Chapter 39: Chapter 38

LILLIAN

Lillian was enjoying the slow and steady rhythm of her life. She found comfort in the predictability, the lack of surprises.

Noah had been true to his word about meeting her parents. They had taken a weekend trip to visit them, mostly because Lillian missed them and had promised to visit as often as she could.

Noah couldn’t afford to rent the villa anymore, just as she had teased him about. Instead, he stayed at a local hotel that was surprisingly decent. It was a family-run establishment, which meant their usual antics were off the table—especially since Lillian had a tendency to be vocal.

Noah didn’t make a fuss about it this time. He was cool about it, almost too cool. He even mentioned it was a shame they couldn’t swim because the sea was still too cold.

Lillian had prepped her parents for the visit. They had offered to host Noah, but she told them he had already booked a room at the hotel. They didn’t pry, and when they met Noah, they were tactful enough not to interrogate her about him.

At least not while they were there. As soon as they returned home, her mom started the questioning. Was she in love with Noah? Was their relationship serious? Were they planning on getting married?

Classic mom behavior.

Lillian didn’t expect her mom to get an answer, but she was just playing her part. Lillian didn’t mind. She loved her parents, but her life was her own. They seemed to like Noah enough not to worry about her. Her mom called him handsome, and her dad said he was smarter and less conceited than he had expected.

Noah had laughed when she told him.

“I wonder what you told your parents about me when you were working for me,” he said.

“The worst,” she assured him, and he laughed even harder.

“I’m glad you find this amusing.”

“It is. Do you know how many times your mom told me she expected me to be different?” he asked.

“She didn’t bring up marriage, did she?”

“No, she was very discreet. It was your dad who told me to take care of you or else.”

“He did?”

“Yes, which was to be expected. But I told him that if I tried anything, you could handle me yourself.”

“Split my head open, you mean.”

“Yes, that’s what I mean,” he said, pulling her into a hug. “Your family is nice.”

“Yours is too. It’s strange that you turned out like this,” she teased.

“I daresay you like me the way I am.”

“That’s my greatest misery so far.”

“Then you are a very lucky woman,” he said, and she looked up at him. The jerk was right.

***

“I thought you would have left by now,” Hikaru said when winter arrived again. “You’ve stayed longer than anyone else.”

She had been there almost a year, and it saddened her to think that others had abandoned this place in less time. She wasn’t even considering leaving anymore, and she had stopped looking for other jobs. She was working full-time at the tea shop now.

“Are you tired of my face?” she teased.

“Don’t you want to see new places?” he countered gently. “You were only supposed to stay here until you found your dream.”

“True.” She sighed. “But the problem is, I don’t have a dream. I wake up every morning excited to spend my day here. It makes me happy.”

“That’s a good thing,” he said, nodding.

“You say it like it’s a bad thing.”

“It’s not bad, just…sad, in a way. You’ve been working for me for almost a year. You’re a smart, delightful girl. It’s strange that your only dream is to keep an old man like me company.”

“You’re an interesting old man,” she winked. “But seriously, I don’t see what’s wrong with loving this place.”

“I didn’t say it was wrong. I just think you’re capable of more.”

“Have you been talking to Noah? He’s been nagging me about the same thing.”

“I have spoken to him, since he comes here often for you. But this is my own opinion. You shouldn’t stop looking.”

“I haven’t completely stopped,” she replied, trying not to look away.

Hikaru raised a skeptical eyebrow.

“Seriously?” she exhaled. “I’m not as gung-ho as I was when I first started, but I’ve always kept my eyes peeled. At least, I did until recently. I haven’t stumbled upon anything worth the effort.”

“It’s not about whether you’ve found anything, or even if you’re actively looking.”

“Then what is it about?”

“Do you want to leave this place? Because I don’t think you do.”

“What makes you think that?”

“Besides your obvious affection for it?”

“Yes.”

“You care about this place. You’ve added items to the menu, bought things to make it more inviting. You’re trying to understand the customers and give them exactly what they want.”

“You’re making it sound strange, and I’m sure it’s not.” He laughed awkwardly.

“No, it’s not strange. But it does show that you’re invested in this place. And if that’s the case, I might have a proposition for you.”

