“As a doctor, should you really be laughing at your patient,” she asks with a smile. “I’m not laughing at you,” I assure her. “But as your doctor I shouldn’t be sitting here thinking how cute you are when you ramble either, but I am.”

  With my hand still on her thigh I offer it a squeeze.

  “You’re not insane Zoey, you just have more going on than one person should and you need a little something to help you relax.” I release my hold on her and slide back grabbing my prescription pad. I start to scribble and she sits waiting for me to finish. Ripping off both notes, one for a mild sleeping aide the other for another kind of prescription, I hand them to her and she looks down at them.

  “How do you know about Wine-Down Wednesdays?”

  “Apparently I triggered an emergency meeting.” I arch a brow, and she shrugs, not once denying it.

  “A week’s worth of pills, just something to take the edge off, no drinking with them.” She nods. “I don’t think you need those pills.” I point to the prescription in her hands. “But what I really think you need is to accept none of this is your fault and from what I can tell you three are better off. I’m here if you need more than that, but I don’t think you will.”

  She slides off the table.

  “And if you need to talk, yell, or whatever, I’m here too.”

  “Thanks Jay,” she says and the corner of her mouth tips up. “Thanks for listening to me vent, though I fully intended to come here and hold it together.”

  “Any time,” I tell her.

  “I hope not, because if I keep acting like this, you’ll run for the hills.”

  “Not a chance,” I tell her as I walk her out of the room and she turns toward the receptionist desk. Marcy smiles knowingly because apparently everyone in my office knows all about my personal business.

  “Remember if you need anything.” I emphasize the word, because I’ll not only talking about being her doctor. “Just call or stop by.”

  fourteen

  . . .

  Zoey

  “Look Momma, it’s the pwince.” I spin around as Riley tugs on my arm trying to move in the opposite direction. Scanning over the area around us, I’m about to ask her what she is talking about when I see him. Nervous energy fills my stomach feeling like lead as it settles deep.

  The last time I saw him I was spewing all my drama and all he could do was look at me. Probably thinking this is a whole lot of crazy. But Jay is too nice to say, damn you are nuts. Plus he was in doc mode so its unethical for him to tell me I’m a lost cause.

  He is across the street talking to Dolly Hanes, the owner of Magnolia Mart. It shouldn’t make me jealous as her son Nash stands at her side, but it does. I find myself watching them, observing their body language wondering if it could be more than two old friends catching up.

  When he glances in my direction and our eyes lock, my stomach feels like it drops.

  “See, Momma.” Riley bounces up and down and points with her free hand. “The pwince.”

  “Riley, stop pointing.” I can’t bring myself to look back in his direction. I’ve already been caught in stalker mode.

  “Aunt Sarah is waiting.” I pull the girls along as we walk down Jasper Way. It’s a nice day and I thought a walk would be enjoyable. Plus we’d been cooped up in my shop for a few hours. The girls coloring and I finishing up my bookwork for the end of month. I knew I’d have to work late tonight to catch up but I can only take so much of the girls asking me over and over if we are done yet.

  Aunt Sarah messaged and said she’d made a fresh batch of candies and needed the kids to come run a taste test. She was obviously feeling lonely and needed some company.

  When I hear my name hollered out my body freezes and I know from the resistance I am getting from Riley there is no hope of a graceful escape. It seems my little spitfire is smitten with the new doctor in town and it’s just like my life to add in another hurdle.

  “Hey.” I bite the inside of my cheek and turn around just as Jay steps up onto the curb. “How are you ladies doing today?”

  “Good,” Riley answers before I can. “Where’s your crown?”

  “I only wear it to parties and balls,” Jay tells her and her eyes light up. There I stand watching my first love and my daughter carry on like no one else is there. The same man who very possibly took my heart with him thirteen years ago when he left for college.

  “Regan”. Riley peeks around my legs. “He’s a pwince,” she whisper yells to her sister. I can’t help the smile that covers my mouth. My two fairytale obsessed gems.

  “A real pwince?” Regan asked but in the same hushed whisper.

  “Yep.” She nods and I sneak a glance at Jay to find him smiling at my daughters. There is something about the way he is watching them.

  “Where’s your pwincess?” Regan asks, and Jay locks eyes with me but answers her question. “I found her, she’s right here in Magnolia Grove.”

  I look away, my chest feeling tight.

  “We are on our way to Sugar Rush,” I interrupt the princess talk. It’s a little too much for this early in the day, in my opinion. Plus I’m not sure a wine-down brunch is a good idea. Though we’ve definitely had one or two of them before. Mimosas during one of the many meltdowns, and no those weren’t mine. I’m not the only one in our small group who has issues; Lucy and Emma have had their share too. Though theirs didn’t involve a cheating pig of an ex-husband.

  “Aunt Sarah,” Jay chuckles, his grin spreading wide. “Still sporting her infamous leopard prints pants and heels.”

  “Of course.”

  “I’ve heard a few stories from Mattie about her waiting on her dock for the mail.” He tries not to laugh, but I can see his struggle.

