We arrived in the studio, then went straight inside. "We're here," I announced.

Mavy looked over to us while doing some paper works. "Oh! Hey, guys," she said.

"Is Emmy here?"

"Yup, she's just giving Jo a hand to fix a dress for a photoshoot. It'll only take a minute."

"Alright."

"By the way, I have some seaweed chips?" Mavy took out the plastic bag, and handed it to me and Roy. "Want some?"

"Sure," I said, then took a piece.

"What about Toph... Roy?" She stammered from that little slip of tongue.

I remember controlling my hand to facepalm so hard until my hand go through my face. If I had to, I would be using handcuffs.

Good thing, Roy did not suspect a thing. "Sure," he said, and took a chip, then ate it. "This is good. Where'd you get this?"

"My brother is selling them. Want me to get you some?"

"Sure, get me five of these. It's good. I'll pay."

"Don't worry about that. It's on the house," Mavy told him.

While he looked into his phone, Mav mouth sorry to me. After that, I gave her that it's-okay look in response. I couldn't be mad at that.

Anyway, Emmy came out down the stairs, wearing her favorite quilted blue gingham sweater. "Hi! Lovely," she chimed. "Hi! Toph... ROY! Hi! Roy."

I remember frowning, and letting out a heavy sigh from that. And like Mav, I also tried to stop myself from doing something to let them know that they made a misttake. As for Emmy, instead of face palming, I was about to give her a death stare.

"Hey, Emmy," Roy said back.

"Anyway," I intervened quickly. "I'm ready to go, aren't you?"

"Yeah... Yeah..." Emmy stammered. "I just need to go to the ladies room."

So while waiting, I turned to Roy again. "So, are you gonna be okay without me here?" I asked.

"Yeah, I can manage," he assured me.

"Don't worry, Peps, we'll give him whatever he need," Mav told me.

Later, Emmy and I were on our way to her shop first. We were on her blush pink Volkswagen Beatle. The convertable one.

Yup, a VW Beatle convertable.

While I'm known to be the Vespa girl, Emmy is the Beatle girl.

I always wanted a car. Particularly, a Mini Cooper, but I just don't need it. I never learned how to drive since Topher taught me how to ride the Vespa anyway.

In a place like Barcon, there's not much cars here.

Okay, back to the story.

I remember feeling annoyed just thinking how Mav and Emmy almost calling Roy my late-fiance's name. I tried to be calm about it since it was an honest mistake, and I saw it coming as well. I was overthinking it so much about on our way to the store that I didn't even pay attention what was going on.

I was also worried that what if my colleagues call him Topher again, and he began getting curious. After that, he would ask questions. Ugh... it was so nerve-wracking that I tightened my fist that I wished I had a stress ball that time.

"By the way, sorry for accidentally calling Roy Topher," Emmy apologized while driving.

"It's fine, it could happen to anyone," I replied. "Especially, me. I almost called him Topher, too, a few times. Okay, maybe more than a few."

"He just looks so much like Topher. It's so unbelievably freaky."

"I know."

"I can see why you like him though," Emmy added. "He's a great guy."

"Yeah, he is," I sighed.

Eventually, we got to her shop, Emini (Eh-mi-ni). The name does roll down your tongue nicely, and Topher came up with it. Anyway, Emmy has a side business aside from being a stylist. Remember that she likes miniature thingies?

Yup, she turned her hobby into a business after getting her trust funds three years ago. Which was cute, and all. She's there on her free time because it's like, therapuetic for her.

Topher and I helped fix her shop along with Mav, Jo and Linus. The guys had to do the harder work like the drilling and the hammering. As for us girls, we did the paintings, cleaning, and the decorating.

Of course, Emmy hired professionals to extend a wall after Topher and Linus tore it apart somehow. To this day, Linus could not tell us how and just offered to pay for it back then.

It was fun working together like that. Probably because we had to order Mcdonalds everytime we needed a break, and when we accidentally splattered some paints on our clothes, which by the way, became a great touch ups.

I had a black jogger pants that had white paint on them, and it became a statement when I wore it in one of my old college classmate's photo exhibit, and there were pink paint on Mav's jean jacket that she still wears sometimes.

It was like good moments imprinted on those clothes.

When we got inside, those memories came back to me again. The first thing I noticed though was the smell of peppermint. It was nice and cozy to have that scent in a store like Emmy's.

"That house is smaller than I remember," I joked as I pointed one of the miniature house that was on display.

"Haha... Very funny," Emmy said while turning on the lights.

"So where's the miniature cafes that you want me to take pictures of?"

"Follow me."

"Okay."

We went to the back office, and there they were, a dozen styles of vintage miniature cafes. I even had to help Emmy arrange the tiny furnitures in those teeny tiny stores. It was so tiny that she had to wear her binoculars  magnifying glasses. You know, the ones that you wear when you assemble those small ships inside a bottle.

