Closing my eyes, I inhaled through my nose and slowly out of my mouth. I repeated another three rounds before I opened my eyes. “We should call everybody and let them know.”
The thought of telling everybody we…Ifailed would be all the punishment I needed. Hearing Firefly’s determination squashed by reality meant reliving this moment with every phone call. They’d say something supportive. “Maybe next year.” Meanwhile, I’d be dreaming of the city.
“Pookie.” Amanda came around the counter and gave me a hug. Her arms tightened and a moment later, Jon hugged me from behind. They were the best friends I could ask for. No matter where I landed, we’d always be the Three Musketeers.
“Go home,” Amanda said. “We’ll take care of everything.”
“I should be the one?—”
“To be mopey and depress everybody? I think not.” Amanda stepped back and pointed to the door. “Consider it a favor. You can pay me back in rent.”
Jon let go and slapped me on the ass. “We’ve got you.”
I wanted to protest, but when the wonder twins both pointed at the door, there was no point in debating. We had lost, and I appreciated they wanted to make it as painless aspossible. Even though I wanted to stay, I gave them a final hug and left the comic shop.
With a glance over my shoulder, they shooed me away before Amanda locked the door. There was no going back, not unless I wanted to face her wrath. Stepping into the rain, it was time to retreat home and wallow in my failure.
“Sorry, Firefly.”
IT ONLY TAKES A MEMORY
Firefly smelled different in the rain.
I cupped the sides of my mug with both hands, shivering as the warmth spread through my body. I sat on the swing outside my house, gently swaying back and forth. The rain came down hard enough that my gutters stopped doing their job.
“We needed the rain.” Every summer, we muttered the words, but by fall, we had our fair share. With the leaves preparing to fall, we’d have an early onset of autumn without the rain. The leafers would be up in arms if they didn’t have time to see the forest turn the color of fire.
I pulled a foot out of my slipper and stuck it in the rain. Not even the heat from the cocoa could offset the chill. By the time I drew it back, the leg of my flannel pajamas had soaked through. There didn’t seem to be any end in sight.
“Defeated by Mother Nature.” I flipped the bird,waving it about as if somebody in the yard might see. “I hate you.” Ironic, considering how much I loved playing in the rain.
I had shut off my phone. The text messages from Amanda asking what we were going to do had gotten overwhelming. While I prepared my concession speech, she wanted to rally the troops. I accepted the loss. Giving up should have made me frantic, or at least angry, but I felt a sense of peace.
“It’s out of my hands.” I took a sip of the hot chocolate, fishing for the tiny marshmallows with my tongue. I wiped my face clean before licking my fingers.
Lightning lit up the yard seconds before thunder rumbled across the valley. Under different circumstances, this would have been magical. When I bought a house, a porch with a swing had been my top priority. Growing up, watching my parents spend the evenings swaying back and forth had left its mark.
Tomorrow, I’d get an early start and get the comic shop ready for disappointed geeks. Even with the convention rained out, there were plenty of storefronts still showing off their superhero swag. What if it wasn’t all on the green? Attendees could at least stop by the shops and indulge their curiosities. It might not be the comic convention I envisioned, but hopefully, it provided a little bump to the community.
I couldn’t ignore the world. I flipped my phone on for a second. Seventy-two text messages? Amanda must have worked herself into a?—
Jon: Take the night off. We’ve got this bitch.
Amanda: Jon! Got an interesting text. We have an idea. Come back to the loft.
That I expected, but it was the other seventy that surprised me.
Simon: When you’re ready, I’m here. There are so many sliders. Nobody will be hungry.
Abraham: I found a shield. A sword is too much, right? We’re storming the dungeon.
Dorothy: Superhero cookies have been made. Now, to frost them.
Gladys: The quilt guild donated two more quilts! They also made capes for the kids.
Bonny: Hey Cupcake. If you need space, we can clear out under the awning in front of the store.
They kept going. With each new message, my eyes watered. I had given up on Firefly, but it hadn’t given up on me. While I had been focused on all the things the town wasn’t, I had forgotten what made its heart beat. The people of Firefly, good or bad, they were my family.