  “I can just imagine.” Bikinis, tube tops, and/or her robe. Just a robe, with nothing beneath because she has no shame, not an ounce.

  “How’s the last few nights been?” he asks and for a few seconds I simply look at him. Then I realize why he is asking me and the shame of my meltdown resurfaces.

  “I am so sorry about that.” Heat fills my cheeks. I should have driven an hour to the city to see a different doctor. “It was a low point and I’m⁠—”

  “If you say embarrassed, I’m gonna have to remind you I’ve witnessed more than one Zoey meltdown in our history. You tend to let it build and then it overflows at an uncontrollable speed.”

  He’s not wrong.

  “We all get overwhelmed,” he adds. “You have every right to break, Zoey.”

  “I can’t.” I glance down at the girls who appear to be entertaining themselves with their giraffes on the sidewalk. “They need me to be whole.”

  “Are you?” He asks. “Whole I mean?”

  “I’m working on it, but I also know it’ll take time. That experience,” I mouth the words marriage and divorce. “It changed me. It all made me see things differently and I’m not so sure it’s a great thing,” I shrug and his brows furrow.

  “Momma.” I look over to see Regan standing next to me holding her giraffe tightly to her chest. “I’m hungry.”

  “I should get going,” I motion over my shoulder with my thumb. “Aunt Sarah promised them treats, but I need to get them to eat their packed lunches first.” I smile, but it feels wrong.

  I’m twenty-nine, recently divorced, mother of two, living in a property owned by my parents. It’s not where I pictured myself. I know I’m overanalyzing things. I know I’m only digging when I should let things settle, but it’s almost like I can’t control it.

  “Girls, can you tell Dr. Jay goodbye?” I gather their hands and they both offer him a wave only Riley takes it one step further as she leans in and wraps her free arm around his leg. Hugging him in close she looks up at him.

  “You’re invited to our party,” she announces proudly. “It’s a pwincess sewabration.”

  “Oh really?” His smile makes my entire body feel warm. “If it’s okay with your mom, I’d love to come to your party.”

  “Will you wear your crown?”

  “Riley—,”

  “Of course I will,” and so its settled. Even if I wanted to say no I couldn’t. Because saying no would disappoint Riley and the ideal of her sadness is one thing I refuse to cause.

  “Two o’clock next Saturday at my parents’ house,” I tell him. “You remember where that is?”

  A smirk tugs at his lips. “I do,” he nods. “Does Mr. Porter still stand guard in his front window every night watching over the street?”

  He’s referring to all the times he showed up late at night and I snuck out to meet him.

  “He does,” I tell him, “he should remember you.”

  “I will see the two of you next weekend,” Jay tells my girls, before looking back at me. “I hope I see you again before the party but if not, I’ll be the one wearing the crown.” He offers me a wink and then gives a wave to the girls before backing away and walking back in the opposite direction.

  fifteen

  . . .

  Jayson

  “What are you doing?” Georgia rounds the desk and looks over my shoulder. “You’ve been staring at the computer for the last two hours, with this perplexed look on your face. Wait, are those Barbies?”

  “Are Barbies not good?”

  “Well, I guess it depends on what you need them for. And if you tell me you have some secret fetish, you should know I’ll be on the phone in a second blasting the news to every person I know.”

  She sits on the corner of the desk and crosses her arms over her chest.

  “I have no idea what to buy Zoey’s girls for their birthday party next weekend.” I’m stressing over four year olds gifts.

  “Oh wow.” She grabs the chair from the opposite side and drags it around the desk. “So we’re shopping for the twins, okay.” We’re? Okay, she’s now in this with me, I’ll take it.

  “Those little babies love princess everything.” She pulls the keyboard over closer and starts typing away. “Dress up, jewels, magical, mystically fun.” She hits enter and the screen fills with several princess themed items.

  “I know for a fact Riley is obsessed with all things Cinderella and Regan loves Ariel the mermaid.” I am on full alert wondering how she knows all this about Zoey’s girls. “Riley is sassy, and head strong, while Regan is more impressionable and sensitive. They came in here once in dress up clothes because they refused to wear anything else. Doc played along, bowing as they entered and they both laughed and curtsied it was adorable.” I can practically picture the very thing she describes.

  “Are you thinking big, small, somewhere in the middle?” She asks me, scrolling over the screen.

  “Wait stop.” She lifts her finger.

  “I’m pretty sure if you buy the girls a horse, Zoey might get a little pissed. Not sure she’s got the yard space for it.”

  “I’m not buying them a horse,” I tell Georgia before clicking the mouse and the screen flips to party rentals.

  “That would most definitely make an impression for sure.” Georgia says and I grab the phone and dial the number. “So you don’t even want to think this over then?” I hear her mumble but I don’t pay her any attention.

  Fifteen minutes later I’m tucking my credit card back into my wallet and rocking back in my chair feeling on top of the world with excitement.

  All Georgia can do is smile at me.

  “What?”

