“How are you doing?”he asked, looking at me with concern as he poured some punch into a cup for me.
Ethan knew something had happened between Noah and me, but I didn’t tell him the entire story.
“You okay, kid?”he questioned as he slipped the casserole I’d brought into the oven to warm.
“I’m not sure,” I muttered, my vision blurring just as Peggy, Trinity, and Thomas came into the kitchen.
“Mindi, sweetheart, what is it?”Peggy asked, coming straight over and wrapping her arms around me.
“Oh, you know, just life.”I sniffled, hugging her back.
“Is it Sarah?”Trinity asked.
“Yes and no,” I said, grabbing a napkin and dabbing my eyes.“I put my application in tonight.That was what I was working on when you stopped by my office.”
“That’s wonderful,” Thomas said, sitting down beside Trinity.
“Yes, but that shouldn’t bring on the tears.”
“It shouldn’t, but it is.There is no way I’ll get custody of her.The application wanted five references.”
“My dear, certainly we can find another one.”
“Absolutely, anyone in this community would stand up and recommend you,” Ethan added.
“That’s the problem.They don’t want just anyone.They want an approved counselor.”
I watched as they looked at one another and then turned to me.
“Mindi, do you forget you have a military-approved counselor working for the center?”Ethan questioned.
I looked at them.I knew they were all going to wonder why I was so worried when he was right; we had a military-approved counselor working for us.There wasn’t any reason I should be worried or upset.
“Mindi, what is going on?”Peggy asked, taking on the tone she had when her motherly side came out.
“Did you talk to him?”Ethan questioned.
“About what?”Trinity asked.
I looked at Ethan and let out the breath I was holding.
“It’s not that simple.”I sighed.
“What went on between the two of you?”he asked.“I noticed there seemed to be some tension between the two of you.”
As I looked around at the concern on all of their faces, I knew I would have to tell them the entire story, so I picked up my drink, took a sip, and then began, telling them everything.
“So, to answer your question, I haven’t talked to him because I don’t think we’ll ever speak again.”
“I don’t think you need to worry about that.I mean, look at Thomas and I.”
“Yeah, we were separated for years, and she wasn’t easy to get back when I returned.”
“Oh, please.”
“Did I tell you that she tried to poison me with chicken and dumplings?”Thomas said, smiling and then winking at Trinity.
“If you aren’t careful, I will make that for dinner tomorrow night.”
