To Love Again. Bonnie K. Winn

ears?”

      Her daughter sighed. “Mom.”

      Nothing so unsophisticated for her daughter. “Let me rephrase. Did you meet anyone you liked?”

      Kirsten was quiet for a few moments. “Kinda.”

      “Does this person have a name?”

      “Mandy. She’s sort of new, too. She moved here at the first of the year and started with the other kids.” Kirsten broke her cookie into smaller pieces. “People think she’s neat, though.”

      “They’ll think you are, too.” Laura had never worried about Kirsten’s popularity. Like Jerry she had always attracted followers. She smoothed her daughter’s hair, but Kirsten jerked back. Laura kept her sigh to herself.

      “If I could catch a frog, I could take that on Monday,” Gregg deliberated.

      Kirsten shuddered. “Gross.”

      Laura poured more milk into Gregg’s glass. “What if I talk to the teacher? See if you could bring your butterfly collection instead?”

      “That’d be cool. It’d be my dead pets.”

      “Double gross.” Kirsten rolled her eyes.

      The doorbell rang. “After you’re finished with your snack, homework, guys.”

      Laura went and opened the door. It was Katherine and Cindy.

      “I hope this isn’t a bad time,” Katherine began.

      “No, not at all.” She gestured to the living room. “Come in, sit down.”

      “We thought you might need a hand with the rest of the boxes.” Cindy held up her cell phone. “The girls are keeping the time open if you agree.”

      Laura was touched by their offer. “I can’t ask you to keep helping.”

      “You didn’t.” Katherine tucked her keys into her pocket. “Would it be all right for us to phone the others?”

      Laura bit her lip. “If you’re sure it won’t be putting you out…”

      “We’re sure.” Cindy started dialing almost before the words were out of her mouth.

      As the kids shyly passed through and headed upstairs, Laura noticed that Gregg had piled a few extra cookies on top of his books. Oh well, looked like dinner might be late anyway.

      It seemed only moments passed before the women began to assemble. And they brought chocolates, brownies and cookies with them. Annie carried in two of her signature pies.

      “Chocolate and sugar for fuel,” Emma explained. “Only the bare necessities.”

      Again, laughter filled the old house along with the treble of women’s chatter as they went up and down the stairs, unloading boxes, finding places for most everything.

      Grace smiled, a mixture of sweetness and mischief. “This way you’ll have to stay in touch with us—if you want to find anything.”

      Laura imagined that wouldn’t be a hardship. “I never expected this much…help.”

      “I came from the city, too. I wasn’t used to how neighborly people here are. And I wasn’t comfortable with it, at first.” She raised her scarred hand. “But it wound up helping me heal…inside.”

      It seemed this woman could see right through her.

      “Laura, would you rather have these in the dining room or living room?” Leah held out a pair of slender brass candlesticks, turning them so the afternoon sun hit the aged patina.

      “Um…dining room, I think.”

      Katherine was right behind her with a doll older than Laura herself. “For display, I’m guessing?”

      “Yes. She was my grandmother’s.”

      Katherine ran her fingers gently over the faded porcelain face. “I love things with history and sentiment. My house looks like I put it together from a jumble sale.” One hand flew to cover her mouth. “Not that yours does—just the opposite, you have really stylish furniture.”

      “It’s not my style, though,” Laura confessed, shrugging off the unintentional slight. “My husband was the contemporary fan. I prefer the furnishings at Annie’s.”

      “Like Cindy and Flynn,” Katherine mused. “She loves Victorian and he likes ultramodern. They compromised by turning her house into a children’s refuge center. Still, it always takes me aback when I see how the new one’s furnished.”

      “And Cindy doesn’t mind?” Laura wouldn’t have thought the independent woman would capitulate so completely.

      “She’s so nuts over Flynn she said she could live in a cave and be happy.”

      No. Cindy and Flynn weren’t anything like she and Jerry had been.

      Grace touched Laura’s arm. “I hope we’re not upsetting you, talking about spouses.”

      “No. It’s okay.”

      “If it ever does, will you tell us?”

      Laura knew it wouldn’t be a worry. “Okay. If you’ll agree to tell me something.”

      “Sure.”

      “How did you get comfortable with the neighborly help?”

      Grinning, Grace clapped her hands. “It’s a long, long story. Which I’ll be glad to tell you when we meet for lunch.”

      Laura found herself smiling, as well. “Lunch?”

      “As soon as we can set it up.”

      Her smile grew. Jerry had frowned on anything she had done that took her away from the house. It had been difficult even to schedule her volunteer work. He had given in on that only because his mother encouraged Laura’s efforts. But even casual lunches with Donna used to set him off. Now, her sense of freedom soared.