AllFreeNovel
Share Us
We find a bench near the caboose and sit down, quiet for a few minutes as we get situated. I open the boxes and tuck the napkins under the bottom of the boxes, grabbing one before I take a cream cheese danish.
“Decadent,” she says. “I can’t wait.”
She chooses the fruit tart and carefully takes a bite, trying not to lose any fruit in the process.
“Mmm,” she hums. “I don’t know why I never get this. I always want to but end up getting a practical high-fiber breakfast muffin instead.”
“Live a little,” I say and nearly snort at myself.
Like I can give anyone that advice.
“Does it feel strange to be back?” she asks.
“Very.”
“I can imagine it must feel very different to be back without your parents. It’s different for me without Granddad, and I never left and came back to even more changes.”
“I was so sad to hear about Granddad,” I tell her.
She looks at the caboose and takes a sip of her coffee. “Thank you, dear. It’s still hard to believe he’s gone.” When she turns to face me again, she sets the fruit tart on a napkin and dusts off her hands.
“I’ve always wondered when you’d be back,” she says.
“Really?”
“You seem surprised.”
“I…am. Really surprised. I guess after so much time went by, I thought no one would think about me at all.”
“We’ve never forgotten you,” she says, patting my shoulder and squeezing before dropping her hand to take another sip of her drink. “You were at our house more than your own. You were one of us—still are if you want to know the truth of it…”
My eyes fill with tears, a huge lump growing in my throat. “Grinny, I’m sorry. You must think I’m the worst kind of person for the way I hurt Theo.”
“I figured you must have a good reason for going. Never really bought the reason you gave Theo even though he seemed to.”
“You didn’t?”
She shakes her head. “I know how much you loved that boy. He couldn’t walk into a room without stealing your attention…from the time you were an itty-bitty thing until the day you left. Do you remember your last day here?”
I could never forget.
I nod. “Yes.”
“We laughed so much that Fourth of July. You and Theo insisted on that water balloon game, and the two of you had me laughing so hard I was afraid I’d have to move on to adult diapers.” She laughs at my expression. “I didn’t…thankfully things are still okay in that department.” She throws back her head and looks at the sky. “Good Lord, I’ve been best friends with Peg and Helen too long, I can’t seem to talk without TMI.”
Her eyes are twinkling as I laugh.
“I’d love to see Peg and Helen.”
“You will,” she says and my heart warms that she trusts me to stay. “They’ll be so happy to see you too. I think you were always Helen’s favorite, and you know she’s not easy to win over.”
I look down at the coffee cup. So many people I’ve let down. I don’t know how I can ever make up for it.
“You and Theo were stealing kisses every chance you got that day…and not just then. Sneaking off to do God knows what.” She gives me a look that makes me blush. “Did you know that Theo asked for his mother’s ring that day?”
My mouth drops open. “No…I didn’t know that.”
“He wanted to give it to you before the two of you left for school. Thought he might give it to you that night, but later he said he was waiting for your birthday the next week.”
