"That was extremely unexpected," Delia said, hanging up the phone. Wes looked up at her. He had been playing with Avery, tickling her toes.

"What?"

"Deborah has asked us to cater her big event next week."

"Macy's mom?" Wes clarified, surprised.

"Yea. Turns out the other person she had quit on her."

"Wow."

"Yea. So, it's show time. We gotta get stuff ready," Delia ordered.

"You got it," Wes nodded. This meant he would be seeing Macy again sooner than planned, and he really liked that idea. They had talked on the phone, but Macy seemed distant with him. He knew she was worried about her mother, but he was worried she was mad at him. He truly hoped she was not.

...

Macy was watching her mother unravel before her eyes. Nothing had gone right in the six days leading up to the big event. Macy was truly worried her mother was going to have a breakdown, and she had no idea how to prevent it.

Thankfully, the night before the event, the tent guys came and set it up earlier than planned. At least one thing was in their favor. Then, Caroline came with a flatbed truck and starting setting up pieces in the yard. Macy recognized them as Wes's work. She followed her mother, who asked Caroline what they were and where they were from.

"Macy's friend, Wes, makes them," Caroline explained. "He's wonderful. Honestly. Did you know he learned to weld at reform school?"

"I did not," Deborah said. "Wes. That's the boy who gave you the ride home. The one who..." She trailed off. The last words of that sentence were, "got arrested."

"Yup," Macy nodded.

"He's amazing," Caroline went on. "One of the professors recognized how talented Wes was, and he's been giving him college level classes for the last two years. Wes showed at the university gallery a few months ago."

"He did?" Macy asked, surprised. How had Wes neglected to tell her that?

"Well, his aunt told me," Caroline corrected. "She also told me he has had offers from several art schools, but he's not sure what he wants to do. He's so busy right now that he's back logged. Oh, and he won the Emblem Prize last year."

"Which is?" Macy asked.

"A state's award," her mother answered, sounding as though she might actually be a bit impressed. "The governor's committee hands them out."

Caroline went on about the art and what it resembled to her while Macy watched her mother look at the pieces. She really wanted her mother to like Wes. Perhaps this was giving her a different picture of him to think about.

In the end, her sister stayed, even though she was still mad at Deborah for bailing on the beach house trip. Macy knew it would take a bit of time before they stopped being polite around each other, but any progress was good progress it seemed.

The Next Day

Macy awoke to a noise and found Wes outside. She hurried down to meet him, and he grunted when she threw herself into his arms, almost flattening him. That was enough proof to tell him she wasn't mad at him.

"Hi," he said.

"Hi," she said back.

"You're up early."

"I heard noises. What are you doing here?"

"Just dropping something off."

"Are you going to be helping tonight?" Macy asked. "With the catering?"

"I gotta run some pieces down to the coast, but I'll come by after that," he answered.

"I heard you won the Emblem Prize last year," Macy said.

"Did you?" he asked, feeling his face go a bit red. His aunt was terrible at bragging about his accomplishments, not that it was a bad thing. He just didn't like attention on him.

"I also heard you have opportunities for art school," she went on.

"My aunt likes to chatter," he nodded.

"I think it's good."

"Well, I don't know yet. I'm still thinking about it."

"My mom seemed impressed by it," Macy said quietly. "I think you were right. You might have a chance yet."

"I told you," he smiled.

Then they heard shouting and saw Deborah freaking out about the tent that was now blowing around the yard.

"Oh no," Macy groaned.

"Does she need help?" Wes asked.

"I've got this. You go do what you gotta do. I'll see you later," Macy said.

"You sure?"

"Yes. Go," she urged. She hurried to her mother, and Wes hovered briefly before taking her word for it that she was okay. He had a bad feeling that things were going to go downhill for this event as the day went on.

...

It had been a disaster after the tent. The rain was unbelievable, and Deborah had finally broken down and went to her room. She was feeling like a failure at everything when Macy came in. She didn't have to turn around to know it was Macy. She felt bad for being so hard on her suddenly. She knew Macy hadn't really done anything wrong, but the fact that she was changing scared Deborah. She had always liked the fact she could count on Macy, and if she couldn't, then who could she count on? She had never recovered from losing her husband, her best friend, and if she lost Macy too...well, that was unthinkable.

But was Macy really lost? Perhaps not. She was seeing that now. She felt her daughter standing closer behind her, and she turned to face her. They looked at each other for a moment.

"I'm..." she started. "Sorry" was the last word in that sentence, but Macy took her off guard by pulling her into a tight hug, and it died on her lips. She imagined her daughter knew anyway. This hug was Macy's way of telling her how she was feeling, and it had been a long time since she'd done that. Deborah knew this had to change, that they had to do it more often.

She wanted to say something, but Delia beat her to it.

"All right," she said outside the door. "Here's what we're gonna do..."

...

After a hot shower and a glass of wine was put in her hand, Deborah was feeling a little better. Macy was trying to convince her that things could only get better since they'd seen the worst, and she wanted to have that mindset, but it was hard to do in that moment. She was trying, though. Then, Kristy brought up Wes, who was not there in that moment.

"Have you or have you not agreed to go out with Wes?" Kristy asked Macy, who cringed.

"Oh, Kristy, please no," Delia begged. "Not now."

"No, I need an answer right now."

"Yes, tell us," Caroline said, listening.

"Oh boy," Bert sighed.

"I agree," Deborah said, curious. "Tell us, Macy."

