Page 32 of An Adventure For Aster

“I do,” he said. “I’m not too concerned about anything. It’s early yet anyway.”

“It is,” Lily said. “I’m not just thankful you’re here for me, but for Zane too. He’s working too hard and then trying to make sure I don’t do it either. Finding a good balance for the family isn’t easy. Sometimes we have to let things go out of our control.”

“Which is never easy to do,” he said.

“No,” Lily said. “But when you’ve got people in your corner you can trust it makes it much easier.”

With that, Lily turned away and he realized how lucky his buddy was to have a woman who not only understood that but also helped make it come true.

Zane’s wife just made him feel the same way Zane had years ago—that he was part of a team and valued.

11

COMING OUT OF HIS SHELL

“Hi,” Raine said, opening her door for Aster on Saturday around eleven in the morning. They’d had plans last night to get together, but he’d gotten held up doing something at work.

“Hey,” he said. “Sorry about last night.”

“No worries,” she said. “Things happen. I know. I can’t tell you how many times I think I’m going to get out of work on time and end up staying until the school is almost closed waiting for a parent and then go home and spend time on the phone too.”

He leaned down to give her a kiss. “I don’t know if any teacher ever called my parents that I can remember.”

“Maybe you were a good kid,” she said. “Although I do try to call parents in regards to that too. Every parent should know they can reach out to me.”

“I don’t know that I’d say I was a good kid. Not grade wise. I did my work most times but just didn’t want to be there. It wasn’t my thing.”

“It doesn’t need to be,” she said. “You know that. I’d say you’re pretty successful.”

“In a roundabout way,” he said quietly. She wasn’t so sure why he mumbled that but figured if he wanted to expand on it, he would.

She learned one thing from Aster in the weeks they’d been dating, he was private about things, but he wouldn’t lie if she asked. At least she hoped she was right in that assumption. It was just she wanted him to volunteer more than be questioned.

“How late did you work last night?” she asked.

“I got home around nine,” he said.

“Sorry about that. Hopefully you got everything squared away,” she said.

“I did. I went back this morning to make sure it was all set,” he said.

“I’m sure Zane and Lily are thrilled to have you as part of the team. Zane would have had to do it or they would have had to call someone. I know Ivy told me it’s great knowing that things can be fixed with the machinery faster now.”

“Most times,” he said. “At least faster than calling someone. Definitely cheaper. But that is why they are paying me, to save them the cost of someone outside to do it.”

“And their time and frustration dealing with those things,” she said. “Ivy has said things like that. Not like telling secrets, just how hard everyone works and that if a machine is down for a few hours it pushes everything back.”

“It does,” he said. “I’m not sure I ever saw myself doing work like this, but it’s nice too. No dodging bullets and sirens going off.”

“Only when there is a fire,” she said. “Have you fought many since you’ve been here? The little one at the school doesn’t count. The maintenance team had it out.”

He snorted. “No, I haven’t and hopefully I don’t. I know what I’m doing as much as the next volunteer, but we aren’t paid professionals with high-tech equipment. Not everyone can make it to a call either.”

“No,” she said. “Not in small towns like this.”

“Not sure how we got talking about this,” he said. “What activity do you have planned for today? Are we making sock puppets? Painting pottery? Don’t ask me to do some Ghost moment with you, I might have to draw the line there.”

“Are you joking with me?” she asked, punching his arm lightly. He was coming out of his shell more and more and she was thrilled.

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