had to drop Garrett off at school
before she could head in to her office at the bank. Things would
get better for her as she made a new life for herself. Everything
would be okay.
Lindsey awoke with a
start as her alarm clock went off. Garrett was already awake and
playing with the cat on the floor in the living room. She watched
him for a few minutes, regretting she'd fed the poor stray the
evening before and allowed it into the house, and then hurried
off to take a shower.
"Why can't we stay
with Marcus momma?" Garrett asked as she pulled his clothes
on and ran a brush through his hair. She licked the palm of her
hand and tried to get it to lay flat but it was no use.
"Because, we need a
house of our own. You know that. That's why we came down here in
the first place. Remember?" She pulled his jacket on and
again brushed at his unruly hair. It would never lay flat.
"But I liked the
horses!"
Lindsey sighed and threw
her hands up in the air. "Look Garrett, I'm doing the best
that I can. I'm sorry if my best isn't good enough for you, but
it's all I have. Now come on, I don't want you late for school.
You've missed enough as it is." She dragged him along by the
hood of his coat as he continued to complain and protest. It was
only when she agreed that he could keep the cat that he decided
to stop pestering her and leave the radio alone.
At work Lindsey was
slowly growing accustomed to the lazy flow of people and somewhat
familiar faces that passed into and out of her day. She
remembered several of the men and women who sat down at her desk
at the bank, but far more remembered her. She and Marcus had been
well liked and well known in the small town before everything
went downhill.
"I heard you'd taken
up a job here." Connie said as she sat down at the desk and
arranged her purse and coat in her lap. "I didn't get a
proper chance to talk to you yesterday." Connie smiled at
her. "The parade always leaves the town exhausted
afterwards. But I think the benefits outweigh the fuss and
confusion."
"This really isn't
the best time," Lindsey glanced at her boss and then back at
her old friend. "Maybe you could come over for dinner
tonight?"
"No, no, dinner
won't do. I have a herd of my own to feed tonight."
"Maybe another time then." Lindsey gave her an
apologetic smile, yet she was relieved she could put off the
coming conversation for a few days more.
"Pete, mind if I
have a word with Lindsey?" Connie called over to the short
balding man at the desk not far from hers.
Pete smiled at her and
shook his head no. He was a really decent guy from what Lindsey
could tell. "Consider it an early lunch break and I won't
mind."
"Good," Connie
turned back to her. "Why don't we go get lunch? Might as
well if it's going to be your lunch break." Connie slipped
back into her coat and ushered Lindsey out the door before she
could so much as protest. Lindsey noted with annoyance that
Connie was better at getting what she wanted now then she had
been seven years ago.
"The little
restaurant down here is good. They moved in a while after you
left. Boy do they have the best Italian food." Connie
slipped her arm into Lindsey's and together they walked the few
blocks down the small town.
"This place is a lot
bigger since I left." Lindsey noted trying to reposition
herself in relation to the other stores and streets she had once
been so familiar with. "Mrs. Jane's place is gone I see, so
is old David's candy store."
"Lots of new places
have gone up also. The parade has brought in a lot more traffic
over the years. Although I have to say that it's about time we
got some decent shopping." Connie held open the door of the
small restaurant for Lindsey.
The smell of garlic, hot
bread and rich tomato sauce welcomed them, as did the slender
lady behind the counter. Once they had ordered Connie found them
a seat near the window and shed her coat again.
"You still love
Italian huh?" Lindsey said with a smile. "Does Rick
ever get tired of it?"
"Of
before she could head in to her office at the bank. Things would
get better for her as she made a new life for herself. Everything
would be okay.
Lindsey awoke with a
start as her alarm clock went off. Garrett was already awake and
playing with the cat on the floor in the living room. She watched
him for a few minutes, regretting she'd fed the poor stray the
evening before and allowed it into the house, and then hurried
off to take a shower.
"Why can't we stay
with Marcus momma?" Garrett asked as she pulled his clothes
on and ran a brush through his hair. She licked the palm of her
hand and tried to get it to lay flat but it was no use.
"Because, we need a
house of our own. You know that. That's why we came down here in
the first place. Remember?" She pulled his jacket on and
again brushed at his unruly hair. It would never lay flat.
"But I liked the
horses!"
Lindsey sighed and threw
her hands up in the air. "Look Garrett, I'm doing the best
that I can. I'm sorry if my best isn't good enough for you, but
it's all I have. Now come on, I don't want you late for school.
You've missed enough as it is." She dragged him along by the
hood of his coat as he continued to complain and protest. It was
only when she agreed that he could keep the cat that he decided
to stop pestering her and leave the radio alone.
At work Lindsey was
slowly growing accustomed to the lazy flow of people and somewhat
familiar faces that passed into and out of her day. She
remembered several of the men and women who sat down at her desk
at the bank, but far more remembered her. She and Marcus had been
well liked and well known in the small town before everything
went downhill.
"I heard you'd taken
up a job here." Connie said as she sat down at the desk and
arranged her purse and coat in her lap. "I didn't get a
proper chance to talk to you yesterday." Connie smiled at
her. "The parade always leaves the town exhausted
afterwards. But I think the benefits outweigh the fuss and
confusion."
"This really isn't
the best time," Lindsey glanced at her boss and then back at
her old friend. "Maybe you could come over for dinner
tonight?"
"No, no, dinner
won't do. I have a herd of my own to feed tonight."
"Maybe another time then." Lindsey gave her an
apologetic smile, yet she was relieved she could put off the
coming conversation for a few days more.
"Pete, mind if I
have a word with Lindsey?" Connie called over to the short
balding man at the desk not far from hers.
Pete smiled at her and
shook his head no. He was a really decent guy from what Lindsey
could tell. "Consider it an early lunch break and I won't
mind."
"Good," Connie
turned back to her. "Why don't we go get lunch? Might as
well if it's going to be your lunch break." Connie slipped
back into her coat and ushered Lindsey out the door before she
could so much as protest. Lindsey noted with annoyance that
Connie was better at getting what she wanted now then she had
been seven years ago.
"The little
restaurant down here is good. They moved in a while after you
left. Boy do they have the best Italian food." Connie
slipped her arm into Lindsey's and together they walked the few
blocks down the small town.
"This place is a lot
bigger since I left." Lindsey noted trying to reposition
herself in relation to the other stores and streets she had once
been so familiar with. "Mrs. Jane's place is gone I see, so
is old David's candy store."
"Lots of new places
have gone up also. The parade has brought in a lot more traffic
over the years. Although I have to say that it's about time we
got some decent shopping." Connie held open the door of the
small restaurant for Lindsey.
The smell of garlic, hot
bread and rich tomato sauce welcomed them, as did the slender
lady behind the counter. Once they had ordered Connie found them
a seat near the window and shed her coat again.
"You still love
Italian huh?" Lindsey said with a smile. "Does Rick
ever get tired of it?"
"Of
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