
Not over til the fat lady sings. š
While the stories are linked, each is a standalone. However, if youāve missed any and want to read them, you can catch upĀ here.
Snapping Dragons
I have few memories of my grandfather who started the family garden nursery, but one I remember is his showing me how to make a snapdragon open and close its mouth. When I had the chance, I always showed that to little kids who visited the nursery. I think about that now as I plant snapdragons outside of Russā home. He didnāt ask me to, probably doesnāt want me to, but I think a few flowers are a small payment for his renting me a cottage at half the price, especially with its proximity to the beach and how much he probably could have gotten for it. When I said something, he just shrugged, āMoney or family.ā
Iām not family. And, oh, I really did ache that he thought of me as family rather than me, Josie, a girl in the world. I grin at my dramaticism.
Besides snapdragons, I add an Arp Rosemary that will survive the temperatures here as well as sage and oregano.
I am wiping my hands on my jeans when I see a sight I did not expect. Angie climbs out of Russā pickup. He grabs a suitcase and stands next to her. She raises her hands and strokes his face.
The trowel drops my hand and Iām sure that my mouth forms a very wide āoh.ā
Was it just five weeks ago that Angie apologized so profusely over breaking me and Marcus up? And, now sheās here after Russ?
I fold my arms over my chest. Russ and I are not together, regardless of what my mind and heart might want. Itās not the same. Heās free to do what he wants.
I turn away. Yep, heās free. Iām free.
Thereās something strangely confining about all of this freedom.
end