Love, Scars, & Shooting Stars

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Julie heard the bell jingle jangle against the door of The Sub Shack, signaling the arrival of the first of the Friday clientele. But when she stepped out of the kitchen, she found Becca standing at the counter instead.

"Hi!" Julie said, drying her hands on the front of her apron. "A little early for lunch, aren't you?"

"No, I just stopped by to say hello," Becca said, glancing out the window at her van parked outside. "I've got the kids with me, so I can't stay long, but I wanted to ask how it went with Finn yesterday."

Julie shrugged. "Okay, I guess," she said. "He's so hard to read sometimes, but he seems to be dealing with it alright."

"Is he going to do it? Does he want to meet his father?"

"Yeah, he does," Julie sighed. "He was ambivalent at first, but he said he wants to do it."

"Do you know when yet?"

"No, I haven't worked up the courage to call him yet," Julie said, and then leaned over the counter with her head in her hands. "Am I making a mistake, Becca?"

Becca sighed. "I don't know," she admitted. "But if it turns out that you are, at least you tried, right?"

Julie groaned dramatically, peeling herself up from the counter as the first actual customer of the day walked through the door. Becca smiled sympathetically and backed toward the door.

"Hey, why don't you and Finn come over tonight?" she suggested. "Gary's away on business again, so it's pizza-and-movie night at our house. Pack a bag and we'll make it a sleepover."

"I'll call you," Julie said, waving as Becca backed out the door.

Julie smiled and greeted her customer courteously, but her thoughts were elsewhere. Maybe a night away from home was just the thing that she and her son needed to get their minds off this thing with Garrett. God knew she wouldn't mind the distraction, but she'd have to run it by Finn later and see how he felt about it before she committed to anything.

Because his needs come first, she reminded herself. Always.