Chapter 33
Chapter Thirty-Three
FAITH
After the cameras, we sat in the limo and headed to Stern House.
“It’s so good to see you, Astrid.” Dad smiled at me.
“One heart attack and you think you’re dying.” Mom rolled her eyes.
“Wait, what?” I studied Dad.
Dad’s eyebrows furrowed. “Didn’t you know?” He looked at Mom. “You said you told her.”
I blinked, trying to absorb the information.
“I told you I called her, and I did, and she said not to call back.”
“Wait.” My forehead creased. “When did it happen?”
“Just before Thanksgiving,” Dad replied.
My mind searched back to before Thanksgiving, the first time I heard my mother’s voice, and I wondered if it had been sad.
“Wait…that’s why you called?” I glared at Mom.
Mom glared. “Yes and then you asked me not to call you.”
“You called and told me to stop being ridiculous and to come home to the family business. You said I was dramatic and you were embarrassed of me.” I held out my hand palm up. “You didn’t say anything about Dad having a heart attack.”
“It’s okay, Astrid, you’re here now.” Dad shrugged. “Was just a little scare.”
“Little?” Mom rolled her eyes. “Please, you were in the emergency room and ICU for days. We barely kept it out of the papers.”
My eyes shot to him. Maybe that was why he looked so much older. “I can’t believe you didn’t tell me.” I looked between them on the opposite side of the limo.
Mom scoffed. “You made it obvious you wanted nothing to do with us.” Mom’s shoulders were stiff and straight.
“That isn’t completely true.” It wasn’t false either though. I had avoided any interaction. I rubbed my forehead.
The car pulled into the large bricked circular driveway in front of an ostentatious house, with large white columns, grand entry steps, and gold door frames. We walked through the entryway and into the living room.
“You’re right, I should have communicated more with you both.” I studied the floral pattern on the Victorian chair as I sat. “I think I was worried the only thing you would want to talk about was Luxe and make me feel guilty.” I raised my right shoulder.
“Never mind, and now that you’re here, there are a lot of business affairs to catch up on.” Mom crossed her bronzed legs.
I spun my ring and took a deep breath as I looked at the coffee table.
Suck in your screams.
“I never meant to separate myself from you both.” My eyes flicked between them.
“I, however, intended to separate myself from the business.” I flexed my jaw and cleared my throat.
“It’s not who I am. I tried to force myself to be that person, and I was miserable.
” I closed my eyes. “I’m introverted. I enjoy bubble baths, reading, and cooking.
I love quiet nights at home and hate crowds and publicity. I don’t want it.”
Mom huffed. “We are the business.” She folded her manicured hands over her blazer jacket.
I nodded. “Yes, but I’m hoping there might be another option.” The anxiety in my stomach started to swirl and rise up my throat. “That you might just be my parents.”
“What do you mean? You’re staying here and working for LUXE. Right?”
I shook my head no.
Mom slapped her hands on her toned legs. “Great!” Her hands flew up in the air. “I already told them to print in the paper that you were.”
I flinched. “That is unfortunate.” I reminded myself that this wasn’t my fault. I never told her I was coming to stay.
“So why are you here then?” Dad leaned forward and studied me.
I took a shuddering breath. “I meant when I said I wanted to retry our relationship, but honestly, there is more as well.”
Mom huffed, and Dad gestured for me to continue.
I had thought of this conversation a hundred times and never found the right way to share my whole life in Hillsdale.
My parents sat on chairs on the other side of the coffee table.
I stood and walked over to them. “I want to show you something first.” I squatted between them and opened my photos and scrolled back.
“These are my best friends.” I showed them a picture of Marissa and Rose.
“This is Marissa.” I pointed at her. “She is married now and running a B&B slash community center slash law office.” I chuckled as Dad’s eyebrows shot up.
“It’s a super tiny town, so often people do multiple things to pick up the slack.
” I shrugged. “There isn’t a large box grocery store, movie theater, mall, or even hospital nearby for over an hour. ”
His forehead creased as I’m sure he tried to picture a world so foreign, and I looked at Mom. Her arms stayed folded and her leg was crossed, pointing her body to the opposite corner of the room. She ignored me and my phone, but I caught her quick glances, so I decided to just continue.
