Chapter 25
March melted into April, which sprang into May. It was a glorious time of year. Ashley was taking a brisk morning walk. Her body had healed from her injuries, and she was receiving weekly counseling sessions for her PTSD. Initially, it had occurred after the hospital attack.
Her symptoms had subsided but reoccurred following the school shooting and the events that followed.
She would wake in the night drenched in sweat and calling out for help.
Her shattered nerves from Noah’s accident, the hospital, and the school incidents had thrown her nervous system into overdrive.
Sudden loud noises or movements would send her into a fight-or-flight mode, flooding her body with adrenaline.
She had resumed counseling sessions with Beth, the counselor who had guided her through her separation from Noah.
Beth was skilled in eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR therapy) which was helping her process the recent traumatic events.
Beth encouraged Ashley to continue building up her physical body through exercise, nutrition, and self-care.
Ashley had established a routine of dropping off the girls for school, then driving to the fairgrounds and walking the three-mile loop under the majestic old pine and fir trees.
It calmed her to have a routine and to be outside in nature.
She smiled as a flock of Canadian geese lifted up into the azure sky dotted with puffy white clouds.
Communicating with each other through honking, they shifted positions so they could take turns flying. If only we as humans worked together like the birds and other animals.
Three miles completed, she walked back to her car, mentally preparing a grocery list in her head. I’ll make that Tuscan chicken dish with pasta. Let’s see—garlic, onions, spinach, chicken. Her thoughts were distracted by the sound of her cellphone.
She smiled when she saw it was Noah. “Hey there. I was just planning dinner for tonight. How does Tuscan chicken with pasta sound?
“Fantastic! Can’t wait.” Noah said. “Hey, can you talk for a minute?”
Ashley leaned against the car, enjoying the sunshine and light breeze on her face. “Yup. I just finished walking and was heading over to the store, then home.”
“Well, I’ve been thinking about talking with the Hendricks about a potential summer job for Jason. I’m thinking a full-time job might be a great thing for him—give him some structure and purpose.”
“What kind of job?”
“Well, I’m hiring now at the Air Attack Base for Retardant Operators. I thought that might be a good start-up position for him.”
“Are those the people who fill up the air tankers with fire retardant?”
“Yeah, and they do other things like washing the aircraft and maintaining equipment when there aren’t active fires.”
Ashley thought for a minute. “He would be around the pilots, firefighters, and the action at the Air Attack base.” She smiled at the thought. “I think he would like that.”
“That’s what I was thinking, too.”
Ashley looked down at her cell and tapped the speakerphone. “Would you be his boss? If so, how do you think that would work?”
“I’ve given that some thought. You know I run a tight ship. He would have to meet the same expectations as the others. That being said, I think he’s up to the challenge.”
“Okay. Would you like me to call Sue? She and Jeff could mull it over and talk with Jason. If he’s interested, you could interview him and set up the expectations and so forth.”
“If you could do that, I would appreciate it. Lots going on here with gearing up for fire season. I’m working on the seasonal operator applications and setting up interviews for next week.
” He was quiet for a moment, except for the sound of shuffling papers.
“The planes will arrive by the end of the week from where they’ve been wintered.
We’ll be starting operations training the following week, and then it will be fire season before you know it. ”
Ashley opened the car door and tucked herself behind the steering wheel. “Sounds like the craziness is starting. Well, I’ll let you go.Anything else you’d like from the store?”
“Salsa and chips? You know the kind I like.”
“Roger that. See you around 5:30? The girls have after-school stuff, so I’ll pick them up and be home around then to get dinner started.
“Look forward to seeing you all. Love you.”
“Love you too. See you tonight,” Ashley ended the call. Life was good. Noah could never go back to climbing mountains with a forty-pound hose pack, but he was excited about fighting fires from the air. She set the car in drive and pulled out of the fairgrounds parking lot.
Jason’s smile grew wider than Sue and Jeff Hendricks described the summer job Noah was offering. “Yes. That would be awesome!” He pumped his fist, peppering them with questions.
Jeff held up his hand. “I don’t have all the answers. The next step is to have an interview with Noah.”
He handed Jason a slip of paper with some numbers written on it. “Here’s Noah’s contact information at work. Call him in the morning and let him know you’re interested.”
Jason stuttered. “Aw… could you… do you think… can you call him for me?” He chewed his fingernails and stared at Jeff intently.
“No. This is your job.” He smiled gently. “You can do it, and you and Noah have already built a relationship. This is just a more formal setting. He does have high expectations, you know.”
Sue spoke up. “I know this seems scary, but it’s a wonderful opportunity and a chance for you to earn some money. Maybe even start saving for a car.”
Jason nodded, his knee jockeying up and down in a rapid motion. “I’ll call him in the morning. Thanks, guys. Good night.”
“Good night,” they called out as he headed toward his room.
He lay in his bed, eyes on the ceiling but not seeing.
His fear of not being accepted plagued him.
What if I can’t do the job? What if I’m not strong enough?
They’ll make fun of me. As the night wore on, he tossed and turned, doubting himself.
He dreaded the call he would make in the morning, but something inside him was excited about the opportunity. A little seed of hope started to bloom.