Whenshe was out of sight,Islumped back on the couch, letting out a heavy sigh.Iwelcomed the day whenIdidn’t have to worry about stepping on a landmine with every conversation we had.
Foras late in the year as it was, it really was a beautiful day.Chilly, but the sun shone bright overhead.Therehad always been something magical aboutHarmonyGrove, a quaintness that lured me in from the first time we drove down the tree-lined streets with the historic homes on either side of the road.WhenIwas younger, the houses reminded me of gingerbread.Aswe walked,Ipointed out the fall decorations on some of the porches. “Rememberhow excited you were my freshman year when you started buying decorations?”
Thattime had given me such a false sense of security.I’dhonestly believed both of us were on the road to recovery, but it had been short-lived.
“Maybewe could put up some things for winter.”Iwas careful to not mention theC-word.Itwas strange how she refused to celebrateChristmasafter we moved here, but there was always a small pile of gifts for me next to the fireplace in her living room. “Somesnowmen along the mantel, maybe a wreath on the door?”
“That…I…”Shewas struggling so hard.Holidaysweren’t the enemy, butIwas clueless about how to make her see that. “Maybe.Letme think on it?”
“Norush,”Ipromised her.Wewalked in silence for the next few blocks, both of us seeming lost in thought.
“I’mthinking about helping out at the community center onThanksgiving,” she said as we approached the main intersection in town. “They’redoing a community meal with delivered meals for shut-ins.Keithfrom the hardware store invited me when he stopped by to drop off the stain for the back deck.”
“That’sgreat!”Iquickly schooled my reaction, not wanting her to feel weird about how excitedIwas to hear this news.
Hercheeks flushed, and she waved me off. “Don’tstart dancing around like a fool.It’ssimply an opportunity to do something good for others.Iknow you usually come over for lunch if you’re not working, soIthought maybe we could do this together.”
Inearly tripped off the curb.Igaped atMom, wondering if there’d been some freaky case of body snatchersIwasn’t aware of.WhenI’dpromised myselfIwanted to find a way to make a difference inHarmonyGrovewhenImoved back,I’dnever imagined it would be with her by my side.Thingswere changing, andIhadn’t noticed becauseI’dbeen too caught up in something that might never happen again.
Bellsjingled asIpushed open the door atNovelKnots.Itseemed like every shop in town had them, but it only added to the small-town charm the local chamber of commerce was trying to foster.Withso many towns plagued by empty storefronts lining the streets,HarmonyGrovewas invested in ensuring we didn’t face the same fate.
“April!It’sso good to see you!”Trinitybounced around the end of the counter, drawing my mom into a tight hug. “Ididn’t expect to see you until class this week.”
“Oh, well,Iwas talking toKevin, and he thought we should come down to see if you have any copies of next month’s book club discussion book in stock.”
Asthe two of them chatted, a noise from the back of the shop caught my attention.Iwandered away, curious as to what was going on.Theback door swung open, and in walkedKeith, his biceps bulging with strain as he carried a stack of boards.Irushed forward to give him a hand. “Here, let me grab one end while you get the other.”
“Thanks.Trinityoffered to help, butIdon’t want him—them—overdoing it.”Myirritation at hearingKeithmisgenderTrinitywas quickly replaced with pride in his quick self-correction.
“Youknow, they’re a lot stronger than they look,”Iresponded defensively.I’dnever understand how some guys assumed anyone who didn’t fit the heteronormative standards was somehow weak. “Theymight have surprised you.”
“I’msure they would have.”Keithsmirked, his eye averting from mine. “AndIhonestly didn’t mean anything by it.Ijust know how hard it is to keep this place open, andIdon’t want them doing anything that would make them have to shut down for even a day.Mysister would just love that.She’dsay it was proofTrinitywas a fool to move up here.”
“Yoursister?”Iwas usually pretty quick to connect the dots, but this timeIwas floundering.
Keithsteered us toward an empty area at the back of the store.Itlooked like a tornado had blown through.Giventhe sleek stained boards,Iassumed he was probably in the middle of some remodeling project.Itseemed most people in town had some sort of side hustle—a necessity of the times.Hewiped sweat from his brow after we set down the stack. “Yeah,Trin’smy sister’s youngest.Theywere having a bit of a rough time at home, so their mom sent them up here, thoughtI’dstraighten them out.”
Ilet out a snort of laughter.HarmonyGrovewas the last place anyone should be sent if their family wanted them to act straighter.
“Iknow, right?”Keithresponded as if he’d heard my unspoken observation. “Anyway, since they got here, she’s been keeping tabs on them.Annoyingas hell that she can’t leave well enough alone, but that’s always been herMO.You’reAprilMickelson’skid, right?”
“Yeah.”Idebated whether this was the part whereIwas supposed to ask him what business he had inviting my mom to do things with him, butIdidn’t want anything getting back to her that would cause her insecurity. “Shetold me you invited her to help with the communityThanksgiving.”
Ilet the unasked question hang in the air.Tothe best of my knowledge, they weren’t friends or anything, so it seemed odd.Ifhe was interested in her, it would be nice to know.
“Idid,” he confirmed.Iglanced to the front of the store, whereMomwas still deep in conversation withTrinity.WhenKeithheaded for the alley again,Ifollowed him.IfIwanted any chance of getting info out of him,I’dhave to pitch in.Hepulled the next pile of boards out of the bed of his truck, andIpicked up the other end as soon as they were within reach. “Igot the impression she could use friends, andIthought it would be a low-pressure way to introduce her to some people.”
“Yeah, she’s always been a homebody.”Hedidn’t need to know more than that.Itwas probably odd that someone who’d been inHarmonyGroveas long as we had now wasn’t part of any social circles, but that had felt safer forMom.IfKeithcould offer her a comfortable way to break out of the prison of her house,I’dsupport him fully. “Isit okay with you ifItag along?Idon’t want to encroach.”
“Themore the merrier.”Momcame looking for me as we dropped the last stack.Shestilled, her eyes widening when she noticed whoIwas helping.Shestarted smoothing her hair, givingKeitha flustered wave. “Hey,April.You’vegot a good kid here.”
“He’sa special one,” she agreed. “Ididn’t know you’d be here today.”
Itwas both amusing and a little unsettling to see her flustered in the presence of an attractive man.Definitelya first for me.Watchingthe two of them stammer over simple conversation made me feel like the third wheel, soIheaded to the front of the store.
“Hey,Trinity.”Astack of books toppled to the floor when they startled. “Sorry,Isuppose you weren’t expecting someone to come up from the back.I’mKevin,April’sson.Iwas talking to your uncle while you were helping her.Thankyou for that, by the way.”
“Oh.”Theyrubbed the back of their neck as they tried blowing the bangs out of their face. “It’sno problem.She’sa great woman.You’relucky to have someone who loves you so much.”
