Page 32 of Lovesick
I carefully leaned forward a little to look into her eyes. “Are you sure? I know that’s not what you wanted.”
“Marty.” She gave me the widest, sappiest smile. “You’re what I want. A half-hour commute is nothing. People drive that every day… Don’t be silly.”
“Talking house hunting?” My mother came up and sat on a plastic chair next to us.
“Oh…yes, Mrs. Ellen,” Maggie said, stuttering a little. Neither of us had mentioned that we had even considered the prospect of making my move to New Orleans for treatment a permanent thing. My parents had always been so set on my brother and I inheriting the family business… What would she say if I told her I was moving away from it?
“Both of you.” She reached out and took one of our hands each. “I want both of you to know how proud of you I am, and how much I support you. And I want you to live together in New Orleans.”
“But Momma…What about LaFleur Flowers?” I asked. She had spent so much time teaching me business and finances, and I had been more than happy to learn everything I could so I could run her beloved company someday. I had to be involved somehow, I wouldn’t be happy otherwise. But how could I have a hand in the company from NO?
“Well, I have a bit of a surprise of my own.” Intrigued, Maggie and I listened closely. “LaFleur Flowers has been doing very, very well. Both our shops are busy, and our financials look great. With that in mind, and after talking to your father.” She paused, smiling and looking expectant like she was about to deliver the punchline of a joke and knew we would laugh. “We have decided to open a new shop in New Orleans. It’ll be a big move, and it’ll be a big responsibility for the store manager. New Orleans is a large market, and we expect that with the right advertising, we’ll make back the expenses of opening the shop relatively quickly.”
My mom was staring at me. I glanced at Maggie with a what’s-she-talking-about look, but Maggie was staring at me too. “What?”
Maggie rolled her eyes. “You, silly. Your mom means you. You can live in New Orleans and run the new shop. That way, you’ll still be a part of the family business - and we can settle in town without having to commute.”
I started laughing. Maggie and my mom exchanged confused looks, and I laughed harder. I laughed and laughed and laughed, and then I laughed some more, and then I stopped - but only because I knew I would cry if I didn’t. “I can have everything,” I said, searching Maggie’s baby blue eyes. “And everyone.”
“We can have everything. I can be a nurse. You can work with LaFleur Flowers. And we can settle down together.”
“Come here, Momma.” I hugged her tightly, the familiar scent of her perfume and woodiness of the earth she worked with enveloped me. “Are you sure? You’re not saying this just because you want to save us a commute?”
“No, Honey. Your father and I have been working on a plan for the new shop before you two reconnected. We wanted to wait to tell you and your brother until we were certain.” Tears shone in her eyes. “And now we’re certain.” She wrapped her arms around me.
Maggie snuck away quietly when the hug had lasted a bit over a minute. My mom stayed beside me, chatting, while Maggie stayed close by, talking to her best friends. Something she said caught my ear, and I perked up to listen.
“-a June wedding,” she was saying.
“So soon? Yes! We’ll all still be right here in New Orleans.” Abigail looked to Zoe for agreement, then continued, “I don’t go on tour with Al until July.”
“And Aiden and I aren’t moving to California until July, either. So a June wedding will be perfect. Like… perfect… perfect.” The three girls giggled excitedly at Zoe’s comment.
“You both have to help me! Oh my gosh, there’ll be so many choices to make. Colors, centerpieces - oh my gosh, I’ll need a dress! You both literally have to help me pick out a dress.”
I had never heard Maggie talk quite so…girly? Around her friends, she had no barriers - words poured out of her like streams of consciousness.
It was absolutely the most adorable thing of all time to sit here and listen to her gush and gush over ideas for the wedding. I loved this girl. I loved Maggie so much. No ifs, ands or buts about it - except for her butt, which was perfect no matter what she thought. This was the girl I loved, and the one I would marry. Everyone we knew and cared about would be there for the wedding, and it would be the start to the best part of my life… our lives.
There would be no way to make up for the four years we had lost, but that didn’t matter anymore. All we had to do was love each other, support each other, and walk hand in hand into our bright and beautiful future.