I couldn’t make out what she was thinking, but I could tell from her expression that she was curious about something.
“What is it?”I questioned.
“You’ve been back a month.How have we not seen one another until now?”
I dumped a creamer into my coffee and met her eyes again.“I’m not sure.I’ve been busy getting settled and looking for work.To be honest, I wasn’t even sure you’d still be in the area.”
“What sort of work are you looking for?Perhaps I could help?”she asked.
Just like that, there was the Mindi I knew, the girl who would always help someone in need.Suddenly, it didn’t feel like any time had passed at all.
“Funny you should ask that.I stopped over at the community center, but I apparently missed someone named Mindi.I’ve been looking for a counselor position.”
She lifted her eyes to mine.
“Are you the Mindi I’m supposed to speak with?”
“I am, and you’re the man who was supposed to stop by but didn’t?Ethan told me about you, but he never mentioned a name.”
I nodded.“I am.”
She didn’t take her eyes off me.She swallowed, and her hand shook as she took a sip of her coffee.“We need a counselor badly.”
“Perhaps we could sit down and talk soon,” I said, watching as she placed her mug back down on the table.
“I think we could, although there isn’t any doubt in my mind that you’d do a fantastic job.”
“Tell me a little about the community center.What do you do there?”
“Well, aside from all community events, I have focused on helping families who are in the military, just like I did when you left.I have recently put in place a children’s program to help kids whose parent or parents have been deployed.I wanted them to have a place to make friends so they wouldn’t feel so alone and to take their minds off their situation.It helps them to be around those who are dealing with the same things.We do craft days and provide meals for them on holidays and help with all community events.Honestly, I’ve just worked and built upon the program that I began when you left.”
“I always loved that about you.After all these years, you still want to help others, more times than not putting other’s needs above yours.”
I could barely take my eyes off her.After all this time, she was in front of me, and I feared if I looked away she’d be gone.I listened to her tell me all about the other programs, and just like that, it felt like I’d never left her.
“You know, I really love giving back, but the past couple of years, I think I have taken on more than I can handle.”
“Why do you say that?”
She studied me, almost as if she were wondering if she should answer me.Then she let out the breath she was holding and held onto her coffee cup.
“Well, one family here suffered a tragedy last year.Sarah, she’s a sweet girl, one I’ve gotten to know over the years at the center.Her parents, both military, were deployed at the end of the summer.They were both killed in an ambush in September.Sarah had no relatives, and since I am one of the approved caretakers, she moved in with me.It was a challenge to help her deal with the loss, and now this year, sadly, she will be put up for adoption in the new year.Since things don’t move fast with the military, they still don’t have anyone, but she will move into an approved foster facility until she is adopted.Everyone thought it was best for her to be in a familiar set of surroundings while she dealt with the loss, but it’s literally killing me.I’d like to do more for her since Willow Valley is the only home she’s ever known.”
“Her last name happen to be Lancaster?”I questioned.
“Yes, how did you know?”
“I knew Heidi and John very well.”
“This is probably the hardest situation I’ve been in,” she said, avoiding my eyes for a moment.
“Have you tried finding someone here in Willow Valley that may want to adopt her?”
Mindi nodded.“I have, but the things they are looking for practically weed out every family in the area.I’d take her myself, but they want a two-parent household.Ethan, whom you met, just tells me to take a breath and take things one day at a time, that things will work out.I just fear that it won’t, and she’ll have to move away.”
“You know Ethan is right.”
“I do.”
