life and give him a stronger home presence. If they fell in love again, they could solve each other's problems. It was perfect.
“You all right, Holly? You look like someone just doused you with cold water,” Mrs. Thatcher said peering at me through her glasses. I grinned at her as I put the can of beans into her bag, feeling hope surge through me.
“I just had a great idea hit me, Mrs. Thatcher. Your total is $102.97.”
“Oh, I have coupons dear,” she said, digging into her purse, the feathers on her head bobbing up and down.
Audrey and Ray. It couldn't be too hard to get them back together, especially if they had been so close once. My fingers itched to pull out my phone and text Luke and Andrew my idea, but it still felt too new to share. I needed to have a plan before I told either one of them.
“Do you need any help out to your car today, Mrs. Thatcher?” I asked handing her the receipt.
“No dear, I'm fine. It was nice chatting with you,” she chirped as she pushed her cart out towards the door. The feathers in her hat floated gently above her, her words echoing in my head. I glanced around to see if anyone was watching, and then pulled out my phone. I didn't want to wait, I had to tell someone. The text message was as straightforward as it could be, but every word brought me new excitement.
I have an idea that could help Luke.
I hit send, electric excitement pouring through me. I knew Andrew would be at work, but just sending him the message made me feel intoxicated with hope. This was going to be great. I let my brain buzz through ideas, glad to have something to think about other than myself.
▪▪▪
This was not working.
I sat in a sea of crumpled paper, my chair a lone boat in an ocean of failed ideas. I had tried typing my ideas on how to get Audrey and Ray together on my computer, but it felt so impersonal. So, instead, I sat massaging my cramped fingers and staring at yet another blank page. I picked up the piece of paper and smashed it into a ball, tossing it towards the waste basket just to get it out of my face. I missed and it bounced off my dog's head. Shadow raised her head to smell it, her big brown eyes curious, but finding it nothing but frustrated ideas, resettled back into her nap.
It had seemed so easy at first glance. Audrey and Ray had fallen in love once, I knew they could do it again. I had buzzed through my shift, sprinted home and hopped on the computer for research. Fast forward two hours and I had no results. Everything I found was either too complex or too reminiscent of “The Parent Trap”. I had no idea how to get these two people to fall in love, let alone how to get them in the same room. My balloon of excited hope was quickly deflating, reality a slow leak sinking it. My phone chimed, the noise startling me.
Just got your message. You have an idea to help Luke?
I stared at the message for a good minute, trying to decide if I should even tell him my idea. It sounded stupid now, and the last thing I wanted was for him to associate me with stupid. I regretted sending him the first message, but I had been so excited. Future me wanted to take away past me's phone.
I thought I did, but I don't think it is going to work.
It was a couple of minutes before my phone chirped.
That's because you always over think things. On my way over.
I tossed my phone onto my desk, grimacing at the thunk as it landed. It had seemed so simple. So deceptively simple. Get two people to fall back in love. People fall in love everyday, it couldn't be that hard. Yet, somehow, I could not come up with a plan to save my life. Frustration boiled up in my core, I could feel it rising the longer I thought about it.
“Seriously, you should lock your door. If I were robbing the place, I would have all the fancy silver by now,” Andrew said walking nonchalantly into my room. I could tell he had just finished his workout at the gym. He had his dark blue sweats on over his gym shorts and t-shirt, the hair around