Page 43 of Loving Violet
"Have a great day at school, Adrian" I say, straightening out his shirt and smoothing down his hair one more time. Thank goodness he has my hair and not Taylor’s balding scalp.
“Don’t touch my hair, bruh. You’ll mess it up.”
And there it is…the bruh.
Sighing, I say to my mini-me, “Come on. Aren’t you wanting to look cute for the girls?”
“No. There are no cute girls at this school. Besides, they are gross, bruh.”
“No, they’re not. You are so silly, and stop with the bruh,” I say getting serious.
Adrian nods and says, “Okay, Mom.” He moves and opens the door to get out of the car. “Don’t forget to learn something, I love you!” I sing song.
"Thanks, Mom. See you later!" he replies with a smile before heading out.
I head to the coffee shop, feeling a mix of excitement and nerves about seeing Austin later. As I walk in, the familiar sounds and smells of the café envelop me. Josy is already there, setting up for the day.
"Morning, Josy," I greet her as I walk into the coffee shop, the now familiar aroma of freshly brewed coffee filling the air.
"Morning, Vi. You look happy." She observes with a grin, setting down a tray of pastries.
"I am," I admit, feeling a smile spreading across my face. "Austin has been texting since last night, and I feel like it's going to be a good day."
Josy gives me a mischievous smile and leans in closer. "Really? What have you been texting?"
“Mostly about our dinner date this Thursday, and the occasional flirting.”
"That's great. Are you flirting back?" Josy inquires, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.
"Yes," I confess, a slight blush creeping onto my cheeks. "I think it’s easier when I do it over the phone. I'm starting to feel like this could be something real, and it gets me nervous and scared. I feel so vulnerable, Jo."
"It’s normal," Josy reassures me, her tone softening. "Remember your talk with Dr. Bennett? It will take time to gain your confidence back."
"I know," I say, taking a deep breath. "And that's why I'm giving myself this chance with Austin."
Josy nods approvingly. "Good for you. Just take it one step at a time. Austin is a great guy, and you deserve to be happy."
"Thanks, Josy. Your support means so much to me," I reply, feeling a surge of gratitude for my best friend's unwavering encouragement.
“That’s what friends are for.”
“True. That’s why I love you. If neither of us find anyone to spend the rest of our life with, I think that we can marry each other,” I say with a laugh.
“That’s a good plan. But there’s a flaw in this marriage proposal,” Josy says as she raise both of her eye brows.
“What?” I ask.
“You are gorgeous, and I don’t doubt that we would make a beautiful couple, but…you don’t have the equipment that I require.” Josy shrugged her shoulders. “Sorry, my friend. I think that I will have to pass on your marriage proposal.”
We both start laughing.
“I guess you’re right,” I say at the same time that I make a sad face.
“I know that I’m right. I’ll just wait for the man of my dreams to enter this coffee shop and fall for my beauty and charm,” Josy says with a wishful expression.
“It can totally happen,” I answer her as I go and give her a hug. “You are an amazing and beautiful woman. The right guy will come through those doors soon. Mark my words.” I let Josy go and we continue to prepping to open the doors in a few minutes.
Soon, our regulars start trickling in. John Baker, the handyman, is the first to arrive, as usual.
