Page 92 of When in December

“Thank you, Ms. Barrett.”

“Sheryl.”

“Sheryl,” I said before she turned and headed off to another person she’d caught coming in the front door that I didn’t recognize.

I didn’t recognize most of the people here, save for Barrett, Poppy, and?—

My head swung back to face the guy coming toward me with his arms wide, looking as shocked as I was, recognition flaring across his face before it did my own.

“Aaron Hayes?”

“Isaac?”

“Yeah.” The man in front of me smiled, wearing a tight maroon sweater. Still, he looked just like the guy I’d played football with since I had been in elementary school until I left. He was holding two cans of soda from the bucket in the kitchen. “You want one? My wife didn’t want what I’d grabbed.”

“Oh, sure.” I took one, popping the tab. “How are you?”

“Good. Real good. I just got married to Fiona a year ago. She’s Barrett’s cousin. We live a few hours west but drove in for the weekend. Fiona has also been looking at some houses this way for a better school system—so she says. We both miss family. Glad I did come in for the party now too. Small world.”

It really was.

“Been a long time.”

“It has been,” I agreed.

“You know Barrett?” he asked before shaking his head. “Of course you do. Army brothers. That’s right. I hadn’t put the details together until now, when he mentioned you. Man, I never thought you’d go into the Army though. Weren’t you up for some kind of award or something in English? You put my essays to shame. I’m pretty sure that’s why the teacher graded the rest of us so harshly.”

“Nope. Military ended up being the best choice I made.”

“That’s awesome,” Isaac said. “How have you been? I didn’t even ask.”

“Just great,” I said.

“It’s crazy, too, that you’re here with Poppy Owens,” Isaac said.

I twisted to look over my shoulder, noticing Poppy was still in the same spot, though now, she was talking strictly with Barrett by the fireplace. Her hair was tucked behind one ear, showing off one of her obnoxious jingle bell earrings that trilled with every movement she made.

“You know Poppy?”

Isaac cocked his head to the side. “Of course I do. We went to school together,” he said. “Don’t you remember?”

“I …”

“You were only there for a few years though, I know. Yeah, Poppy was in school with us all through middle school and those first two years of high school before you transferred out,” said Isaac, still watching as I fought to figure out what he was talking about. “I can’t believe you don’t remember that.”

“I think I do. Maybe.”

“She had this huge crush on you sophomore year. Honestly, I feel kind of shitty about it all, looking back to when word got out. Kinda tortured her a bit.” Isaac sighed as he started to remember more. “We sucked.”

Poppy had a crush.On me?

I cycled back through my memories, trying to place her. Poppy never told me anything about that.

She never said?—

“Right,” I said. “Sorry, took me a second.”

“No problem, man. It’s good to see you. Maybe if you stick around the area, we can catch up sometime?”

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