The Second Chance Supper Club

by Meier, Nicole

  “This place is amazing,” Julia said, practically jogging to keep up.

  “I know.” A grin played on Olive’s lips, a spark of something bright in her eyes. Julia suddenly had lots of questions, like how did Olive first find the place, and how often did she come here? She also wondered if everything her niece knew about flower arranging was self-taught or had been shown to her somehow. Whenever Julia purchased a bouquet from her local grocer back home, she never felt as if she were fully capable of trimming and arranging the stems the way she’d envisioned. There was an art to what Olive could do—Julia had witnessed this firsthand back at Ginny’s.

  “So,” Olive said, leading them toward the middle of the packed warehouse, “I want to revamp the table arrangements, but I also want to do some new ones in different-size dish gardens. I got my inspiration on Pinterest, and I have an idea of how we can incorporate them into the front entry.”

  “Sounds cool.” Julia arrived at her side. They had left the buckets of stemmed flowers and now found themselves in the center of the indoor succulent section, an array of miniature plants with whimsical names such as burro’s tail and flaming katy. Olive slowed her pace, taking her time perusing metal racks of each variety. She stooped down and plucked a container of a sweet, blossom-shaped plant.

  “What’s that one?” Julia asked. She liked the look of its pink-edged tips, whose color reminded her of a radish.

  “This guy here is called roseum. It likes the sun, so I’d have to think of a spot near a window. But it’s a nice touch of color among all the green. At different times of year, it develops clusters of light-pink star-shaped flowers. I like it because it adds texture next to something like, say, that jade plant, which is more like a stocky little tree. If I place them together, it adds interest.”

  “Wow. That sounds great.”

  Olive brightened. “Thanks. And then, see these here?” She pointed to a miniature plant with chubby, rosette-style leaves.

  “Yes?” Julia leaned closer and squinted to read the sign. “The one that says ‘Sedum Golden Glow’?”

  “Yes. That one. I’m thinking of getting a few of those guys and placing them on the dining table in these cool little glass-and-gold terrariums I found online. They have delicate little panes of glass set against metal frames that catch your eye, and they’re fancy enough for Mom’s taste. She’s okay if I do rustic, but she always wants a touch of something expensive mixed in. The terrariums do the trick, I think.”

  “Sounds amazing.” Julia was blown away. Here she’d assumed Olive wasn’t too interested in pleasing her mother, but clearly the girl had taken Ginny’s preferences into account and done her homework. Plus, as Julia could clearly see, it all excited Olive.

  “Thanks!” Olive’s rosy cheeks pushed back into a wide smile.

  “You seem to know so much about all of this,” Julia said, waving her arm. “Do you ever think about doing it for a job?”

  Olive’s face scrunched. “You mean work for a florist or something?”

  “Sure. Why not? You obviously have an interest.”

  “I don’t know. Yeah, maybe. I guess if the situation was right.”

  Julia studied her. “You know what someone told me once? That if you wake up and think about something more than anything else, then you’re meant to do that thing.” She wanted Olive to understand that having a passion for something was a rare and special gift. If horticulture or floral design was in the realm of Olive’s interest, she should pursue it.

  “Is that how you feel? About the news?”

  Julia took a long pause. Ironically, she hadn’t obsessed over the daily news alerts and updates from the office the way she had a week ago. What does that mean? she wondered. It had been years since she’d been able to freely set aside her work. Up until recently, she’d never wanted to.

  “I suppose so. I mean, when I was your age, I couldn’t think of anything else. I logged a lot of hours building my résumé and my career to get to where I am today. But—” She hesitated. Reflecting on her current predicament, with her career dangling in limbo, was difficult. Even at a distance. “My situation is a little different. I think I wanted it so badly, was so afraid of losing footing in my job, that I made a huge mistake. I lost sight of what was important. I hope no job ever makes you feel that way. It’s no fun. Trust me.”

  Olive fingered the leaf of a nearby zebra-striped plant. She seemed to be working something out in her head.

  “Gosh.” Julia sighed. “I haven’t said any of that out loud. To anyone.”

  Olive looked up. “How does it feel?”

