ungrateful teens until three?”
He told her about the in-service and then took a gamble.
“Let me take you to lunch.”
She paused and he saw the argument on her face. “Please. We’re not in Petal. Chris isn’t around. I’m not his teacher right now. It’s just Lily and Nathan.”
She sighed. “All right. I’m hungry though, I warn you. And I need a drink.”
“You can tell me why when we get the drinks ordered.” He held his arm out and she took it after a hesitation.
They walked and talked, and man had he missed that rhythm they’d had before. It was there, just ready to pick up, and he wondered if she felt it too.
Her scent hung between them as he held her chair out and they sat. Not bothering to try holding back, he leaned close and breathed her in.
He didn’t miss the shiver and catch in her breath. He also didn’t hide his grin as he sat and took his menu up.
“Why did you decide to stay in Petal to teach?” she asked as they perused the menu.
“My family was there. My brothers and sisters. I knew they’d all be having kids and settling down, and I wanted to be around. I knew the school needed teachers. I taught math for a few years and then humanities and English lit. It’s been good to find my place. The principal is good at her job. She cares about the community and the teachers as well as the kids. There are far worse places I could be. Plus I could afford a house after a few years of saving.”
They ordered and he turned to her again. “Now tell me why do you need a drink.”
Lily took a few bracing gulps first. “My mother lives in a fog of pills washed down with wine. She fell last week and told Chris not to tell me.” She paused to take a breath. “She’s a wreck, and I have to constantly watch her and try to keep Chris from noticing. But he did notice, and he’s a mess and I worry I’m failing him but I’m just making this all up as I go along.”
Well that wasn’t the story he’d expected at all. Beth had mentioned Mrs. Travis having some problems, but she hadn’t been specific and had told him to ask Lily.
He knew a few things about parents who drank too much, but his experience wasn’t hers, though it was hard not to frame it all from his perspective. “If she’s falling, it’s only going to get worse.”
“I know. I’m here because she’s with her friends all day and Chris is gone. Polly is with them, and she told me on the sly that they all planned to have her stay the night with one of them. I hate that they all know. But I don’t know what else to do. Stay there. Which I do, of course. But Chris asked me to talk to her about it, and so I went to the counselor we’ve seen a few times to run over some ideas with her on how to broach the subject. I get to do that when I return home.”
He ached for her. Knowing that pain. Knowing she wanted to help both her mother and her brother. Knowing firsthand that no one could make Pamela stop it unless she wanted to.
“On top of that, my sister was in my apartment when I got back today. She picked a fight. I should have let it go. It’s not like she actually cares about what we’re arguing over. She just wants to upset me and make me lose my temper. So she won today.”
He had a few opinions about the useless Nancy Travis, but he kept them to himself, knowing Lily needed to talk it through.
“I used to think that when we got older we’d get past this. Maybe I’m not trying hard enough. But she’s convinced our father is coming back and convinced our mom should take him back. She said some pretty unforgiveable stuff. I replied in like fashion, I guess. Not my finest moment.”
“What’d she say?”
“Nancy?” She paused to take a few sips of her drink. “Man that’s going to hit me in a few.” She smiled up at the server. “Can we get some bruschetta while we’re looking at the menu?” The server assured her he’d get right on it and left to make it happen.
“You’re good at that.” He
He told her about the in-service and then took a gamble.
“Let me take you to lunch.”
She paused and he saw the argument on her face. “Please. We’re not in Petal. Chris isn’t around. I’m not his teacher right now. It’s just Lily and Nathan.”
She sighed. “All right. I’m hungry though, I warn you. And I need a drink.”
“You can tell me why when we get the drinks ordered.” He held his arm out and she took it after a hesitation.
They walked and talked, and man had he missed that rhythm they’d had before. It was there, just ready to pick up, and he wondered if she felt it too.
Her scent hung between them as he held her chair out and they sat. Not bothering to try holding back, he leaned close and breathed her in.
He didn’t miss the shiver and catch in her breath. He also didn’t hide his grin as he sat and took his menu up.
“Why did you decide to stay in Petal to teach?” she asked as they perused the menu.
“My family was there. My brothers and sisters. I knew they’d all be having kids and settling down, and I wanted to be around. I knew the school needed teachers. I taught math for a few years and then humanities and English lit. It’s been good to find my place. The principal is good at her job. She cares about the community and the teachers as well as the kids. There are far worse places I could be. Plus I could afford a house after a few years of saving.”
They ordered and he turned to her again. “Now tell me why do you need a drink.”
Lily took a few bracing gulps first. “My mother lives in a fog of pills washed down with wine. She fell last week and told Chris not to tell me.” She paused to take a breath. “She’s a wreck, and I have to constantly watch her and try to keep Chris from noticing. But he did notice, and he’s a mess and I worry I’m failing him but I’m just making this all up as I go along.”
Well that wasn’t the story he’d expected at all. Beth had mentioned Mrs. Travis having some problems, but she hadn’t been specific and had told him to ask Lily.
He knew a few things about parents who drank too much, but his experience wasn’t hers, though it was hard not to frame it all from his perspective. “If she’s falling, it’s only going to get worse.”
“I know. I’m here because she’s with her friends all day and Chris is gone. Polly is with them, and she told me on the sly that they all planned to have her stay the night with one of them. I hate that they all know. But I don’t know what else to do. Stay there. Which I do, of course. But Chris asked me to talk to her about it, and so I went to the counselor we’ve seen a few times to run over some ideas with her on how to broach the subject. I get to do that when I return home.”
He ached for her. Knowing that pain. Knowing she wanted to help both her mother and her brother. Knowing firsthand that no one could make Pamela stop it unless she wanted to.
“On top of that, my sister was in my apartment when I got back today. She picked a fight. I should have let it go. It’s not like she actually cares about what we’re arguing over. She just wants to upset me and make me lose my temper. So she won today.”
He had a few opinions about the useless Nancy Travis, but he kept them to himself, knowing Lily needed to talk it through.
“I used to think that when we got older we’d get past this. Maybe I’m not trying hard enough. But she’s convinced our father is coming back and convinced our mom should take him back. She said some pretty unforgiveable stuff. I replied in like fashion, I guess. Not my finest moment.”
“What’d she say?”
“Nancy?” She paused to take a few sips of her drink. “Man that’s going to hit me in a few.” She smiled up at the server. “Can we get some bruschetta while we’re looking at the menu?” The server assured her he’d get right on it and left to make it happen.
“You’re good at that.” He
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