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“You’re the first man I’ve hugged this way.” Her voice faltered. “It’s also a goodbye hug. Something to remember me by when I’m no longer in Georgia.”
She pulled back.
“A little longer, please?” He pleaded.
“That’s enough.”
“All right.” He really wanted more, but he also respected Maggie’s space. She could hug him whenever she wanted, but only if she wanted to.
“We’ve been talking about memories, and if I’m not mistaken, you sound like you’re going to miss this place and our church.” Levi almost asked her if she’d miss him, but he decided not to push it. Premature, perhaps.
Maggie nodded. Her eyes teared up. “I’ve been here all my life. I love my job in the ministry.”
“So why are you leaving now?”
Maggie didn’t answer. She stepped back from Levi and looked away.
“Maggie?”
Silence.
Levi searched everywhere for a box of tissues, but there was none in sight. He went around the counter and tore off a pieceof paper towel. Handed it to Maggie, who had returned to her position at the window.
She took it from him, blew her nose.
He almost put an arm around her shoulders, but decided not to. There was no one else in the house, and he’d been trying to avoid any physical contact. She had initiated her winter hug. That was all they could handle at this point.
After a little bit of crying, Maggie shrugged. “Such is life.”
She walked back to the living room. “I have ten days to pack the rest of my stuff. Not a lot, since they’ve hauled away my bed and desk—the table you gave me that used to belong to Aunt Marie.”
“I’ll help you pack whatever you have left. Mostly books, right?”
“You’ve done enough, Levi.” Maggie went to the refrigerator to get a bottled water. She offered one to Levi.
“What? Are you sending me away now?”
“Maybe I need to do this alone from here on out. I can ask people from church to help me load the U-Haul. You don’t need to come by. It’s easier this way so I don’t have to say goodbye to you.”
“Then never say goodbye to me at all, ever.” Levi stepped closer. “Why don’t I drive the U-Haul for you?”
“How are you going to get back here? Fly?”
“I can do that.”
“It costs money.”
“I’m willing to pay it since it means I get to see you just a little bit longer.”
“I’m not dying, Levi. Just moving on.”
“Moving on from what?”
Maggie didn’t answer. She checked her phone. “Wow. It’s noon. We haven’t eaten lunch.”
“It’s on me.”
“No, no. It’s on me. You helped me all morning and all last week.”
