threatened. She folded the jersey and placed it on the table beside the box and reached inside for the last item: a handwritten note. Or actually, it was more of a list. There was writing on the top of the page, followed by a series of starred items, some with tiny check marks beside them and some without.
Emma sucked in a breath and started reading.
My best friend Deb Hershey is sitting beside me, forcing me at nail file point to write this list. She says everyone needs a list of things to do before you die…even if you plan on living forever.
I got diagnosed with cancer today. This is my Life List.
Goose bumps rose on Emma’s body. She sucked in an audible breath as she imagined her mom and Jack’s mom huddled together while creating this list. She remembered the night her mom had first gotten diagnosed. That night, her mom had gone to see Deb, and Emma had come along. She and Jack had sat on the back porch, and Emma had cried while he listened to all her worst fears. That must have been when this list was written.
Emma blinked past the sting in her eyes and continued to read the items.
*Run a marathon ✓
*Swim across Silver Lake ✓
*Fall in love with my husband all over again ✓
*Be my own best friend ✓
A half dozen checked items followed on the list, ending with three that were left unchecked:
*Start my own 5K
*Save a life
*Leave something wonderful behind when I die (50 years from now)
Emma reread the unchecked items, her heart reverberating with a deep ache. Her mother would never finish what she started. It seemed so wrong. Everything suddenly seemed wrong. And there was only one way to make it right. She had to finish her mother’s Life List.
* * *
Emma was still thinking about the box and the items inside when she opened the café a couple hours later. She was thankful for the endless customers who seemed to file in and out. When the crowd finally lulled, Nina stepped over while preparing an order.
“I tried to call you last night,” Nina said.
Emma poured a coffee for the customer she was serving and went to grab the creamer. “Oh, sorry I missed your call. Something came up.”
Nina gave her a questioning glance as she made a cappuccino for the next customer in line. “Like what? A date?”
Emma scoffed. “When would I have had time to meet someone and plan a date without telling you first?”
Emma carried the drink back to her customer, an older woman, who offered her a debit card. She wasn’t familiar with this customer, which made her wonder if she was the one who’d left her a poor review earlier this week. Well, if she was, there were two new tables in front of the shop to drink coffee, thanks to Jack’s help.
Emma lifted her gaze to look out the window as she swiped the woman’s card. Both tables out front were occupied, along with every seat in the café. Her smile faltered as she handed the card back to her customer. “I just added new seating, but it looks like it’s full this morning too. I’m so sorry for the inconvenience. I’ll be adding more seating soon.” If Halona agreed to have at least one table in front of her flower shop.
The woman smiled sweetly. “It’s fine, dear. I’m having mine to go anyway. It’s such a beautiful day to walk and window-shop.”
Emma relaxed a little bit, but her nerves came back in full force as more customers walked in. Where would they sit? They couldn’t all be hoping to window-shop this morning.
Nina cleared her throat, and Emma moved so that she could ring up her customer. As the crowd inside the café died down, Nina headed back over to where Emma was making a shot of espresso. “You’re still thinking about that bad review. I can tell.”
“Guilty,” Emma said without looking up at her friend. “I can’t help it.” She brought the espresso to her customer and took the payment. Then, with the first break in sight, Emma turned her back to the front of the café and faced Nina. “My mom always said that if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.”
Nina sighed. “Wouldn’t the world be a much nicer place?”
“Speaking of my mom, I opened the box.” Emma’s hands started shaking just thinking about it.