Page 10 of Poinsettia Lane

“They’d like that. They were asking about you,” Everly says, doing a double take when Addison’s cheeks turn pink.

“Oh.” Addison clears her throat but changes the subject before Everly manages to figure out why that topic turned awkward too. “How are the rest of the local businesses doing?”

“Great for the most part. Crooked Books is still up and running. I guess I don’t really go anywhere else all that often.”

“Is Mrs. Langdon any less grouchy these days?”

Everly laughs, and it finally breaks some of the tension between them. “Not even a little bit.”

The conversation flows easier as they spend a little more time together, but it still feels weird, almostunnatural, to be so disconnected from someone she used to know better than herself.

The sisters schedule a time for Addison to come back to the house for dinner and drinks before she leaves, and they both end up with shy grins on their faces. Everly thanks her for the tea, debates offering a hug but decides it doesn’t fit the moment, and offers a warm smile instead as she leaves. She walks back up to her office with a little more of a bounce in her step than she had on the way down a half hour prior.

~~~

Everly likes to think she’s managing her anxious thoughts better today than she has been the rest of this week, despite the fact that she has no evidence to back up this belief. She’s distracted randomly throughout the day for no reason at all, other than that she imagines she might run into him, her Hot Delivery Guy, who she would almost think was a figment of her imagination if she didn’t have the plants at her house to prove the existence of someone, at least. So really, no, she’s not actually getting a handle on things, but when she puts her mind to it, Everly is exceptionally good at pretending she does.

Later that afternoon, Everly skips out of work early to hang out with Frankie, who she hasn’t seen since the party, although they do call or text multiple times a day whether they see each other or not.

Frankie owns the local coffeehouse a couple blocks down, also on the main street of their little downtown area. It’s right next to their favorite bookstore, Crooked Books, run by Mrs. Langdon. She’s this quirky old lady, who they are pretty sure has lived forever and is most likely a witch, with wild, curly red hair and a no nonsense attitude. Naturally, she has two cats that live in the bookstore, Luna and Harriet. They’re about as sociable as she is. Mrs. Langdon doesn’t allow for any “hooliganism” in her bookstore, which includes but is not limited to: carrying pens, markers, tape, drinks or liquids or food of any kind, sneezing, coughing, running, shouting or talking at any volume above a politely softconversational level, along with anything else she might deem “ruckus” in the moment.

Truly it’s a miracle her little store is still in business, as Everly and Frankie have seen her tossing many tourists and locals alike out her front door with words along the lines of “unacceptable” and “intolerable” accompanying her signature scowl as she does it. They always wonder about those events, but don’t ask, since she seems to have a soft spot for the two of them, and they don’t want to push their luck. Everly and Frankie are sometimes allowed to bring their tea and coffee in—so long as it has a tight lid and they only drink it over the welcome mat, and leave it on the side table next to the front door when they aren’t drinking it.

Sometimes the cats wander by them, without hissing or evil eyes, and one time Luna even let Everly pet her, which Frankie said was definitely a sign of their favor and probably why Mrs. Langdon tolerates their brand of “shenanigans”. Everly thinks she just likes drama. Even still, they tread carefully, because being banned from the only bookstore in town would be an absolute tragedy.

Everly walks the couple blocks to Roasted Coffee House and enjoys how it has been a perfectly normal day so far, with no distracting men or stupid sexy arm muscles intruding where they don’t belong. Frankie is actually working for once when she arrives, and she can see them wiping down tables through the window. The door tinkles softly as she opens it, and Frankie immediately comes over and flips the handmade door sign to “closed.”

“Frankie,” Everly draws out the end of their name in a frustrated whine. “Honestly, I have no idea how you make any money closing at random hours all the time! I did not come over here just to feel guilty about you closing down the shop because of me.”

“I don’t know why you assume it’s about you,” Frankie complains with a glower. “I have stuff going on too, you know.”

“Oh my gosh, I didn’t even think. Of course it’s not about me, what’s going on?”

They smirk back over their shoulder as they walk behind the counter to brew Everly a cup of her favoriteJasmine Green tea.

“I’m good actually. It was busy this morning but no one has been in for a minute, so I was going to close down early anyways to go wander around next door, see if Mrs. Langdon got any new smut.” They laugh when Everly pretends to smack at their arm over the counter for making her think something was wrong.

“That’s literally exactly what I need. Maybe she’ll have a cute holiday novella, or a hockey romance.” Everly is definitely on board with these new afternoon plans.

“Uh huh, feeling in the mood for a sexy strong guy after flirting with that delivery driver last weekend? I know how you feel about your hot hockey daddies, I’ll keep an eye out for you.”

When they turn around to wink at her, Frankie throws their head back and cackles at how red Everly's entire face and neck have turned. She cannot believe them. Why are they even friends? Yet for some reason, instead of stomping out the door like she considers doing, she leans back against the counter and waits for her friend to finish the tea.

They end up sitting around the coffeehouse and chatting for a bit instead of going next door right away. It’s such a peaceful afternoon, Everly just wants to enjoy a bit of down time with her friend and relax without any stress hanging over her. They chat about the coffeehouse and some of Frankie’s weird customers, and annoying customers, and the regulars they love. Frankie always has wild ideas of adventures and trips and projects they want to do, but really Frankie just loves to dream and hasn’t ever set foot outside their small town. Everly can’t deny it’s fun to imagine though, and some of her favorite moments are spent with Frankie talking about the most ludicrous and unrealistic “dream vacations” that they will never go on. She even enjoys the comfortable silences they sit in together sometimes.

Everly breaks one such silence. “I saw Addison today.”

“Oh yeah? How did that go?” Frankie sits up a bit and tips up their chin, eyebrows slightly pinched in concern.

Everly sighs and slumps back into the soft leather chair, cupping the dregs of her tea in both hands.

“I don’t know how to talk to her. It’s just so weird, youknow? My long lost sister randomly being back and for no reason, what am I supposed to do? What am I supposed to say? I don’t know why she came to the party or what she expects or what she even wants from me. It’s kinda freaking me out.”

Frankie nods and their lips pull down to one side thoughtfully. “Maybe she doesn’t know either. It’s a strange situation, that’s for sure. What do you want to do?”

“What do I want to do?” Everly blinks a few times. What kind of a question is that? How is she supposed to know what she wants to do?

“Yeah, what do you want to do? Do you want to talk to her? Try to get closer, or do you want to keep your distance?” Everly can clearly see that Frankie is trying not to smile, and she can’t help but feel like she walked into a trap somehow. Frankie tilts their head into their hand and waits.

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