Page 64 of A Lot Like Lavender

“Yeah, that’s what I said.” I wave him off and forget all about Trey when Molly races up from the pond towards me.

“Ace!”

“Whoa, what is it kiddo?” I pause her, hands on her shoulders. “You’re supposed to be getting set up for the ceremony. Mornin’, Theo,” I greet the kid who’s been following Molly around all morning. He immediately shoots his hand out to shake mine.

“Morning, sir.”

Nope. I refuse to like him.

Molly’s out of breath but still gives me the stink eye when I point two fingers at my eyes, then at Theo.

I’m watching you.

Theo echoes the motion. Which, if he were any other kid, I think I’d respect. But today, I don’t like his attitude.

Both wearing ring pops on significant fingers, Molly laces her hand with Theo’s, using her other to point down the pasture. And I do a great job of not mentally spiraling over how to keep a few degrees of separation between these two for the next ten to twenty years. “We found a nest down at the pond, but it looks abandoned. I think it’s ducks.”

“Okay,” I say, looking towards the water. We don’t have time to assess it right now, but giving it time isn’t necessarily a bad thing. If the mother comes back, we’ll know. “What makes you think it’s abandoned?”

“There aren’t any feathers on top. Just like you told me.”

I nod, unable to hold back my smile. We’ve been studying the nests and dens of local animals so Molly will know whatto do if she comes across any on the farm. Her love of animals comes so naturally, and the fact that it’s something both her dad and I shared has made it so much sweeter to also share with her. She’s so smart and driven when she’s passionate about something. She should totally be in the front of the procession today. “Right. And did you feel any of them?”

“Yup,” she says proudly. “They’re cold. I don’t think they’ve been incubated in a while.”

Giving the end of her strawberry hair a tug, I rub my finger over her cheek. “Good work, Little Red. We’ll check after everything this afternoon. Maybe mama duck got nervous with all the mayhem around here. Give her today to get her bearings, and if not, we’ll see about those ducklings, okay?”

“But what if it’s too late?”

“A few hours won’t make much of a difference, and we really do have to be sure before we take eggs away from a nest that might be active. I’ll keep watch. Promise.”

“Yes!” She high fives Theo, who looks just as excited for her excitement that I’mnearlynot annoyed at his presence here.

“Now, go find your mama on the porch with all your friends so we can get to the party part. Theo”—he pops to attention—“you’re with me.”

Theo and I find our seats on the lawn where Dinah and Jack, Jack’s parents, my folks—and what feels like every other Honey Hill resident—are all waiting to cheer on Molly. I’m so glad they’ve had this support system for so long. I wish I’d been a part of it when I should have, but I’m certain, here and in this moment, one of the most important things I’ll ever do will be to cheer them both on, today and for the rest of our lives.

Molly doesn’t lead the line. Though, if you ask me, she would have nailed it. Instead, that lactose intolerant kid from the grocery store does. He’s decent, but his mom is unbearable, giving directions from the front row like he’s on the stage for a major performance.

“Big smiles, Garthy. Look here…” She’s crouched in front of all the kids, as the designated photographer for the event, but I’m gonna go ahead and assume Garth will be prominently featured in all of her work here today.

I don’t need her photos, though, because by the end of the ceremony, my camera roll is filled with pictures and videos of Molly from every major moment of the forty-five-minute event. When Emory announces, “Molly James Nelson,” and hands her the fake graduation certificate, it may as well be a medical degree. I’m sweating through the dress shirt I donned for the occasion, and my eyes are sweating, too. A lot. And that’s exactly what I tell everyone as I weep with pride at the kid who has my best friend’s smile, is a miniature version of the woman I love, and who has stolen my heart completely.

“Well, I think this has been a wonderful event,” Tisha says, clasping her hands together. “You’ve done such an excellent job, Emory. It will be a shame to see you go.”

I give Emory’s hand a squeeze, so incredibly proud of her and the fact that I get to be the one standing next to her, though I've done absolutely nothing to deserve it.

“Thanks, Tisha. I’ll actually be nominating you for next year’s presidency,” she says, winking at the woman who seems to be a genuinely kind human. “You’ll do a far betterjob than me, and you’ve certainly learned how to train the animals.”

“Oh, I'm gonna miss you.” Tisha pulls her into a hug like she'll never see Emory again, then when she releases her, Tisha takes a look around the farm from our vantage point beside the front pasture’s fence line. “Ever since our first visit, it seems you’ve done so much work here.”

Emory winks at me. “I’ve had a ton of help.”

“And now that this event is over, we can get to planning the next adventure.” Dinah wraps her arm around Emory and squeezes. Even if I wasn’t here doing grunt work around the property, I have no doubt those two could make the farm into whatever they envision. Together, they’re a force to be reckoned with.

“Yup. It sure is a mighty fine piece of land.” Trey pulls out a handkerchief from his pocket and wipes the sweat from his forehead, cheeks, and neck, before returning it to his rear.

Dinah does an excellent job of pretending it doesn't gross her out.