Page 24 of Memories of the Past

CHAPTER 10

Trinity

I’d woken up with a bit of a headache, just as I’d done the day before. The only difference was this morning the headache seemed to be getting worse. I’d taken my time getting ready, having a hot shower to try and ease the tension I felt in my neck, but it did little good. I’d had some lightly buttered toast for breakfast and then made my way downstairs to open the store.

I flipped over the open sign and unlocked the front door and stepped out onto the sidewalk. The streets of Willow Valley were quiet this Wednesday morning, despite it being a beautiful sunny fall day. I went back inside and returned with the watering can and carefully watered the window boxes full of blue petunias. Every single year, Aunt Vi had planted these, and even though she had retired, I doubted I would ever plant anything else. There wasn’t much more life left in them for this year, but I still carefully removed all the dead flowers just as Aunt Vi had shown me. I planned to try and make them last as long as they could. Once I was finished, I backed up and looked up at the newly painted sign.

Thomas had done a fantastic job. The old paint had been peeling for a few years and the words had looked dull, but now it was vibrant, and the old sign looked brand new. Then I looked to the windows. At some point, he had even sanded and started painting the window frames a bright white.

“Morning, Trinity.” I turned to see Janice, my neighbor, heading down the street on her way to work.

“Morning. It’s a beautiful day isn’t it!” I called.

“It is! Oh, I wanted to tell you I just love the new sign. Looks fantastic. Have a great day, Trinity. I will stop by this weekend to get a new read.” She waved as she hurried off down the road.

I smiled to myself and then made my way inside. I poured a cup of coffee and carried my mug over to the counter, sitting down on the stool and rubbing my temples. Ever since I’d gotten home the other night, I’d felt this tension headache, and since I hadn’t seen Thomas yesterday, I worried that he might never show his face around here again, especially after the dumplings.

I grabbed my sales binder from under the counter and started going over my ledger when the two little bells that hung over the door jingled. I looked up to see Peggy come walking in.

“Good morning! That sign looks amazing. I may have to hire Thomas to help me out over at the flower shop,” she said, carrying a familiar pink box under her arm. “Breakfast is here,” she sang.

I got up and poured her a hot cup of coffee and then made my way over to the counter, removing a blueberry muffin from the box and taking a bite, even though I wasn’t hungry.

“It does, doesn’t it.” I softly smiled.

Peggy nodded, taking a sip. “So, how did the chicken and dumplings go over?”

I let out a sigh. “Well, dammit, he ate a lot of the dish, even though he hates it.”

Peggy looked at me, not sure whether she should laugh or not. “What do you mean? You seriously took him a dish he didn’t like? I totally thought you were kidding about that.”

“No, I was completely serious. But yes, he sat there eating down the bowl of chicken and dumplings, sweating and looking like he was going to be sick in order to keep me there.”

Peggy laughed. “I can’t believe you did that. If you knew he didn’t like them then why did you make them?”

I let out a breath. “You know I asked myself the same question when I got home that night. I don’t think I have an answer for you. My only reason that I can figure is that I found it so odd that he sought me out and that he has been wanting to spend time here that perhaps I’d see if I could drive him away. The only other reason I have is that I had to do it.”

Peggy shook her head. “What? What do you mean you had to do it?” Peggy questioned, looking in my direction.

“Well, I wanted to see if he was serious about being around me. It sounds ridiculous, I know, but the fact that he ate almost the entire plate of something he hates just so he could spend time with me told me all I needed to know.”

I could tell Peggy didn’t know what to say, and sure it was immature of me to do what I’d done, but at least I knew where I stood.

“Wow, Trinity…that’s really messed up.”

I smiled. “I know, but I’ve missed him, Peggy. I just hadn’t realized how much until he stood here the other day, and even though there wasn’t a lot of words passed between us, the feelings I’d felt then are still there now.”

“You’ve missed him, yet you made him eat something he hates, and you’ve treated him like garbage since he appeared.” She shook her head with a smile on her face. “That is seriously messed up.”

I shrugged, and we both laughed. “So how are things at the flower shop?” I needed to get the attention off me. I wasn’t exactly proud of the way I’d been behaving. As a matter of fact, I was angry with myself.

“Really good, busy. I need to get over there shortly. I have a large order for the retirement home. Which reminds me, how is Vi?”

“I’m guessing fine. I tried calling her last night, but there was no answer. She was probably off playing bingo or doing some crafts.”

“Sounds like that would be right up Vi’s alley.” Peggy giggled. “Perhaps I’ll stop by and drop off a bouquet of lilies or something. I think she’d like that.”

I nodded. “She would love that.”

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