Page 95 of Weekends with You

“I hope you’re right.”

“I usually am.”

With that, I set out for the Lotus, trying to control my breathing. Raja was right. She had to be right. Whatever happened had to be fine. Because in the past few weeks, nothing else had seemed to be fine, and I wasn’t quite sure I could handle another falling out.

“Is that you, pet?” Renee asked as soon as I opened the door.

“It is,” I said, the crack in my voice embarrassingly noticeable. “What’s going on?”

“Come in, come in.” She waved me into the office, shuffling a stack of papers on the desk. The trailing vines from the plants perched on the file cabinets tumbled to the ground, and I wondered whether that was intentional. Come to think of it, everything in the office was a bit overgrown. White jasmine petals were browning at the edges, piles of open envelopes spilled onto the floor, and Renee’s gray curls had escaped the clip at the back of her head. She inhaled to speak, and I braced myself for the end.

“It’s no secret things have been changing around here,” she began. The knot in my throat grew to the size of my fist, but I let her continue. “And as much as I try to fight it, it’s no secret I’m getting older, either. Which means I can’t run the Lotus forever.”

“So we’re closing,” I said on an exhale, more of a statement than a question. “I guess I knew it was coming, I just didn’t want to accept it. I thought that—”

“Closing?” she said, stifling a laugh. “Is that what you think?”

“Is it not?”

“Lucy, look around!” she said, gesturing vaguely around the shop. Piles of new order forms cluttered the desk and theworktops were hardly discernible under the mountains of blooms. “We’ve been thriving, dear. And I have only you to thank for that.”

“Renee,” I started, “that isn’t—”

“I’m serious,” she said. “We both know I can’t work the way I used to anymore. We’ve only accomplished all we have in the last few months because of your talent and ambition.” I blushed at the compliment, resisting the urge to disagree for her sake. “The Lotus is headed for big things, you know.”

“Like what?”

She reached across the desk and grabbed my hands. “That, my dear, is up to you.” We stared at each other long enough for her to register my confusion, so she continued. “The shop is yours, pet. If you want it.”

I opened and closed my mouth, searching for something to say. “It’s mine?” I asked, dumbfounded.

“Only if you want it,” she said again. “For quite some time now I’ve been thinking it might be time to retire, but I couldn’t imagine handing it over to anyone other than you, so I just wanted to make sure you were ready.”

“This has all been a big test, then, has it?” I asked, finding some levity amid the shock.

“If it was, you passed with flying colors, dear. I wanted to make sure you had two feet firmly on the ground first. That you could handle the kind of projects the Lotus needs in order to thrive. And you’ve exceeded my expectations time and time again. You’re going to have to work hard, Lucy. You know it isn’t all rainbows around here. But you’re a real talent, and it would be an honor to hand you the reins.”

Teared pooled in the corners of my eyes as the news set in. “Renee, I don’t know what to say.”

“Say you’ll take it,” she said. “And say you’ll still let this oldhag come in from time to time.” Her smile stretched across her face, bringing color to her cheeks.

“Of course I’ll take it,” I whispered, for fear of what my voice might sound like at full volume.

“And say you’ll put your heart in it.”

“Someone very wise once told me to be more generous with my heart, so I’m not sure I could do it any other way.”

“Sounds like she taught you well.”

“She taught me everything I know.”

A delicate silence blanketed the office, punctuated only by a sniffle or two as we tried to compose ourselves. Eventually, we dissolved into laughter.

“Look at us,” she said, wiping her eyes. “Crying in here like two nutters.”

“I expected to cry today, but not for this reason,” I said, feeling quite silly now. “I can’t believe I thought we were closing.”

“Pleasant surprise, innit?”

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