Page 13 of As They Are
“Okay!” Mollie said. “Take all the time you need.”
Cain looked at the window, where sunlight was still streaming in, and then at me.
Mollie elbowed him.
“Yeah! Yep! You do that.”
“It’s still dayli—” Eric went to say, but both Mollie and Cain shushed him.
They weresocute. God, it was making things worse. I walked past them and up the stairs. I went to the only room with an open door. The room had a bed and a dresser. The walls were green and the lighting was low. I opened the closet to put my bags away and spotted a pile of scrapbooks on a shelf.
Pulling one down, a lot of them had Mollie as a kid, younger than even I knew her. I opened the rest of them, stopping when I got to a scrapbook that was brand new and hadn’t been filled yet.
I didn’t ever meet Papa Bennie, but I could feel his love even now. Mollie was incredibly lucky, even though he was gone.
Images of Mollie’s smile at Cain, this new side of her that I’d been absent for, filled my mind, making my sadness even worse.
I squeezed my eyes shut. I needed to find something to do in my week off. I needed to catch up with Mollie. Then I needed to go back to Jude and the show.
But how did I do that when I didn’t feel like myself?
3
HENRY
Strawberry Springs Neighborhood Watch
Tammy Jane:Watch out, folks! Raccoons spotted in the trash behind the diner.
Comments:
Kerry Winsor:Omg! We need some pest control!
Jackie Anne:Do we really? They’re kinda cute. Like little trash pandas ...
Hu Gh:I could take care of ’em. You’ll never hear from them again!
Jackie Anne:NO.
The sun streamedthrough my curtains, waking me up before my alarm could go off. I blinked awake and slowly got up, heading to the bathroom to start my morning routine.
My messy hair and the shadow of a beard caught my attention in the mirror. I yawned and shook myself awake before styling my hair in its usual pushed-back position and shaving.
Doctor Henry stared back at me when I was done, and I felt far more prepared for the day.
The next step in my routine was to put on my dress shirt and slacks as well as a sweater, just in case it was cold in the clinic. Then I watered all of my plants, made a smoothie, and walked out the door.
It was a comfortable morning in Strawberry Springs, though the sun promised heat later in the day. I might regret walking when I left work this afternoon, but for now, I wanted to be outside to make sure my mood was good for the long day ahead.
I passed by Jade, who was out walking with earbuds in, and gave her a polite wave. Then I saw Hugh hobbling into Center Point Diner for breakfast. And I ran across Jackie, who was getting the salon ready for opening.
This was the kind of life I could deal with. It was quiet and peaceful, and everyone here knew me as the friendly doctor. And Iwasthe friendly doctor. It was easy enough to be the best version of myself here.
I entered the clinic and was about to prep the water and coffee for the waiting room until I realized I was completely out. I usually bought in bulk to keep my purchases to a minimum, making this situation so rare that the unexpected deviation from my routine—especially after seeing Mom yesterday—hit me harder than usual. It shouldn’t have been a big deal, but it felt like it.
After taping a note to the door, I walked to Dale’s.
He was at the register talking with Marjorie as he scanned things for her.
