Page 116 of Comeback
Came by to chat. Give me a ring when you have a chance.
Eleanor
“Aww, I’m sad I missed her,” I say as I unlock the front door. The space is stuffy, and I prop the door open to let in some fresh air.
Archer walks over to the front desk and picks up one of the flyers for the studio.
“These are great,” he says, smiling.
“I know. London is amazing. As soon as those went up around town, I started getting emails and calls. The Saturday toddler class is completely full already.”
“That’s incredible.” His smile widens and the pride that beams off him is intoxicating.
“It is.” I let myself feel all the things—excitement, happiness, a little fear that I’m in over my head and going to screw it all up. I don’t really believe that last thing, but it lingers there, reminding me how much I want this to work.
“I’m going to get coffee and then you can put me to work however you need,” Archer says.
There isn’t much left to do, just a few final touches before we open next weekend. It’ll be a quiet opening since it’s just me working for now, but hopefully in a month or two I can afford to hire some other instructors and a part-time office manager.
“Okay,” I say. “I’m going to call Eleanor.”
It’s been a few weeks since we’ve chatted. Maybe I can convince her to come back later. I really want to show her every detail. Her approval means so much.
I pull out my cell and call her. Something tells me Eleanor isn’t big on texting.
She answers on the third ring in her bright, clear voice, “Hello?”
“Hey. It’s Sabrina.”
“Oh, Sabrina darling. It’s so good to hear from you.”
I smile, picturing her on the other end. “Yeah, you too. I’m sorry I wasn’t at the studio when you stopped by.”
“From the looks of it, you earned a break. I hardly recognize the place.”
I wander around on the dance floor. If I close my eyes, I can almost hear the footsteps of children in ballet shoes. “You have to come back so I can give you a proper tour of the space.”
“I would love that, but it will have to be soon.”
My brows pinch together. “Is everything okay?”
“Yes, yes, great actually. I’m about to be a grandma.”
“Congratulations.”
“It’s about time. I was about to give up hope, but Will called earlier this week and said his wife is expecting twins.”
“Oh my gosh. Twins!”
“Can you believe it?”
“I can’t,” I say, shaking my head.
“They’re going to need help, so I’m moving to Sarasota.”
“That’s so nice of you.”
“It’s mostly selfish. I miss being around kids. They keep you young. You’ll find that out yourself when that studio is filled with little ones.”
