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She turned around. Brynn. “I’m bad company,” she said right off the bat. No reason for pretense.

“Are the two things related?” She unclipped Pickles, who jumped at Aster’s knee until she leaned down and let the little girl pepper her face with licks and kisses.

“Your dog is getting fresh.”

“Stay on topic.”

Aster sighed. Brynn was a hard one to hide from. She knew her too well. “I feel like Marilyn’s might crash and burn with me in charge, and then I will have to live with having failed her.”

“Your mom.”

“Yeah. And I will utterly hate myself if that happens. I gave the restaurant her name. It can’t be anything less than amazing.” She’d not told anyone how she felt. Not her sisters. Sage. No one. She’d been in Brynn’s presence all of two minutes, and the information was falling from her lips.

Brynn nodded thoughtfully and took a seat. “I hear you, and that must feel like a lot of pressure.”

Aster’s eyes filled. Embarrassing. She quickly wiped away a tear. “Sorry.”

Brynn placed her hand on top of Aster’s. It helped. “Want my take or just want me to listen?”

“Your take,” Aster managed, her voice strangled with emotion.

“You’re the smartest person I know. You’re also the most talented. If you asked me to pick a person who was born to do exactly this, it’s you. But should it fail? You’ll press on to a new project, using the gifts you have because you’re a dreamer in the most wonderful sense.”

Aster swallowed. The words startled her. But they also filled her up. “I don’t know what to say.”

“Do you believe me?”

“Yes.” In fact, she had chills. “How do you do that? Arrive here and in no time at all find a way to say the exact right words I need.”

Brynn exhaled slowly. “We’ve always had that connection. You know that. Doesn’t make what I said any less true.”

They got quiet, each to their separate metaphorical corners. Aster watched as Dill chased Pickles, dashing in big circles around the grass. He was easily faster but seemed to enjoy the chase. Aster kept her eyes forward. “I’ve missed you.” There was the emotion again. The words were too important.

“I’ve missed you, too.”

She found the courage to look, to meet Brynn’s gaze head-on, terrifying or not. “What do we do about that?”

“We’re the only ones in our way. But…it’s been a roller coaster. I think we both can agree.”

“I’m still so mad at you.”

“I’m mad at me, too. Boston wasn’t ideal, but I should have handled it better.”

“So let’s stop avoiding the obvious. We have some baggage. We miss each other.”

“We’re a mess,” Brynn said, laughing, which made Aster laugh.

“At least we’re self-aware.”

Aster blinked, sobering. “Meet me back here tomorrow. Don’t disappear again.”

Brynn nodded but didn’t look entirely convinced. “We could give that a shot. Might be nice.”

Aster grinned. “Look how conservative you’re being. How am I ever going to loosen you up?”

That seemed to break through the surface again. “That used to be something I’d say to you. How have times changed so drastically?”

“Oh, I’m not sure they have.”