Chapter Four
Emily
I loved nothing more than a hearty breakfast, but on most days, I ended up with toast and peanut butter or a bowl of quick oats. Mostly because I loved sleeping in just as much as I loved a good breakfast. Today was no different. I’d slept in a little too long, and then rushed downstairs to make a cup of coffee and toast. I could live with not having a big meal, but I couldn’t live without that first cup of coffee in the morning. I’d rather be late for work than miss that. Once I was finished with my coffee, I remembered I’d forgotten to check the mailbox the night before, so I quickly went outside to see if there was anything waiting for me. Not that I was going to get anything important. But ever since I was a little girl, I’d been fascinated with the idea of letters. The idea that someone would take time out of their day to write a letter by hand and send it always pleased me. Although lately, the only thing that I received was bills.
There was nothing in the mailbox, and I was about to turn back inside when I spotted another truck outside Brady’s house. A man, who looked very much related to Brady, walked out to get something from his truck. I quickly stood behind my own car to get a good look without him seeing me. He was muscular, with short black hair, and from what I could see from where I was standing, he was handsome. I sneezed and saw him turn his head, so I quickly ducked down so that he wouldn’t see me. I waited a few minutes and then slowly crept up to see if he had gone back inside. When the coast was clear, I ran inside. I didn’t want to meet some new guy when I hadn’t even brushed my hair.
I chuckled to myself at the way I had been acting, and then quickly got ready for work. When I finally made my way to my car I saw that the truck was still at Brady’s house, but nobody was standing outside. Was that his brother?
At work, I spent the morning with two kids. The first was a little boy named Brody. I’d joked with Brady once that Brody was really his child. Not only was their name so similar, but Brody had the same hazel eyes. Brady had been horrified by the idea. But I chuckled to myself every time Brody came in. He was a cute little boy with a willingness to succeed, and just like with Wendy, I was seeing a huge improvement each time the two of us met up. Once Brody was gone, my next appointment arrived. Trevor had a big problem when it came to his pronunciation, and he had recently started getting bullied at school. It was fine when he was very small and his parents thought he’d just grow out of it. But he’d gotten worse, and the kids at his school were now old enough to realize he was different. He was very shy, and it always took us at least half an hour before we could fully start the meeting. When his parents arrived to pick him up, I took them aside for a talk.
“Is everything okay?” they asked. They were sweet parents who cared deeply for their little boy.
“Yes, everything is fine. Trevor is just shy, and we’re not getting the most out of our appointments. We need at least a half hour longer to really make the kind of progress we’d like. It takes him a while to warm up to me. I’d like to propose that we make the sessions a little bit longer. That extra time will be free of charge,” I said. I didn’t want them to think that I was making the session longer just to get more money out of it.
“No, we will pay. You’re doing so much for our son. Thank you, Emily.”
This went on for a little while until we agreed that they would pay for the extra half an hour but for that time they would get a reduced rate.
Once they were gone, Terra came bounding in to see me. I laughed at her outfit, which she’d fashioned herself. It was a mismatch of colors and material that only she could get away with. She was a tiny, pixie-like girl with cropped hair and never-ending energy. I sometimes felt that she could get away with anything just because of the way she looked.
“You’re never going to be rich,” she said.
I sighed. “Were you listening in on my conversation again?”
“Hey, I work right next door. And you were standing right by the doorway. I couldn’t help it. I think it’s good that you’re doing the extra half hour thing, but they should pay.”
“They are paying. Just less.”
She laughed. “You’re not a very good business woman. But you are a good person.”
“Thank you. In fact, I’m such a good person that I brought lunch for you today.”
Her eyes widened. “Tell me it’s what I think it is?”
“Mac and cheese!”
“Oh, you’re amazing. You’re my best friend, have I told you that?”
“You seem to only tell me that when I’m giving you food.”
“Food is love.”
I chuckled. “That’s true. Okay then, let me warm it up. How much time do you have until your next appointment? I have an hour.”
“Same.”
“Perfect.”
I walked to the kitchen, heated the mac and cheese, and scooped it onto two plates, then I walked back into the room to join Terra.
“That smells heavenly.”
“It does, doesn’t it? I decided that I didn’t want to get fat by myself.”
“Oh, fatten me up, Em. I don’t mind.”
I pulled a face. “You never get fat.”
She took a mouthful and moaned with pleasure. Then she pointed her fork at me. “Like you’re one to talk. Look at you. Miss Perfect.”
