Page 100 of The Charmed Friends of Trove Isle
Liz’s eyes burned with tears. She couldn’t decide if they were happy or sad. Maybe both.
“You said it was lost like our friendship, but I don’t think either of those things was ever truly lost. I think we were the lost ones—because of what happened.”
Liz blinked and one of the tears in her eyes came free, trailing down her cheek. “I’ve really worked to move past my fears this summer. I guess my fear still won out when I realized you were selling the store for real. I let myself believe that you were going to leave and never come back, and I just can’t go through that again.”
Melody reached for her hand and gave it a squeeze. “You won’t have to. I didn’t just decide to keep the store. I also decided to stay.”
Liz’s eyes widened. “What?”
“In Charlotte, I have a job that I love and a few friends. In Trove, I have a father, a store, a best friend and another on the way home soon. I have a guy who wants to date me. I have a history here that I don’t want to forget anymore. I want to remember it.” She shrugged. “Turns out, the thrift store is a great spot for planning events and there are several things going on here that require a good event planner.”
“I can be your photographer,” Lis said excitedly.
Melody smiled. Then she slipped the charm bracelet off her wrist and handed it over. “It’s your turn to do something wild and crazy.”
Liz laughed as she took the bracelet and looked at it, spinning it on her wrist to admire every charm. Then she wiped at a tear, stood, and opened her arms.
Melody stood as well and stepped into the hug that Liz offered.
“You’re really staying?” Liz asked when she finally pulled away. She didn’t want to get her hopes up, even though they were practically soaring.
“I am. And you know what, the thrift store is pretty spacious. I was wondering if, while I’m running my event planning business, you might want to run your photography business from there. We could sell treasures while pursuing our passions.”
“Run the store together?”
Melody shrugged. “It’s just an idea.”
“I love the idea.” Liz laughed out loud. “And when we get hungry, we’ll go visit Bri at The Bitery. My mom has already agreed to hire her.”
A grin spread through Melody’s cheeks. “Sounds like a good life.”
“The happy ever after we always wanted. Although different from the one we thought we wanted. You wanted to travel.”
“I did and it got me nowhere. This is the happy ending we always deserved,” Melody said.
“Or the happy new beginning.” Something shiny caught Liz’s eye. She looked down at her feet and gasped. “Where did that come from?”
Melody lowered to pick up the small metal charm and stood, holding out the palm of her hand to show Liz.
“A raindrop?”
Melody shrugged. “This outfit is from Hidden Treasures. It must have fallen out of the pocket. Maybe.”
Liz reached for the charm and held it up to look at it better. “If we add it to the bracelet, it would need some kind of meaning. Right? What does a raindrop mean?”
“That we’ve weathered a lot?” Melody grimaced. “I know, that’s probably a stretch.”
Liz shook her head. “No, I like it. And without the rain, there’d be no rainbow.”
Melody lifted a brow. “Wow, we’re really getting cheesy in our old age, aren’t we?”
Liz just stared at the charm in wonder. It was too much of a coincidence that another charm would find its way at their feet. “You don’t think . . . ?” she asked, trailing off.
Melody’s lips parted as she seemed to understand exactly what Liz was wondering. She looked beyond the porch and up toward the clouds. “Thanks, Jo,” Liz heard Melody whisper.
Liz reached for Melody’s hand and gave it a squeeze. There was probably a perfectly reasonable explanation, such as the charm falling out of Melody’s pocket. It made sense. But who wanted to believe in reason when it was just as easy to believe in the things that defied it? Like love and forever friendships that endured the greatest hardships. Like the charm bracelet.
EPILOGUE
