I just hope it’ll be enough.
The following morning arrives with a blistering headache and limbs trembling with nerves. After Brie arrived home late last night and confirmed that our plan is officially a go, I couldn’t sleep. I finally closed my eyes around four, and when I opened them again it was already nine thirty in the morning. I should feel exhausted, but instead I’m wired like I’ve guzzled an entire pot of coffee. My knees bounce as I wash my hair in the shower, and I nearly poke myself in the eye with my mascara, my hands are trembling so badly.
Today will change everything. Not just for Perry, but for me too.
When it’s time to leave at eleven, Brie insists on driving us to the festival, even though it’s only a ten-minute walk.
“You look too gorgeous to ruin your makeup walking around in this heat,” she explains, and I don’t protest.
We pull along the curb behind a white news truck that’s parked outside Blooms & Baubles. Turning off the engine, she stashes her key in the glove compartment before locking the door—the benefits of keyless entry. When I step out of the car, I stare up at the shop’s dusky purple siding and my heart flutters.
On the corner, a news crew is setting up equipment. A burly man positions three tall black stools on the sidewalk in front of my mural, while another sets up a large camera. Off to the side, Brie’s mom—Cleveland’s very own Charlotte Owens—is reapplying lipstick using a pocket mirror.
Farther up the street, I catch sight of my mom and half brothers with my stepfather, Robert, behind them. I wave. “Mom! You made it!”
“Cass!” Jackson and Liam squeal in tandem as they sprint over to me. Squatting down, I brace myself as they fling their tiny bodies at me in a tackle hug.
“I missed you guys,” I murmur into their hair.
Jackson hugs me extra tight. “I missed you too, Cassy.”
“Hey, little dudes,” says Brie. She ruffles Liam’s hair, and he swats at her. She grins.
Mom and Robert join us then. “Boys, let Cass breathe,” Mom says, and they reluctantly let go. “Good to see you, Brie,” she adds.
“Always, Mel.”
Straightening, I smooth the front of my pink skirt. “Thank you so much for coming.”
“Of course. You said you wanted us here by eleven, so here we are.” Robert’s wide face splits into a grin as he scrubs his close-clipped hair.
Mom harumphs. “What is this all about anyway? You were very cryptic on the phone last night.”
Robert looks between me and Mom and clears his throat. “Jackson, Liam, how about you and me go check out that painting over there…” He’s already shepherding them away, despite their protests.
Brie checks her watch. “And I’m going to see if my mom’s ready for you. See you in a bit,” she says to me.
My mom squints after her. “Is that Charlotte over there with the news crew? Cassidy Walker, what in God’s name is going on here?”
I clamp my hands on her shoulders. “Smith & Boone offered me the job as a first-year associate.” My mom’s eyes light up like a pair of sparklers. “I’m going to turn them down.” The light fades just as quickly.
“Why would you do that?” she demands.
“Because working for a big firm doesn’t make me happy, Mom. I learned that this summer. I learned a lot of things, actually,” I mutter to myself. “Big law life isn’t for me, and really, it was never my dream in the first place. In fact, I think it was more your dream all along.”
“Cass, what are you talking about? This is what we’ve been working for—”
“No, Mom. It’s what I worked for. Not that you haven’t supported me every step of the way—you have, and I’m grateful. I know how much you sacrificed to move us to a good school district and find educational opportunities for me. I never would have made it this far without you. But you also taught me to stand on my own two feet and take responsibility for myself, so that’s what I’m doing. Which is why I can’t take this job. If I do, I’ll be miserable.”
“Cassidy.” Tutting, she runs her hands up and down the length of my arms before pulling me into a hug. “I had no idea you felt that way. Did you think I’d be mad if you didn’t end up at Smith & Boone?”
I nod against her shoulder.
“I want you to be successful, but more important, I want you to be happy.” Leaning back, she looks me hard in the eyes. “I’m so sorry if I ever made you feel like I pressured you into big law. I’d never want you to do something that makes you unhappy just because you think it’s what I want. You come first, always. I’m so sorry.”