Page 189 of Always Meant for You
“Can we take a picture?” Lily continues, already angling her phone.
“Sure,” I manage.
Lily presses in close, snaps the photo, and beams. “This is awesome. Thanks, Mae. I mean, Mabel.” She looks toward a nearby table bursting with crimson and golden peppers. “I’m going to get the red peppers for the quiche, okay, Mom?”
“Go ahead, honey,” Reba says with a chuckle and a shake of her head, still smiling.
“Bye, Mabel Muldowney!” Lily calls, moving through the crowd, her energy trailing behind her.
I shift my hat against the breeze and look to Reba. “Wow, that was . . .”
“Intense,” Reba supplies. “These teenage years are something else.” She pauses. “Lily was hoping to see you today. When she saw the tag that you were here, she insisted we stop by.”
“I’m glad you did.”
More people stroll by and snap my picture. I offer a polite nod to them, but the unease in my chest spreads fast. The Castle King is here. My fingers tighten around the strap of my pink crossbody purse. I swallow hard. Without Lily here to fill the space, silence creeps between Reba and me. I reach into my bag, searching for the envelope I’ve been meaning to deliver to her.
“I was going to slide this under your door before I left the city,” I say, holding it out. “But I might as well give it to you now.”
Reba’s brow pinches. “What is it?”
“It’s the back rent I owe. I’m sorry it took this long. I always wanted to make things right here in the city.”
The wordthingsis doing a lot of work in that sentence.
She takes the envelope and slides it into her bag.
I muster a grin. “I’m glad I have a moment alone with you, Reba. I was thinking about you and Lily on the trip from my farm,” I say quietly as the noise of the crowd dips around us.
The woman nods and gives me space.
“When you last saw me,” I say, “I was chasing an image and an escape with Bella Mae. I’m not proud of my choices. My lies. I brought Lily into that illusion. It was selfish, and I regret that. I owe you both an apology.”
Reba crosses her arms loosely, but her posture doesn’t shift away. “I appreciate that, and I’ve thought about you. I’ve wanted to tell you something. Something I need to get off my chest.”
The breath catches in my throat, heat rising up the back of my neck.
“You’ve changed,” she continues, voice even. “Or maybe you’re becoming the person you were always meant to be. I like this person. The Mabel I got to know through Eat Elverna feels real.”
“She is real,” I say, feeling the weight of my words.
“I know you love the clothes, but what you’re doing in Elverna has value too,” she says, her gaze searching mine. “Lily sees that.”
I glance across the street, where Lily is chatting with a farmer behind a rickety table covered in gingham. She points to a row of jam jars, her ponytail swishing as she nods enthusiastically.
“Lily started an herb garden in her bedroom,” Reba says, her voice catching slightly. “She talks about expanding it. She joins me at the community garden—willingly—and has made friends there. It’s no secret that I’m not big on fashion.” She glances at her gray T-shirt and jean shorts. “But I love cooking andgardening. They’re things Lily and I do together now. And it’s thanks to you.”
I nod, holding back tears as a weight lifts. “I held so much shame around involving Lily in Bella Mae. I’m not sure you’ll ever know what your kind words just did for me. Thank you, Reba.”
The woman pulls me in for a hug. “How long are you in the city? Maybe the three of us could get a bite to eat and chat. I warn you though. All Lily talks about is one day going to France for the clothes and to study biochemistry and agriculture. It’s her new life goal.”
I gesture to my skirt and then hold up the tomato. “Fashion and farming can go hand in hand. But to answer your question, I’m not here for long. I’d love to get together another time.”
My heart twists. I think of Cal. If I return, I’ll be alone. I wish I could introduce him to Lily and Reba. I know he’d adore them.
“You’ve got another Eat Elverna market coming up soon, haven’t you?” Reba asks.
I gather myself and nod. “We do. I want to be back in time for it.”
