Contents
Chapter 2
Overview
Ten years earlier, Fern sees Whitney off at the bus station, then rushes to her coffee shop job to find it closed for a mural installation. Left to supervise, Fern meets the artist, Will Baxter, and their prickly banter exposes instant chemistry. Fern’s resistance to change contrasts with Will’s embrace of it, foreshadowing a pivotal connection.
Summary
On June 14 a decade earlier, Fern and her best friend Whitney race through downtown Toronto to catch Whitney’s bus north. Though Fern masks frustration over Whitney’s lack of enthusiasm for the city, they part warmly, with Whitney heading home to Huntsville and Fern confronting the countdown to her own return.
Fern walks to her beloved coffee shop, Two Sugars, using music to quiet anxiety about going back to the resort and the reputation she left behind. She arrives to find the shop closed for a new mural and learns she must supervise the artist for the day, despite her reluctance to make small talk.
The muralist, Will Baxter, arrives—tall, self-possessed, and disarmingly attractive. After Fern calls the mural “basic,” Will good-naturedly challenges her, and they share a muffin while assessing the nearly finished playful cityscape. Their banter turns revealing as Fern laments recent renovations that stripped the café’s cozy character.
Will counters that he accepts Toronto’s constant evolution, explaining he lives in Vancouver but grew up in the city and enjoys rediscovering it each visit. Fern’s resistance to change collides with Will’s openness, creating a spark that mixes wariness with intrigue and sets the stage for a consequential connection.
Who Appears
- Fern BrookbanksNarrator; sees Whitney off, dreads returning home, supervises a muralist, and meets Will, revealing her resistance to change.
- Will BaxterMural artist at Two Sugars; confident, observant, and open to change; forms instant, teasing chemistry with Fern.
- WhitneyFern’s longtime best friend; visits Toronto, then departs by bus, eager for Fern to return north.
- LuisFern’s coworker at Two Sugars; hands off mural supervision to Fern and vouches for Will.
- JamieFern’s boyfriend up north; appears via texts through Whitney, urging Fern to come home.