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She started bartending on weekends to help make ends meet. She had her hands full until a few months back when her Dad moved in with my mom.
My mother devoted herself to Mo’s dad. Taking care of him after
his stroke kept her busy, something she needed after retirement, and it kept the bills paid. Phil uses a wheelchair, but other than some speech issues, he’s completely with it, and over time they sort of fell in love.
I never expected my mom to meet another man. After my father’s death, she was devastated. He was her first love—her only love—and she vowed no man would ever fill the void left in her life and in her heart.
There will forever be an empty spot at the head of our table on Thanksgiving. The Santa cap Dad wore on Christmas morning while doling out gifts is a reminder of how uneventful the holidays are without him. Birthdays mean a hug and a card instead of a bouquet of flowers and a trip around the living room in his arms. All the small things and moments most people take for granted are the things we miss the most.
The emptiness he left behind is part of the reason I vowed never to date a firefighter, let alone marry one. I want to keep my heart safe.
And to think I was ready to give that up for a shot with Trevor.
“I’m going back to school.” Mo claps her hands, yanking me out of my thoughts, and I question whether or not I heard her right.
“What?”
“I’m going back to school,” she repeats. “I start my first class in August.”
“Mo, that’s great.” Reaching across the table, I grab her hand. “I’m so excited for you.”
“Thank you. It all happened sort of fast.” She gets a dreamy look in her eye, the same one she gets when Rhett walks into a room. “I couldn’t do it without Rhett.”
“Is he paying for it?”
She scrunches her nose. “No. He wants to, but I can’t let him do that. But he is the one who encouraged it.”
“I don’t understand. You relied on that paycheck from bartending. How are things going to work out now?”
“Everything sort of fell into place after Dad moved in with your mom. I’m no longer paying for caregivers, and that frees up a lot of money. Plus, I’ve got Rhett, and now that he’s connected to the shelter, donations have been pouring in. But I’m taking out a loan to pay for school.”
“Must be nice dating a world-champion bull rider.” I wink, and when Sarah drops our sodas off at the table, I pop the straw in my glass and take a sip.
“It has its perks, that’s for damn sure.”
She giggles, and we fall into easy conversation, talking and laughing like we’ve always done, and it feels good. For a brief moment, my sadness and insecurities fade away, making room for the bright ray of happiness I’m used to, and I feel like the old me again. The me who didn’t have much of a care in the world.
That all comes to a screeching halt when I look up. Mrs. Marks is standing beside our table. She’s a librarian at the local library, and we’ve known her most of our lives.
“Hi, Mrs. Marks, how are you?”
“Oh, I’m fine, dear. Saw you sitting over here and wanted to stop in and check on you. I haven’t had a chance to talk to you since the fire.”
I take a deep breath and reply, “I’m good. Thank you for asking.”
“What you did was wonderful, Claire. Your daddy would be so proud of you.”
Shifting around in my seat, I give her a tight smile, but I don’t reply because she wouldn’t like my answer. My father wouldn’t be proud of me; he’d be disappointed, but those thoughts are better left in my head.
“You deserve some sort of medal. I’m going to make a proposal to the town council, try to get them to put together an award ceremony.”
“No.” My eyes widen, and I shake my head. “No, I don’t. Please don’t do that, Mrs. Marks. It’s completely unnecessary.”
“Yes, you do,” she insists. “You saved those boys’ lives. It’s the least the town can do to thank you for being such a devoted teacher.”
“I didn’t save them, ma’am. The firefighters did.”
“Hmpf.” She cuts a shriveled hand through the air, brushing me off. “You’re a hero. Not many teachers would go back in for a student. You love those kids, and they love you.”