“This is Rose. She is my roommate and, honestly, she’s the best, and a little feisty.” I smiled.
I scrolled through my pictures from Hillsdale Trunk or Treats, pumpkin weigh-ins, Easter egg hunts, Fourth of July parades, and so many other community events. I briefly explained the events and different people in the pictures.
Then I showed them my second-grade classes over the past three years, each child’s face bringing with it distinct memories of happiness and learning.
Was I willing to never teach again? I cleared my throat and my tears.
“I teach second grade.” I sighed and raised my right shoulder.
“I honestly love it so much.” I grinned.
“I love the kids and helping them learn and grow. I love the things they say and the moment their eyes light up when they learn something new.” The tears pricked my eyes as I thought of all of my past and current students and the hardships they were currently facing.
I scrolled through the pictures until I got to one of Adam, Danny, and me getting Christmas trees.
“Who’s that?” Mom’s voice was icy and her lips pinched in a frown.
I wasn’t sure how much to share, but if we were starting over, the truth would probably be best. “That is Adam and his son is Danny.”
Dad’s eyes shot to me, looking puzzled.
“In these we were getting Christmas trees. It was pure magic up in those mountains.” I felt a warmth and peace spread through my chest.
There were pictures of my class as reindeers, desserts I’d made, my decorated Christmas tree from Adam and Danny, pictures of the dance I went to with Adam, and the last one was of the basketball game.
“Is that the same guy?” Dad squinted at the picture.
“Yeah.” I grinned. “He is the coach of the basketball team. He loves those kids, and honestly, they love and respect him too. And they are kind to Danny.”
Dad gave a sad smile. “He is crazy about you.” It wasn’t a question. “You can see it in his eyes.”
I smiled. “I’m a little crazy about him too.”
He nodded again.
“Oh, please.” Mom waved her hand. “You mean you would rather live on a teacher’s salary in some tiny town, with a bunch of nobodies, than be here, with us, and the successful life we have built for you?”
I gazed into her eyes and hoped for kindness.
There was none.
“Yes.” I sighed. “But I’d love for you guys to come visit and see it. And I’d like to visit here more too. But the town is truly amazing!” My smile faltered. “Well, it was amazing.”
Dad tilted his head. “What happened?”
I shrugged. “Mother Nature, I guess.” My shoulders sagged, and I found pictures of the storm and damage to the town. I handed the phone over to Dad.
“I hoped that maybe you guys would give a large charity donation and help the town rebuild. We can do whatever publicity you like for it? We will hold other fundraisers and try to make it part way, but there isn’t enough money to do it on our own.”
“So, this is why you’re home.” Mom sneered. “We have already agreed which charities we are supporting this year.” She rolled her eyes.
“Yes, but you run a business. This could be good for Luxe. Think of how it would look for the papers. You guys would save a whole town. But regardless of Luxe…” I took a steadying breath and blew out the tightness in my lungs and glanced at my parents.
“I was hoping you would do this for me, as my parents.” Tears gathered in my eyes.
“I love this town, and I love these people.” I wiped a stray tear with my shoulder.
“They don’t have the resources to fix the school.
Most of the town lives paycheck to paycheck or from harvest to harvest. Without the school, they will have to bus kids to other towns, split up friendships, and require long bus rides.
I rolled my ring. “That’s just the start.
Over 60 percent of the population of Hillsdale earn their wages from the school, and they will all be jobless, including me.
” I sighed and looked at the floor. “I know I don’t deserve to ask for this, when I ran off like I did. ”
Mom scoffed. “That’s for sure.”
Dad’s forehead wrinkled.
“If we did this, would you come back and work for Luxe?” Mom folded her arms and raised her brow. “Seems like a small price to pay if you love them as much as you say you do.”
This was it.
The moment that mattered most.
Would I be willing to sacrifice what I wanted and worked toward in life so others could live the life they loved?
I breathed in and held it. I couldn’t tell what was right.
My friends would despise me for it, but they would despise me in a functional town.
“Would that be required?” I whispered.