I doubt the actors felt this nervous when they prepared their grand gesture. I wiped off my palms, pacing to the front of the stage and taking the microphone. Scanning the crowd, I spotted Amanda waving. At her side, Tyler had slipped into a t-shirt and shorts.
“Wow. There’s so many of you.” Had Firefly’s population doubled? I forced a smile. “You all know about Hazel’s passing. I came to Firefly to get her affairs in order.” Taking a steadying breath, I tried forcing the emotions down. “I figured two months, and I’d be back home. I didn’t expect this kind of reception. Firefly Valley is truly a magical place.”
“What about the naked men?” Gloria shouted.
I chuckled. “I heard y’all were in jeopardy of losing your library, and after all your kindness… andallthe pies. I needed to help. Some of you might have heard we made a calendar.”
That was the roar Mabel had wanted. I spotted Logan Jr. and Sr., their hands clapping high above their heads. “I figured we’d have a little fun. And boy, did we havefun. Firefly, are you ready to hear how we did?” They cheered as if they were in a stadium. “But how about we get our favorite librarian up on stage?”
Amanda took Tyler by the hand, dragging him through the crowd until he reached the stage. I held out my hand, hoisting him onto the riser. His face had turned bright red. I’m sure he preferred the solitude of his library, but today, I wanted him to see how much he meant to the town.
“Tyler Bailey has been a pillar of the community. He’s served as an escape from reality and a supplier of mysteries. Tyler… Firefly wouldn’t be the same without its favorite librarian.”
I gave him a quick hug. It took every ounce of willpower not to grab him by the face and press my lips against his. I couldn’t… not yet.
“As of this morning, we have sold 15,473 calendars.”
His jaw dropped. I bit my lip, the emotions stirring.
“We have raised, one hundred… andtwenty-three thousanddollars!”
Tyler blinked in disbelief. The crowd had grown silent. Everybody looked at one another, confused. Apparently, our little project had produced results that didn’t make sense.
“Yes, you heard me right. We raised over one hundred thousand dollars for your library.”
“I did it!” Amanda’s screams filled the dead air. “I saved the library!”
Tyler lunged, arms wrapped around my waist. He hoisted me into the air, spinning around. It was then that the crowd caught on, and the clapping started. Mabel snatched the microphone from my hand as Tyler continued dancing about with me pressed against his chest.
Joy. Appreciation. Wonderment. I wanted to live in this moment, to take the excitement and wear it like a comfortable sweater. The way he glowed as he smiled at me was everything I could have hoped for. The grand gesture had done its job… but we weren’t done. There was one more sentence I needed to speak to complete a perfect scene.
He set me down, and the spinning had taken effect. I wobbled, my foot slipping off the riser. I cried out as I lost my balance, ready to chew freshly cut grass. As I slid off the stage, Tyler caught me by the waistband of my shorts. Pulling me back, I pressed against his chest.
Firefly be damned, I’d never get another moment this perfect.
“I’m staying.” Two words. Twosimplewords that would serve as the first sentence in an adventure I desperately wanted to write.
“Was all of this so you could have a moment?”
I couldn’t hide the smile. It wasn’tallfor him… okay,mostlyfor him. He wrapped his arms around my neck and came in for a kiss. I could hear Amanda screaming from the audience as I pressed against Tyler. This would mark thefirst of many. This was an adventure that spanned decades, and now it opened the door for more.
His forehead rested against mine. Despite the crowd, we existed in a bubble. Everything had gone off without a hitch… except nearly falling on my face. I’d consider it a sign that Tyler had rescued me. I suspected I’d have that feeling a lot in the future.
“Girl, take that to the bedroom,” Mabel hissed. “While these two have a moment, let’s bring the band back for some music.”
If Mimi were here, she’d be in front of the crowd clapping. Yet again, she turned a boring summer in Firefly into an adventure.
It’d be the first of many.
ENDS WITH A BANG
Laurel: Everybody is saying they loved it.
Walter: Maybe we should have a winter carnival?
Harvey: Chainsaws and ice sculptures!
Laurel: Has anybody seen Gladys?
