Page 100 of Meet Me at the Fudge Shop

“And neither was this. It was the result of some bad luck, that’s all.”

“No, Mom, that’s not all. It’s a pattern for me. No matter how much I want to be different, I get distracted and then I fail to live up to the person I want to be.”

Mom shook her head. “Lily, where is all of this coming from? God made you exactly as you are, and you’re amazing. You don’t have to be anyone but you.”

“And yet, Grandpa chose Cody. Oscar chose Carlos. Tony chose Jessica.”

And Declan…he’d chosen his family over her.

“Okay, the Tony and Jessica reference I get, but you’re going to have to back up and explain the others to me.”

She ran her hands through her hair. Oh, she needed a shower. Inside and out. She sighed and met her mother’s eyes. “The reason I came home from Florida…it wasn’t just because I wanted to run the shop. It’s because I got fired and was literally out of options.”

“Oh, Lily. I’m sorry.”

“It was my own fault. I thought…well, I got carried away, just like always.” She looked away, not wanting to see Mom’s face—the inevitable disappointment—when she told her the rest. “It’s why I also failed out of business school. Why I didn’t graduate.”

Mom was quiet for several long moments before finally speaking. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I was ashamed.” A tear rolled down her cheek. “I wanted so badly to make you proud. To prove that I had what it took to someday take over the fudge business, just like Cody was going to do with the fishing company.”

“Why in the world would you think that graduating or not graduating would prove anything?”

She glanced at Mom. But there wasn’t disappointment, just confusion etched into her features. “In case you’ve forgotten, neither your father nor I graduated college. Your father never even attended.”

“I know. But you had common sense. A business mind. I didn’t. I don’t. You remember the things Grandpa would say.”

Mom’s lips screwed into a frown. “Yes, I remember. He wasn’t the nicest man. He’d say them to me too, you know.”

“Wait, what? I didn’t know that.”

“It’s true. But even if it wasn’t, I’m sorry you ever felt like we weren’t proud of you. We were.” Mom reached for her hand, squeezed. “Weare.”

Lily swatted away yet another tear. “Thanks, Mom. I just wish I’d been able to keep the shop.”

“I do too, but foryoursake. Because you love it.”

“I love the creating part, that’s true. Maybe not the business stuff, though.”

“That’s why there’s such a thing as abusiness partner. You find someone who complements your strengths with their own. You don’t have to do everything alone.” Mom tilted her head, smiled. “It’s that way with a life partner too.”

“Yeah, well, I think things are evenmoredismal in that department.”

“I’m sorry things didn’t work out with Declan. He was starting to grow on me.”

“Even though he’s a Kelley?”

“You know as well as I do that it’s not the name that makes the man.” Mom pressed a hand against her heart. “It’s what’s in here.”

Lily grimaced—because what she’d said to Declan…not only was it mean-spirited, but it also wasn’t true. He was so much more than his family name. Just like Lily was so much more than her success or failure.

Maybe success reallywasoverrated. And maybe it had more to do with the state of her heart than a list of her accomplishments.

The thought was a balm—but maybe a thorn as well.

Lily sighed. “I think I really hurt him, Mom. But he hurt me too.”

“Your dad and I hurt each other all the time. Not intentionally, and not in an abusive way, but it’s called a relationship between two imperfect people. The important thing is what you do afterward.”

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