Page 94 of Must Love Flowers
Joan appreciated that he would share the memory with her. “This is the first time I’ve had the barbecue out since Jared passed. It was too much work for me alone.”
It came to Joan that she had reached the point where she could talk about Jared and not immediately experience the sharp pain of his loss. This was growth, she decided.
“We’re each making strides forward, aren’t we?” she said, sharing the insight.
“We are,” he agreed. He set his drink down and nodded toward Doug and Mary Lou. “I think Doug is smitten.”
Joan smiled and silently agreed. Mary Lou had been flattered and a little embarrassed by Doug’s attention. On her own, Joan’s friend admitted she might be ready for a relationship.
Dr. O’Brien was the first one to leave. She had plans with family later in the afternoon.
Joan got up from the chair and walked the counselor to the door. “I’m grateful you could come,” she said.
“This was lovely,” Dr. O’Brien said, briefly hugging Joan. “I want you to know how proud I am of you, Joan. When we first met you were fragile and unsure of yourself. It’s been a blessing watching you find your inner strength. You’ve come a long way in a short amount of time.”
“The group helped immensely. Looking back, I can’t believe how stubborn I was, insisting those sessions weren’t for me.” It embarrassed her now, and she would always be grateful how the counselor had encouraged her to attend just one meeting before she made her final decision.
Dr. O’Brien squeezed Joan’s forearm. “But it didn’t take you long to recognize the benefit of these shared experiences.”
“Journaling helped, too, and of course the workbook.” Joan had faithfully read each week’s notes and took the words to heart. It would have been easy to read the book alone, as each chapter had resonated with her. What had been instrumental in her progress was following through with the assignments suggested at the end.
“Your little Edison is a sweet puppy. How old is he?”
“As best I can tell, six months.” She picked him up and he immediately licked her face.
Dr. O’Brien opened the screen door.
“Thank you for coming,” Joan said, knowing the counselor had a busy life. That she’d been willing to share part of her holiday with the group was a compliment Joan didn’t take lightly.
“Thanks again,” Dr. O’Brien said, as she headed down the steps.
By the time Joan returned to the backyard, Sally was gathering up the last of her bean dip and preparing to head out.
“You don’t have time for dessert?” Joan asked, a little surprised Sally would leave so soon.
“Did you count how many of those ribs I ate?” she asked, placing her hand over her stomach. “I wouldn’t mind taking a piece with me, though.”
“You got it.”
Doug and Mary Lou decided it was time to leave, too. Joan wrapped up to-go plates with the cobbler and saw the three out the door.
That left her alone with Phil.
“I’ll help with the cleanup,” he said, when she returned from seeing her friends out the door.
“No need, Phil. There isn’t a lot to do.”
“Nonsense. I’m not leaving you alone with this.” He started carrying in the leftover food, of which there wasn’t much. The ribs had disappeared in quick order, and all that remained were a couple hamburger patties and a few buns.
Mary Lou left Joan with the potato salad, convinced Steve and Nick would finish it off, and she wasn’t wrong. Joan made room for the bowl in her refrigerator. Doug didn’t want to worry about carting the leftover drinks home, so Phil brought those into the house. Standing side by side with Joan, he stored the cans on the bottom shelf.
Turning at the same time, Joan lost her footing and nearly stumbled. Phil caught her by the shoulders. She was about to make a joke about her lack of grace when her eyes met his. Inthat moment it felt as if the world went still. All sound faded, as something unspoken flowed between them. Joan didn’t know when this had happened, all she knew was this incredible feeling that came over her unlike anything she had ever experienced before. They were friends and slowly it had grown into more. The night he’d stopped by when she’d missed a meeting, and then later working side by side, helping Maggie with the house. Their relationship had turned a corner. Joan found herself thinking about him more and more and enjoyed the time they’d spent together.
Neither spoke. Phil lifted his hand and brushed the hair away from the side of her face.
She covered his hand with her own and closed her eyes, leaning her face into his palm.
“You said Mary Lou and Doug might be ready for a relationship.”