  “Strange.” She’d carried such a sense of shame since arriving in Arizona. Sharing her problems with her family, or anyone, for that matter, wasn’t easy. Look at how James had reacted when she’d tried to confide in him. From Julia’s perspective, her fiancé hadn’t wanted to accept her error. He hadn’t wanted to accept her. Part of Julia worried that her sister might have a similar reaction. But Olive was different; she seemed to genuinely care.

  “Maybe you just need a long break. Maybe that’s what my mom needs too.” Julia sensed a tone of sadness in her words.

  “Is that what you think? That your mom has taken on too much?”

  Olive shrugged. “I don’t know. I mean, she did leave a lot of hectic, work-related stress back in New York. But she still has that perfectionist, workaholic vibe. Even way out here in the desert.”

  Julia nodded. She understood what Olive meant. Ginny did seem stressed. But she also wasn’t convinced it was because she was still cooking for customers. She couldn’t put her finger on it, but something told her there was more to her sister’s tension. Plus, Olive’s attitude toward her mother hadn’t helped. Julia debated whether or not to say so.

  “You know, your mom’s path doesn’t have to be yours. You can follow your own dreams.”

  “Ha! Really? Does she know that?” Her smile carried a touch of frost.

  “I think so.”

  “That’s nice, Aunt Julia.” Something in her expression gave Julia the sense that a door had been opened but then shut. A curtain of heaviness had dropped. “Honestly, I feel like Mom’s never going to let me go. Her business needs help. And no offense, but we all know you aren’t going to stick around forever. Then what? It’s back to me and Mom, locked in a battle.”

  Guilt swept over her. Here she’d thought staying on had been helping, but in Olive’s view, Julia was only prolonging the inevitable. And she worried Olive was anticipating being abandoned by her aunt all over again.

  A contemplative silence unfurled between them. Each studied the row of plants before them, lost in thought. After a while, Olive made a move.

  “If you want to help me find some moss and small white rocks to use as filler, that would be great. I know they’re around here somewhere. I just can’t remember where I’ve seen them.” She stood on her tiptoes and scanned the perimeter with wide eyes. “Ooh, I see some nice eucalyptus over there. I can pair it with a variety of succulents for a pretty table garland. I need to check that out next. Want to come?”

  “Sure. You lead the way.” Julia stepped back and gestured for Olive to pass. She was so glad she’d tagged along.

  Observing her niece in this environment, practically her natural habitat given how Olive had come alive once they’d walked through the doors, made Julia realize two very important things. First, her niece really did have a passion. Julia wanted to encourage Olive to follow it wherever it might take her. Second, she believed there was still hope for her sister and her niece after all. Olive might not want to admit it, but her mother’s opinion mattered. Somehow Julia needed to bring those two together and demonstrate how much they both cared.

  Exiting the flower market, their cart full of purchases, Julia was surprised to find Shane Hemsley just outside the entrance.

  “Shane!” she exclaimed, jostling an armload of wrapped eucalyptus. Olive nearly bumped into her back, caught off guard by the abrupt stop.

&nbs
p; “Well, hey there, ladies,” Shane said, smiling over a grouping of potted trees. “Busy morning of shopping, I see.” He nodded toward their cart.

  “Yes, some stuff for Ginny’s restaurant. What about you?”

  He jutted out a thumb. “Need to pick up some small trees for a new build. I don’t normally deal with the landscaping, but today is the big reveal to out-of-town owners, and I thought it might be a nice touch.”

  “Oh, that sounds really thoughtful. I bet they’ll be happy.” Julia tried to imagine him at work, architecture plans in hand, overseeing the construction from the ground up, adding creative touches like small trees to complement the design. It warmed her to know he’d grown up into a successful, considerate man who appreciated the details.

  Shane smiled again, dropping a hand into his pocket. Julia got the sense he’d be happy to chat longer, but she realized Olive was getting fidgety behind her. They needed to get back to the house and help Ginny prepare.

  “Well, it’s good to see you again. Maybe we’ll run into each other more often.” She didn’t know why she said that. It wasn’t as if they had mutual friends or anything. But still. Something inside her, much like a flicker of hope, ignited. She liked his easy manner and kind smile. It would be nice to see him again. She realized she hadn’t made a new friend in quite some time—hell, she hadn’t spent quality time with a non-work-related friend in longer than she could remember. Her life had been too consumed by getting ahead of the next lead, and even her outings with James somehow always revolved around showing face.

