Let it Sew by Elizabeth Lynn Casey Page B

pans.
    “Oh, Jerry Lee, do they get to bake by themselves?” Margaret Louise whispered in an
     almost childlike voice.
    “They do, with supervision from one of our volunteers to make sure there aren’t any
     mishaps. But all in all, our folks do a really nice job.” Jerry Lee pointed toward
     a long bulletin board across a side wall then down at the bulge beneath his shirt.
     “These are some of the recipes that are responsible for me looking like this.”
    Margaret Louise moved in for a closer look. “Oooh, teddy bear bread. That’s one I
     need to make with Lulu and Sally over the holidays . . . Oh, and look at the cupcakes,
     they’re darlin’.”
    “There’s something about making an edible treat that makes our folks come alive. It
     gives them such a sense of pride and accomplishment when they make something that
     can be enjoyed by others.”
    “Could you use another volunteer from time to time?”
    The hope in Margaret Louise’s voice was unmistakable as was the resulting surprise
     and cautious optimism in Jerry Lee’s.
    “We’d be honored,” Jerry Lee said before leading them back out into the hallway and
     toward the next room in the center—one outfitted with a desk and chair, a cash register
     and conveyer belt, a restaurant-style table, and a computer terminal.
    Tori turned to Jerry Lee. “What’s all this?”
    The man’s chest lifted beneath his gray button-down shirt. “This is what I call the
     Career Role Play Room. Very often people with these types of obstacles find their
     way into very specific jobs—baggers, busboys, greeters, those sorts of things. And
     by providing a snippet of those environments here, we’re allowing our folks an opportunity
     to practice the skills they’ll need to secure such jobs.”
    “What kind of things can they do on the computer?” Leona slid the tips of her fingers
     over the terminal.
    “Depends on the person and their abilities. Some can’t get past turning the machine
     on, while others can put a trained computer tech to shame.” Jerry Lee stood in the
     center of the room with his arms crossed. “Unfortunately, the first group is seen
     by the working world as not worth the effort, while the second group can’t seem to
     achieve the respect they deserve.”
    “What you’re doing here is really very special.” Margaret Louise and Leona nodded
     along with Tori’s words. “I had no idea a center like this even existed.”
    A flash of something ignited behind Jerry Lee’s eyes, only to extinguish just as quickly.
     “That’s because Parker wasn’t about doing this for glory or accolades. He did it for
     Brian and for kids
like
Brian. Though what’s going to happen to this place now remains to be seen.”
    “So then you’ve heard?” Margaret Louise prompted.
    Lines Tori hadn’t paid much attention to until that point deepened beside the man’s
     eyes and mouth, aging him beyond his seventy-plus years. “Yeah. I heard. Though I
     have to admit, I’m having a mighty hard time digesting it all.”
    Reaching out, Tori placed a gentle hand on Jerry Lee’s arm. “Margaret Louise said
     you were friends with Parker Devereaux for a long time.”
    Jerry Lee nodded. “I can’t really remember a time Parker wasn’t part of my life. But
     it’s more than that. I was there when he met Charlotte. I was the best man in their
     wedding party. I was there when they learned of the challenges Brian would face in
     life. I was there when Ethan came along twelve years later as the son with no problems.
     And I was with them when”—the man gestured around the room—“they dreamed up this place.
     Now I’m supposed to be able to accept the fact that a woman I grew to cherish every
     bit as much as Parker
murdered
him?”
    She hadn’t considered that aspect of their grim discovery. And judging by the way
     Margaret Louise and Leona looked to the floor at the man’s admission, she wasn’t the
     only one.
    “I think we’re all