Chapter Twenty

                                    

                                          
This chapter is dedicated to Overlyhyper. Thank you for reading and the comments. Enjoy!❤
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I with Keith Dewan a for a quote on my kitchen remodel. He was the only contractor in Bridgeport and close friends with my father. Summer was beginning to wind down, which meant it was the start of the slow season for me. Plus, I needed a project to work on to get my mind off Liam. It had been a week since he left, and it seemed like I missed him a little bit more each day. We have texted a few times, he told me when he made it back to Raleigh safe and that he missed me. I missed him so much, more than he would ever know, but it felt inappropriate for me to say. There were so many times I felt myself on the floor, crying, wanting to pick up my phone and forget this whole being apart thing, but I knew it was for the best.
                          
        	I threw myself into work last week, finishing up last minute things for weddings I had that weekend. It was the last weekend of the busy season and with fall nearing, I decided it was time for me to take some time off. I still had to decide about who I wanted to bring aboard as my assistant and I had a stack of resumes on my desk as we speak. But, I couldn't find the strength to look at them.
                          
        	The thought of planning a wedding with someone else made me sad. Liam had been the best partner, even if it was only short lived. No one could make me smile or laugh like he could, and he made the bad days not so bad. I found myself thinking about him all the time. Letting him go was the hardest thing I ever had to do, but I also knew it was the right thing. He needed to figure out his career; he had worked so hard to get where he was, I didn't want him to throw it away because of me.
                          
        	Ellie was out of the hospital and now staying with my mother until September, when the treatment facility opens. My mother was taking a leave of absence from her show, and she even told me a few days ago that she thinks it's time for her to retire. She already had a house here in Bridgeport, so the adjustment wouldn't be too much for her. I was glad she was going to be here full time, I could finally have the relationship I always wanted to have with my mother. I knew Ellie was happy to repair their relationship as well.
                          
        	I opened the heavy door and the cool air-conditioning hit my face. Lacey Hayes, Keith's daughter, stood at reception with a smile on her face.
                          
        	"Good morning, Nora." She came around the desk and gave me a tight hug. "Dad will be out in a minute."
                          
        	"No problem." I took a seat on the chair in the waiting room. "How is school going?"
                          
        	"Great!" She said enthusiastically. "I am going to be a senior at Bridgeport Academy in the fall."
                          
        	My eyes bugged. "You're that old already?"
                          
        	She laughed. "Yup. I should be tutoring this summer, but Dad needed help here instead. I'm picking back up in the fall."
                          
        	"I'm sure your Dad appreciates the help."
                          
        	"Oh, he does." Keith Dewan burst through the door. He held a clipboard in his hand and had a pencil propped on his ear. "She loves working here, don't let her fool you."
                          
        	"Not really." She rolled her eyes. He ruffled up her hair and then motioned me to his office. I followed him down the long hall and waved at the few workers I knew from around town. When we got into his office, he cracked the door shut and pulled out the chair for me.
                          
        	"Alright, Miss Nora," Keith said as he took a seat in his chair. "What is it that you're looking for?"
                          
        	"Well," I began. "I want my kitchen remodeled, as you know. The dark cabinets have got to go, and I would like to order some new appliances, my dishwasher is on the fritz."