“I know.I just didn’t want to intrude.”
“Nonsense, you are like family.Come on in.I just made some fresh cookies, and there is leftover breakfast if you’d like a plate.You know I always make too much, especially when we aren’t full.”
“Sounds great.I could use a little food,” I said, patting my grumbling stomach.
I had been planning on calling Zach and asking him to meet me over at The Crispy Biscuit, but I knew Mindi would more than likely be there before heading to the community center this morning.I’d called in last night after I knew she’d left.Right now, she was the last person I wanted to run into.I’d spent most of the nights following the night at her place tossing and turning, thinking about that card and the months of agonizing I’d done over it when I’d been younger.
I followed Iris into the kitchen, where her two boys, Noah and Dylan, were just finishing up their juice.
“Hey, boys!”I said, ruffling their hair as I sat down beside them.
“Hey, Noah,” they both said right before shoving the last bite of French toast into their mouths.
Iris placed a plate of French toast down in front of me and then grabbed the bottle of syrup from the opposite end of the table for me.“I’ll just warm up a couple of sausage, and here is a fresh cup of coffee too.”She winked.
“Thank you.”I smiled, adding some syrup to my plate and taking a bite.“Good as always,” I added.
I dug into the French toast for another bite, not realizing just how hungry I was.
“Damn right it is.This woman makes the best French toast,” I heard Zach say as he walked into the kitchen and came over, holding his hand out for me to shake.
“Hey, man.How’s things?”I questioned, sitting back down as Zach sat across from me, while Iris placed a cup of coffee in front of him.
“Good, good.Did that painter contact you?”he questioned.
I shook my head.I really hadn’t checked my messages or had time to even think about the painter reference I’d asked for.
“I’ll get back on her.She’s been swamped,” Zach added.
“No need, I’m not sure how much longer I’ll be staying in Willow Valley,” I admitted.
Zach and Iris both stopped and looked at me, questions in their eyes.
“What?Are you serious?”Zach asked.“You seemed thrilled the other night.”He winked.
I’d told Zach all about Mindi and me, and I’d shared how excited I was that I might have found her again.
“I’m afraid so,” I said, taking another bite of my breakfast.
“May I ask why?”Zach questioned.“We’d hate to see you leave so soon after just getting settled into that beautiful house.”
“This doesn’t have something to do with Mindi, does it?”Iris asked, bringing over a couple of sausages and placing them on my plate.
“Why?”
“Oh, no reason.She just didn’t seem herself when she picked Sarah up this morning.”
“I thought Sarah was only staying for one night?”I asked, swallowing hard.
“That was the plan, but Mindi called me on Saturday morning and asked me if it was okay if she stayed another night.Said something to me about not feeling very well, and she was adamant she didn’t want to talk about it, and when I offered to bring her over some homemade chicken soup, she refused, telling me she’d be alright.”
As Iris looked at me, I suddenly felt like a bit of a child.I’d played over everything in my head for the past two days, and I realized I really hadn’t let her get a word in edgewise that morning.I’d never allowed her to explain.When I saw that card again, and my writing inside, it had taken me right back to the moment I’d dropped it in the mail.I could remember exactly how I’d felt dropping it into the bin, the moment of panic after I’d let the card go and it had dropped to the bottom with no hope of getting it back.
“It’s a long story,” I said, somewhat chuckling.
Iris dropped the cloth she’d been cleaning the counters with into the sink of water, grabbed her mug of coffee, and came over to sit beside Zach.
“We have time.”She winked, both of them turning their attention to me.
