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I was halfway there, my mouth watering in anticipation, when I heard a vaguely familiar voice call my name.
“Michael! Wait up!”
I turned and saw my old boss break into a brief jog to catch up to me. “Sofia! How are you?”
“Good.Reallygood.” She pushed her brown hair out of her eyes and grinned up at me. “Ashley is pregnant.”
Ashley was her wife, and a teacher at the local middle school. I liked them both, wished them nothing but every bit of happiness they could suck out of this life, but the familiar acid rose in my throat at her happy news. I hated being this person. It was completely normal, I knew that, but I still hated it.
Accept it, feel it, release it.
I forced a smile. “That’s awesome. Congratulations!”
“Thanks. So where are you off to? Do you have some time to catch up?”
“I was about to grab some lunch at Dreamer’s, if you want to come.”
“Sounds great.”
Fifteen minutes later, we were seated at a table outside, digging into chicken sandwiches topped with jalapenos and yuca fries. I took a bite and nearly groaned in ecstasy. Perfection.
“I had heard you were back,” she said, popping a fry into her mouth. “I’ve been meaning to call you.”
“Same.” I grimaced apologetically. “I haven’t had a lot of free time since I’ve been home.”
She leaned forward, placed her hand over mine, and looked at me with eyes full of concern. “How is your dad?”
“Not great.”
“I’m sorry.”
I retrieved my hand to pick up my sandwich. “So am I. Nothing anyone can do about it, though. I’m supposed to be heading to the White Mountains in November, but I think I might have to push it back a couple weeks.”
“Yeah? I know someone who’s available, if you need someone to cover for you.” She leaned back and studied me. “And, you know, we’re looking for a full-time instructor here. There would be a little travel, the occasional class out in Washington and Colorado. But mostly you would be certifying guides for the Blue Ridge and Smokies. You interested?”
I froze, my sandwich halfway to my mouth.
Had I heard her right? Was she suggesting I come home…for good?
Could I do that? Did Iwantthat?
“You don’t have to answer right now,” she said, when the silence stretched wide. “Think it over. We would be thrilled to have you.”
Yes, I thought. But that wasn’t the plan. Ihada plan, and that wasn’t it.
“I’ll get back to you,” I said.
She beamed. “Good.”
For a moment we said nothing further, chewing our food in companionable silence. Then she said, “How has it been, being home? A lot has changed.”
I laughed. “You could say that. It’s growing on me, though. Can’t deny it’s a pretty town. It cleans up nice. I even like the flower baskets.” I wiped my mouth with a napkin. “You know, there’s a lot that hasn’t changed. The town looks like a postcard, sure. But the people are still here.”
Something in her expression shifted. “Have you seen—”
“Fancy meeting you here, big brother.”
We turned. And there was Suzie, holding Andy against her chest in some sort of fabric sling. Kate and Emma stood to her left, and on her right was Nora, holding Carly’s hand. Relief flooded through me, and not only because the interruption stopped Sofia from asking about Alison—which I knew without a doubt had been on the tip of her tongue—but because somehow, what I needed most right then had magically appeared.