"Tell me you said yes," Kristy went on before Macy could say anything. "Because you deserve a guy who is extraordinary like him and who doesn't break up with you because you told him you loved him and didn't take his job seriously."

Deborah's ears perked at this. Jason had done that? She looked at Macy, who was avoiding her gaze. How had she missed that? Why hadn't Macy said anything?

"Jason did that?" she asked. She had to know.

"It's a long story," Macy answered, not really answering.

"Wait, Wes was here this morning," Caroline said, realizing.

"He was?" Kristy asked. "Macy?"

"He was," Macy nodded. This was it, she guessed. This was how it was going to go down. But she was saved by Delia.

"It's time," Delia said, gesturing to the door where people were running to through the rain, which had let up a little.

Deborah watched Macy scurry away, free of the attention. She knew her daughter well enough to know that she liked this boy, Wes. She watched for him throughout the event, and when he came in through the door, she watched Macy's face change to a pleased expression that also had a bit of shyness mixed in it. Suspicion confirmed.

"Wes!" Delia called. "Help, please!"

He went over to assist, and Deborah caught Macy's gaze. Her daughter looked uncertain as to whether or not Deborah had seen the way Wes had touched her arm before leaving her, and she had. She got a feeling this boy really cared for Macy, and she wanted someone like that for her daughter, not someone who would break up with her because she dared to say she loved him.

She smiled at Macy, trying to convey she was all right with it. Her daughter seemed to understand because she smiled back.

Things were going to be just fine between them. Deborah had complete faith. She looked around at Macy's new friends, realizing why Macy liked them so much. They were so full of life. Deborah had been so afraid of being left behind, to be alone wallowing in her grief and managing it the only way she knew how: through work. This fear had made her reach to keep Macy there with her, and it wasn't fair to Macy to put that on her. It was time for Deborah to realize that she could move forward too and not forget what happened or the good times they all had together before they lost him. It was possible to do both.

...

Wes watched as Macy took Jason, who had surprised her by just showing up, out back to talk to him. He knew he shouldn't feel worried, but he did a little.

"She's not into him," Kristy assured him. "She's into you, Wes."

He said nothing as she walked off to serve more people. When Deborah approached him, however, he felt nervous.

"You're Wes," she said.

"That's me," he nodded.

"I don't think we've properly met yet."

"No, we haven't."

"Your art has really impressed my neighbors and Caroline," Deborah said. "I must say that I'm impressed too."

"Thank you," he said, not knowing what else to say. He looked again out at Macy and Jason, who was looking confused.

"You really like my daughter, don't you?" Deborah asked, making him look back at her.

"I really do," he answered firmly. "She's very special to me, and I care about her a lot."

"My husband would have liked you I think," Deborah said, surveying him with a sad smile. Wes noticed a photograph of the two of them on the table behind her, and he felt surprised. He moved to look at it more closely.

"Is this him?" he asked, looking at her.

"Yes," she nodded.

"I have met him," Wes answered, realizing.

"You have?"

"Yes. He bought one of my pieces for..." Wes stopped suddenly. He looked at Caroline. She had never said she had one of his smaller pieces. She had said she'd never seen his work before. He looked back out at Macy. It had to be her. She was the daughter he was buying it for. As if there needed to be another sign telling them they were meant to be together.

"Macy," Deborah finished, understanding what he was thinking. She looked around. Where was it?

"She hasn't opened it yet," Wes said, realizing. She would have said something otherwise. She had also never seen his work before the statue near his place. She had told him so. He left Deborah behind and went out to join Macy.

"I just don't understand," Jason was saying.

"Macy," Wes said, interrupting.

"I'm sorry, Jason," Macy said firmly. "This is over. I'm sorry you're not understanding why."

"But..."

"Macy," Wes said again.

"What?" she asked, looking at him. He didn't even think. He just pulled her in and kissed her as though is life depended on it. She was surprised but didn't pull away. Jason, on the other hand, was disgruntled.

"Excuse me!" he said loudly.

"Wes," Macy said after he pulled back. She ignored Jason. She knew her mother was watching from the window, but there was a smile on her mother's face that she missed.

"It's going to be okay," he told her, touching her face. "Your dad knew it even back then."

"Knew what?"

"That we would meet. He talked a lot about you," Wes said.

"I don't understand..."

"Where's the gift he gave you? For Christmas?"

"Upstairs," she said. "How did you know about that?"

"Come on," he urged, taking her hand and pulling her with him. They went together, and she dug it out of her closet, holding it in her hands.

"I'm still confused as to how you knew about this," she said.

"Just open it," he gestured. She did, and when his small sculpture of the heart in the hand came out from the wrapping, she stared at it.

"Wow," she said quietly, finally looking at him.

"He was really nice," Wes said. "Your dad."

"You met him?" she whispered. The proof was in her hands, of course. He had met Wes. He had picked this out for her without knowing he had met the boy Macy would really like.

"I did. He was funny. I remember that. I liked him a lot."

"He would have liked you too."

"Your mom said the same thing."

"She did?"

"Yea. Macy, it's going to be okay," he said again, moving to pull her in close. "Just like I told you."

She hugged him tightly, and he held the back of her head against his chest. The noise of the party downstairs carried on, and Macy knew that Jason was down there somewhere looking for answers he wouldn't understand, but she was quite content to stay in this moment with Wes. It was all she needed.

And he was right. It would all be okay.

The End

I liked the epilogue that the book gave, so I'm leaving it at that. I hope you all enjoyed! Thank you, Babatomyfriends, for your consistent reviews. They made me smile :)