* * * *
The packing, moving, and dinner went by in a blur. LJ and I cooked something, served it, and heard my friends rave about it. Connor provided dessert, and Jimmy and Stone served drinks. The new restaurant looked a little raw in its unfinished state, but the kitchen was a dream space. Even LJ loved it.
I remembered asking LJ if he had somewhere to stay, and he assured me he did. In fact, he told me shyly, he’d bought a house in town. I think I wished him good luck.
Later, in Jimmy and Stone’s guest bedroom, I watched the snowflakes falling outside. Stone Acres wasn’t supposed to get the snowfall the mountains would, so it all looked benign, not anything to worry about.
I was grateful for such good friends. They’d blunted the shock of the morning, and even though I wasn’t a hundred percent myself still, I wasn’t crying. I figured it was a win.
* * * *