Not over til the fat lady sings. 😉

While the stories are linked, each is a standalone. However, if you’ve missed any and want to read them, you can catch up 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 Russ’ home. He didn’t ask me to, probably doesn’t 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, “Money or family.”

I’m 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 Russ’ pickup. He grabs a suitcase and stands next to her. She raises her hands and strokes his face.

The trowel drops my hand and I’m sure that my mouth forms a very wide “oh.”

Was it just five weeks ago that Angie apologized so profusely over breaking me and Marcus up? And, now she’s 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. It’s not the same. He’s free to do what he wants.

I turn away. Yep, he’s free. I’m free.

There’s something strangely confining about all of this freedom.

end