mother.
Her mom had the kind of faith that expected miracles and got them. Like the time she emptied out her wallet for a homeless
woman while shopping in downtown Cleveland and then realized she didn’t have bus fare to get back home. She had just shrugged
and smiled. “The Lord will provide.” Sidney and her sister were hungry. Their mother led them back to the bus stop and they
waited. Then out of the blue, there was their neighbor, Mrs. Sanford, coming out of the florist shop. A neighbor, from way
out in the suburbs! They all piled into her big Cadillac, and Mrs. Sanford, delighted with their company, had insisted on
springing for dinner on the way home.
When things like that happened, Mom was not surprised. She just cast a glance and a wave to the sky. “Thank you, Jesus!”
“Excuse me. Have you decided yet?”
The woman startled her. “Oh, I’m so sorry.” Sidney pushed her cart out of the way. “How long was I standing there?”
The middle-aged lady laughed. “Well, long enough to plan a few menus, I suppose.”
Now Sidney laughed. “I was off in la-la land. It’s a good thing you said something. I might have kept you waiting until they
turned the lights off on us.”
“Sidney?”
She whipped her head around. “Jack.”
“I’d know that laugh anywhere,” he said. He was pushing a tiered cart laden with beef. The other shopper placed some sausage
links in her cart and moved on. The first thing Sidney noticed was his tan. Her eyes flitted to his hand. His ring finger,
along with the others, was concealed inside yellow disposable gloves.
“How are you? You look great, Jack.” He really did. He was pretty buff for a guy who ate beef and potato chips and greasy
fried chicken. He wasn’t terribly short, but Sidney remembered feeling a little uncomfortable around him when she wore high
heels.
He smiled, a little cautiously. “Thanks. You’re as pretty as ever yourself. What are you doing in Dunbar? Did you move?”
“I moved, but not out of Ham Bone. We’ve got a house now—well, a double-wide mobile home anyway. It’s got a big yard and backs
up to a wood full of cedar and firs. I can’t see moving out of town as long as the kids are in school. We have good schools.”
“Yeah. That’s what I’ve heard. How are the kids?”
“Good. Growing like they’re standing in fertilizer.” This was not the time to tell him that Ty was locked up. “So what have
you been up to? Do you still fly model planes?”
He swiped at his nose with his rolled-up sleeve. One of the things that had annoyed her back when she was looking for reasons
not to fall in love. “Not much. I started building one about a year ago, but there it sits, unfinished. I played baseball
on the Traders Market team all summer; we took second in the tournament. Now I coach peewee football.”
“Good for you. You were always great with kids.”
There was an awkward silence. She thought she should fill it before the “What are you doing in Dunbar?” question came up again.
“I’m really glad to run into you, Jack. I’ve missed you.”
“You have?”
She looked him square in his blue eyes. “Yes. I’ve actually been thinking of you a lot lately.”
He stared at her blankly. Oh, crap. He
was
married.
“I mean, we had some good times, didn’t we? My kids sure liked you. Do you have any kids of your own yet?”
He wheeled his cart across the aisle and began stocking beef roasts in the cooler case. “Nope.” He glanced back at her as
if reading her face, then went back to work.
Had she been dismissed? It seemed, if she had any dignity at all, like a good time to wrap this conversation up and head for
the dog food aisle. “Well, I can see you’re busy—”
“Why did you break it off with me?”
His question shocked her. She had expected only small talk. Her eyes were riveted on the back of his head while his arms swiftly
packed roasts as if they were sandbags and the
Her mom had the kind of faith that expected miracles and got them. Like the time she emptied out her wallet for a homeless
woman while shopping in downtown Cleveland and then realized she didn’t have bus fare to get back home. She had just shrugged
and smiled. “The Lord will provide.” Sidney and her sister were hungry. Their mother led them back to the bus stop and they
waited. Then out of the blue, there was their neighbor, Mrs. Sanford, coming out of the florist shop. A neighbor, from way
out in the suburbs! They all piled into her big Cadillac, and Mrs. Sanford, delighted with their company, had insisted on
springing for dinner on the way home.
When things like that happened, Mom was not surprised. She just cast a glance and a wave to the sky. “Thank you, Jesus!”
“Excuse me. Have you decided yet?”
The woman startled her. “Oh, I’m so sorry.” Sidney pushed her cart out of the way. “How long was I standing there?”
The middle-aged lady laughed. “Well, long enough to plan a few menus, I suppose.”
Now Sidney laughed. “I was off in la-la land. It’s a good thing you said something. I might have kept you waiting until they
turned the lights off on us.”
“Sidney?”
She whipped her head around. “Jack.”
“I’d know that laugh anywhere,” he said. He was pushing a tiered cart laden with beef. The other shopper placed some sausage
links in her cart and moved on. The first thing Sidney noticed was his tan. Her eyes flitted to his hand. His ring finger,
along with the others, was concealed inside yellow disposable gloves.
“How are you? You look great, Jack.” He really did. He was pretty buff for a guy who ate beef and potato chips and greasy
fried chicken. He wasn’t terribly short, but Sidney remembered feeling a little uncomfortable around him when she wore high
heels.
He smiled, a little cautiously. “Thanks. You’re as pretty as ever yourself. What are you doing in Dunbar? Did you move?”
“I moved, but not out of Ham Bone. We’ve got a house now—well, a double-wide mobile home anyway. It’s got a big yard and backs
up to a wood full of cedar and firs. I can’t see moving out of town as long as the kids are in school. We have good schools.”
“Yeah. That’s what I’ve heard. How are the kids?”
“Good. Growing like they’re standing in fertilizer.” This was not the time to tell him that Ty was locked up. “So what have
you been up to? Do you still fly model planes?”
He swiped at his nose with his rolled-up sleeve. One of the things that had annoyed her back when she was looking for reasons
not to fall in love. “Not much. I started building one about a year ago, but there it sits, unfinished. I played baseball
on the Traders Market team all summer; we took second in the tournament. Now I coach peewee football.”
“Good for you. You were always great with kids.”
There was an awkward silence. She thought she should fill it before the “What are you doing in Dunbar?” question came up again.
“I’m really glad to run into you, Jack. I’ve missed you.”
“You have?”
She looked him square in his blue eyes. “Yes. I’ve actually been thinking of you a lot lately.”
He stared at her blankly. Oh, crap. He
was
married.
“I mean, we had some good times, didn’t we? My kids sure liked you. Do you have any kids of your own yet?”
He wheeled his cart across the aisle and began stocking beef roasts in the cooler case. “Nope.” He glanced back at her as
if reading her face, then went back to work.
Had she been dismissed? It seemed, if she had any dignity at all, like a good time to wrap this conversation up and head for
the dog food aisle. “Well, I can see you’re busy—”
“Why did you break it off with me?”
His question shocked her. She had expected only small talk. Her eyes were riveted on the back of his head while his arms swiftly
packed roasts as if they were sandbags and the
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