- Details
- Written by: Administrator
- Category: That Little Thing
- Hits: 0
The sun was setting when Callie finally pulled into the motel a couple of miles outside of Ware. The last rays were filtering through the silver maples and spilling across the dark asphalt road and intensely green grass. The motel had seen better days. But though the outside needed painting and there were potholes in the gravel parking lot, the inn looked tidy and clean. Callie was grateful – she was afraid the low rates would mean she’d be rooming with cockroaches. Instead, it looked like she’d be staying in her room alone.
She checked in and was happy to find her room was on the ground floor. She could park right outside the door. She thanked the small grey-haired woman who handed her the key with a smile, then drove her car around to the motel room. Every muscle in her body protested as she lugged in a couple of her bags. She was so exhausted – she’d been driving for two days, only stopping in Nashville for a few hours to sleep.
The motel room was plain and reminded her vaguely of the 1970’s. But her clean and tidy impression was proven correct. The room was immaculate and everything was neatly in place. Callie sank down on the bed and took off her shoes. The bed felt wonderful, firm but with just the right degree of softness. She looked at the fluffed up pillows longingly. But first things first.
She tugged out her smartphone and called her aunt. “Hi Aunt Phoebe, it’s Callie, I just checked in at the motel….I know I can stay at Mom’s house, Aunt Phoebe, but the motel is fine and….no, I don’t think so, I am so exhausted I just want to fall into bed and never get out of it….okay, great, I’ll meet you for breakfast in the morning,…Sally’s Café, got it. Thanks so much, Aunt Phoebe, I’ll see you then….Right, okay, bye now.” She hung up, dropped the phone on the bed, and fell back onto the soft mattress. Sooo comfortable, she sighed. She fell asleep while she was still trying to talk herself into sitting up again.
~~~
Callie woke up late the next morning. Sometime in the night she must have shifted so that she was lying on the bed with her legs up and her head on the pillow. She sat up slowly, trying to get her thoughts in order. Motel room…Ware…Mom…oh, Mom….
She straightened sharply. No. Can’t go there. Set it aside. Deal with it later. Too much to do now.
She winced when she saw the time and called Aunt Phoebe to apologize for missing breakfast. Aunt Phoebe told her she understood completely and they agreed to meet at Sally’s for lunch. Relieved, Callie disconnected the call and quickly started making lists.
First, shower and put on fresh clothes. That meant unpacking. Second, she needed to find another job. She could scan job listings on the internet, but she couldn’t do much more until she got back to Charleston. That brought her to the third list – the funeral, the estate, and all related to that which had to be done. Aunt Phoebe was already here, having flown in from Chicago, and would help with all that. But there was still plenty for Callie to take care of.
Feeling more alert, Callie briskly started executing her lists. In less than an hour, she was showered, dressed in jeans and a loose white blouse, and driving to Sally’s Café in downtown Ware for lunch with her aunt.
As she parallel-parked in front of the café, she noted how little Ware had changed in the years she’d been gone. The buildings were a little older and in some cases sported a new coat of paint. But there was no new construction and, as she pushed through the glass door into the café, she saw that not much had changed inside either, at least at Sally’s.
The same square oak tables with their mismatched chairs were scattered across the open room. Bright floral-printed curtains hung at the sides of each of the windows, and shelves still lined the back wall on either side of the batwing doors leading to the kitchen. Even the patrons sitting at some of the well-worn tables looked familiar. Phoebe, dressed in her usual fashionably tailored suit, was easy enough to spot in the far corner of the room. She looked the same as ever – elegant sculptured features like her mom, mostly brown hair, alert light blue eyes.
Callie smiled and wove through the tables to join her aunt. Sitting next to Phoebe, with a view of the room as well as through the nearby window, Callie gestured at the laminated menu on the table. “Anything new?”
“Not a thing,” Phoebe laughed. “It’s like stepping back through time, isn’t it?”
“It is,” agreed Callie. “Kind of reassuring, in a way. So, what are you going to have?”
They exchanged small talk until Sally came over to take their orders. Callie asked for her favorite, pork tenderloin sandwich with onion rings (that had sustained her all through high school). Phoebe virtuously chose the chicken Caesar salad, although she did indulge in a couple of onion rings when Callie offered to share.
After lunch, Callie pulled out her planner and asked, “Okay, what do we need to do?”
Phoebe extracted her smartphone and opened up an app. “I’d suggest we start with Lizzie’s lawyer, then go over to the funeral home. That way we’ll know what we have to work with.”
