I attempt to fight my smirk, but my effort is in vain. The corner of my mouth lifts because I can still taste Vienna on my lips. “I did.”
Joanne purses her lips and then nods. “Good man. Perhaps not all hope is lost for you.”
Hope.
That’s not an emotion I’m too familiar with, but perhaps Joanne is right. It’s something I need to be a little more open to.
And now that I know that Vienna wants me too, that’s something I can move toward with more faith than I’ve had before.
Chapter 15
Vienna
Weird Feelings & A Dingleberry
“We need another idea for a booth at the Spring Festival.” Jody Hansen, one of the fifth-grade teachers, is standing at the front of the cafeteria, leading the discussion during our staff meeting. It’s a Monday afternoon and all of us are itching to go home, but Jody is determined to keep us until her list has been completed.
Honestly, this meeting could have been an email.
One of the second-grade teachers raises her hand. “What about a Flowers for Mom booth? The kids can make bouquets for their mothers for Mother’s Day, since it’s the Sunday after the festival, and we can ask Yancy’s Florals to donate blooms to the booth.”
A murmur of conversation filters through the room.
“I love that idea!” Jody says, but sadness builds in my chest. She scratches down something on her clipboard and then announces, “Perfect! All right, that’s it for me. Be on the lookout for an email with more details as it gets closer.”
Oh, now she decides to use email as a form of communication.
The staff scatters like cockroaches that have just seen light, but I stay back and wait until Jody is finished with a conversation to approach her. “Jody?”
“Hey, Vienna. Are you hanging in there? Are the kids driving you insane yet?”
I huff out a laugh. “They certainly have a lot of energy, but it’s nothing I can’t handle.”
“Glad to hear it. How can I help you?”
“Well, I just… I have a concern about the Flowers for Mom booth.”
A pinch develops in her brow. “Okay…”
“What about kids like Ellis Hart, who don’t have a mom to celebrate with? Don’t you think that would be a little insensitive?”
Jody sighs. “I understand what you’re saying, but unfortunately, that’s just part of life. We can’t shield her from Mother’s Day, Vienna.”
“I know, I just think it would be more considerate if we left Mother’s Day out of the festival.”
“Look, I know you have a soft spot for Ellis, given you’re her neighbor and all…”
Yeah, well, I also have a soft spot for her father.
“But I’m not going to sacrifice an opportunity for a bunch of kids just because of one.”
Nodding, I say, “Okay. Just…thought I’d bring it to your attention.”
Pulling my bag up on my shoulder, I turn to leave, trying to keep my emotions in check, but I struggle to do so. Jody is right in one respect, though. I know Ellis can’t be shielded from the reality of her situation, but the more time I spend with her, the more it resonates with me.
My mother and I aren’t super close, and since I’m an only child, I feel alone more often than not. Lydia was the closest thing I hadto a sister, and when she died, the reality of my solitary situation was amplified.
I guess I just want to protect Ellis from feeling the same way.