  “Yeah, maybe we will. Good luck at your sister’s, and enjoy your visit. See you around.” He gave a little wave and ambled off toward a larger display of plants.

  “Well, that was interesting,” Olive muttered as they walked toward the car.

  “Was it?” Julia feigned indifference. Her finger automatically went to touch her engagement ring, as if she had to remind herself that it was still there. She needed to hear James’s voice. That was all.

  “Uh-huh.” Olive grinned and gave her a knowing glance. They loaded the trunk and headed back to the house. All the while, Julia replayed in her head the coincidence of running into Shane.

  Dinner that evening was to be a cozy affair, with Ginny’s reservation book indicating a small party of four. Compared to what they’d been used to, it should have been easy.

  In the dining room, Julia busied herself by helping Olive separate stems and rearrange plants into artful centerpieces. It was fun, but she also felt distracted. Stepping away briefly, she phoned James. He didn’t pick up. She’d have to try again later.

  When she returned, Olive requested a second pair of cutters. Julia darted off and began rummaging through kitchen drawers, assuming that’s where her sister might keep them. When she came upon a stack of mail with foreboding PAST DUE labels, she froze. Were these new? And if so, why had they been hidden in a drawer? Surely such things required immediate attention, whatever they were.

  Glancing over her shoulder, she checked for her sister. Finding herself alone, Julia carefully plucked the top envelope between her fingers and peeked inside. To her surprise, it appeared to be a recent notice for an overdue mortgage payment. Her heart sank. Ginny’s money problems went much deeper than not being able to pay Olive a regular salary. Her sister was behind on the house payments and who knew what else. And what’s more, she was hiding this from everyone. It wasn’t good.

  “What are you doing?” Julia jumped as Ginny came up from behind, her tone barbed with accusation.

  “Oh!” The envelope slipped from her grasp and back into the drawer. But before Julia could shut it, Ginny was upon her. “I just, I was looking for some gardening shears and stumbled across the mail.”

  “So you decided it was your business to go ahead and rifle through it?” Ginny glared at her and snatched the contents of the drawer, then thrust the envelopes behind her back.

  Julia wavered. Ginny was clearly angry at her invasion of privacy. But she was also evidently in trouble. “Ginny,” she said. “Why didn’t you tell me it was this bad? Are you really not able to pay your mortgage?”

  “God!” Ginny snapped. “It’s none of your business. I let you into my home, after everything, and this is how you repay me? By snooping around in my personal life?” There was venom in her words. Like a great bubbling of red-hot anger now rising to the top, ready to explode with dangerous force if Julia wasn’t careful.

  “I, uh, wait, what do you mean, ‘after everything’?’” She frowned. To what was Ginny referring, exactly? And how had this altercation taken such a sharp turn all of a sudden?

  Ginny’s eyes narrowed. “You know exactly what I’m talking about. Don’t play naive, Julia. Why do you think I’m even here, struggling to run a business and make a living in the middle of the desert—the very place we left in order to find better opportunities? Do you think I just gladly gave up the big paycheck and my burgeoning career for the hell of it? To work my fingers to the bone, with no real resources, or staff, or following, for that matter, just because I wanted a change? You can be so clueless! Don’t you realize I’m in this position because of you?”

  What the hell was she talking about? How did they go from zero to fifty in only a matter of seconds? Julia stared, dumbfounded, at her roiling sister.

  “Ginny,” she started, “why are you blaming this on me? I didn’t make you move back to Arizona.”

  Ginny sneered. “Didn’t you?”

  “No, I didn’t.” Julia felt herself bristling.

  “So, when Mom and Dad died and left umpteen million loose ends to be handled—the house that took forever to repair and then sell, the debt, the funeral arrangements—you assumed that would all magically take care of itself? Clearly you did. Because when I asked you to come help me, you blew me off. Never mind that there wasn’t an official funeral service to attend. You couldn’t even be bothered to help sign the forms and send their ashes out to sea. You left me no choice. Someone had to come pick up the pieces, Julia. And when I did, my job didn’t exactly wait around for me. I did the responsible thing while you ignored it all. You chose your career over your family. Well, I might have lost my reputation while scraping to get by, but at least I can say that I didn’t do that.”