“Makes sense,” Callie agreed, making notes. They worked for another half hour, interrupted periodically by townsfolk who came over to extend their sympathies. Callie had been dreading that, but instead of feeling like she had to paste on a smile and hold her grief at bay, she found the comments oddly soothing. They made her feel … safe.
Then Phoebe said, “What do you want to do about the house?”
“The house?” Callie echoed blankly.
“Yes, Lizzie told me when she bought it that she wanted to leave it to you. Do you want to sell or rent it out to someone?”
Callie stared down at her planner. Her mother had bought a new house after selling the large family home Callie had grown up in. That was right about the time Callie had graduated from college and moved to South Carolina. The new house was smaller and near downtown. Mom said the smaller house would be easier to keep up and she liked having neighbors right next door. Callie had only been back a few times since then and didn’t really remember much about it. She mumbled, “I don’t know, sell I guess.”
“Well, of course you don’t have to decide this minute,” Phoebe replied. Callie could feel her aunt’s assessing gaze. “But if you do sell, you’ll want someone to go through the house and fix whatever might need fixing first. That might be easier to do while you are still here.”
That made sense of course. “I’ll look into it.”
Phoebe hesitated. “You don’t mind my staying at the house while I’m here, do you? I mean –“
“Oh no!” Callie interrupted hastily. “No, you’re fine. I’m glad you’re staying there.”
“There’s plenty of room for two, or I could get a room at the bed and breakfast –“
“Don’t be silly,” Callie cut her off with a smile.
”Well, okay,” Phoebe conceded. “Of course, you will want to come over and take a look at it while you’re here.”
“Oh yes.” Callie busily wrote a note in her planner, thinking oh no - that’s the last thing I want to do.
- Details
- Written by: Administrator
- Category: That Little Thing
- Hits: 0
The warm breeze filtered in through the thin sheer curtains at the open windows in Callie’s living room, bringing with it scents of azaleas and wisteria. Her apartment was small and sparsely furnished with worn Scandinavian furniture that came with the apartment. But the apartment was close to the ocean and had a small balcony with a great view of the water. Callie loved it.
Mina had come over to help Callie with her spring cleaning and they were sitting on the floor in the sunlit room, sorting through all the items they had pulled out of the living room closet.
Mina held up a bright orange and green paisley scarf. “Really, Callie?”
Callie laughed. “I know, I know, but my best friend in college gave it to me.”
“How long ago?” Mina asked, still holding the garish scarf at arm’s length.
“Oh, um, a while ago – six or seven years, maybe?” Callie shrugged. “I know I packed it up when I left college.”
“Then it is my pleasure to inform you that the statute of limitations on keeping this scarf has run out,” Mina grinned. “Dump it.”
“Add it to the Salvation Army box,” sighed Callie. “Though I’m not sure they’ll take it.”
“It may be too much even for them,” Mina agreed with a wry grin. “As long as it goes, I don’t care.”
Callie went back to sorting out the box in front of her. She held up a shell necklace. “From my mom when I was sixteen.”
Mina’s expression softened as she looked at the silver chain with its small pale shells strung along it. “That’s beautiful, Callie. Are you still planning to go back to Ware this summer?”
Callie put her head down over the box. “Well, no, not really. I’m buried in work. I was thinking Christmas, maybe.”
Mina topped folding the scarf and stared at her. “Bet your mom didn’t like that.”
“No, she didn’t,” Callie sighed, sitting back. “But it’s just a few months, and we talk on the phone all the time.”
“New subject. How are you doing with not-Wes?” Mina asked casually, folding a winter coat.
“Oh, okay, I guess. It’s been three months.” Callie shrugged, reaching for another box. “I just try to focus on other stuff.”
Mina hesitated, then said, “You saw the notice in the paper, I suppose.”
The letter Callie was holding crinkled as her fingers tightened. “You mean the wedding announcement?” It had been in the paper yesterday, complete with pictures of not-Wes and Miss Lucy. “He’s got his life to live, and I have mine. I wish him well with it.”
“Really?” Mina asked, raising an eyebrow.
Callie unexpectedly laughed at the look on Mina’s face. “Well, that sounds better than saying I hope he rots in hell.”
“Good point.”
“Yeah, I’m mostly just tired anymore,” Callie sighed. “Tired of thinking about it, tired of hurting, tired of the whole thing. So when I saw the wedding announcement, yes it hurt, but mainly I just thought, good riddance to bad rubbish.”
