Free Dear Meredith by Belle Kismet Page B

hand in my articles," Laney chimes in quickly and he gives her a cheeky grin. "I wouldn't dare, or you'd kick me out!"
                Janet comes out of the kitchenette carrying a most delicious smell with her, coming from the pan of hot brownies in her hands. She dishes them out onto the waiting stack of paper plates.
                "Wait," she warns Avery, who is about to pounce on one unsuspecting plate. He drops back into his chair, looking for all the world like a chastised first-grader. She goes back inside and emerges with -
                "Ice cream ," the three of us sigh together, while she laughs and scoops a big, fat serving onto each brownie. "Now, you guys can eat," Janet announces.
                Bandit, who has shot over to me and is milking every ounce of her cuteness, is practically drooling as she watches me take one sinful, endorphin-providing bite of cold ice cream mixed with piping hot brownie.
                "Bandit, I can't give you a bite. You can't eat chocolate, remember?"
                She cocks her head and thumps her tail hopefully. "Oh, I didn't forget about Bandit," Janet says, as she reaches into her bag. We all stare at her wide-eyed. Her bag, Mike and I have speculated, is probably enchanted like Mary Poppins', because Janet has been known to pull out all sorts of unexpected things from it, just when you need it the most.
                "There was once when mom took me to the park. I must've been eleven or twelve, just running around in that crazy way small boys do. Suddenly, the right sole of my sports shoe gave out and I had to walk/drag my way back to her. I was so upset. And do you know, she dipped into that bag and pulled out a tube of superglue ," Mike had told me, shortly after I met Janet for the first time.
                Now, Janet pulls out a doggy bag and Bandit's head suddenly swivels around towards it, before her body catches up with her nose and she skids over there. She is rewarded with a soup bone, and she dashes off to the kitchenette to gnaw at it in privacy.
                "You're amazing," I tell her fervently, while Avery and Laney nod, equally impressed.
                After we're done with the celebrations, they scoot off back to the office after they do an impromptu victory dance, leaving Janet and me in stitches.
                I quickly clear off the plates and glasses, checking in on Bandit who is completely oblivious to my presence for once, lost in doggy gastronomic ecstasy.
                Janet is sitting in the armchair by the window, looking out onto the street. I am struck by the purity of her profile, outlined in the sunlight. I wish I have a camera on me. Then she turns towards me, sensing my gaze, and smiles.
                I join her on the opposite chair and we both sit quietly for a moment, gathering our thoughts.
                "Mike would have been so proud and happy today," she tells me at last. "I am so proud of you. This is incredible, what you've done with the place."
                "I have him to thank for all this. What he did for me, I don't even have words to express it. This, Bandit, the swim lessons, although I didn't see it that way at first," I say, gesturing around me with a sweep of my hand.
                "Yes, but not everyone takes the chance to live their dream. You'd be surprised at the number of people who have turned down the opportunity of a lifetime because they were too scared or hesitant to try," she says wisely.
                "I am scared, I'm still scared every day," I admit. "I have no idea how this is going to turn out. Not many independent bookstores succeed, but I owe it to Mike to try because he believed in me."
                To my surprise, Janet frowns. "No, Meredith. You owe it to yourself to try. Not to Mike, or to me, or to Laney. We already see that