She holds up a black bundle of fabric. “My hoodie.”
“And you didn’t think to put it on before walking out of the house?”
“You told me to hurry.” She rolls her eyes and buckles her seatbelt. After shoving her backpack to the floor, she pushes the seatbelt behind her to put on the hoodie. After a few seconds she repositions her seatbelt and grins at me. “I’m ready now.”
It’s cute she thinks she runs this show. Although, some days it feels like it. She’s been through a lot in the last two years and I probably let her get away with more than I should. My parents would freak out if they knew how much. I guess they’ll find out when they come back to town and visit. It must be nice living that retired life.
I pull out of the driveway and begin the long trek to town. It’s really only fifteen minutes, but it was less than that to walk to Lexi’s old school. Living here will be an adjustment for the both of us, even though I grew up here. It’s been too long since I lived in an area where we have to go to town to get any sort of necessities.
“When we get there, I’ll drop you off at the front of the school. Go straight to the office. They should have your schedule ready.”
For a split second I notice her uncertainty. She may put on a brave face, but there’s fear beneath it. “What if I hate it here?”
I hate the quiver in her voice, and I wish we could have stayed in Oklahoma. But it wasn’t healthy for either of us. One day she’ll realize this was the best course of action.
“There’s always homeschool.” I do my best to joke about it in hopes of it easing her fear.
“Absolutely not.” She shakes her head and I can see a slight grin pass her face. “No offense, but you’re not a great teacher. Remember when you were trying to show me how to ride a bike?”
“Geez, did you have to bring that up?” It was a disaster. She kept turning the bike into me and I had a hard time explaining the brake situation to her. It did not go well.
“I mean, you’re the one who suggested homeschool. Just thought I should remind you of your lack of teaching skills.”
“Noted.” We’re coming into town and the donut shop seems to be empty. Or as empty as I’ve ever seen it right before school. “Want some breakfast?”
At first, I think she’s going to pass on the offer. But she glances over at me and nods. “Actually, I think that’s a good idea. And if I get super nervous and puke, I’ll get to go home.”
“That’s an odd way of looking at it, but okay.”
Within minutes Lexi has her breakfast and she’s eating as we continue to the high school. When I pull in front of it her eyes widen.
“Why is it so big? This town is tiny.”
“They had to build a new one because folks are moving here for the slower pace of life.” I pull up to the front door and put the car in park. “I can go in with you if you want me to. Like I said everything should be ready to go, but if you want moral support, I can do that, too.”
She shakes her head and scoffs. “Because that’s how I want my first impression to go. Everyone will think I need my mom to handle everything for me.” She takes a deep breath and reaches for the door. “I can do this.”
“Yes, you can.” I reach over and give her a quick hug. “By the end of the week, you’ll be running this place. Have a good day. Love you.”
She opens the door and steps out. But before she closes it, she leans in and smirks. “You have way too much faith in me when it comes to making friends. I’ll make the best of it. Love you, too.”
Before I have a chance to argue, she closes the door and walks to the school. Her steps are slow and I know she’s dreading it, but she’ll find her footing. I wait until she’s inside before putting the car in drive and pulling away. This may be almost as hard as it was dropping her off on the first day of kindergarten.
It will take everything in my power not to check on her every thirty minutes. To keep myself occupied, I head toward the library. At least I can look through some of these job offers in peace. It’s also the one place that brought me joy when I was a kid. None of the other people my age ventured there, and it meant I didn’t get picked on by the popular kids.
“Oh my God, is that you, Callie?” Angie shrieks and rushes from around the bar to wrap her arms around me. “Long time no see.”
“Hey, Angie.” I disentangle myself from her and study Out of the Ashes. It’s a lot different than it used to look. I remember tagging along with my brother when Angie’s uncle would let us hang out here. He’d close the place down just for us. “Things sure look a lot different around here.”
She moves to my right and a huge smile overtakes her face. “I know. I think Uncle Max would be proud. The bar is a lot different than when he ran it. I had a lot of help, though.”
“It looks great. From what Miles says, this is the place to be.”
“For the most part. Now that Starlit Fields has started doing events, people have more choices.”
“I didn’t realize they’d gotten so big.”
She laughs. “You really have been away for far too long. Let’s get a bite to eat and catch up, my treat.”
