“You’re a woman after my own heart,” Phil teased. He climbed into his truck and, with a jaunty wave, drove off.
Joan watched as he turned the corner and was out of sight. She was disappointed that Phil hadn’t mentioned what had brought him to the group. She wanted to ask, and would have if Todd hadn’t shown up when he did.
Todd left soon after he finished his cookie, as a friend of his passed by on his bicycle.
Nick and Maggie hadn’t come back from their walk yet, which boded well. She felt certain the two would hit it off once they got over their troubling start.
Feeling good, Joan decided she wanted to update her sister on the latest developments taking place in her life.
Reaching for her phone, she punched in Emmie’s name.
“Hey,” her sister greeted, her usual cheerful self.
“Emmie, you won’t believe what’s happened. I joined a grief therapy group.”
“Oh Joan.” Her sister breathed her name as if sighing in relief. “I have waited four long years for you to get the help you need. Tell me everything.”
Joan, who normally avoided long phone conversations, talked nonstop for a good while, updating her sister on each member of the group. Best of all, Joan told her she hadn’t broken into tears even once and how she’d found a friend in Mary Lou.
“Sounds like this group was made especially for you.”
“Funny thing, the landscaper I hired is also in the group.”
“Well, that’s a surprise.”
“It certainly was, and for him, too. He’s a good person.”
“I think he must be. I remember what you told me, about him helping Maggie collect her things from her father’s house. Not everyone would have been willing to step in like that.”
Joan agreed.
“So he’s a widower?”
“No, I think he’s married. He didn’t mention who he’d lost. I have to assume it was a close family member. A child, or possibly a sibling.”
“I’m just so happy that you’re finally dealing with your grief.”
Joan was pleased with the changes she’d made, too.
“Were there any eligible men attending the group?” Emmie asked.
Joan silently groaned. “Emmie, I’m nowhere near ready for any kind of a relationship.”
“But you will be in time, right?”
“In time,” Joan agreed, emphasizing the words.
They talked a few minutes longer, and then Nick and Maggie returned with Edison. Joan watched the two of them and smiled. If there was any romance brewing in this house, it was the one happening right before her eyes.
“Mom,” Nick said, coming into the kitchen. “You’ve got a visitor.”
“Oh.”
“She said her name is Ellie.”
Joan met Ellie at the front door.
Hands on her hips, Ellie asked, “Did you give Todd a cookie? Because Mom said he wasn’t supposed to ask for one.”
Joan tried hard to hide a smile. “I did. Would you like one, too?”
“I would,” she said with a hard nod, satisfied now that she hadn’t been cheated out of a treat.
“Do you want to come inside?” Joan asked.
“Okay,” Ellie said, eager now.
Joan opened the door and realized that, in the span of such a short while, she’d opened the door of her heart as well.
Chapter 18
Humming to herself, Joan carted the bags of groceries from her car into the house. When she opened the front door, she gasped. Edison was barking like crazy, and when she saw why, she dropped the bag. The grapefruit spilled out and scattered haphazardly, rolling onto the kitchen floor. Edison stood on his hind legs in his crate, leaning against the wire to look at the stranger who’d invaded the house.
“Steve,” she cried. “You scared the living daylights out of me.”
“Sorry, Mom,” he said, looking guilty. He must have let himself into the house, but she wasn’t sure how.
As if reading her thoughts, he answered the unasked question. “The key hidden in the rock was still there.”
“Of course.” It surprised her that he remembered, seeing that she’d completely forgotten about it.
“I told you I was coming into town for a conference, remember?” Steve said, grinning. “By the way, I like what you’ve done with the yard. It looks great.”
Joan couldn’t take credit for the lawn, but the flower beds were quickly taking shape. She’d planted annuals, and the burst of color they added uplifted her spirits every time she stepped out the door.
“I was able to catch an early flight, after all. The conference doesn’t start”—he paused and glanced at the time—“for another couple hours.”
“That’s great.” Still reeling with the shock of finding him at the house, she had yet to collect her thoughts. “It’s really good to see you.”
“You, too.”
They hugged, and then Steve went after the fallen grapefruit and set them on top of the kitchen counter.
Joan had ventured out to the grocery store run by Amazon for the first time. Maggie had casually mentioned it over dinner the night before. Curious, Joan had wanted to check it out. Since the pandemic, she’d almost always ordered whatever she needed online and had it delivered. With the possibility of exposure to the virus, it didn’t seem necessary or prudent to risk shopping in person when she didn’t need to.
“Is that all?” Steve asked.
“All?”
“Groceries?”
“Oh, sorry, no, there’s a couple other bags in the car.”
“I’ll get ’em.” He bounded out the front door, eager to help.
While Steve was collecting her bags, Joan freed Edison from his crate. She took him into the backyard to do his business, which he did in quick order. She brought him back into the house and rewarded him with a doggie treat.
Steve returned with the two additional bags, setting them on the kitchen counter alongside the grapefruit. Joan promptly unloaded the goods, setting aside the items to go into the refrigerator.
“Did you know,” she said, full of wonder and enthusiasm, “at some stores you don’t even need to go to a checkout stand? What is happening to our world? This is crazy. You put the item in the cart, and the cost is automatically calculated. Unbelievable!”
Edison chased a toy beneath the table.
“Mom, that’s been around for a while now,” Steve told her.
“It was a first for me,” she said, still a little in awe of the entire process. Grocery shopping had been an eye-opening experience.
Her son grinned as if he found her enthusiasm amusing.
“That’s not all. I was in the mall the other day, and I bought myself a new pair of shoes. The salesclerk said I didn’t need to insert the credit card into the machine. All I had to do was tap it.” That was another electronic marvel that had taken Joan by surprise.
Steve helped her load items into the refrigerator. “Mom, you’ve been living under a rock ever since the pandemic hit. These things aren’t new, they’ve been around for ages.” He said it in a teasing tone that took the sting out of his words.
“You’re right,” she admitted. “I can’t help but wonder what other changes have taken place that I know nothing about.”