is think about how he left fifteen years ago. And I hate it. I’m independent, dammit. Ask anyone. I date guys who need to figure out how to move on after devastating breakups and loss. I teach them how to love again and then send them off to find the next love of their life. And now here I am, wallowing about some guy I haven’t talked to in ages. It sucks.”
“Love is hard,” Grace said.
“Is that all you have to say? Love is hard? My life isn’t a meme, Grace.”
Grace laughed as she poured the hot water into the teacups. When she was done, she sat across from her friend and said, “Sorry. Why don’t you tell me what happened back then? Maybe I can be more helpful.”
“There’s not much to tell,” she said with a sigh. “The short version is that he expected me to give up my job, my house, and my coven to follow him across the country to a temporary job that could barely pay the gas bill much less rent.” She paused and gave Grace a no-freakin’-way look. “I told him no way. I wasn’t giving up my whole life to follow his dreams. So he left. And we broke up. End of story.”
“Now he’s back and he wants… what?” Grace asked.
She shrugged. “To go back to where we were fifteen years ago, I guess. But I’m not that girl, and he’s not that guy. If that’s what he’s after, he’s crazy.”
“I think he’s here to take care of his mom,” Grace hedged.
“Oh, sure. He is. But he also wants something from me, and he’s not going to get it.”
“Okay,” Grace said, knowing better than to try to argue any different point of view. “Then it’s a no. It is what it is.”
Hope slumped back into her chair. “I hate you sometimes.”
Grace laughed. “Why?”
“Because you didn’t give me any warning. If I’d known he was coming or was here already, I could've prepared. Instead, I just looked like a pissed-off ex who couldn’t get it together.”
“Were you a pissed-off ex who couldn’t get it together?” Grace picked up her tea and took a sip.
“Yeah.” She ran her fingers through her hair and closed her eyes. After a few moments, she said, “Do you know what it was I wanted back then?”
“Nope. I knew you were working hard to build your art business.” Back in those days, Hope had a gallery where she sold paintings and custom portraits of people’s pets along with other artists’ work. But then she got tired of being tied to a shop, so she sold it and started her party planning business, which was thriving just like the art gallery had been. She was a brilliant businessperson. Grace had no doubt she could do just about anything she put her mind to.
“I wanted a house with enough room for a giant garden, chickens, and maybe goats so I could make my own goat cheese.” She chuckled. “That, along with my gallery and spending my nights with Lucas, all seemed like heaven. But then he wanted me to give up everything I’d worked for and I just… Nope. I watched my mom do that for a man. Forget it. I had dreams, too.”
“The house sounds lovely, Hope. I can see you doing that,” Grace said.
“Yeah. I’d still like to do that, but no room here for goats, or chickens for that matter.” She laughed. “Besides, that would be a lot of extra work for just me.”
Grace nodded, but in her mind, she was already thinking of how Hope just might get her house with enough room for her animals one day.
“Do you think I can just ignore him, and he’ll go away?” Hope asked, bringing the conversation back to Lucas.
“Probably not, but you can try.” She reached across the table and squeezed her friend’s hand. “You do know that you were right back then to not just pick up and go, don’t you?”
“Of course I do,” she said, almost defiantly.
“Good. Because if you were second guessing yourself, I wanted you to know I agree with you. If Lucas really expected you to leave everything behind for his dreams while he ignored yours, then he was being a selfish jackhole. Nothing was wrong with him following his dreams, but pressuring you to give up yours was.”
Hope stared at her mug for a few beats, and when she looked up there were fresh tears standing in her eyes. “Thanks, Grace. I think I