Page 23 of Picking Daisies on Sundays

Where was it?

OK,nowI was getting frustrated. I continued moving my hand around. When I still didn’t feel it, I picked my bag off the floor to look inside it. But it wasn’t there.

I reached for my backpack and pulled out each item like a

pissed off TSA agent—headphones, student ID, peanut butter & jelly sandwich, lip gloss, various rings.

I needed this sewing kit. It had the specific color thread I had to go to three different fabric stores for and the needles Dad bought me that created all my pieces.

Don’t panic, don’t panic. Maybe it fell out when I grabbed my strawberry lip balm earlier—

Oh my gosh. Strawberry. My strawberry crochet purse. My sewing kit was in my strawberry purse because I needed to fix a hole in Claire’s skirt. Which I left at Levi’s mother’s…

I was going to kill Gabe.

“What’s wrong?” Vera asked, noticing my panic.

“I forgot my sewing kit,” I huffed with frustration. Everyone here knew of my weird habit, as well as the oddly specific thread I’d been buying for my projects.

The two hours I had here to utilize all the equipment in the room, and the extra eyes and opinions I could get on my work, was vital. My dresses were dueat the end of this month,and I could not be more behind. I had one completed and one that I didn’t even like, when I’m supposed to havefivein total. Was that my fault? Yes, totally. But was I still allowed to panic? YES.

If I left now, it would take me about 40 minutes to walk to the train, take the train, and then walk—

A knock sounded at the door, followed by a “Hello?”

Our heads snapped to the direction of the door behind us. If I weren’t panicked before, I was now, because Levi—my Levi, Levi Coldwell—was standing at the door.

11

I would’ve gone down on my knees just

to hear you say yes

A leather satchel sat on his shoulder while his arm held a stack of books. He wore black trousers, and a grey sweater with the sleeves rolled up. His short, dark waves rested above his…glasses?Glasses. The man was wearing glasses. The dark-rimmed glasses rested on his small nose that was pink from what I assumed was the morning spring air.

I looked down at what I was wearing, immediately flattening my baggy button down with my hands. He maintained a nervous look until his eyes found me among the mess of fabric and girls in the room.

“Levi, hi, sorry!” I said in a rush, realizing how long I took to respond.

His face bloomed with a smile that caused his shoulders to loosen. My legs felt wobbly as I stood abruptly from my seat to meet him at the door.

The girls whispered behind me as I pulled him into the hallway. They were all fully aware of who he was from our taco and wine nights where you couldn’t help but share all of your embarrassing, childish secrets because they were sharing theirs. As if the admittance to having a good time was to relish in the hilarity of being a woman with a crush.

I didn’t miss how Levi waved at one of them in confusion. I’m

almost positive it was Sandra.

When I looked back, Daya and Vera were pretending to make out like middle schoolers. This was what you got when you shared your love life with your friends.

Shutting the door behind me and praying that I looked presentable, he started speaking.

“I didn’t mean to show up like some parent of high schoolers—you just had left your purse at my mom’s last night,” he explained as he handed my bag over.

Gabe was going to go absolutely feral when I told him this.

I stood there speechless momentarily, taking the purse. But then it hit me: “How did you know I was here?”

He looked away, scratching the back of his neck, causing the hem of his sweater to rise up… It was too early for this.