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“Well, my mom has been struggling since my dad passed away.”
Her face falls. “I was so sorry to hear about that. You know I would have been at his funeral if Charlie and I hadn’t been out of town.”
I wave away her concern. “I know. I know. It’s no big deal. It’s just that I think my mom might be depressed. Being an only child, I feel like she’s my responsibility now. We’ve been cleaning out my dad’s things, and I don’t think it’s a job she could have done on her own.”
Hannah nods and bites her lower lip. “Your mom always had the best snacks. Remember how we would raid your pantry and take everything out on the back porch? I should bring her flowers or something. I haven’t seen her since everything happened with your dad.”
I take a moment to collect myself, because a knot is forming in my throat. I don’t think I can speak around it. I swallow a few times as Hannah goes on about how great my mom is.
Hannah doesn’t seem to notice my discomfort, and I’m glad. I don’t want to sit here and talk about my emotions. After a few minutes, Hannah’s already moving on to the next topic. "Oh, that reminds me! The fall festival is coming up in a few weeks. Charlie and I are definitely going, and you should totally come with us. It’ll be just like old times!"
I force a smile, trying to ignore the knot forming in my stomach. "That sounds fun. I’ll definitely come, if I’m not working."
“Working? Did you already get a job? It took me months to land the community center job, and you get a job being here less than a week? Now that’s not fair. Where at?”
Hannah grins at me expectantly, but I don’t want to answer. I can’t just lie, though. “The Rusty Oak.”
The surprise crosses Hannah’s face, and she makes no attempt to hide it. “That’s Jay’s place. Have you run into him?”
I try to keep my expression neutral. I don’t want to tell Hannah exactly how close I’ve gotten to her brother. “Well yeah, he’s my boss, dummy.”
She ignores my jab. “I can’t believe you hung out with my brother before me. I see where your priorities are. Anyway,” she shakes her head, lovable and hare-brained as ever, “back to the festival, you should bring someone, you know, like a date. It’ll be so much fun!"
I laugh nervously, avoiding her gaze. "I don’t really have anyone to bring right now."
Hannah waves her hand dismissively. "Oh, come on. We always wanted to double date back in high school, but we couldn’t because we never had boyfriends at the same time. I’m sure there’s someone you can ask.”
I continue to sit silently because there is no one I can ask.
“What about that guy you mentioned back in college? What was his name…Mark? Are you still in touch with him?"
I shake my head. "No, Mark and I lost touch a while ago. I’m single and focusing on myself right now. Besides, I don’t think someone from my other life would want to travel here just for a fall festival."
Hannah pouts playfully. "Well, that’s okay. You’ll meet someone soon. I’m sure of it. Or if not, I can always set you up a blind date."
I shake my head at that idea. “Nope. No blind dates. I’ll take care of myself, thank you.” It shouldn’t be that hard to find a date. I work in a bar where men come in, eagerly looking for dates. I’ll find someone before the fall festival.
Hannah continues just as eagerly. "Speaking of the festival, I’ve been planning to set up a booth this year to raise money for the food pantry. The one we used to volunteer for in high school? I thought it’d be a great way to actually fundraise for it. Will you help me with it?"
I nod, memories of our high school volunteer days flooding back. "Depends. What does helping you look like? Because if you’re wanting me to decorate something, you know I can’t. What kind of booth are you thinking about?"
Hannah’s eyes light up. "I was thinking of doing something where people buy tickets. Maybe some sort of raffle, but we’d need to get donations from other businesses. I don’t know how to do it. I mean, I can’t just walk into the bakery and be like, would you like to donate something for the food pantry raffle?”
“Why not? You do work at the community center, which is connected to the food pantry.”
Hannah shrugs, but I can tell she doesn’t feel comfortable with the idea. “How about this?” I offer. “I’ll get the donations, and you get to decorate and get the booth set up.”
Hannah beams, and it feels good to have another project in front of me. Whenever I’m still and quiet, that’s when thoughts of my dad start to haunt me. It’s when I start to think back on my night with Jay and wish that I could have a normal life with a normal boyfriend and…
Despite this tiny apartment, I admire the life that Hannah has built for herself.
“Oh, Violet, I’ve missed you."
I squeeze her hand back, my heart full. "I’ve missed you too, Hannah. It’s good to be home."
We sit in comfortable silence for a moment, the swing gently swaying back and forth. There’s something so familiar about this town, even just the smell of the gentle rain hitting the grass.
Hannah breaks the silence, her voice soft. "You know, you’re always welcome here. Anytime you need to talk or just hang out, you know where to find me."
