It’s relatively empty when we walk into the community center, only a few kids doing quiet activities by themselves. The loudest voice comes from a grown woman coloring and singing as she sits with one of the kids.
A little boy looks up from his Lego Sonic set and yells, “Ms. Janine, somebody’s here.”
Recognition takes over her face as she jumps up, brushing her floor-length boho skirt before coming over. “Dani and Micah.”
I guess she was expecting us too.
Janine’s the spitting image of George, just with softer features. She has the exact type of face you’d want on someone who worksat a place like this: warm and inviting. She can’t be any older than her forties, yet she has the aura of a sweet old soul, capable of melting away all your problems.
“I’m sad that Tanya waited until after she was gone to tell you about this place, but I’ve heard so many stories about you two over the years.”
Whyhadshe kept it from us until she wasn’t here to share it herself? Considering both of our connections to the rec center back home and Micah’s connection to Our Place, she had to know we’d love it here. Then again, I know all about wanting to keep a little slice of heaven all to yourself, and this was the place she built with George.
“Nice to meet you, Janine. Sorry we caught you right before you close, but we can come back tomorrow,” Micah promises.
“Oh, you’re right on time. Follow me back to the house.”
I’m sorry, what?
“Oh, we don’t want to put you out. We can stay at a hotel,” I offer.
“Nonsense. Family stays at the house,” she insists.
A house, it turns out, with one guest bed.
Janine lives with her husband and their two kids, so there’s only one spare bedroom, which has exactly one bed.
She wouldn’t hear of Micah trying to sleep on the couch, so he’s having a good old laugh while I’m stuck staring at this bed that’s almost too small for the two of us.
“Dani. I can sleep on the floor if it bothers you that much.”
“No, no. I’m fine. I just wasn’t expecting this. Janine is very pushy.” Very pushy.
“Mhm. Okay then, are you coming to sleep? Because I’m exhausted after all that food.” Janine ordered enough takeout to feed an army, and she insisted we eat until I thought the buttons were going to pop off of my pants.
Again, very sweet. Very, very pushy.
Tanya is probably having the time of her life watching all this.
“It’s been hours since we ate and I still feel like I’m gonna explode,” I complain.
“Same, but her son was about to kick my ass for beating him inMario Kart, so I think I’ll stay in here.”
Her son definitely has Janine’s pushiness. He demanded we play so many rounds with him that I thought my eyes would start bleeding.
I really hope we find this next clue quickly.
I climb into bed next to Micah, lying flat on my back, until I feel pillows hitting my side. “What are you doing?”
“You’re acting very shady, so I’m protecting my virtue,” he says as he adds another pillow to the wall between us. I reach over it and pluck him in the neck. “Aht aht, stay on your side, ma’am. The goodies are locked up tight.”
“Hate you.” I turn away from him and then reach back, grab a pillow from the wall, and slam it into his head.
He laughs so hard he snorts.
The lights have been off for some time, yet sleep hasn’t managed to find me yet.
“You’re a very loud thinker,” Micah’s voice drifts over the mountain of pillows.
