Page 12 of Entirely Yours
Look!!!
Mags
Wow, what a shit hole
Yeah, but it’s my shit hole :)
Mags
All jokes aside, I’m really proud of you! I know you’ve worked your ass off for this.
I smile at my phone before pocketing it. After having Chloe, I thought I’d never dance again. But one of my former company instructors also worked at a local ballet studio and eventually hired me as a part-time teacher. I was so fucking lost back then.Postpartum is a bitch, and I had no idea what was next for me, my plans completely up in the air. Finding joy in teaching dance classes saved me. It redeemed this thing that I thought was ruined forever.
I lay my head against the window and breathe. “I did it, Mom,” I whisper.
Suddenly, the door to the shop next door swings open and an older woman walks out. I walk over to get a closer look at my new business neighbor. “Hi, I’m Thea!” I say as I approach. “I’m taking over the studio. Is this your coffee shop?”
“Just sold it, actually.” The older woman beams up at me. “But don’t worry, honey. Those Bardot brothers will take good care of it.”
She closes the coffee shop door, locking it before heading on her way. There’s a piece of paper taped in the window that says “Bardot Brothers Coffee Co. Coming Soon!” with a logo that looks almost identical to the T-shirt I stole from Jules.
My heart takes over and my feet are moving before I realize what’s happening. I’m back at Louie’s in a flash, throwing the door open until it crashes against the wall, scaring everyone in the bar.
Ben jumps up, looking concerned. “Thea, are you okay?” he asks.
“Do you know someone named Jules?” I rush out.
Gabe spits out his drink, and Ben just chuckles, looking slightly relieved.
“You could say that we know each other pretty well, actually.”
“Oh, I love having all of my cabbages home!” Mom exclaims as Ben and Gabe walk in for Sunday night family dinner.
“Bex and Anders aren’t here, Mom,” I remind her.
She waves me off. “Bex said she would FaceTime us later so it’s pretty much like she’s here!”
I roll my eyes at that justification but continue seasoning the garlic bread that’s about ready to go into the oven.
I am glad my twin, Ben, moved back home to Sassafras. It’s been a while since so many of us lived here. I offered for him to move into my house, but when you have been essentially attached to someone since the womb, it’s nice to have a little space from them. I was secretly relieved he decided to move into Gabe’s place instead. Those two are more similar than Ben and I are—both kind of remind me of untrained puppies.
“Hi, JuJu!” Ben says, coming up behind me to squeezemy shoulders.
“Benoit,” I reply. “How are you settling in?”
“Great! And Gabe and I signed the lease so you just need to run by Ethel’s to add your signature.”
My brothers and I are taking over the town’s coffee shop, something that has been a dream of mine for longer than I’m willing to admit. Gabe is really just involved because he doesn’t want to be left out, but Ben quit his corporate job in finance to come back here and make my dream a reality. It’s all moved very fast—once Ben sets his mind on something, he’s like a racehorse with blinders on.
“I’ll run by tomorrow after school,” I reply. I’m a music teacher at Sassafras High School, and I didn’t feel right about leaving my students midyear. I’ll finish out the semester and then start full time at the new Bardot Brothers Coffee Co. this summer.
Ben pats me on the shoulder once more before finding his way to the fridge for a drink. With his head blocked by the door he says, “Totally forgot—we have new neighbors.”
Dad is the unofficial welcoming committee to new residents of Sassafras so he perks up at that. “Students?”
“Nope, a family. Looks like a grandad, his daughter, and granddaughter. The daughter is a real bombshell, probably early 20s. Right, Gabe?”
“Yeah, said her name was Thea. Know anyone named Thea, Jules?” Gabe asks at the exact same moment I open the oven to put the garlic bread in.
