I was worriedabout Faith’s car, between her tire tread and her heater. But, she didn’t feel comfortable driving the truck, so I followed behind her as we drove into town. I hated every second of that thirty-minute drive.
Wondering if she was too cold every second we were apart.
Was she worried about no longer having a job?
And if so, what would she do? What would I do?
She had no other ties here, as far as I was aware.
We parked at the B&B and made our way down the shoveled path to the community center.
Once inside, we saw rows of folding chairs facing a makeshift stage. The chairs went from the front all the way to the back, and they were almost all full. I saw my mom several rows up and to the left. She waved us over. I took Danny’s hand and headed toward her. She only had two seats saved beside her and instantly looked panicked as she counted the chairs.
I would stand. It wasn’t a big deal. “Hey, Mom.” She stood, and I gave her a quick hug.
“I didn’t think about it. I should have saved three seats.” She muttered as she shook her head.
“It’s fine. I’m happy to stand.” I turned over my shoulder totell Faith to sit by Danny and I could stand near the sidewall, but where I imagined her being, she wasn’t there.
She was stuck in the middle of the aisle, several rows back, with Rose and Marissa on both sides, talking with their arms, and pulling her into a hug. I made eye contact with Faith, and I nodded to the seats near me with raised brows.
Trying to ask if she wanted me to save her a seat.
She grinned and mouthed,Rose saved me a seat. Thank you.
I sat by Danny and forced my attention to the front. It was harder than it should be, considering this meeting held most of our futures.
The mayor, George Baker; the town lawyer, Scott; Luke Dennis, the fire department chief; and Dotty sat on the stage in a row of folding chairs. George stood and cleared his voice. The roar of the crowd died as people focused on the front, trying to hold their questions back. There was a sense of uneasiness, like everyone was holding their breath, wanting to know what was coming but also fearing the words.
“Good morning, everyone.” He nodded to the crowd. “I wish we were meeting under different circumstances, but here we are.”
I appreciated his candid nature, maybe more now than ever before. No need to drag things on. My eyes shifted to Faith, several rows back and to the right. She was sitting by Rose as she chewed on her bottom lip. I forced my gaze to the front again.
“There is much to discuss and much more still to discover.” Was it the lighting, or did George look like he’d aged years in a matter of days? “There are many needs within the community, some we are aware of and many we don’t know.” He sighed. “But I feel we’d best get the biggest rock out of the way first. The few people who knew the extent of the damage were asked to keep it under wraps, so naturally, my phone has been ringing off the hook for the last thirty-six hours.” Rumors and secrets spread faster in Hillsdale than wildfire on a dry summer day. He turnedto Dotty, gesturing for her to join him. “Let’s discuss the future of the school.”
George stepped to the side, and Dotty stood. Whatever she had to say, it would not be easy.
Dotty cleared her throat and blinked rapidly. “First off, I’m supposed to express the regrets of the superintendent. He was stuck in the storm and cannot make it today. We have been communicating often through email and phone.” She took a steadying breath as she looked at the ceiling. “We have been doing extensive research into our resources and what it would take to get the school up to a functioning capacity.”
My stomach tightened. They were going to close it.
Dotty stared at the back of the room while her eyes glistened. “Unfortunately, there are not enough resources to continue the school year. But since education is of such fundamental importance, we are working with different school buildings as well as?—”
I leaned in closer as the crowd erupted. I tried to make out what Dotty was saying. People were standing and hollering questions. I caught a scattering of words like jobs, kid’s friends, and how this town would dissolve into nothing.
That was a concern. No new families would move here if there wasn’t a school.
The businesses that hadn’t been hit by the storm would be hit by the rest of us not having income. Not to mention that none of us could survive without income for years. Would the town even survive?
Dotty held her hands up, trying to get the crowd to calm down, but people had gathered energy and weren’t stopping.
A sharp whistle pierced the sky. I flinched and turned to see Rose standing. “All right, you barbarians, sit!” she yelled.
The shock must have helped several come to their senses because people started looking embarrassed and sitting back down.
“Screaming at each other won’t help.” Rose rolled her eyes and focused back on Dotty. “Honestly.”
Dotty gave Rose a smile. “Thanks.”