“Ha! Not quite. So, how did the date go? I’ve been dying to ask you.”
She pulled a face. “It was okay.”
“Ah, so he’s not the man of your dreams then?”
“I don’t think so. It was okay, but I’m not sure he’s the sort of guy I can see myself with. It’s very disappointing, though. I mean, I literally bumped into him. I thought it was going to make the perfect story to tell our grandchildren one day.”
“Ah, I’m sorry, Terra. I was really hoping that this would be the one.”
“He might be. But maybe not just yet. I’ll maybe give it one more date, but I’ll see. Like you said, it’s not often that new guys even come into our town.”
“Oh, speaking of new guys,” I said. “There was a truck at Brady’s house this morning, and it looks like he has a friend over. Either that, or it’s his brother. From where I was standing they looked very similar.”
Terra perked up at this news. “Oh yeah? Did you say hello?”
“Uh, not quite.”
“What do you mean?” she asked.
“I sort of spied on him behind my car. And then I sneezed, and he turned around, so I ducked down.”
“What?” Terra said laughing. “Why? Why didn’t you just go and say hello?”
“I was still in my pajamas. I had my bunny slippers on.”
She giggled. “That would’ve been hilarious! Ah man, I cannot believe you hid like a school girl with a crush. That’s so funny. I can just picture you getting annoyed when you had to sneeze.”
“I know! Of all the times to need to sneeze, it had to be that one!”
“Hey, I have an idea. Why don’t you ask them out for a drink? Brady is a cool guy. It will be fun.”
I shook my head. “There’s no way I’m going out with you again!”
“What? What did I do?”
“You know what you did,” I said and waved my finger at her.
“Me? I would never do anything!” she said with mock innocence. She batted her eyelashes a few times, and I burst out laughing.
Terra looked like the most innocent girl in the world, but she was always getting up to no good. She was full of energy, and took life with both hands. This meant a night out with her could be a lot of fun, or it could mean trouble. The last time the two of us had gone out together, she’d thought it would be a fun idea to run naked into the lake. I’d protested for a solid hour until she’d coerced me to join her. It was only after that we realized that the house next to the lake, which we’d thought to be empty, was, in fact, being lived in by a family of four.
“Oh, come on, that was fun. And anyway, it was too dark for them to see who we were.”
“You do realize that we almost scarred those kids for life.”
Terra chuckled. “Our butts must’ve looked so white. I mean, it’s the one part of my body that never sees the sunlight. We should find a quiet place to tan our butts. That’s an idea.”
I burst out laughing at the memory. “You’re crazy; you know that? You’re completely insane.”
“I know. I make my own fun in life. It’s too boring otherwise. But that’s why you love me.”
“This is true,” I said and grinned at her. I knew I was lucky enough to be working with someone I was such good friends with.
“Okay ,well, at least go and meet the guy today. Don’t be that weirdo that hides behind cars in her slippers,” she said and giggled again at the thought. “Come on; we need to figure out if he’s worth the effort or not. There is a serious lack of males in this town.”
“He’s probably just visiting Brady. More than likely he won’t even be there when I get home.”
Terra sighed. “You’re probably right. Damn this small town.”
“Ah, but you love it here.”
“I do. But I’d love it more with a hot guy on my arm.”
My afternoon appointment was a bit late. The mother had called in a panic when she’d realized she’d gotten the date wrong, but I told her to bring her child over, anyway. It wasn’t like I had anything to do when I got home. I loved my job, and the last thing I wanted was for a child to miss out on an appointment. Once I was done, it was starting to get dark. I smiled driving home. My favorite two times of the day were just before the sun rose and just before it set. There was something so peaceful about those times. Something so perfect about the night sky. I was so lost in my reverie that I almost didn’t notice the truck that was still sitting in Brady’s driveway. I got out of the car and looked to see if anyone was around, but they were obviously inside. I could see that a light was on, but the curtains were closed and it was impossible to see inside.
Inside my own house, I took a shower, and put my pajamas back on. I loved being comfortable, and I sighed with happiness as I pulled on my bunny slippers. Then I made my way to the kitchen to figure out what I was going to make to eat that night. I settled on scrambled eggs and bacon on toast with a side of mushrooms and onions. If I kept missing out on a hearty breakfast in the mornings, I’d settle for a hearty breakfast in the evening. I sat in the living room, wondering who the man was next door and whether I’d ever work up the nerve to say hello. I sighed and wondered why I was being so bashful all of a sudden.