“Well, that’s progress, I suppose,” Mina smiled.
“I suppose. You ready for lunch?” asked Callie, tucking the flaps on the box back into place.
Mina stood up and brushed off the knees of her stonewashed jeans. “You bet. Whatcha got?”
“How does shrimp and grits sound?” Callie shoved the boxes to one side and headed for the small shotgun kitchen. Mina followed, stopping at the entranceway and watching Callie assemble the hot food.
“Oh my gosh, that smells so good!” Mina sighed, breathing in the scents of shrimp and garlic and butter. “I love your shrimp and grits.”
“Well, it’s not really mine,” Callie demurred, finding a couple of spoons in the silverware drawer and handing one to Mina.
“You’re the one that got the recipe from Oscar’s and you made it from scratch,” Mina said, reaching for her plate of food. “Close enough for me.”
They moved back into the living room, settling on the sofa and upholstered chair by the windows. “So,” Mina went on between bites, “church tomorrow. Want to come along?”
“Oh, maybe next time. I thought I’d just stay home and relax on Sunday.”
“Um-hm.”
“Oh, come on, Mina,” Callie protested, “you know I’m not into all that church stuff. I mean, it’s fine and all that for those who like it, but it’s just not for me.”
“Okay, suit yourself. But you know I have to remind you – you might not like the idea of church, but church was most definitely made for you. He loves you, Callie.”
“Thanks, Mina,” smiled Callie. “And I do know that. Believe me, He and I have had some pretty earnest conversations over the last three months. But I’m still a work in progress, I guess.”
“As are we all,” Mina agreed. ”Okay, but you know the invitation is always open.”
“Roger that,” Callie smiled and then moved the conversation to what they would tackle in her small apartment that afternoon.
≈≈≈
Monday morning was sunny and cool, promising a glorious spring day. Callie could feel her spirits lift as she rolled down the window in her car and breathed in the fresh, ocean-scented air. She felt like she was finally turning the corner on the not-Wes disaster. And she was really happy about the conversation she’d had with her mother last night.
Ever since Saturday, when Mina asked her about going home, Callie’s thoughts keep going back to when she could go back for a visit. Phil would have a fit if she asked for time off. Sunday night she pulled out her smartphone and opened the calendar.
Not the Fourth of July – that was on a Thursday and, while Phil would give them that day off, Callie would have to be back in the office bright and early Friday morning.
But Memorial Day – now that was a possibility. The observed holiday fell on Monday. She could leave Friday night and be back Monday night. Perfect.
So when she called Mom that evening, she asked, “Mom, what are you doing Memorial Day weekend?”
“Oh, not much,” Mom said. “I’ll go out to the cemetery of course, and probably have lunch downtown afterwards. What about you? Do you have any plans?”
“I do, as a matter of fact,” Callie smiled. “I thought I would come home for the weekend.”
“What?” her mother cried out. “You’re coming home?? Oh Callie –“
“It’s just for the weekend, Mom,” she cautioned, “I won’t be able to take any time off from work.”
“Even one day would be wonderful,” her mother assured her blissfully.
“I miss you so much, Mom,” Callie said in a low, quiet voice. “I really want to come home to see you.”
Mom was ecstatic. “Little girl, you have made my year! I am so happy. I can’t wait!”
“Me, neither,” Callie laughed. “But it’s over a month away, so we’ll have to make it somehow.”
As Callie parked her car on the street in front of the old brick building where her employer, Pinnacle Personnel Services, had office space, she couldn’t stop smiling at the thought of seeing her mother again. Mina was right – it really had been too long.
Mina noticed the change in mood right away. “Okay, spill,” she demanded, “what’s up?”
Callie sat down, stowing her bag in the bottom drawer of her workstation. “I decided to take your advice and go home to see Mom.”
Mina squealed, jumping up to give her a quick hug. “That’s great! I don’t remember suggesting it, but I’ll happily take credit for it.”
“Oh, you were subtle,” Callie laughed, “but I got it.”
Mina settled back down at her desk across the aisle from Callie. “So when are you leaving?”
“Memorial Day weekend. I can leave Friday night, after work of course,” Callie added wryly, “and I’ll be back in time to get to work on time Tuesday morning. What’s that saying – ‘may you be back at work a half hour before Phil knows you’ve been gone?’”
Mina burst out laughing. “Good one, Cal. Oops,” she said as her phone rang, “that’s Mr. Rosario.”
