purchased two crates of the sweet, heady beverage earlier that day. “Well I’m sure you’ll think of something,” Mika said feeling the effects of the cider in his belly. “You may want to choose something mellower for the picnic. You know something like background music.”
Hope felt a strange air settle into the conversation with her husband. “Yeah, but I think they want me to sing and perform. I can try to find something slower paced. Is that what you’re talking about?” Hope asked trying to understand Mika’s comment.
Mika quickly finished off the icy cool hard cider saying, “Whatever you think is best. We just want to remember the reason for the picnic is to thank the people of town. The focus should be on them. I just think it would be best to be low key about the whole thing.” Hope watched as her husband grab another alcoholic drink from the ice box.
“Do you think people don’t want to hear me sing?” Hope asked struggling to understand.
“No, that’s not it. It’s just that you’re so amazing , it kind of takes the attention off the event. You become the center of everyone’s focus. I guess it makes me a little uncomfortable, but you enjoy it so much I don’t want to stop you,” Mika replied trying to dance around the topic.
“Well honey, I don’t want to make you uncomfortable. I don’t have to play at all if you think that’s best,” Hope answered surprised at the offer she was proposing.
“All I know is that I love to hear you play. As long as you play for me, that’s all that matters,” Mika said with a huge loving grin on his face.
“Well, I can tell Mr. Begich that I can’t play this time, and whenever you want me to play for you, just let me know,” Hope offered her wonderful and amazing husband.
Mika never did ask H ope to play for him as the guitar sat dusty and out of tune deep in the closet from that day on.
“Good morn ing Joy. How’s my favorite girl?” Hope said as she sat down to sort through the stack of orders.
“Hey Hope, we’ve been super busy today. Is it OK if I take a quick break now that you’re here?” Joy asked eager to step away from the counter. “I want to go down and see Alec. He said he bought me something, and I’m dying to see what it is.”
“No problem, but try to be back in thirty minutes if you can. I need to run down to the train station this morning. I’m waiting on the material for my new line of jackets, and it should be here before noon,” Hope said smiling at her best friend.
“Thanks Hope, I’ll be back in before you know it,” Joy promised as she ran out the door.
A couple weeks back, Joy started seeing a local boy named Alec. Alec was the son of the City Administrator. Mr. Begich had arranged the meeting after a discussion with the boy’s father several weeks ago. Joy and Alec hit it off. About the same age, they had many things in common. He was polite and kind and really enjoyed being with Joy. Joy liked him too, but she didn’t feel the same connection. Like any young girl, she really liked the attention from Alec and enjoyed the times they spent together.
While Joy was away on break, Hope dove into working the remaining material she had. Sewing always took her away to a distant place where she was alone. She thought back to a time when everything was much simpler. Times when she and Thomas would travel the country like royalty going to far away, exotic places. She thought of Julian and the times she spent breast feeding the tiny child. She thought about the future and dreams she had for him full of opportunity and joy. She thought of his smile, his smell, and the way he called her Mommy. She thought of her dad and the sadness she felt when he left this world. And her mom who she knew she’d never see again. She hated herself for how she had treated her mother. Being a teenager at the time, she never felt like it was her fault, but she hated herself none the less for what had happened. And the boy,
Hope felt a strange air settle into the conversation with her husband. “Yeah, but I think they want me to sing and perform. I can try to find something slower paced. Is that what you’re talking about?” Hope asked trying to understand Mika’s comment.
Mika quickly finished off the icy cool hard cider saying, “Whatever you think is best. We just want to remember the reason for the picnic is to thank the people of town. The focus should be on them. I just think it would be best to be low key about the whole thing.” Hope watched as her husband grab another alcoholic drink from the ice box.
“Do you think people don’t want to hear me sing?” Hope asked struggling to understand.
“No, that’s not it. It’s just that you’re so amazing , it kind of takes the attention off the event. You become the center of everyone’s focus. I guess it makes me a little uncomfortable, but you enjoy it so much I don’t want to stop you,” Mika replied trying to dance around the topic.
“Well honey, I don’t want to make you uncomfortable. I don’t have to play at all if you think that’s best,” Hope answered surprised at the offer she was proposing.
“All I know is that I love to hear you play. As long as you play for me, that’s all that matters,” Mika said with a huge loving grin on his face.
“Well, I can tell Mr. Begich that I can’t play this time, and whenever you want me to play for you, just let me know,” Hope offered her wonderful and amazing husband.
Mika never did ask H ope to play for him as the guitar sat dusty and out of tune deep in the closet from that day on.
“Good morn ing Joy. How’s my favorite girl?” Hope said as she sat down to sort through the stack of orders.
“Hey Hope, we’ve been super busy today. Is it OK if I take a quick break now that you’re here?” Joy asked eager to step away from the counter. “I want to go down and see Alec. He said he bought me something, and I’m dying to see what it is.”
“No problem, but try to be back in thirty minutes if you can. I need to run down to the train station this morning. I’m waiting on the material for my new line of jackets, and it should be here before noon,” Hope said smiling at her best friend.
“Thanks Hope, I’ll be back in before you know it,” Joy promised as she ran out the door.
A couple weeks back, Joy started seeing a local boy named Alec. Alec was the son of the City Administrator. Mr. Begich had arranged the meeting after a discussion with the boy’s father several weeks ago. Joy and Alec hit it off. About the same age, they had many things in common. He was polite and kind and really enjoyed being with Joy. Joy liked him too, but she didn’t feel the same connection. Like any young girl, she really liked the attention from Alec and enjoyed the times they spent together.
While Joy was away on break, Hope dove into working the remaining material she had. Sewing always took her away to a distant place where she was alone. She thought back to a time when everything was much simpler. Times when she and Thomas would travel the country like royalty going to far away, exotic places. She thought of Julian and the times she spent breast feeding the tiny child. She thought about the future and dreams she had for him full of opportunity and joy. She thought of his smile, his smell, and the way he called her Mommy. She thought of her dad and the sadness she felt when he left this world. And her mom who she knew she’d never see again. She hated herself for how she had treated her mother. Being a teenager at the time, she never felt like it was her fault, but she hated herself none the less for what had happened. And the boy,
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