***

“He wants to give you the tea shop?” Noah’s eyebrows knitted together.

“He said he wants me to run it, so he can go back to Japan,” she clarified.

“Isn’t that the same thing?”

“No, it’s not. I won’t be the owner, just the manager. Hikaru says—and I agree—that the shop has been steadily gaining more customers since I started working there. He can afford to pay me to manage it.”

“He’s trying to bind you to it.” Noah scoffed.

“I’ve already bound myself to it, Noah.” She rolled her eyes. “Hikaru has been encouraging me to find something else to do with my life.”

“He should have just fired you then,” he said flatly. “Instead, he made you a full-time employee.”

“He likes me too much to fire me. I practically had to beg him to let me work there full-time. Hikaru is a really good guy.”

Noah huffed, and Lillian took his hand in hers.

“You’ve talked to him. You know I’m right about him.”

“I was hoping he would let you go.”

“You want me to leave a place that brings me joy?”

“The tea shop is fine, Lillian. I’m not looking down on it. It’s beautiful, and it’s clear it was created with love. I understand that you love it too.”

“Isn’t that enough for you? Because it’s enough for me.”

He lifted their intertwined hands and kissed hers.

“You’re intelligent and sharp. You’re talented.”

“And I have the right to use my talents as I see fit, right? How would you feel if I tried to stop you from starting your own business?”

“I wouldn’t like it.” He rolled his eyes. “But we’re not talking about me.”

“I’m not a child. And I’m not hiding from the world in the tea shop.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, I’m sure. Hikaru’s kids have been begging him to visit them in Japan. He hasn’t seen them in a long time, and he misses them. But he stays here because he can’t bear to close the shop.”

“Yes, I know…because he’s loyal to his late wife… But you’re capable of so much more.”

Here they go again. She was trying to keep her patience.

“You say that, and Hikaru says that, and it’s probably true. But this is what I want. When he suggested I run the tea shop on my own, I felt a joy I can’t even put into words.

“Over the past year, I’ve grown to love this place so much. I care… I care about it thriving and becoming the talk of the town, without losing its essence…”

“Lillian…”

“No,” she interrupted him. “I listened to you. Now you listen to me. At first, I thought it was a good place to hide until something better came along. But as the months went by and you kept asking me to come work for you, I realized that I want to stay where I am.”

“You’re serving a dead woman’s dream, Lillian. At least she loved tea.”

“I didn’t know Keiko, and I’m not even sure she was as perfect as Hikaru remembers her. It’s not about her. It’s about me. About my safety and peace of mind. When I moved to this city, I thought the best option was to use my degree. That a job in a big company would secure me. That it would make me happy. It didn’t.”

“Because Tamara was a nightmare.”

“Yes, and someone else might be even worse.”

“Or better.”

“Yes,” she nodded. “But I can’t live with that kind of uncertainty. Nor can I quit every job I get just because I don’t like the boss.”

“You’re being pessimistic for no reason.”

“No, it’s not like that at all. I’m just trying to be practical. I don’t want to wake up every morning, only to be swallowed by anxiety as soon as I close my eyes again. I don’t want to sit around, waiting for some big shot to notice my talent and tell me where I belong.”

“Isn’t that what Hikaru does?”

“He’s just holding the door open for me. He’s giving me the choice to stay or leave, and his offer was only because he saw that I didn’t want to leave. The tea shop gives me something most people can’t find—peace of mind. I don’t plan on leaving it unless I find something else that can give me the same thing.”

“You’re looking for the perfect situation, Lillian. That’s not realistic.”

“I’ll make it realistic. And I’m not even talking about perfection here. I’m talking about what’s right for me. If I’m going to feel stressed and anxious, it might as well be for something I care about. And I care about this tea shop as much as you care about your business.”

He let out a deep sigh. “I suppose you know what’s best,” he said, a smile playing on his lips. “I won’t try to change your mind again.”

“I’d appreciate that,” she said, a relieved smile lighting up her face.

“So, you want to make this tea shop the talk of the town, huh?”

“Yes, and don’t you dare doubt that I’ll succeed.”