  “Nothing,” she stands and takes the chair back to the opposite side of the desk. “Those two girls are going to have every other girl in town envious of them. Eric may kick your ass for setting the bar so high, but if I was a little girl and got a gift like you just purchased, I would feel like a princess for sure.”

  “Do you have the gifts?” Grams asks as I help her out of the car.

  “I do.” I smile proudly, grabbing the two small bags from the backseat and holding them up. They may not be my main gift, but I couldn’t show up empty handed. Plus what’s in the bags goes perfectly with the big gift which will show up at three.

  Asking Grams to come with me to the birthday party for Riley and Regan was my first thought when I walked away from them after my invite. She keeps herself pretty busy with the ladies from church and the different community committees she is on. Between all those and her knitting and baking habits, she rarely has a quiet moment.

  Getting her out of the house as often as I can it my goal. We have lunch every Sunday and dinner at her place one night a week.

  We walked up the driveway her arm hooked through mine. Streamers line the driveway with pink and purple balloons and a path leading around the house to the backyard. Tables set up covered in matching pink and purple tablecloths the light breeze making them flutter and sway.

  A piñata hangs from a tree, a unicorn or maybe it’s just a horse.

  Little girls in dresses run around the yard squealing and laughing, chaos in full effect and it’s beautiful.

  As I scan over the yard, I can pick out the twins in the masses. Matching dresses the very same I saw displayed in the back of Zoey’s shop the first night I drop in on her.

  Their blonde hair bouncing around in ringlets of curls.

  Grams found Gigi, Zoey’s grandmother, and the two of them are now lost in typical conversation. I stand in the very place she left me watching the girls zig zag around the yard having the time of their life.

  Riley is the first one to see me, as she pauses and slowly, I see her eyes widen. Then just as she had been moments ago, she takes off running only this time, straight for me. Regan hurries behind her carrying one single pink balloon and right as they reach me I lower myself to one knee. “Hello, princess.” I bow my head at Riley first and then Regan, repeating princess once more.

  “You forgot your crown.” Riley seems disappointed while looking at the top of my head.

  “Of course not.” I reach inside my blazer and pull out the simple men’s crown I got for myself when I ordered their gifts. When I place it atop my head, Riley beams up at me. “And these are for the two of you.”

  I hold out the two small bags, and they each take one and peer inside.

  Riley’s loud squeal tells me she is please just before she digs out her princess crown and holds in high spinning in a circle.

  Regan is still staring in her bag, so I wait for her to make her move. I haven’t figured her out yet. She is much quieter than Riley. She’s shy, or is so around me, and the last thing I want is for her to fear me.

  Riley takes off running, screaming for her momma and I am left alone with a still hesitant Regan.

  “Do you like it?” I ask in a low steady tone so I don’t spook her. “It matches your sisters, but yours has pink jewels and Riley’s has purple. You like pink right?”

  She nods her head.

  “Do you want to put it on?”

  Again she nods as she sets the bag on the ground and then reaches inside. Slowly she removes the crown like it’s made of glass and I smile with how delicate she is being.

  “Do you need help?”

  “Uh huh,” Regan holds it out for me to take and then leans her head in closer. Carefully I lower it to her head and make sure the little combs meant to hold it in place don’t poke her in the head. When it’s secure, she stands tall once more and her smile is radiant.

  “Just like a princess,” I tell her and before I have a minute to register her movements, she is throwing herself forward and wrapping her arms around my neck.

  I’m shocked, but accept her hug, and offering the same in return. Looking up I see Zoey across the yard, holding Riley’s hand and her eyes are locked on mine.

  sixteen

  . . .

  Zoey

  “If I still had my ovaries, I think they would explode,” Aunt Sarah says much too loud to my right. On any other given day I would roll my eyes and tell her to behave but I knew what she was talking about.

  Regan, my sweet shy little girl was hugging a man she barely knew. She is very standoffish when it comes to men, besides my father, she forms attachments to women.

  But somehow Jayson had gotten to her and she was suddenly in awe of him.

  “Wow.” This time it’s my mother and I break eye contact with Jay to look over and find she is watching the same thing. “If that isn’t the sweetest thing I’ve seen all day. Is he wearing a crown?”

  “Yes,” I tell her and my heart races when I remember the conversations he’s had with Riley about only wearing his crown to parties. He literally bought himself a crown.

  Hand in hand, Regan and Jay start toward us and I’ll admit seeing him with her did paint a pretty picture. A strong, successful man, one who doesn’t spend his days drinking his way into a drunken stupor by two in the afternoon every day.

  I clear my thoughts when Regan releases his hand and runs toward me.

  “Look!” She dips her chin to show me her crown like I couldn’t already see it clearly.

  “Wow, that’s so pretty.” It wasn’t exactly those little cheesy crowns you can buy as a party favor in the decoration aisle, more sturdy and much more detailed. He put some thought into them for sure.

  At this distance I can get a better view of his and the red ruby jewels at the base stand out against his dark hair.

  “You like?” he asks noticing me admiring it. “It’s a party and a prince should always wear his crown.”