  What was happening? Julia smarted as if she’d been slapped hard in the face. This was absurd. She hadn’t forced Ginny to do anything she didn’t want to do. Plus, there was no way she could have left her journalism job at the time. She had commitments. Didn’t her sister know this?

  “I don’t know what to say, Ginny. You sound like you already formed an opinion about all of this even before you asked for my side of things.”

  Ginny only huffed and folded her arms tight.

  “I appreciate what you did for Mom and Dad. But you’re laying it all on rather thick. I never asked you to take over. You just did. Like always. Because you’re a control freak.”

  “Ha!” Ginny’s rage was becoming manic. Julia shrank back, unsure of what might come next. “That’s a joke. I only take over because you never do. Ever!”

  “What’s going on in here?” Olive appeared in the kitchen now, gardening gloves dangling at her sides. Both sisters looked from her to one another. Silence fell over the room.

  “Nothing but the usual bullshit,” Ginny hissed. “Never mind. I’ve got a party to feed and I don’t have time for this.” She stormed past them both and disappeared toward the back of the house.

  Julia’s shoulders fell as she leaned against the counter. “Your mom’s just mad at me because of some stuff that happened after your grandparents died.”

  “Oh, that.” Olive nodded as if she already knew. “Yeah, she could’ve used some help, that’s for sure.”

  Julia slumped. Had it really been that bad? Had Ginny and Olive struggled while Julia went about her life in New York? Would things have been different if Julia had come earlier? Was she really as terrible as Ginny made her out to be? Suddenly, she wasn’t feeling so great. Ma
ybe she should go lie down.

  “But you’re here now.” Olive interrupted her mounting downward spiral. “And that is a lot. You’ve stayed on to help with Mesquite, and my mom won’t say it, but I will: it’s been a big help. Really. Sometimes it’s better late than never, right?”

  Julia shook her head against the blood pumping in her ears. “I guess. I don’t know, actually.” She looked at her niece. “Olive, I’m sorry if it has been difficult. I’m sorry I wasn’t a better aunt. I guess I didn’t really know how stressful things were. Or if I did, I was in denial. Will you forgive me for not being around?”

  Olive let the lids of her eyes fall before she met Julia’s gaze. “I know you didn’t do it on purpose, Aunt Julia. I’m okay with it. I understand. No one’s perfect. But you might need to give my mom a second. She’s said her piece, and now she likely needs to cool off.”

  “Okay, thanks. You’re wise beyond your years, you know that?” Julia reached out and touched Olive’s arm. She wanted to hug her but wasn’t sure how it would be received. They were all feeling a bit raw.

  “Thanks. I’m sure we’ll talk more about it, but honestly, my mom is right. We have people coming tonight, and there’s still stuff to be done. So I’m just going to get back to what I was doing. I’m sure Mom would appreciate it if you stayed and helped. I know her. Even if she’s mad at you, she still needs you. Okay?”

  “Okay.” Julia offered a weak smile. She wasn’t really sure, but she was going to stick around because Olive asked her to.

  The dinner service was off all night. Because of the earlier blowup, the energy in the house had taken on a tense air. Nothing ran smoothly. The three women more or less ignored the elephant in the room and spent two hours catering to a cocky young guy and his even younger girlfriend, along with another couple they’d brought. It wasn’t that the group of newcomers was high maintenance, per se. It just struck Julia as peculiar, the way the one guy kept asking pointed questions about the food, seemingly to impress his friends. He spoke with his mouth full and waved a fork in the air, trying to get Ginny’s attention and strike up a conversation with her whenever she poked her head out to check on things. He said he’d heard of Ginny’s preceding reputation. He wanted to know whether she missed her old chef’s life back in New York and how she managed to keep such a clandestine spot in her desert home. Olive tried to run interference, to protect Ginny’s cooking schedule and fragile nerves. Julia smiled politely and offered stilted information about the menu.