“Home, yeah. I hear you on that one,” the worker said. “Well, here’s all this back. Let me go grab a rental to pull around for you.”
“That’s it?” she asked, surprise causing her forehead to pinch with what she knew were unflattering wrinkles. “I thought you said we’d be here for a while.”
“We will be.” He motioned toward the back. “But it seems like you’ve had a really hard day. We can call you with updates if you just leave me the best number.”
“Bless you,” Amy said, fixing him with a smile she hoped adequately conveyed her gratitude.
He smiled back and didn’t stop until they finished up the paperwork afterward. When he tried to return Trent’s business card to her, she shook her head and pushed it away. “You have this scanned for the insurance people, right?”
“Right,” he acknowledged with a questioning gaze.
“Then I don’t need this anymore. Just go ahead and throw it away.”
His eyes lingered on hers for a brief moment before he did just that. “Whatever floats your boat,” he said with a shrug. “Be right back.”
Amy returned to the waiting area while he went to secure the rental from farther up the lot.
It wasn’t long before a new text message alert buzzed from inside her purse.
Nichole.
Hazel told me you’re being snippy today, the message read. I love it when I’m not the only one. Can I come over?
Not tonight. I’m headed home and going straight to bed, Amy typed back.
You sure? It’s not even 6!
Oh, she was sure. I’ll call you tomorrow, she promised, slipping the phone back into her bag just before the worker returned with a set of keys dangling from one hand.
“We’re giving you a free upgrade,” he said with a smile that made her wonder whether he might be trying to flirt with her. But his blond hair and stocky build weren’t her type at all. Then there was the fact that Amy had been so focused on caring for her mother this past year and a half, she’d completely put dating out of her mind—and off her schedule. If she did have a type, though, it would be much more like Trent—dark hair, piercing eyes, and that understated intensity she found so alluring.
That was why she’d made extra sure to do away with his business card. She had only just begun to emerge from the funk of depression to begin reconnecting with her old self. If she allowed herself to fall headlong into an intoxicating new romance, she’d probably never find herself again.
As much as she’d love to repair all the fractures that lined her heart with the healing bond of new love, she knew she needed to find a way to be whole again on her own.
That’s why Trent’s business card—and also the very idea of him—belonged in the trash can. Soon, the dealership janitor would come and toss him away for good. Yes, Amy’s love life belonged among the dirty diapers and discarded packaging of the nearest landfill, and that’s where it would surely remain.
Maybe just for a little while, but also maybe forever.
Chapter 9
The rest of that week passed by in a blur. Every day proceeded very much the same. Hazel called to check in on Amy, Bridget’s plans for her big rescue event became increasingly unrealistic, and Amy’s students continued to settle into their new classroom routine.
Well, all her students except for Olivia.
The little girl with the wrinkled clothes and messy hair still went most days without speaking to anyone, not even Amy. She tried partnering her with some of the more popular girls in the class, hoping it would help to bring Olivia out of her shell. Instead, poor Olivia just got picked on and retreated even further from the others.
By Friday, Amy could no longer wait things out and hope they would get better. She needed to do something to help. So, she hastily penned a note to Olivia’s parents and sealed it in an envelope so that the little girl wouldn’t be able to read it before delivering it to them.
If this small effort didn’t yield any positive results, her next step could very well be to call in a special education expert or even child services. She’d never spotted any bruises or otherwise questionable wounds on the girl, but Olivia’s behavior was, without a doubt, an indicator of some form of trauma. Add to this the fact she hadn’t made any progress in the classroom that week, and Amy knew something was wrong.
She just hoped she’d be able to fix it once she learned more.
Still, despite her worries about Olivia—and about Bridget as well—Amy’s week had actually turned out to be a good one. She was living again, feeling again, getting back to some semblance of a normal post-grief life. And now that the weekend was upon her, Amy looked forward to sleeping late and finishing the novel she’d been picking away at all week.
Small luxuries meant something again, and for that she was ecstatic.
After the final bell rang, Amy dismissed her students and did a quick tidying of the room. A few moments later, Hazel strode into the classroom with a giant plastic tote full of what appeared to be crafting supplies. Her boyfriend, Keith, followed with a giant, glittery heart that was at least as tall as he was.
“The decorating committee has arrived!” Hazel sang as she set her tote on Amy’s desk with a grand flourish.
Keith offered an apologetic smile. “Hi, Amy.”
Amy gave her friends each a quick hug. “When did I hire a decorating committee?”
“You didn’t,” Hazel answered breezily. “But we came, anyway. The last time we spoke, you mentioned not having a theme for your classroom this semester. So, I thought, what if we change the theme every month? It’ll be a fun change of pace for me. I so rarely get to decorate for kids.”
“She’s already started building next month’s rainbow and pot of gold,” Keith added, making a goofy expression. “Anyway, I’m just here as the muscle. Tell me where you want this thing set up, and I’ll leave you two to tackle the rest.”
Amy pointed wordlessly toward the reading corner. It seemed as good a place as any for the giant, unwieldy decoration. “What is that made of?” she asked, coming in for a closer look.
“Wood mostly. That’s what makes it so heavy.” Keith hefted it up again and delivered it to the spot that Amy had suggested.
“No skimping on materials for you, my friend,” Hazel said as she appraised the placement of the jumbo decoration. “More to the right, Keith. That way it won’t block any of the books.”
They repositioned it several times, making such tiny changes that Amy hardly noticed any difference between adjustments. After several minutes, Hazel clasped her hands together and declared that it was now perfect.
“Does that mean I’m dismissed, Ms. Long?” Keith asked with a quick wink toward Amy before he approached Hazel with his arms wide open.
“Yes, and you get an A-plus.” Hazel flung herself onto Keith and gave him an enthusiastic kiss.
Normally, Amy didn’t mind when her friends showed affection around her, but this mini teacher role-play grossed her out to the umpteenth degree. “Bye, Keith,” she said with a dismissive wave. To think she’d ever had a crush on him!
Hazel laughed as she floated toward Amy’s desk and popped the lid off the tote she’d brought. Inside, Amy spied elegant fabrics in pink and red, heart-shaped lights, and even framed artwork depicting Cupid undertaking various G-rated adventures.