AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Yes, ma’am.”
“What’d you think?” She opened a door that exposed a plain office with a desk and a chair. Opening the top drawer, she held up a pen. “Knew I’d find one in here.” She smiled again and Michael couldn’t help but notice how cute she was.
“I mean… I guess it’s good. Not really sure yet.”
She scribbled her name on the line and handed the paper back to him. “I’m glad you came, even if it’s forced. We get a lot of that around here. Not too many stick with it. They don’t when it’s not on their own terms.”
“I kinda have to stick with it.” Michael held up the paper. “At least for the next year, anyway.”
Her smile faded a bit, and she arched her eyebrow. “I hope you find that it’s actually not that bad. Maybe your opinion will change in a few months. I guess we’ll find out since your alternative to dealing with these meetings is being sent back.” She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “What’s your name?”
“Michael Brennan.”
“Haize Mullen.” She extended her hand, and he shook it, feeling her soft palm in his. “Nice to meet you. We have another meeting this evening if you wanna come, but I see on that paper you’re only required to attend two meetings per week, so I guess I won’t be seeing you for a few days.”
Michael slid the paper back into his pocket. “Thank you for signing it, Haize.”
“Yep. You did come. I guess that’s all that is required of you. Nothing more, nothing less.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means that sobriety isn’t your priority. It’s meeting your parole requirements, so you don’t get sent back. That’s your focus when really, we’re trying to work on long-term success… not just doing this stuff for a year until you’re off paper with the state.”
“What do you know about parole and getting sent back?” Her cute demeanor was replaced by a woman who seemed jaded. Maybe he had said something that hit a nerve with her.
She laughed and put the pen back in the drawer. “You’re not the first one needing a paper to get signed to show your parole officer. And you certainly won’t be the last.” She stepped toward the door. “The meeting tonight is at eight o’clock. I hope you have a good day, Michael Brennan.”
He watched her walk down the hallway, unable to think of a response. She was right – he was doing this because he had to. If it wasn’t a requirement, he would’ve never stepped foot in the church.
Haize watched Michael leave the church. Standing at the front window, she didn’t see him get into a vehicle. He walked down the street and out of sight, and she took a deep breath to calm herself down. His story wasn’t new – there were tons of people who came to meetings just because they had to. Court-ordered, parole requirement… whatever the case may be. Only a few of those people had been successful. The rest either got their parole revoked, or they relapsed, and she never saw them again.
She never wished that on anyone. Every person who came to the meetings deserved a second chance. She had gotten a second chance and knew all about the addicted life. And she also knew how great it was to be sober and live the purpose she was supposed to.
There was something about Michael that was different. He didn’t fit the addict mold, though anyone could fall into that lifestyle, regardless of how they looked. She had been running the meetings for a while and figured she could read people fairly well.
He was good-looking, and she couldn’t get lost in that detail. Tall, with dark hair, green eyes, and had a complexion like he had a job outside in the sun. He had parole requirements, so maybe his prison job was something out in the field. She wondered what he had done to serve time.
No. She had to stop herself. Getting attached to an AA member was not a good idea. Especially one who was forced to show up and do it because they had to. She wondered if he’d show up to any more meetings at all. She hoped he did – not because he was easy on the eyes, but because she wanted to see him be successful. She wanted everyone to be successful. She wanted to prove him wrong and show him it was more than just getting a paper signed.
“Are you the boss?” A man interrupted her daydream and she turned from the window, noticing he had a similar form that Michael had given her.
“There’s no bosses here. But I do help run the meetings. How can I help you?”
“Who can sign off on this proving I was here?”
She forced a smile. “I’ll be happy to do that.”
“And my parole officer knows who you are? They won’t think I just got someone random to do it?”
“Yes, the parole officers in this county know who I am, so you’re good.” She signed his form and handed it to him. “We have another meeting tonight at eight if you’d like to get another one in.”
“Yeah, yeah. I only need one a week.” He waved her off and left, giving her the response she expected.
Cleaning up the snacks, she boxed up the donuts and poured out the coffee. Some days she questioned why she did it. Other days she loved it. Today she tried not to get frustrated at the system. Forcing someone to get clean before they were ready was always a recipe for disaster. It created a revolving door she was tired of seeing men and women go through.
Chapter Four
Michael hated job hunting. He was good with cars and had worked in auto mechanics since he was a teenager, but now shops required certifications and all kinds of continuing education to work with newer vehicles. He held no other skills aside from working at fast food places, which he’d do if he had to until he found something else.
