Chapter Eight
Holly
I woke up late that Saturday morning. I’d lived in such a busy part of town for so long that it felt strange to sleep in such a quiet area. It had been odd at first, and the silence had actually seemed loud to me. But it hadn’t taken me long to get used to it again, and I liked waking up without the rush of people and cars outside my bedroom window. I’d only been home for a night, and already I felt myself easing back into my old ways. After a quick shower, I went to find my father who was busy in the kitchen. He smiled when he saw me.
“Hey, sleepy head. Have a good sleep?”
“Morning, Dad. Yeah, I slept so well. It’s so quiet around here.”
“Far cry from city life, I’m guessing.”
“Yeah. Very different. It’s nice, though. I feel a lot more refreshed. Oh, and guess what? My old boss called me last night.”
“What for?”
I chuckled as I recalled the conversation from the night before. “Well, turns out their work is piling up, and they’re all starting to stress. He asked if I wouldn’t consider coming back. He promised that things would be different and that he would up my pay.”
“Oh wow. I knew they’d lose it without you. So, what are you going to do? I hope you said no.”
I’d considered saying yes. It had been nice to hear him apologize to me and to speak to me like a human being for the first time since joining. But the moment I’d imagined myself walking back into those offices, I knew that my time with them was done.
I nodded. “Oh, I definitely said no. I know what those people are like. They just don’t want to put in the hard work. It wouldn’t take long for them to go back to the way they were before. I said no. But it was wonderful to at least see that they finally realized what a hard worker I was before.”
“I’m glad, my darling. You deserve better than them. Onwards and upwards for you. So, how about some breakfast? I was thinking of making pancakes.”
“Pancakes? I thought you were an oats and honey sort of guy?”
“Angel, I woke up hours ago. My oats are long gone. I could go for a pancake snack.”
I chuckled. “Oh wow, I really slept in for a long time, huh?” I looked at the clock and groaned. “Oh no. It’s even later than I thought. I know I like sleeping and all, but I also don’t want to sleep my whole day away.”
“Nonsense. Your body obviously needs it. I’m glad you are getting some sleep.”
“Thanks, Dad, and pancakes sound great. Can I help?”
“You can do no such thing. Sit down and I’ll be right out. I already started on the batter.”
I smiled as I walked over to the living room. My father didn’t want me to lift a hand. I would eventually have to start insisting, but for now, it felt nice to have someone look after me for a change. I knew he was enjoying it too. I could hear him whistling to himself in the kitchen. When he came out, he put a plate of pancakes in the middle of the table and a bowl of blueberries and some whipped cream. He walked back to the kitchen and came back in with some tea. When I’d moved out, I’d never started my day without a cup of coffee, but now that I was home I wanted nothing more than a cup of my father’s tea.
“Wow, this is better than a restaurant. Have you considered starting a B&B?”
He laughed. “I don’t want strangers in my house. Only my daughter.”
“Thanks, Dad.”
“And soon enough you’ll have your own space. I’m sure that sofa is not all that comfortable to sleep on.”
“Actually, it’s surprisingly nice. I’ve been sleeping perfectly well on it. I’m surprised I didn’t wake up though, considering the kitchen is so close.”
“I know. I was afraid that I was making so much noise too. But you were dead to the world.”
I chuckled. “Sounds like me. So, I was thinking of going out to look for some jobs tomorrow. I’m not sure where to start looking, but I might as well start soon.”
“You only just finished this one job. There’s no rush to jump back into another one. Honestly, Holly, why don’t you just take a bit of time off? It might be good for you.”
“Yeah, you might be right. I’m terrible when it comes to not working, though. But maybe it’s exactly what I need to sort my head out.”
“Good for you. People work too hard these days and forget how important it is to just relax. Remember the story of the two-hundred-year-old man,” he said.
I chuckled. “Yes, I remember. A stress-free life is a long life.”
“Exactly. So, enjoying the pancakes?”
“Loving them.”
“Good. Me too. It’s nice to get out of my routine a bit too. Before you got here, I felt like I was doing the same things every day. This is a nice change. Oh, and Xavier should be on his way soon. He’s going to help me finish up that room for you. Will you be staying here for the day?”
I hadn’t planned on going anywhere that day, but the thought of seeing Xavier again put me in a slight panic. I hadn’t been able to get him out of my mind. There was something about those green eyes and the way that he looked at me. I knew he saw me as just a sister so it made it even harder that I couldn’t stop thinking about him in a way that I shouldn’t. It was better if I didn’t see him too much.
