Written in the stars *COMPLETE*

Xander

      Bri and I had a great time at the fair. We had honestly almost completely forgotten about Juliette and Lily until Bri got a panicked text from Lily. We had just gotten to the front of the cotton candy line when she had shown me her phone. The screen was lit up with a text from Lily.

Please come help me Jules is having an existential crisis and I don't know what to do. 

And so, we left the line and set out to find the girls. When we finally found them, Lily and Juliette were sitting in the grass, tears in both of their eyes. We just wanted to show them our super cool stuffed animals that we had won but it looked like now was not a great time. I sat down next to Juliette and Bri sat next to Lily. Juliette had her head buried in her hands and she was staring at the ground. "Hey, darling... You okay?" She didn't answer. I decided to just talk to her until she responded.

     "That ground must be very interesting." Still no response. I continued talking to her to no avail. Then Lily got up and motioned for me to move so she could sit in my place. I gladly slid back next to Bri. I was worried about Juliette, but I had a feeling that this was something that Lily and Juliette had to figure out. I didn't know the whole situation but based on context clues I figured that I best stay out of it.

      Maisy sat down next to Juliette and started talking to her. I think it was something along the lines of, "I'm so sorry, we both are, can we work past this?" but I couldn't quite tell. Whatever it was though, it had started to work because Juliette lifted her head up and started nodding. I think it was some kind of apology because they both got very emotional and then hugged. Again, I only got the gist of the situation because Brielle was talking to me about the very serious matter of naming the stuffed animal she had won. The rest of the night passed without issue. Lily and Juliette had worked out whatever had happened and Bri and I had decided on names for our new friends. The bear was going to be named Ted E. which I thought was a very formidable name for my stuffed friend. Juliette and Lily, however, were not amused. "Really? Ted E. Bear? That has got to be the worst name in existence. Fortunately for me, Bri had decided to name the dog "Christmas" which resulted in lots more teasing than I had gotten for Ted.

"What kind of name is Christmas?" Lily had laughed.

"Yeah, it's like naming your child Fourth of July!" Juliette added.

They roared in laughter. Bri at first looked embarrassed but stuck to her guns. "I like it and the name is staying." This night was, undoubtedly, a fantastic idea.

     Juliette was worlds happier on the drive home than she was on the way to the fair. She even suggested we went on another double date with Bri and Lily in the future. I agreed and sent her home with Ted E. Bear. I decided she needed him to remember this night more than I did. I drove home to a quiet house. Jenny and mom had fallen asleep watching movies, waiting for me to arrive safely. I put my stuff in my room and then returned to where Jenny and Mom were fast asleep on the couch. I turned off the TV and scooped Jenny up into my arms. She already had her PJs on so I tucked her into bed and returned to the living room to wake my mom up so she could sleep in her bed and not on the couch. I lightly shook her shoulder and she started to open her eyes. She yawned and smiled when she saw that it was me who was waking her up.

"Hey buddy, how was it?"

"It was great Mom. You should probably go to sleep in your bed. The couch isn't comfy."

     My mom nodded groggily in agreement and got up to go to her room. I watched her go, and thought about the late nights and excessive hours she was pulling just a couple of months ago. Now she had time to spend with her family. I was really proud of her. She constantly came home with new ideas for drinks and decorations for the coffee shop. She still had her old marketing job but she had started training someone new so she could focus full time on what was to be the Coffee House. She had been securing supplies and working to put the shop together as much as possible but having her new schedule was definitely making her life easier. Rather than coming home exhausted and worn out, like she did from her marketing job, she was always invigorated and positive. She had also been trying out new drink recipes in the mornings which was good for me because then I woke up to a house smelling like coffee almost every day.

     As summer progressed, my days were spent alternating between hanging out with friends and helping Mom with the shop. Our grand opening was scheduled for July 16th and it was creeping up quickly. Three of the walls were painted a neutral gray and one was paneled with wood. We had found some vintage armchairs and matching coffee tables at a thrift store and after a little revamping, they were added to the shop. It was really coming together. June had come and gone and suddenly the opening was in less than twenty days. My mom had practically already hired Juliette and me as employees because we spent so much time there we already knew how to make 90% of the drinks on the menu. Jenny claimed she was an honorary employee because she helped make the scones and other treats that the shop was going to serve along with the drinks.

     Our summer days were spent calling local businesses, forming partnerships, completing finishing touches, and "sampling" way too many smoothies from the menu. The days were easy and simple but I had a problem. My crush, my infatuation, and my feelings for Juliette could no longer be classified as such. I was utterly and undoubtedly, in love. The funny thing about love is that no matter how many Nicholas Sparks books you read or cheesy romance movies you watch or adorable stories you hear from couples in your life, nothing can prepare you for the real thing. It is one of those things that must be felt to be understood. Looking back, there was no momentous feeling or realization or declaration. One day, while working together to prepare the coffee shop for opening, I looked at her and just knew. I was in love. This realization felt momentous but familiar. Though I had just realized that I loved Juliette, I also knew that I had loved her for a long time. Unfortunately, I had no idea how to tell her.

      Six days until opening we called the shop "ready for opening". Jenny, Juliette, Mom, and I sat around a wooden table and surveyed the shop. Situated in a row of businesses on the edge of downtown, it would be a small but mighty coffee house. Large windows lined the entrance, letting in lots of light. Old movie posters were hung up on the wooden paneled wall and the shop itself was scattered with sitting areas. Mom sipped her cappuccino.

"You know, I think this is almost perfect."

"Almost perfect?" I questioned, "It's beautiful mom."

"Yeah, you did an incredible job," Juliette chimed in.

"I CONCUR," Jenny added.

     Mom laughed. "Thank you for all your compliments but look at that wall. It's so blank. Don't you think it's missing something?" She gestured at a patch of the wall above the coffee bar. She was right. The rest of the room was put together so the customer would feel at home and cozy but that patch of the wall did seem out of place.

"I was thinking maybe along the lines of a mural?" Mom looked pointedly in my direction.

     I had started painting at the beginning of the summer and had found that the skills I had learned drawing had transferred over pretty easily so I wasn't bad but I wouldn't call myself mural worthy.

"Uh, I don't know about that mom. What would I even paint?"

"Well, since we can't see the mountains from the windows I was thinking you could maybe bring the mountains to us?" She suggested.

     I looked at the large space above the coffee bar. Mountains aren't that hard right? They are just lines. I could do that in... six days. I looked at my mom. She looked so hopeful. She had put so much work into this place. It was the least I could do. And so I agreed.

     I went out and bought paints later that day. I returned home to find my mom sitting at the kitchen table. She was writing an email to Dad. She had been updating him frequently on the progress of the coffee shop. She usually lets me read the emails he writes or at least parts of them. Now, with the convenience of technology, we mostly communicate by email or phone. I placed the bag of paints and brushes on the table and sat down. Mom stopped typing as I greeted her. "Hi, Mom." "Hi." She was smiling to herself and kept glancing back at her screen. "Uh, what are you up to?" I asked. She exited out of her draft and tilted her computer screen towards me so I could read.

Dearest Stephanie, (that's my mom's name) I have such great news! I'm being promoted to a job that I can do locally. I'm coming home!! I have a few more months out here, but I will be home before Christmas. I miss you all so much. How are Xander and Jenny? Tell me more about the coffee shop! I have so much I want to update you on...

I looked up at Mom. "Dad's... coming home?"

She nodded with a smile. "Dad's coming home."