Jake smirked. “I found Em wandering around the lake and thought I’d invite her to come with me,” he teased before pinching the back of her arm.
“Ouch!” Emily swatted him away.
“You two come on in.” The octogenarian beckoned them into the house. “I appreciate you always making time for me, Jake.” She led them into the kitchen where a platter of chocolate chip cookies sat. The delicious aroma filled the room as if they had just come out of the oven.
And now Emily finally had the answer to one of her near lifelong questions—maybe Ms. Rileyactuallybaked cookies every day. No wonder she was their favorite teacher!
“I hope you like chocolate chip.” She held up the platter, and Emily and Jake each chose one.
Emily took a bite and closed her eyes while her taste buds danced with the sweet goodness.
“So, light bulbs,” Jake began after swallowing a bite. “Which ones blew out?”
“Two in the master bath vanity and another in the hallway.” She snapped her fingers. “Oh, and there’s at least one out in my craft room. I’ve been struggling to see while I’m sewing for more than a week now. These old eyes aren’t what they used to be.” She tapped her tortoiseshell glasses and blinked her dark eyes.
“You should have called me sooner.” He jammed his thumb toward the doorway. “Are the bulbs still on the shelf in the garage?”
“That’s right. Next to the step stool,” Ms. Riley said.
Jake finished his cookie. “I’ll be back.” Then he sauntered toward the hallway.
Ms. Riley smiled sweetly at Emily. “Let’s have some tea with these cookies, shall we?”
A few minutes later, the two women were perched at Ms. Riley’s little table, sipping their warm drinks and enjoying the cookies. A ceramic pumpkin surrounded by a few grinning ghosts sat in the middle of the table. It was still August, but Ms. Riley was clearly excited to celebrate fall.
Emily glanced toward the window overlooking the lush green yard and garden filled with colorful flowers and vegetables. Soon the humid days would fade into cool nights, and the leaves would transform into brilliant shades of gold, orange, and brown. Fall was the best part of living in the mountains of Western North Carolina.
“So,” Ms. Riley began, “are you finally back for good?”
Emily shook her head. “No, ma’am. Jake asked me to comehome to help him plan a centennial celebration for his family’s orchard. I’ll probably go back to Charlotte when it’s over.”
“What have you been doing to keep busy?”
“This and that.” She studied her cup of tea. “I was working in a coffee shop, and before that I taught art at the local community college.”
“Why did you stop teaching?”
Emily met her elder’s surprised expression. “It wasn’t what I expected it to be.”
“How so?” Ms. Riley studied her.
“I guess I thought it would be more inspiring, but it just seemed so... mundane. I felt like I was going through the motions.”
“I’m sure your students were impressed with your talent.” Ms. Riley smiled. “I clearly remember you glowing when I took your class to the art room. You were nearly bouncing off the walls when you came back to the classroom. You were always drawing something.”
Emily chuckled. “I remember that too.”
“And I was very impressed with your senior exhibit in high school. I thought for sure that you’d become a professional artist.”
Me too.Emily hid her frown by biting into another cookie. She didn’t want to discuss her failures.
Ms. Riley shook a finger at Emily. “Now don’t you give up so easily. You have talent—realtalent. Your art teachers always told me that. You shouldn’t give up on your dreams, honey. You’re still so young. Take it from someone who’s made it to eighty and some change.” The older woman peered at Emily, a sparkle in her eyes.
Emily moved her finger over the edge of the table. Ms. Riley made it sound so easy. Emily had tried to keep painting—really tried. But her muse seemed to have been destroyed in the crashthat took her parents. She just didn’t care about making anything beautiful anymore.
She swallowed a bite of cookie past the lump expanding in her throat. “How have you been doing?”
“Oh, me? I’m just fine. I’m happy here in my little house. I keep busy with my garden. I decided to start growing some vegetables this year.” Ms. Riley sipped her tea. “I’ve been enjoying my tomatoes, cucumbers, and green peppers.”