“Actually, I need to go out and do some shopping today. There are a few things that I want to get. A few things that I forgot I would need when I was here. Unless, of course, you need me to stay and help?” I asked even though I knew my dad would tell me that they were fine.
“Nonsense. You don’t need to help at all. We have it all under control. Go out and do your shopping and take a bit of time out for yourself. Do you need money?”
I chuckled. I felt like I’d been transported back to my youth. “That’s okay, Dad. I have money. Let me know if there is anything you need. I’ll have my phone on me.”
“Just some milk, my darling, if you can.”
“Milk. Got it. Call me if you think of anything else.”
“I will. But milk should be fine.”
I ate quickly, showered, and headed out before Xavier arrived. Thankfully my father didn’t seem to notice that I was in such a hurry to get out. I drove to a new mall that had opened up while I had been away, and wasn’t surprised to see that it was already packed. No matter where in the world you went, a big mall (especially one that was as new as this one) was always thriving with people. I didn’t actually have anything to buy, so I just wandered through the mall, looking at all the different shops and wondered what to get for myself.
I heard someone call my name but didn’t think much of it. I assumed there were other Holly’s around. The voice got louder though, and when I turned around, I was surprised to see the smiling face of my old school friend. I had thought the voice sounded familiar, but I couldn’t place it.
“Andrea! Oh my goodness, it’s so good to see you again. I’m so sorry; I wasn’t ignoring you. I just assumed you weren’t calling out after me. I’m walking around in my own world here.”
She gave me a big hug and smiled at me. Andrea and I had gotten along well at school, and we’d graduated high school together with promises of keeping in touch. But just like with everyone else, it hadn’t taken long for the emails and phone calls to stop. She hadn’t changed much. Still the happy, smiling face that I always remembered.
“Oh, Holly. It’s so good to see you. Wow, you’ve changed.”
“I have? I was just thinking that you haven’t changed at all. Which trust me, is a good thing.”
“Few gray hairs, actually. Who knew they came so early? The perils of having such dark hair I suppose. Well, you have certainly changed. You look gorgeous. Not that you weren’t gorgeous before, of course. But let me tell you something, the outside definitely matches the inside now. I always thought you would be the type of person to blossom later in life and I was definitely right. Beautiful.”
“Okay, I have missed you,” I said and laughed. “I could really benefit from this sort of positivity in my life on a daily basis. Just what I needed to hear. Thank you. I still feel like the same Holly as before, though. So nice to bump into you here. Nice mall. Wish we had this when we were growing up.”
“I know! It’s great, isn’t it? I actually work here. I’m on a quick break to stretch my legs. I like to take a few breaks throughout the day rather than one long lunch break. It cuts the day a bit and makes it a bit less boring. Just our luck that I took a break the moment you decided to walk by.”
“You work here? Aw, that’s great news.”
“Tell me you’re back for good!” she said.
The last I’d heard from Andrea was that she was job hunting, but that was a few years ago. I was glad to see that she had finally found work. She’d never seemed too sure about what she wanted in life and hadn’t been to college. I felt bad telling her that I just quit my civil engineering job just because I had been unhappy there. I didn’t want her to think that I was boasting.
“Oh, I’m in between jobs,” I said without going into detail. “So who knows how long I’ll be here. Might be for good. I’m just playing it by ear for now. It’s kind of nice not to have everything all planned out for a change.”
“Ah, that’s good. I was worried you were going to say you were just here for the weekend or something. I would love the chance to catch up with you. I feel like the two of us could talk for days and still not catch up properly.”
“Same here. It’s been way too long.”
“Aw, look at the time. I better go. They don’t like me staying away too long. But please, can we meet up soon? Do you still have the same number?”
“I think so. Although, I’m not sure. I might have changed it a few years ago actually, so I’m not sure which one you have. Here, let me give it to you,” I said and read out my number while she punched it into her phone. She grinned.
“Wonderful. I’ll call you tomorrow, and we can make a plan. I’m so excited. You have completely made my day. And to think, I was feeling sad about having to work on a Saturday.”
I walked away from the exchange with Andrea feeling good. Andrea had always been a good friend to me. She was one of the very few people at school that had never bullied me or judged me. She’d always just accepted me for who I was. Perhaps moving back wasn’t such a bad thing after all. I could really use a friend like Andrea in my life.