Melissa and Greg stared at me, and I could see they were frustrated.
“Josh, separate yourself from this. If it were anyone else, you would have already started moving on everything,” Greg said.
“I know,” I answered. “I’m not arguing with you. But it’s not anyone else. It’s my friend.”
Greg closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
“How about this?” I said. “She will be out here in a month. Once she gets here, let me see how it’s going for her. If she seems in over her head, I will approach her. If not, let’s come back to this discussion in six months.”
Greg opened his eyes and looked at me. “You’re serious about this,” he said. It wasn’t a question.
“Yes,” I answered.
“Okay,” he replied. “I will follow your lead.”
“Are you serious?” Melissa asked.
“Yes,” Greg said. “Josh and I are partners, and if he feels this strongly about it, I am going to trust him.”
“Okay,” Melissa said. She was clearly disappointed, but she could also see that both Greg and I had made up our minds, so there was no point in arguing.
“Thank you,” I said.
Greg nodded, and we went on with the rest of the meeting. However, as much as I tried to focus on what everyone was saying, I couldn’t stop thinking about Brenna and how much I hoped she succeeded with the business.
Chapter 5
Brenna
I looked at Alicia and Michelle, and my eyes filled with tears. The past three weeks had been a whirlwind of activity, and all I had left to do was pack everything up, get a moving van, and drive across the country.
In two days, my parents would be coming to help me finish everything off and drive out to California with me, but at that moment, it was just me and my two best friends, facing the reality of what was about to happen.
“I can’t believe this,” Michelle said, wiping away tears.
“I know,” I said.
“Are you still sure it’s the right decision?” Alicia asked. “You know that we love you and are going to support you in whatever you do, but I want to make sure you feel good about it.”
“I do feel good about it,” I said. “I know that it’s the right decision. I mean, of course, I am going to miss you guys and my students and the city, but even with all of that, I know this is the right thing to do.”
“That’s all I needed to hear,” Alicia said, hugging me.
I was thankful for her support, but I was not surprised. She and Michelle were my dearest friends, and I knew that no matter what, they had my best interests at heart.
“Thank you,” I said, hugging her back.
“Oh my goodness, this is so sweet,” Michelle said, picking up the card my students had made.
“I know,” I said. “They are such a great group!”
There was only one day of school left, and that day my class had surprised me with a going-away party. While they were all sad that I wouldn’t be back at the school the next year, many of them said they were excited for me. The school administration had also been very supportive, telling me that they would miss me and that if I ever moved back, they would find a position for me.
“How do your parents feel about all of this?” Alicia asked, grabbing a stack of boxes and packing tape.
“They are excited for me,” I said, standing up and getting to work alongside Alicia. “They both loved living in Vista Bay, and the only reason they moved was because my dad couldn’t pass up the job opportunity. They’re both a little bit nervous for me since I don’t really know the first thing about running a B&B, but they also said they were confident that I’d figure it out.”
Michelle laughed. “That! That right there is why I have always loved your parents. They believe in you!”
