Start with part 1 of this short story if you haven’t already read it or want a refresher. Did you guess the guy? You’ll find out in the first line of part 2 if you’re correct.
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Heather tried to look for butterflies on the shelf, but her attention kept shifting to Adam, who was doing a better job looking for butterflies. He’d pointed out two more suggestions. Heather didn’t think either of them would be something her mom liked.“What was that word you said before?” he asked. “Butteriflied? Is that how your mom describes her collection?”
“Uh, no.” Her face warmed. “That was just something that slipped out when I tried to explain that she only collects items where the butterfly is the first thing you see.”
He nodded. His eyes sparkled with amusement. It wasn’t mocking or derisive. Heather allowed herself to smile at the nonsense word. She relaxed enough to actually think about her mom’s gift again. Nothing on the shelf in front of her seemed appropriate.
Adam rounded a corner ahead of her, and a minute later his voice called, “Hey! Isn’t this what you were holding when I came in?”
Heather caught up to where he was holding a tall, skinny vase. She recognized the slippery neck and took in the square base for the first time. It was covered with beautiful butterflies. The wings were colorful metallics, mostly in shades of blue and purple on a silvery background. “That’s perfect,” she said. “Mom will love it.”
“Then why were we looking for something else?” Adam tipped his head in confusion.
“I didn’t see the butterflies.”
“On the thing in your hand?” His confusion turned into disbelief.
“Well, Mrs. Johnson had just picked it up when you walked in, and – ” Heather clamped her mouth shut on the rest of that thought. She was not going to admit she’d freaked out at the sight of him.
Adam stared at her for several moments, searching her eyes for the other half of the sentence. He must have read at least a hint because his expression softened. “I messed up so much with…”
Mrs. Johnson’s footsteps made him cut off what he was about to say just before she reappeared at the bottom of the stairs smiling cheerfully. She was holding a lidless shoebox full of plastic toys. “Most of these light up. I think someone was collecting novelty lights, then sold the whole thing for five bucks when he got tired of it. I knew I couldn’t sell it here, but something made me buy it anyway.” She handed it to Adam. “Then I remembered the summer fling coming up at the church.”
“These will be great prizes for the kids’ games,” Adam said. “Thanks.”
Mrs. Johnson turned back to Heather. “Now we need to get you squared away.”
“I’ll take this.” She held up the vase.
“Good choice.” Mrs. Johnson smiled. “Of course, you do know your mom is likely to continue being stupid, especially after you show your appreciation.”
Heather laughed.
“Moms are like that,” Adam said from behind her.
Heather had sensed he was still there, but she assumed he was slowly making his way to the door. She turned at his comment and saw him standing there as though he was waiting for her. Was he waiting for her? Heather finished her transaction as quickly as she could while still being polite.
Adam moved towards the door in time to open it for her. “Heather?”
She hadn’t processed what, if anything, she wanted to say before they parted at the sidewalk. She was relieved that he seemed to have something to say. “Yes?”
“Um…” He rattled the box he was holding. “Mrs. Donnelly is waiting for this, but… I was on my way to Pans and Plates to try Noah’s alien pizza. Have you eaten? Do you… have time to join me?”
“I’ve been wanting to check that out. Emily said it’s really good.”
“Great. So you’ll wait for me while I drop these at the church? It’ll only be five minutes.”
“Sure. I’ll save you a seat.”
Adam nodded, tucked the box under his arm, and moved past her at a jog.
Heather walked slowly, trying to sort through a million thoughts that all wanted to talk to her at once. She and Adam used to get along. That last interaction had been surprisingly natural, almost as though they’d returned to the time before Kayla imploded a bunch of relationships. Heather couldn’t help reminding herself that in the present Adam was unattached. She wished he would eventually see her as more than a friend, that he was coming back into her life in a significant way. But she managed to push those thoughts away and focus on being content that he was coming back for lunch.
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Don’t forget to preorder Eve’s Brother. That can be the next thing on your to read list.