“I co-own two clothing stores with a friend who designs. We’re expanding to include more accessories. Jewelry is hard because we want quality stuff but not so expensive most of our customers won’t splurge that much. Your stuff is fantastic. It’s bold and feminine. I think we could do some business together. I like that you’re local, that’s important to us as a brand. I like that you’re a woman, also important to us.”

Tuesday sat back, really, truly excited. “Wow. I hadn’t even considered that as what you wanted to talk to me about. I mean I figured you wanted me to make you a piece.”

“You do custom work, too, which will be a selling point. We do a trunk show in the fall at our Portland store and feature the designers we carry in the stores. You’d be a perfect addition. I mean, look, it’s going to depend on how your stuff moves, but I think it will. What do you say?”

“I say let’s talk some details because this sounds like a great idea.”

The details, as it turned out, were pretty awesome. A fair split of the profits. Her jewelry being sold in two successful clothing boutiques was a dream. Now she just had to hope their customers liked the stuff as much as Kelly did.

“Maddie is doing all right?” Tuesday asked after they’d finished talking business.

“She’s doing great. She just started back to school Monday. Both girls are out of their minds with excitement that Vaughn is staying with us right now. They love seeing him every day.”

“You can tell me to mind my own business, but do you love seeing him every day?”

“It’s complicated.”

Tuesday laughed, reaching out to pat Kelly’s hand. “Girl. I bet. I’m around if you want to talk about it. You don’t know me very well, but sometimes that’s a good thing.”

“I’m so confused right now. To be honest, I couldn’t answer you because I don’t know. Well, no, that’s a lie. I like Vaughan. I mean as a person separate from my ex-husband or as the father of my kids. I’ve always liked him, since the start. And it hasn’t served me well in every circumstance. I have a lot to figure out. Right now I’m just trying to figure out what it is I want.”

“Fair enough. I hear that. Believe me.”

“So, what’s the story with you and Ezra?” They paid for lunch and headed back to the shop.

“I’m where you are, I guess. We’re dating. I like him. I like his family. The rest I’m stumbling through right now.” He could be so closed off it felt like a slap, but when he did open up, she realized it wasn’t about her at all, but the iceberg of shame and guilt that he dragged along with him.

“He’s so imposing and gruff. But with my girls he’s a great big softy. And the animals.”

“He constantly surprises me. Which surprises me in and of itself. I like to think I’m jaded but he...he’s refreshing. Unexpected. I like it and I’m trying not to think about it much more beyond that because I don’t know.”

She used to love not knowing. Used to love learning new things and being surprised by the universe. Until the universe decided cancer qualified as a surprise. Since then, she and surprises had been on uneasy terms.

“Okay. I get it. I’m with you in that boat. I’m just... I loved him so much before. And he walked away and I don’t know if it ever really hurt him. Not the way it hurt me.”

Tuesday unlocked and flipped the Open sign and they went inside.

“I’m going to take some pictures of your stuff to send to my business partner. Is that all right?”

Tuesday nodded at Kelly as she unlocked the case again, pulling out the pieces Kelly pointed to.

“Vaughan isn’t a bad man.” Kelly began to speak as she arranged the jewelry and took pictures of it. “He just didn’t want a life with me and the girls. It took me a really long time to get over that.”

Tuesday heard the fear there in the words. The fear that if Kelly let Vaughan back in, if she gave him another chance, he’d hurt her again.

“I was married once. Eric and I met in college. He lived on my floor in our dorm. He was something special. I pretty much loved him about ten minutes after the first time we had sex.”

Tuesday leaned against the counter. “Things were fast with us. We clicked. He had dreadlocks back then. We were nineteen.” Tuesday laughed.

“The next year we all decided to move into a big house together. Natalie and me and our other roommates. And Eric. We all went to school together, some of us worked together, we lived in the same house and we were a family. As we neared graduation, Eric asked me to marry him. Or I guess I should say he and I had this talk about life and the future and we decided to get married. He and I had plans. A path and we were on it together. It was a really great time in my life. I’m telling you this stuff so you can understand what I’m going to say next a little better.”

Kelly stilled, looking up at Tuesday and abandoning all pretense of taking pictures. She sighed, a hand at her throat and a blush on her cheeks that told Tuesday what she’d suspected.

“I found a letter. Not a love letter,” Tuesday amended quickly. “It was a discussion about this thing they’d had while studying in Central America. It was like, Hey I get it, I’d never say anything to her, I know you love her and I hope it works out.”

It used to hurt like fire to think back on that moment. The betrayal. The shame. The horror that they’d gone to that woman’s damned going-away party just a few weeks after that letter had been written. Eric hadn’t wanted to go but Tuesday had pushed.