CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

GRACIE

Gracie stood at the top of the stairs, phone in hand. She took several pictures of the room below.

A roomful of knitters and crocheters.

She and Ada had strung fairy lights around the room, and a few balloons bobbed in the air. A carousel of cupcakes and water bottles sat in the middle of the instruction table. Gracie smiled as she took a candid shot of Mia easily chatting with another knitter. Gracie had been overjoyed to get an email from Stanley asking if Mia could attend the grand opening. Ms. Lila sat in one of the armchairs talking to crocheters she knew from Mother Bethel. Ada had taken over hosting duties. She moved between assisting customers and checking them out at the counter.

Gracie snapped a picture of Ada, thankful again to have her cousin back in her life. When she checked the picture, she saw that the door to the secret room was in the corner of the picture. She took another picture of the door.

Finding that door had changed her life. It began a journey to finding out the house’s rich history. Clarence had told her that her house was a shoo-in to be registered as a historic location. It was just waiting for the formality of a vote. She took a picture of Clarence, who stood behind his grandmother’s chair with a cup of punch in his hand. Somehow, he must have sensed she was looking at him, because he looked up and blew her a kiss, which she returned.

The event couldn’t have gone better. The excitement of having a yarn store in the neighborhood had a line forming on the sidewalk before she even opened the doors. She had had to open up more knitting and crochet classes, and Mia’s school had asked her to come and teach some of the teachers. She would be very busy for the next couple of months.

She came down, and Ada met her at the bottom of the stairs. “We already met our sales goal for the day.”

Gracie beamed. “Really? This day is almost perfect.”

“Almost?” Ada asked.

“The only thing that would have been better is to have Gran here.”

Ada put her arm around Gracie. “Because we are here, her memory is here.”

Gracie sniffled. “I’ve already cried enough today.”

“This is a happy occasion,” Ms. Lila said from behind them. “Only happy tears.” She hugged Gracie. “I miss her too.”

And then all three of them teared up.

Gracie moved out of Ms. Lila’s embrace. “Let’s have some cupcakes.”

“Yes. I’ve been waiting for that all day,” Ada said, wiping her eyes.

They served the cupcakes on paper plates, and when she handed Clarence one, he leaned closer. “I still need to talk to you about my knitting classes.”

Gracie laughed. “We have plenty of time.”

He set his plate on the table. “But what if it takes a long time for me to learn?” he asked. He slipped an arm around her waist.

Gracie took a half step, and she was tucked against his chest. “It won’t. You’re a smart man. I think you’ll pick it up quickly.”

He moved away, turning to face her. “Then I would like to reserve more time for my classes.”

“You have all the time you need,” she said with a laugh.

“The rest of our lives?”

She looked up at him, confused. “I don’t think it will take—”

Clarence reached into his pocket and produced a small box. Gracie stared at it for a moment before registering what it was. The rest of our lives.

He dropped to one knee and opened the box. The room went quiet. A diamond ring sat nestled in the velvet. “Marry me?”

More tears. Gracie’s heart felt full already; now it overflowed. “Yes.”

He stood and slipped the ring on her finger as the room erupted with cheers and applause. He kissed her, and then she threw her arms around him. “I hope you don’t mind living upstairs from a yarn shop.”

He looked down at her. “I want to be wherever you are.”

“Good. ‘Cause our history continues in this house.”