Back when we were roomies in West Durnams, I would always caught Emmy with her nose stuck on those fun-size constructions. There were times, she did not sleep at all on the weekends until she finished with everything.

I remember waking up in the middle of the night with the lights were off, and saw here still at it with a lamp giving her light.

She even gave me, and also my colleagues, a book nook kit one time at Christmas adter. Yup, she also sell those. It was cute, and I get the hype because I assembled it myself, then put them on one my bookshelf. Sometimes, I would stare at it like it was a snowglobe.

"These are so cute," I squealed.

Emmy grinned. "I know, right?" she replied.

"Where'd you get them?"

"France. Thanks to my uncle living there. He even shipped them here."

They were so adorable that I want to buy them all. The problem was I had no place to put them. Also, I wish there was a shrinking machine to make me tiny and explore inside. Actually, I want to explore all of her miniature displays.

Anyhow, I started working by taking pictures of every angle and every detail of it. It was so meticulous.

"These craftmanships are so amazing," I remarked.

"Yeah, it's made by one of the best miniature maker ever, Bill Robertson," Emmy said.

"I wonder how much time he made this one."

"Probably days, or could be weeks."

"So are you going to post them on your website," I asked.

"Yeah, and of course in Instagram and Tiktok," Emmy answered.

"Cool. They all look so Parisian. I wish I'm inside one of those, but of course, I want real coffee and pastries if I'm gonna chill there."

"It take me back when I studied in a cafe in Europe, getting coffee and eclair. Oh... I miss going to France. Everywhere you go and see are just so charming."

"Have you ever thought about going back to study there?" I asked. You see, Emmy used to do one of those exchange programs back in college.

"Yes," she answered. "But not to study. I just wanna stroll around however I want without worrying about curfew."

Next thing I did was I paused, and looked down. "Speaking of Europe. I have some news to share."

"What is it?"

"I got an offer to teach in the Arthur Trade School of Fashion."

Emmy was taken aback. "The one in London?" she gasped.

"Yeah... I got their email from them. They need someone to teach fashion photography because their current instructor will be gone for a couple of years."

"That's wonderful news! So you're gonna take it, right?"

I got sheepish. "I'm still thinking about it," I told her.

"Oh, no, you sound hesitant. Don't tell me you're not taking the job?"

"I just said I'm still thinking about it." You know, I did teach some workshops before in West Durnam a year after I graduated to make extra money for the repairs in my studio, and it was great. I was happy teaching the future fashion photographers.

"Which is another way of saying no," Emmy grunted.

"I didn't say no," I argued.

"You didn't say yes. You should take the job."

"For two years? I don't know..."

"I have known you since we became roomies. You'd still wouldn't take the offer even if it will only take you a month," Emmy retorted.

"Okay, you're right," I admitted reluctantly. "I mean, I want to, but I just can't."

"Why?"

"You know, because of the studio, and all."

"I don't believe that," she grunted. "You have Mav, Jo and Linus for that. Don't you trust them? They can handle managing the studio all by themselves. They did it before."

"I do..." I muttered.

"You can't leave Barcon, do you? Is it because of him...?"

"You sound like Linus. He said the same thing to me."

"Lovely, he's right," Emmy sighed. "You are afraid of letting go. You... You don't have to hold on to... things anymore."

"I get it."

"Alright, fine, in the end of the day it's your choice whether or not you take that teaching job. I just think it's good for you to, you know, move on from what you've been through. A new place would do you good. Besides, it's only two years, not forever."

"Two years sounds like a long time," I sighed.

"Maybe, but maybe that's all it takes for you to heal. Two years wouldn't kill you," she added.

"I know." I remember feeling dismayed, and I guess it was shown in my face.

"Look, I'm sorry." Emmy came to me, and gave me a hug. "I didn't mean to be hard on you. It's just that, I want you to be happy again by moving on the right way. I know it's still hard for you after Topher died, but you know in you heart and in your mind that Roy is not the way to move on."

"It's fine, I know you're just looking out for me. It's just that easy right now, even though I really want to."

"Okay, whatever you decide, I'll support you all the way."

"Thanks." I hugged her back. "Anyway, enough with the drama. Let's get back to the shoot, and get lunch."

Emmy giggled, then backed away to stand aside for me to continue working again. "Alright. Alright. No more drama."

Once we were done, I stayed in the store and waited for Emmy because she went out to get lunch since there's Mcdonalds three blocks away.

I sat by the cashier counter, and stared at my phone. The email, to be exact. The offer was tempting, but I was hesitant, like Emmy said. There were so many things running in my mind.

Not that I am pressured to make a decision right away because according to the email, I got some time. Still, it was a big decision.

Although, I did reply that I would think about it first, so it wouldn't seem like I leave them hanging.