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Hope smiled and nodded. “And when I look back, I have nothing but fond memories of my time with Henry. He was a big personality, but also a gentleman even as a young man.” Her eyes lost focus for a few seconds and her smile widened. “He also told the worst jokes.”
I laughed. “Absolutely nothing changed then.”
Bernadette ushered the other ladies to the door. “We’ll leave you two alone to do some catching up. Come find me when you’re ready for more introductions, Josie.”
“Okay, thank you.”
Alone, Hope and I sat down at the kitchen table. I couldn’t help but notice the differences between her and Dr. Melanie Preston. Mom was tall with dark hair and eyes. She had a stern face, a practiced smile, and wouldn’t be caught dead in public without lipstick. Hope was petite with a welcoming demeanor. She wore her naturally white hair in a ponytail, and her pretty face was free of makeup.
“Did you and my dad meet in school?”
She nodded. “We did. He was in marching band, and I was in color guard, and we also had algebra together. We were friends, but we were both pretty shy. Math came very easy to me, but algebra was an advanced class, and some of the kids struggled. I’d started helping a few of the girls. Your dad came to me one day and said he’d failed the last test and needed some help. He asked if I’d be willing to tutor him. We spent a lot of time in the library together, and eventually he admitted he’d never failed a test and didn’t need help. He wanted to spend some time with me.”
“That’s so funny. You know he wound up being a math professor, right?”
She smiled. “I heard that. Got a real kick out of it.”
“So you two were together since seventh grade?”
“Eighth, actually. Valentine’s Day, to be exact.” Hope shook her head. “Your dad came to school in a suit and brought me flowers, then asked if I’d be his girlfriend. The other boys chided him something fierce over wearing that suit, but Henry didn’t care.”
“That’s so sweet.”
“Your father was a very sweet man. I’m sure your mom is something special, too.”
I forced a smile. “Oh, my mom is something alright.”
Hope and I spent the next twenty minutes talking. She told me a few more stories about my dad. It was clear she and my mom had more than physical differences. The two women couldn’t be more polar opposites of each other. Hope felt like the type of woman who would’ve fit perfectly with my dad. Yet no matter how much I felt like my parents were a round peg and a square hole, there was no denying my father had been head over heels for my mother. I suppose opposites do attract sometimes. Which made me think of my grumpy neighbor. We hadn’t spoken since yesterday when he’d helped me rip out the deck and we’d shared a nice lunch—only to have him shut me down for talking too much. The man was as confusing as he was handsome.
“Can I ask you a personal question, Hope?”
“Of course.”
“Why did you and my dad break up?”
“He got into Yale, and I was staying here to go to community college. I thought it was best if Henry got to experience things, so I broke it off. You know…if you love someone, set them free and all.” She smiled. “Turns out it was for the best. He found the love of his life away at college. A few years later, I met mine. My Joseph passed two years ago.”
“I’m sorry for your loss.”
“Thank you. I’ll never get over it, but I’m working on keeping myself busy. I teach a knitting class and do some volunteer work now.” She smiled. “I’m sure your mom had to adjust after your dad passed. It’s not an easy task.”
I nodded, keeping it to myself that my mom wasdefinitelynot knitting or volunteering. My mourning mother hadn’t even taken off the day of my dad’s wake. She’d done two surgeries before afternoon viewing hours began.
“How long are you in town?” Hope asked.
“I’m not sure. Probably another month or so. My dad inherited a house here in Laurel Lake many years ago. It was my aunt’s. When he passed, I inherited it. It’s been rented for a long time, but the renter recently moved out. I came down to fix up the place a bit, but it’s in worse condition than I thought. It’s keeping me busy. But I have to go back to work eventually.”
“Is the house your aunt Tessa’s? I think that was your dad’s only sister, right? Over on Rosewood?”
I nodded. “That’s the place.”
Hope smiled. “One of my sons lives on that block. You should reach out if you need anything. He’s very sweet. And he does construction, so he’s got every tool under the sun, too.” Opal walked into the kitchen from the yard. Hope smiled at her. “He’s actually Opal’s boss now.”
“You’re…” I blinked a few times. “You’re Fox’s mother?”
“I am. Have you two met already?”
“We, umm…” I wasn’t about to tell this nice lady that her son alternated between being a jerk and taking over construction at my house. Rather, I smiled. “He actually lives right next door.”
