“If it reminds you of a happy memory, why not?”
Sofia frowned, but before she could process what she was doing, she found herself pushing open the door to the shop, which gave way with a little tinkle of a bell. She walked to the kite in the window and picked it up then stood holding it for a few moments.Is Isaiah right? Is this a memento I should have?
As she stood there, frozen in indecision, her thoughts were interrupted.
“Take it,” someone with an ethereal voice said, and Sofia turned to see that a woman with silvery curls, which were dotted with tiny colorful gems and piled high on her head, had joined them. She was wearing a brooch with the shop’s emblem. The woman had a second kite—a white one—in her hands and was passing it to Isaiah. “Take them both. Those kites have been sitting on my shelf for far too long.”
Sofia reached toward her purse, but the woman shook her head. “It’s my treat. I’m just glad to see them going to a good home after all this time.”
“Are you sure? That’s very generous.” Sofia turned to thank the woman and was startled when she didn’t have to look up. The shopkeeper was nearly the exact same height as Sofia. Then she briefly met the woman’s eyes, and Sofia did a double take.Are her irises…golden?
But before she could look again, the woman with silver hair had turned away, off to greet another customer who had just entered the store. Isaiah opened the door for her, and Sofia left the shop, trying to shake the strange sensation that had come over her when she’d looked at the woman. She must have been wearing colored contact lenses.
“Why did you want me to get the kite?” Sofia asked, the question shooting from her lips automatically. She ran her hands over the edges of it, a warm sensation filling her fingers wherever she touched it. Isaiah hadn’t known her mom. But he did seem to understand how much the sight of that kite had meant to her. The warmth moved from her hands and spread to her chest.
“I needed a souvenir from this trip other than thrift store clothes,” Isaiah said, giving that grin she loved.
Sofia smiled and bumped her hip into his. “I hate to break it to you, but I think thatwasa secondhand store.” But then she forced herself to stop the teasing that was so easy between them. She wanted to know the real reason why he had taken the leap that she couldn’t and purchased the kite.
“I’m serious,” she said. Their interactions were always filled with humor, but the moment in the shop had felt different, and her legs were slightly wobbly as they continued to walk toward the park.
Isaiah was quiet for a moment, and she wondered if he was coming up with another joke, but he surprised her when he spoke. “I don’t have any memories, Sofia. I know the absence of your mom is with you every day, but her memories are there, too, right? If this kite helps you remember the good times, before she was sick…”
Sofia’s stomach did a flip. It was like he had climbed inside her brain and seen exactly what she had been too scared to think. She didn’t want memories of her mom to always be painful. Hermom had worked hard for Sofia’s entire childhood to give her a whole collection of magic memories like the one on the beach. Is it an affront to Mom’s memory not to let myself relive those moments?
Suddenly, she felt a surge of gratitude toward Isaiah. She didn’t say anything but gave him a genuine smile and was surprised to see something that looked like delight flash across his face in return.
Sofia spotted an empty bench and took a seat, ready to lighten the mood. “What do you think? Beats the park in Emerald Hollow, right?”
Isaiah studied her face, making her squirm, then looked around. “I don’t know. Emerald Hollow has it charms.”
Sofia raised an eyebrow. “Really? You like it there? It tends to be a pass-through type of place for most people. They visit for the festivals then go home.”
“Is that a bad thing? It keeps it… cozy for the locals.”
“Cozy?” Sofia laughed.
Isaiah grinned.
“Have you ever thought about moving here?”
Sofia’s head whipped back quickly, and she shook it. “Not really. One, I couldn’t afford it. Two, I think it might lose its charms if I lived here. I like knowing it’s so close, and it can be a little escape for me when I need it. And three, as much as I don’t feel like a small-town girl at times, I really do love living in Emerald Hollow.”
Sofia had never said it aloud before, but she knew it was true. As much as she sometimes complained about the lack of shopping or cultural life in Emerald Hollow, it was home, and she had no plans to leave.
A strong breeze grazed Sofia’s arms, and her dress, which she was thankful she had paired with some opaque tights, suddenly blew up around her thighs. She gripped the kite firmly.
“Where did that wind come from?” Isaiah asked, looking perplexed. He stood and braced himself against the sudden gale.
Sofia stood as well, clutching the bottom of her dress in surprise. The weather had been completely calm all day.
Suddenly, a smile slid over Isaiah’s face, his eyes brightening as he looked from Sofia to his kite.
“You can’t be serious,” she said, though a smile had appeared on her face as well.
He held up his kite. “I just got one of those feelings I’ve told you about, and I get the sense that I’m an excellent kite flyer.” He turned so that his back was to the wind and began to spread out the kite.
“Is that a challenge?” Sofia asked, cocking her hip and placing her hand there.