Callie turned back to her desk to open her planner as Mina answered the call from Jorge Rosario. Three new presentations this week to companies thinking about hiring Pinnacle…several meetings about Pinnacle’s proposed expansion into human resources corporate services…the usual mix of cold calls, follow-ups, and interview scheduling. Looked like a busier week than usual.
Callie dove in, energized by the mix of presentations, one-on-one meetings, and team collaborations that were her strength. She was especially interested in the expansion planning. Pinnacle had started out as a recruiting firm, but Callie saw opportunity to serve as a contracted human resources department as well. Finally Phil had agreed (at which point it became his idea) and Callie was given the lead on planning.
The morning flew by and at lunchtime, she ordered a sandwich from the sub shop down the street so she could keep working. So much to do, so little time – and that was just how she liked it.
At mid-afternoon, she was on the phone with the accountant, firming up figures they had gotten on the cost of the proposed expansion, when she was vaguely aware of Phil calling Mina into his office. Better her than me, she shrugged. "Yes, Jim, that’s just what I needed…Yes, I do think it’s going to work. I think this will really help with the bottom line, plus it will help promote our recruiting services. I think it’s a win for everyone…Thanks, Jim, I really appreciate your saying that. I’m just happy it seems to be working out. Thanks for the numbers, too, Jim…Right, I’ll talk with you then. Bye for now.”
Callie hung up, humming a little tune as she entered the data in the spreadsheet she had set up. The numbers were better than she expected and she began to work them into the brief she was developing for the expansion team. She was so engrossed in the brief that she startled when a hand landed gently on her shoulder. She looked up, relaxing when she saw it was Mina. “Oh my gosh, Mina, you scared me half to –“ Callie stopped abruptly when she saw Mina’s face. “Mina, what’s wrong?”
Mina reached for Callie’s hands. “Oh sweetie – it’s bad news. Your mother –“
“My mother?” Callie asked, not understanding. "What’s wrong with Mom?”
Mina’s face crumpled. “She was in an accident, sweetie. She...she didn’t make it.”
Callie’s heart stopped. What? She couldn’t believe it. “No, Mina, there has to be some mistake,” she managed. “That’s impossible.”
“I’m sorry, Callie,” Mina said, hugging her. “I am so, so sorry.”
Callie sat still, unable to move. This couldn’t be true. She was dreaming or something. Her mother couldn’t be – no, that couldn’t be!
Mina was saying something. “-And then Phil called me in to talk with her. She wants you to call her, you know, to make arrangements.”
“What?” Callie asked blankly. “Who?”
“Your Aunt Phoebe, sweetie. The police notified her and she called Phil. She didn’t want you to find out over the phone.”
Aunt Phoebe. As that sank in, Callie realized it must be true. A vast hole of blackness opened before her, growing and starting to engulf her. She pushed it back through sheer will power. No. Not now. There are things I have to do. Have to call Aunt Phoebe…have to go back to Ware right away…have to clear my calendar.… She slipped into planning mode, setting aside the feelings of abandonment and grief, walling them off into an impenetrable locked box so she wouldn’t have to deal with them right now. Instead, she assumed an icy calm. “Okay.” She took a deep breath. “Okay. I’ll call her now.” I can make this work.
Mina straightened, the corners of her mouth quirking up sadly. “I’m here for whatever you need, Cal. Tell me what I can do.”
Callie felt a rush of love for her best friend, who understood her so well. She picked up her planner and handed it to Mina. “Could you clear my schedule for me while I call Aunt Phoebe?” Callie would have done it herself, but she cringed at the thought of having to explain over and over –
"I’m on it,” Mina said briskly, taking the planner. As Mina turned to her desk, Callie saw her stiffen. "Hello, Phil.”
“Mina. Callie, I just wanted to say I’m sorry about your mother.”
Well, that’s a first, Callie thought, and then chastised herself for being uncharitable. “Thanks, Phil. I appreciate that. And I’m glad you came over, I was going to talk with you anyway. I have to go back home to – to take care of things, don’t know how long,” she rushed on. “I need to talk with my aunt and –“
“You can’t take off now,” Phil interrupted in surprise. “What about the expansion? The Baker Farms executive search? The presentations we have scheduled this week? You can’t go.”
Callie stared at him in disbelief. “Phil, I have to. My mother -” her voice caught, but she soldiered on – “my mother just – died, and I have to go home.”
“Impossible,” Phil shook his head. “You can take care of all that from here.”
