Every Summer Has A Story

Ch. 39 - Willow's Wisdom

Within the hour everyone was up to their elbows in tie dye. Eve twisted a tank top into several knots and secured them with rubber bands, thoughtfully looking over the selection of dye. She had set up traditional squirt bottles along with a dip dye table. She'd already made a dip dye shirt and was thinking she'd try the bottle method this time.

She slid up next to Willow and Jenna who were busy with their projects.

"Evie, I love this. Let's do it every week!" Willow enthused, squirting a generous helping of magenta dye onto her carefully twisted white sundress.

Jenna nodded,

"I didn't expect to like it so much."

Jenna had, of course, gone with a green motif for her tee shirt.

Eve glanced around at the rest of the staff hard at work. Auden had made fairly quick work of her pillow cases and sheets and had started bagging up people's sopping wet projects to sit overnight and fully soak up the color. Greyson stood quietly at her side, assisting. Eve liked the way he looked at her best friend: like she was the single greatest slice of cheesecake in the deli.

"Apparently I'm hungry..." she realized after a glorious image of cheesecake flashed through her mind.

At the picnic table, Scooby was assisting Olive with rubber banding her shirt and Eve noticed a starry expression on Olive's fair little face. Someone appeared to be smitten.

"Where did Maverick go?" Willow asked a beat later, drawing Eve's attention away from people watching.

Her expression soured,

"Lennon dragged him off somewhere to yell at him for dancing with me," Eve blurted.

"I'm sorry, what?" Jenna asked incredulously.

Willow sighed,

"Lennon has an issue with sharing."

"That's a very diplomatic way of putting it," Eve laughed, "and yes, she doesn't like sharing Maverick with us."

"I can't understand that," Jenna said slowly, "she doesn't own him."

Eve saw Willow's warm gaze flicker over Jenna's face.

"Exactly," Willow affirmed, "and this is Maverick's family. She will have to get use to the fact that we will be around forever."

Eve smiled ruefully down at the shirt in her rainbow hands,

"I'm not sure she'll see it that way as long as I'm around."

Willow reached out and took her forearm firmly.

"Eve, listen to me. We have many soulmates in our lives. Some are romantic connections while others become best friends, the kind of person you connect with instantly. You have that with Maverick and Lennon isn't capable of understanding it. Her world view is too narrow and she's too egocentric right now."

Eve was surprised at the conviction in Willow's words and found herself nearly at a loss.

"I've never thought of it that way." 

Jenna added some teal to her shirt and grinned,

"Willow is a wise woman, Evie. Listen to her."

"I certainly will," Eve replied quietly, setting to work.

The three women worked in amicable silence for a bit until Eve heard the whir of an approaching pontoon engine.

"I bet that's the Lake Boys!" Eve said enthusiastically, "I'll see you guys later!"