19. Cora
19
CORA
C ora opened the door to find her mother-in-law standing before her.
“Hey there,” Ginny said, her eyes twinkling as she smiled at Cora. “Is the little guy asleep?”
In all the excitement, Cora had forgotten that Ginny was going to stop by after her girls’ night with her friends.
“He is,” Cora admitted, waving her in. “He had kind of a big day. How are you? How are the girls?”
“Everyone’s just fine,” Ginny said, kissing Cora’s cheek on her way in. “All they want to know about is you.”
“Me?” Cora said, surprised, as they headed back to the kitchen.
“We always just eat desserts and relax on the girls’ night after a big event,” Ginny said. “We’ll start planning the Winter Wonderland next week. But for tonight we just drank coffee and ate one of Betty Ann’s sweet potato pies. And we did a little gossiping. Your name came up a lot. ”
Ginny and her two best friends, Shirley and Betty Ann, were apparently a formidable trio in the little town. Viola had explained to Cora that along with an army of other volunteers, the three older women planned and executed most of the good things that happened in Trinity Falls. Whether it was beloved annual events like the Hometown Holiday celebration and the Winter Wonderland that would happen just after the holidays, or matters of necessity, like the time the firehouse desperately needed new safety equipment, the three of them came together like superheroes to help their hometown.
“Oh, goodness,” Cora said, dashing over to the kitchen counter to grab mugs for their tea, and hoping Ginny couldn’t see her blushing.
She knew why she had been the subject of gossip, but she hoped that Ginny would either drop the matter or get to the heart of it quickly.
Sylvester isn’t the only one feeling like he’s in trouble today over Jared Webb.
Guilt tore at her heart, and it was all she could do not to turn around and tell Ginny she wasn’t seeing Jared and never would be.
“I’ve always liked Jared Webb,” Ginny said firmly. “And I think you and Sylvester are just what he needs. You’ve pointed his energies in a positive direction. The ladies were very impressed at what the two of you accomplished for Mr. Allen and his boy.”
“Jared is a good friend,” Cora said carefully. “And the Allens have a lot of help over there, not just the two of us.”
“I think you know I can particularly appreciate what an accomplishment it is to organize help in that way,” Ginny said warmly. “When people have been doing chores all day, it’s not easy to get them excited about doing more work of any kind, let alone more farm work. And then I hear it’s an organized effort, like clockwork over there.”
“Jared got most of the volunteers in a single trip to the feed shop,” Cora said, turning to Ginny and shaking her head in wonder. “And he wrote it all down on the back of a library flyer. Sylvester was there, he saw the whole thing.”
“What a lovely example for our boy,” Ginny breathed. “Jared will have him inspired to help his neighbors too.”
“Jared also jumped up onto a chair while he was calling for volunteers,” Cora said flatly. “And Sylvester got into trouble at school for doing the same.”
“It’s natural for him to want to emulate someone he admires,” Ginny said, nodding. “I’m sure he did as he was told when Maggie told him to get down.”
Cora wondered for a moment if word had already gotten around about what happened. But it was clear that Ginny was just guessing. She had probably known Maggie Sullivan since she was a baby, and she certainly knew Sylvester well enough to know how a scene like that would go.
“He also gave another boy a noogie today,” Cora went on. “He learned that from Jared too. I got called in to speak with Principal Tucker.”
“Is that the thing with the hair?” Ginny asked, miming rubbing her knuckles on someone’s head.
“It is,” Cora said, trying not to smile at the idea of Ginny doing something like that to Betty Ann or Shirley .
“In my day we said, Boys will be boys, ” Ginny sighed. “But I guess you all don’t subscribe to that way of thinking now.”
“We don’t,” Cora agreed. “Children will act out, but we have to help them learn to behave better—all of them.”
“What did he say when you talked to him about it?” Ginny asked.
“I think he understood,” Cora said. “But impulse control doesn’t develop until they’re older teenagers. For now, I suspect that he’ll be prone to imitating a lot of what he sees.”
“You should talk to Jared about it,” Ginny said, nodding. “I’m sure he’ll want to help.”
Cora wasn’t so sure that Jared’s impulse control was really all that developed. But she bit back that response.
“We’ll be seeing less of him from now on,” she said instead. “He was very kind to help out with the house for a while, but we’re doing fine here now and I’m sure he has plenty of other things to keep him busy.”
“Cora,” Ginny said, sounding surprised. “Aren’t the two of you… seeing each other?”
“No,” Cora said quickly. “Of course not.”
“Why not?” Ginny asked. “And stop fussing with that tea. Come sit and talk to me.”
Cora put down the milk she had been pouring into the server and headed back to the table, wishing she could hide under it. How on earth was she supposed to talk to Arthur’s mother about dating another man?
She sat, and waited, looking down at her hands. But Ginny didn’t say a word .
“I still love Arthur,” Cora said at last, the words pouring out of her. “I think I always will. I thought you would understand that.”
“Of course I do,” Ginny said, covering Cora’s hands with one of her own and squeezing gently. “He was so special to us.”
They were quiet for a moment, and Cora breathed in the scent of the chamomile tea brewing and tried to memorize the warmth of her mother-in-law’s hand on hers. Losing Arthur had made her so aware of everything else in her life that she had to lose.
“When you called me that day,” Ginny said, softly as if she were trying not to wake their shared grief, “I couldn’t believe it. I thought I wouldn’t be able to take my next breath.”
She paused and Cora didn’t have to look up to know Ginny was fighting back tears. They had cried freely together so many times over the last two years.
If she was fighting the tears now, then there was something she badly wanted to say.
“But now that some time has passed, I’ve realized he wouldn’t want me home grieving,” Ginny said softly. “Arthur was a quiet man, but he lived out loud, didn’t he? He woke up every day ready to run. And he worked with all he had, and loved you and Sylvester with all his heart. He was careful, but once he knew what he wanted, he never went after it halfway.”
Cora smiled, though her own eyes were filling with tears now.
“He looked before he leaped, but wow did he leap,” Ginny went on. “Yes, letting something new into your life comes with risks. And yes , it could all be taken away tomorrow. But that’s not a reason to lock yourself up, Cora.”
She fixed Cora with a look so fierce Cora was amazed the sweet, warm grandma was capable of it.
“It’s a reason to get out there and enjoy yourself,” Ginny said firmly. “You have a big heart—big enough to love your memories and your future. Don’t wander around, pushing off what you want. Run for it. Just like Arthur taught you to.”
“I…” Cora began, wanting to reassure her mother-in-law, but not wanting to promise her something she just couldn’t do. “I’ll think about it.”
Ginny nodded slowly and let go of her hand.
Cora could tell from the expression on her beloved mother-in-law’s face that she was trying to hide her disappointment. She knew Cora couldn’t or wouldn’t open her heart that way again.
But Cora was certain she was right to have made this decision. Today’s events had been a sign that letting Jared get too close to Sylvester and to her own heart wasn’t good for them.
They might bump into him in town from time to time, but as long as she could keep her distance for a while, things would be okay and all of this would blow over.
Eventually, everyone would forget that once upon a time, Cora Davies had almost let herself fall in love with Jared Webb.