“Listen, I understand if you want nothing to do with me,” Paisley continues. “But I really would love to meet for coffee sometime and catch up. And apologize in person for not being a better friend to you. We were all in the weeds together, but that doesn’t mean we couldn’t have reached out a hand.”
I inhale a deep breath through my nose, marveling at how quickly my perspective on my old job has changed with just a simple phone call. Looking back on my time at All-Out, it often felt like I was in an abusive relationship. Abuse that I allowed to happen over and over until my body gave out.
And the worst part about my stroke was that I never really got to make up my own mind about leaving. Which means I never got closure on that past trauma.
But this phone call is doing a lot to change that.
“I would love to meet for coffee.”
“Amazing. Text me your schedule next week, and we will make it happen.”
“Will do,” I reply softly, my heart thundering in my chest at the idea of repairing some relationships that I valued once upon a time. “I’m really glad you called, Paisley.”
She pauses on the other end of the line before saying, “I’ll never stop being sorry for not doing it sooner, Cas.”
We hang up, and for the first time since leaving the corporate world, I don’t feel anxiety and dread encompass me at the mere thought of my old job. In fact, I have hope for change. And there’s a certain Zaddy that is very much the reason for that newfound hope.
Maybe it’s not too late for Max and me. Maybe I need to set down my self-help book and take a page out of my Mercedes Lee Loveletter novels to try to save my own happily ever after.
“Okay, Uncle Wyatt…you’re in charge of drinks, Luke, you’re in charge of food, and Calder, you’re the busboy.”
“Busboy?” Calder whines. “Why do I have to be the busboy? Luke’s younger than me.”
I frown up at my uncle. “Uncle Calder, you talk too much, and if you’re out there talking, you will ruin the romance.”
“This is bullshit.”
I glare at my uncle, who’s acting like the kid in the room instead of me. “Behave. I’m the ma?tre d, which means I’m in charge. Now, go set up the table by the pool and don’t forget to use the placemats that I worked on last night, okay? They’re very special.”
My three uncles break apart as I run into the kitchen to check on Michael with the food. I requested chicken strips and french fries because it’s not too messy to eat, so hopefully, it doesn’t stop my daddy from kissing Cozy.
I smile to myself. Daddy and Cozy sitting in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g. First comes love…then comes marriage. Then comes a baby brother that I get to love and hold and play with all by myself! Or a sister. I’ll take either, but I still don’t have the hang of bubble braids, so maybe a brother would be easier.
I taste test one of Michael’s homemade fries and give him a thumbs-up. I look at the clock and see that it’s almost six, and Dad will be home any minute.
Music! I forgot the music! I run upstairs to grab my portable speaker and sync up one of the playlists that Cozy and I dance to a lot. It’s not super romantic, but I know Daddy likes it. I’ve seen him watch the videos on our cameras of me and Cozy dancing, and he always smiles big at them.
This is a lot more work than when I got my friend Brooklyn a boyfriend. For Brooklyn, all I had to do was go up to the boy she liked and tell him that Brooklyn is his girlfriend for now and forever. It was easy peasy.
But Daddy and Cozy will be a lot harder, I think, because they’re grown-ups. That’s why I called my uncles to come help me set up their date tonight. I decided to do their romantic dinner by the pool because that’s the first time I noticed how my daddy looked at Cozy. He looked at her like how I look at ice cream. But he better not lick her because that would be gross!
At first, I didn’t think they should be in love with each other because Cozy can’t cook, and she doesn’t wear nice outfits like my daddy. So they would be a little weird together. But then I thought, I like Michael’s food, and Daddy can take Cozy shopping if he wants her to dress nicer.
And I’m pretty sure they’re already in love. I see how much my daddy and Cozy are always smiling at each other. And on the night of my sleepover with Claire, I saw them cuddling on the couch together. They both looked so cozy.
The last couple of weeks, they’ve been sad. And I think it’s because summer is almost over and then they won’t get to hang out anymore.