Page 49 of Through the Dark Night
She kept her coat bundled around her, although the sun was warm on her face. Soon snow would be flying and winter, her favorite season, would be descending in full force.
She made it to the main street and turned right to head to the hardware store and saw Katie out in the yard, raking leaves.
She took in a deep breath and smiled when Katie saw her, squealed, dropped the rake, and ran to the fence, throwing her arms around Shannon and giving her a huge hug.
She missed Katie, even though it had only been a couple of days. The idea of never seeing her again or of just being a distant friend tugged at her heart. She had hoped to be family.
Katie stepped back and said, “Shannon, why aren’t you and Lance friends anymore? He’s sad all the time.” She tilted her head. “You look sad too.”
Katie’s observation was innocent and direct, just the way Katie was.
Shannon took a breath. She wasn’t sure if she would be able to explain in terms that Katie could grasp. “Sometimes relationships are complicated. Sometimes people do things that bother us or that hurt us on accident and there’s just…”
“I don’t understand. If you love each other and you’re both sad, why don’t you just say you’re sorry and be happy again?” Katie made it sound so simple.
Maybe it was that simple.
“I guess that’s why I’m here.” Maybe she had thought that they would talk about it a little more, but they really didn’t need to. Unless he didn’t want to hear from her. After all, she was the one who was to blame for everything.
“I’m so glad. Lance stares at the inn all the time. He mopes around the house. He’s even been grumpy, and Lance is never grumpy. Especially with me. I’m his princess,” Katie said, batting her eyes.
“I know you are. You’re precious to him.”
“But he’s been sad. And I don’t like it when he’s sad.”
“I don’t like it when he’s sad either. But I don’t know if I can do anything to fix it.”
“He’s making pancakes right now. He sent me outside to rake leaves and to work up an appetite. He always makes too many, and he said maybe if I had a better appetite there wouldn’t be any left over. But now that you’re here, you can have some. I didn’t work up an appetite anyway,” Katie said, looking back at the pitiful pile of leaves she’d managed to get together.
“I don’t want to intrude on your Saturday morning breakfast.”
“Lance wants you here. I know he does. And if he doesn’t, I’ll just say that you’re my friend and you’re having breakfast because I invited you.”
“You’re really sweet, Katie,” Shannon said, wishing that she could be just as innocent and happy and simple as Katie was. If only life were that simple. She had a feeling that Lance was going to require more than an apology from her, but maybe Katie was right. Maybe that was all she needed. The idea that Lance was sad was almost funny. Except… What if it was true? Maybe he really did miss her. Maybe he really was upset. If it was true, what did it mean? Did he like her as much as she liked him?
She supposed his words implied that, but she just wasn’t sure. It felt like taking a big risk to go in with Katie, but she walked to the gate and unlatched it, and Katie was there as she walked through, slipping her hand into Shannon’s arm and walking with her up the sidewalk, chattering all the way.
Before they reached the porch steps, Shannon happened to look up, and she saw Lance standing at the living room window, staring outside at them.
Because of the glare on the glass, she couldn’t tell whether he was happy or sad or angry, or what. She could just see his eyes, penetrating across the distance, and felt her own reaction, a combination of fear and excitement and reluctance to move. He made her want to turn around and run away.
“Lance makes good pancakes. They’re the best pancakes I’ve ever eaten. He tells me that someday he’ll teach me how to do it, because mine never turn out like his.” Katie was still chattering as they walked up the steps and across the porch.
Lance disappeared by the time Katie opened the door and Shannon walked through. Was he running? Maybe he just didn’t want his pancakes to burn. Or maybe he didn’t want to have to spend any more time with her than what was absolutely necessary.
But then she thought about Katie and her simple directness. Maybe her developmental delay actually gave her clarity that adults lose. Love is simple. Fear is the only thing that makes it complicated. Fear and pride. And Shannon had way more of both of those things than any person should.
As they walked into the kitchen, she saw Lance standing on the other side, not facing the counter, but facing the door, and the look on his face clearly held hope and maybe a little surprise.
“I told you she’d come! Now we can all be happy!” Katie announced as they walked into the kitchen.
Lance looked a little embarrassed at Katie’s outburst, and Shannon had to smile. Although she was embarrassed too. Katie shouldn’t have known before she did that she was going to come apologize.
“I would have been here sooner, but things are so crazy at the inn right now. I kept getting waylaid every time I tried to get out.”
He jerked his head but didn’t say anything.
She realized she hadn’t said anything at all about why she was trying to come here.