“No,” Callie said patiently, “I can’t. Mina’s rescheduling everything for me, that can all wait until –“
“No, it can’t wait,” Phil insisted angrily, his thin angular face becoming flushed. “I’ll give you half a day off today to handle whatever you need to do, but then you need to be back here, working, or I'll –“
“Or you'll what?” Callie demanded, a small flame of anger starting to burn in her.
Phil was implacable. “Or, I'll fire you. I mean it, Callie. If you care so little about -”
The flame of anger exploded and swept through her in a brilliant flash. “Care so little? Care so – are you serious? Oh, forget it, Phil, you won’t have to fire me because I quit! I have just had it with you!” she yelled. “I’m tired of your nitpicking everything I do, of taking credit for my work, of pretending I don’t have a life outside these walls. Send me my check,” she added coldly as she pushed by him to go find a cardboard box for her belongings. She couldn’t stand another moment with him anyway.
She knew without looking that Mina was bent over the planner, head down, smile hidden, but she almost turned back to see the expression on Phil’s face. She was still too angry, though, and knew it was better to just keep walking.
When Callie returned, Phil was gone and Mina was gathering up Callie’s things for her. “I called Phoebe for you. She knows you’ll call her later. I wrote down her cell number for you just in case.” When Callie set down the box and gave her a quick hug, Mina whispered, “Did you really just do that?”
Callie nodded a little sheepishly as she pulled back. “I did. I couldn’t help it, Min, I was just so angry. But I can’t say I regret it.”
Mina leaned back against the edge of the desk. “All I can say is, when you find a new job – and I know you will – call me and tell me they have another vacancy.”
Callie smiled as she started filling the box. “You got it, sis.”
As Mina went back to her workstation to start rescheduling, Callie looked into the box for a spot to put her pen caddy. She saw the items already tucked inside and realized, this is my whole work life, fitting inside this box. For a moment the black hole opened up next to her, swelling toward her, but she ruthlessly pushed it back. Not now. Later. Much later.
- Details
- Written by: Administrator
- Category: That Little Thing
- Hits: 2
Charleston, South Carolina
Present Day
CALLIE STARED AT WES, stunned into silence. It’s true what they say, she thought. My tongue tastes ashes.
Wes – handsome, dark-haired, impeccably dressed Wes – smiled at her and said apologetically, “This wasn’t anything I planned, Callie. Lucy and I just met again by accident. But we started talking, and remembering what we’d had together, and I don’t know, it just sort of all clicked.”
“Clicked,” she echoed faintly. She was vaguely aware of the other diners around her in the elegant restaurant, the click of silverware, the low hum of voices. This is a dream. It can’t be real. This can’t possibly be happening.
“Yes,” Wes nodded, with that dazzling smile and only a trace of regret in his voice. “Kind of amazing, really. It was as if we had never been apart. So I knew the only honorable thing to do was to tell you and explain that it’s not fair to you to go on when I know my future is with Lucy.”
“Wes,” she managed, concentrating on keeping her voice low and even, “we’re engaged.”
“I know,” he nodded earnestly, “and we’ve had a wonderful time together. I really thought it would work, but when I saw Lucy – well, I guess I was never really over her, and now that I know she feels the same way, I just have to try again. You understand that, don’t you?” he added with another winning smile.
Callie concentrated on lifting the heavy linen napkin from her lap, carefully folding it, and placing the smooth burgundy napkin beside her full plate. Finally, she said, “No. No, I do not understand.”
Wes reached out to put his hand over hers. She gazed at it, that strong, bronzed hand that had held hers so firmly when she said she would marry him, barely hearing him say, “I’m sorry, Callie, I really am.”
At least he sounds sincere, she thought absently, still studying his hand covering hers. Over…it’s over? How can that be? But when she looked up at him and saw his expression, sad but utterly resolute, she knew that whatever she thought they had was no more. Yes, she thought blankly. Over.
She was seized by an intense desire to get up, get out, and get away from all this. She rose swiftly from her upholstered dining chair and caught up her clutch purse. “I have to go, Wes,” she muttered.
He rose also, tossing his napkin on the table and reaching out to catch her arm. She stepped away quickly but not fast enough – his hand stayed her from rushing past him. “I understand, Callie,” he said encouragingly. “But before you go, um, could you give me back the engagement ring?”
