“Oh, please, call me Donna. Ms. Hansen makes me feel old.” She grinned.
Ms. Hansen—or should I say Donna—wasold. And I meant that in the nicest way possible, because the lady was a gift sent from the heavens above. I didn’t know specifically how old she was, but I knew that she’d been a prime figure of this town since I was a young girl. Her stark gray curls were pristinely placed and her untouched wrinkles showed proof of a well-lived life, suggesting she was in her mid-seventies.
Now that I thought about it, I wasn’t sure why she still worked. I could only assume that when you were the owner, the work never ended, and she had dedicated her life to this newspaper. Without her, it just wouldn’t be the same.
“It has been ages. Lots of different things going on, but hoping everything might settle down a bit now that I’m not moving to Chicago.”
The statement fell from my mouth as if my not moving to Chicago anymore made no difference to me. I didn’t think that was completely true, but I was grateful that the thought of an exciting new opportunity appeared to be masking some of my lingering uncertainty.
“Oh, honey, I’m so sorry about all that. Some of us wanted to reach out and see how you were doing—I came close to bringing over some pie—but I didn’t want to intrude. Plus, George has been keeping us updated. He sure enjoys when you spend time out there at Rolling Meadows.” The tone of her voice was so genuine it made you feel like you were talking with one of your best friends.
“Well, I’m glad to hear that because I’ve really enjoyed my time with him too. And I’m beyond grateful he has let me revel in the beauty of the farm. That land is spectacular and somehow makes the outside world feel a little less intimidating,” I said, smiling at the mere thought of it.
“You always have loved to escape there, haven’t you?” she asked. I planned to respond, but she took the longer than normal silence as an invitation to keep going. “Must be something about those hills that brings you solace in your times of need. I can’t blame you though, because I’ve often found that getting lost has a way of helping you find your way back.”
“Truer words…” I offered, trying to stop my brain from wandering to places it didn’t need to go right now.
“So, darling, what brings you into theTribune?”
“Well, actually…” I paused, wanting to make sure I got my words right. Not that Donna would care, but it was important to me that I said what I needed to say. “I’ve just been thinking a lot recently about what I’d like to do and what that looks like sinceI’ll be staying in Quincey Falls. I don’t know if you heard, but I had taken a job at a magazine in Chicago before everything just sort of, you know, fell apart. I’d really been looking forward to it, and I contemplated still taking it, but for multiple reasons, I just can’t leave this place. At least not right now.” I let out a deep breath, giving Donna a once-over to gauge her reaction. “With all of that being said, I thought maybe if you had something open, anything really, I’d love to come help out here. You don’t even have to pay me—”
“Nonsense. I would absolutely pay you. Don’t be ridiculous,” she said, playfully flicking my shoulder.
“Does that mean it’s a yes?” The anxious rattle that shook inside of me had morphed into butterflies feverishly flapping their wings.
“Of course it’s a yes. We’d absolutely love to have you on our team. We aren’t a big fancy Chicago magazine by any means, and there’s only five of us on the team right now, but we are mighty. And most importantly, we all love this town of ours.”
“Couldn’t sound more perfect.” I grinned, my cheeks aching from smiling so hard as I pulled her into a hug. “Thank you, Donna. Truly.”
“You don’t have to thank me, darling. We stick together in these parts, and we’ve always got each other’s backs,” she said, squeezing me tighter before releasing our embrace. “Now, I’m not sure exactly what I’ll have you do, but we’ll figure all those details out later. I can’t promise it’s going to be glamorous, but I can promise you a job.”
“You just tell me where you need me and I’ll be there. I’m happy with whatever. I just truly appreciate you, more than you’ll ever know.”
“Don’t mention it,” she said, swatting her hand away in the air. “When do you wanna start?”
“How about Monday?”
“Sounds perfect. I’ll make sure to have a desk set up and ready for you. Do you have your own computer, or will you need one?”
“I have my own that I can bring, thank you though.”
“Absolutely. I’m so glad you stopped in, and I can’t wait to tell the team that you’ll be joining us!” Her smile appeared to have almost as much excitement as mine did.
I hugged her one more time, giving her an extra squeeze before turning and walking toward the door.
“Thanks again. I’ll see you Monday!”
“See you Monday, darling!”
I practically skipped down the town square, unsure if my buzz was coming from the commotion around me or the excitement inside of me.
Donna was right that it wasn’t Chicago, but I decided it would be better.
I had to chat with Wilson and let him know I wouldn’t be coming back, at least not full-time. Although, I couldn’t imagine he’d care too much considering I’d been MIA for seven months.
The black soft top of my old white Jeep Wrangler was easy to spot among the line of trucks that diagonally lined the street. I’d planned to run by Salvation Army first, but I was too keen on sharing my news with George that I headed straight south toward Rolling Meadows instead.
Leaves littered the winding road that led to the farm. The canopy of overhanging trees had me contemplating whether I wanted to pull over and remove the top because nothing compared to a chilly little drive through the mountains. The fresh air leaving your cheeks cold to the touch, the smell of burning firewood that would get stuck in your hair—and on your clothes for days—and the promise that new beginnings always looked a little sad before they bloomed.
