I couldn’t help but giggle as everyone laughed and then turned to me.
“Communication, my dear, is key.Give him some time.He is probably struggling with everything.Then take your time and explain things to him.I promise you, it will make a difference,” Ethan added.
“Yes, and talk to him about Sarah and the application,” Thomas said, reaching over and patting my shoulder.
I looked at them and smiled.
“Thank you for listening.I don’t know what I’d do without you guys.”
Peggy made her way over to the oven and began pulling out the dishes, setting them on the island.
“That’s why you don’t have to.Now let’s dig in, shall we?”Trinity said, bringing over a stack of plates.
“Yes, let’s,” I said, grabbing the silverware jar and placing it on the island as well.
Noah
The Week Before Christmas
Dinner with Iris and Zach had been wonderful, and I’d left there with a plan to speak to Mindi this week, only she hadn’t been to the community center at all.In fact, she’d called in every day this week, and Sarah hadn’t shown up for her appointment either.
It was a little after ten when I left The Crispy Biscuit, coffee in hand.I’d intended to head on over to the bookstore but was surprised when I looked across the street to see Mindi’s car in the parking lot, a light dusting of snow covering it.
I glanced both ways and ran across the street to the community center, pulling the door open.
“Hey, Ethan,” I said, raising my hand to him as he stood in the hallway helping one kid with his hat.
“Morning, Noah.I wasn’t expecting to see you this morning.Did you decide to come and join us for skating time?”
I glanced at my watch and then remembered seeing the memo in my email about that yesterday, but I’d forgotten to reply.
“I actually came in to see Mindi.We kept missing each other this week, and I just saw her car outside.”
Ethan glanced over his shoulder at her closed door, finished up with Tyson’s hat, and sent him on his way before turning to me.
“You haven’t spoken to her yet?”
“No, we sort of had a bit of a falling out, and…”
“Yeah, I know.I could sense the tension between the two of you.So I asked, and she told us the other night at dinner.She was pretty upset.We talked her into speaking with you, and she said she was going to speak with you this week.So, just to make it clear, you haven’t spoken to her at all, in any way?”
“No, I uh, I haven’t heard from her at all.Today is the first day I think she’s been here.”
“She didn’t email you or call either?”Ethan frowned, once again looking at her door with concern.
“No, not a word.Why, is something wrong?”
Ethan once again glanced at the door and then shook his head.
“I’ll leave you to it.I got to go deal with the kids and then pick up the hot chocolate for them.”
“Have a good one.I might pop out after.”
“Great, hope to see you.”
Ethan took off out the door, and that was when Mindi’s door opened and she came out of her office, accompanied by two men and a woman who were dressed in military uniforms.She spoke quietly with them and then shook their hands, nodding as they spoke.I watched as they turned and began walking my way, the three of them nodding at me.Once they left the building, I looked back toward Mindi’s office, noticing that she was gone.
I made my way to her office door and poked my head inside.She stood with her back to the door, her shoulders shaking as if she were crying.