Callie stared at him in disbelief, For the first time, the flames of anger began to lick at the edges of what little composure she still had. “No,” she responded firmly. “No. I cannot.” She shrugged off his hold and walked out of the dining room with all the poise she could muster. I’m selling that sucker first thing tomorrow, she promised herself determinedly.
≈≈≈
After a sleepless night, Callie dragged herself into the bathroom and gazed blearily into the mirror over the sink. She looked awful: her normally neatly waved blonde hair was hopelessly tangled and mussed, and her eyes were swollen and red from crying all night. Callie briefly considered calling in sick but she knew she was better off going into work. Staying busy would keep her mind off Wes. The thought of him, smiling so happily as he talked about his long-lost Lucy, started the hot tears flowing again. How could that happen? We had just been talking about buying a house, raising children – Callie shook her head, hard. This was getting her nowhere.
After a quick shower and a hot cup of strong coffee, she felt a little bit restored. She dressed in her favorite suit to further bolster her confidence - elegantly tailored soft gray linen paired with a soft white silk blouse. I can do this, she told herself. I can make this work.
I have to make something work.
And for the most part, she did. She ruthlessly suppressed all thoughts of Wes (or “not-Wes” as she now referred to him) and concentrated on work. As a result, she made progress with the job fair her human resources firm was planning and she was able to talk with several of her clients about candidates she had recruited for their executive positions.
Mina Pederson was sitting in the cubicle across from her. Mina had become a close friend over the few years they had worked together. In fact, they looked enough alike to be sisters. They were both slim and had the same medium height. Callie’s hair was wavy where Mina’s was perfectly straight, but their hair was a similar shade of yellow and their eyes were both walnut brown in color.
Callie could tell that Mina knew something had happened but Callie had shot her a look that warned, “Not now, not here.” Mina understood, bless her, and didn’t press. But at the end of the day, Mina invited Callie over to her apartment for coffee. Callie just nodded, exhausted from not-Wessing all day. She really just wanted to go home, but it took less energy to agree.
So after work they drove to the old Victorian mansion where Mina rented a few rooms and settled in front of the relaxing fire in the fireplace in Mina’s living room with big mugs of hot Columbian coffee. The weather was only a little nippy, as it was already late January. But since the weather never got very cold in Charleston, residents had no qualms about using their fireplaces whenever the outside temperature dropped below fifty degrees.
Mina waited until they were comfortably seated on her sofa before asking what on earth was going on. Callie spilled the whole story, Mina getting up partway through to fetch a box of tissues. Callie thought she had finally gotten past the tears, but she was halfway through the new box before she had finished telling Mina what happened.
“He actually asked you for the ring back?” Mina asked incredulously.
“He did,” Callie confirmed, wiping her tears with another tissue. “Maybe he wanted to give it to Lucy.” That thought wrenched another sob from her tight chest. “Oh, Mina, we were supposed to be getting married! He was the one, we were perfect for each other. And now…now it’s all….” She dissolved in tears again, unable to go on.
Mina waited a moment and then asked, “Have you told your mom?”
That was the first thing Callie had done. She nodded. “Last night. Not that I was able to talk much. I mostly just cried. I was such a mess! Mom suggested I come home to Ware –“
“That’s in Kansas, right, where you grew up?”
Callie nodded again. “It would be nice to go back for a little while, but I’ve got all these things going on at work, and our beloved leader would have a fit.”
Mina snorted. “Oh, Phil Lester can go --“
“Mina!” But the comment had coaxed a small smile from Callie.
And that response brought a big grin from Mina. “Well, that’s probably anatomically impossible anyway. But he’s such a jerk. I heard him riding you again today.”
“Yeah, well, he signs my paycheck,” Callie shrugged, “and jobs aren’t easy to find these days, so…I miss my mom, especially now, but I just don’t know how I’d swing it.”
Mina patted her hand. “I know, sweetie. But at least you can keep in touch by phone.”
Callie nodded, blew her nose, and the talk drifted to other, not-Wes topics. An hour later, Mina was suggesting Callie stay the night, but Callie shook her head. “No, I want to go home. Thanks, Mina, I’ll be fine. At least I know I’ll sleep tonight.”
That attempt at humor, feeble as it was, prompted an answering smile from Mina. “Okay, kid. But call me when you get home, okay?”
“Sure,” Callie agreed, her smile strengthening. “Thanks, Mina.”
“Oh what are cellmates for?” Mina laughed.
Callie walked out to her SUV, hunching a little in the chilly air. I can do this, she thought. I can make it through this. After all, what else can happen?