as I push the door open, and when the scent of coffee and pastries hits my nose, I stifle a groan. I see two tables already occupied with patrons chatting quietly, and I walk past the display tables in the middle of the space when a magnet catches my eye. It’s in the shapeof a meat cleaver that says “Chop it Like it’s Hot.” I shake my head and giggle, and then look up at the counter.

A tall man standing between me and the counter has just swiped his card. I drag my eyes up his body and bite my lip. From work boots up to jeans covered in some kind of stain, this guy has a nice ass. He fills out the plain white T-shirt well, and for a moment, I wonder how muscular he would feel if I slid my hands across his back.

Mumbling a thank you, he takes the hot drink from Beck and turns around. This gives Beck a better view, and she squeals when our eyes meet. “Oh, my God, MJ!”

The smile drops from my face when the mystery man fully turns around and his blue-green eyes lock with mine.Fuck. The guy I was just ogling is not just some mystery guy. Nope, he’s my ex-best friend and childhood crush, Alexander Ryan Macdonald. I flick my eyes down the front of his body; Mac has definitely grown up in the last four years.

Looking over his shoulder, I catch Beck’s soft round face scrunched up in a cringe as her blue eyes dart from me to Mac. Beck and I became fast friends when Spoon opened, and she has become like an older sister to me. She’s always been there to talk, whether it was about boys or school, so she knows all about my feelings for Mac, past and present.

I look back to Mac, but he’s already rushing past me and heading out of Spoon like he can’t wait to get away from me. Closing my eyes, I take a deep breath; I guess that’s something else that hasn’t changed.

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