Page 40 of Through the Dark Night
“I wanna dance!” Katie said, clapping her hands.
“You and me both,” Emma said, grabbing Katie’s hand as a second instrument joined the guitar and someone started to sing.
The girls giggled and got up from the bench, walking to the dance floor, where other people were congregating.
“Emma is so good with her. She treats her like an equal without being condescending. I’m not sure how she does it, but she’s a natural with kids.”
“She’s always been interested in helping people. I kind of thought when she had a major in marketing that maybe she was missing her calling. But she seems to love her job, and I guess that’s the important thing.” She’d always thought that Emma would end up being a teacher, perhaps even in special education, but when they talked about it, Emma had said that she wanted to get a job where the salary wasn’t as limited as what teaching was. Shannon had wanted to tell her that there was more to life than money, but it would have rung a little hollow coming from her, being that while they weren’t exactly rich, they were definitely financially well off because of James’s job as a corporate lawyer.
They gathered up the garbage that the girls had left behind, along with their own, and walked to the garbage can, being stopped several times by people asking Shannon to make sure that she was okay after she wasn’t in church that morning and inquiring about the inn and other things.
By the time they’d gotten back, the guitar had switched to a slower song, and Lance said, “Would you like to dance?”
He looked so hopeful and sweet that she couldn’t explain to himthat she didn’t like to dance in front of people and it would be embarrassing and she might end up stepping on his toes and all the other excuses that she always used in order to not expose herself in public like that.
“Sure,” she said instead, just as simple as she could.
The smile on his face made it worth it, and as he led her to the dance floor and wrapped his arms around her, she realized she really didn’t care how they looked, it was more about just enjoying the music and the afternoon with someone that she really, truly cared for. Especially since out of the corner of her eye, she could see Emma chatting with some of the townspeople, including Lauren and Claire, who had been good friends of her older sister.
“I wonder if she knew that they were Yolanda’s friends,” she asked as she nodded in that direction. Lance would know what she meant.
“I don’t know. Maybe. She probably remembers more than what you think she does. Maybe she just doesn’t talk about it out of respect for your feelings.”
“You could be right,” Shannon said, trying not to be defensive. After all, it was true that she’d shut down anytime someone tried to talk about Yolanda, at least in the past. “I think coming back here has been as healing as anything could have been. I’m ready to talk about her now.”
“Maybe you should let Emma know.”
“I think I have. Maybe that’s why she feels like it’s okay to talk to Yolanda’s friends.”
Lance nodded, and he moved his hand over her back, just gently, a light caress that was comforting more than anything else.
“Thank you,” she said as she looked up at him.
“For?” he asked, looking a little confused.
“For just being amazing. You are…a really great person. And thank you for not holding things against me from way back. Thank you for being my friend now.”
Something crossed over his face when she said the word “friend,” and she realized maybe he thought that she was trying to put him in his place. She wasn’t, not really, but she didn’t correct herself. Instead, she just gave herself over to the enjoyment of the beautiful fall day and the perfect weather and the beautiful time that she was having.
Later, as they were walking home, Emma said, “I haven’t seen you this happy since I was little. Lance is really good for you, Mom. Don’t mess this up by overthinking.”
She did have a tendency to overthink. Way overthink.
“I think you’re right. I think it’s a good idea to just let things happen and make sure that I’m walking the way God wants me to.”
Fifteen
Shannon sat at her desk on Monday afternoon organizing paperwork for the inn. She had washed the sheets that Emma had used and allowed herself to be sad for half an hour that her daughter was gone.
It would be a dream come true to have her daughter move to her town, but she knew that wasn’t going to happen. So, she could enjoy the visits, deal with the sadness when she left, and then throw herself back into her life, which is what she had done with the paperwork that she knew would be distracting.
Her phone rang as she was going over marketing ideas.
The caller ID showed that it was Julianne, her neighbor in the Detroit suburb when she and James were still married. She hadn’t talked to her in more than a year.
“Hello?”
“Shannon, it’s Julianne. I used to be your neighbor?”
