Chapter 42
Two weeks flew by before Mary returned to Wisconsin. Her grandmother had recovered relatively quickly from what proved to be a minor stroke and miraculously hadn’t lost any movement or language.
“We were lucky,” Mary’s mom said as they gathered around the makeshift sofa bed in their living room. “You have to slow down and rest, Ma.” She smoothed her mother’s hair back from her forehead.
Nonna blew that off. “You won’t be rid of me for a while yet,” she said. “Besides, I’m going to be around for Mary’s wedding. And to hold the grandbabies she’s going to give me.”
She gauged Mary’s reaction, but Mary just smiled and quickly looked away. She couldn’t stop thinking about Jake but hadn’t told anyone she’d met someone. In Wisconsin, of all places—she didn’t want the third degree about any of that.
To change the subject, Mary went into the kitchen and shoved her head into her parents’ refrigerator. “Is there anything to eat around here?”
Of course there was.
Mary took out containers of meatballs and red sauce, and her mom started boiling water for pasta.
It was good to be home, but she missed The Crew.
They’d grown closer in the last few months by spending so much time together.
And instead of tiring of each other’s company, they’d bonded more than ever.
While in New York, Mary checked in at the firm’s office and made the rounds with her associates and the partners.
All of them said they missed her but admired her work even from afar.
She hadn’t missed a beat and had even troubleshot a major problem in a brief that saved their client hundreds of thousands of dollars.
“Thank goodness for your sharp eye,” Sofia Garcia said when she stopped by to see her. “And I’m glad it’s all worked out. You proved my point that you could be trusted to work remotely.”
“Thank you. I’ve missed being in the office, but it’s been a great experience so far. Interesting to be in another part of the country, especially during an election year.”
“Tell me—what’s the word on the campaign trail? I’ve maxed out my Democratic contributions to the House and Senate candidates, and I keep refreshing RealClearPolitics to stare at the polling averages. It’s still so close.”
Mary gave her the take as best she understood it from Dot, Fletcher, and Rose.
“So, you’re saying there’s a chance?” Maria asked, tilting her head.
“Definitely!” Mary wanted to leave on an optimistic note. “Thanks for making time for me today.”
“You were the bright spot in my afternoon.” She stood to shake Mary’s hand. “Keep me posted on the election. And we look forward to your return.”
It felt good to be missed.
Before she left the office, she popped down a floor to also see Patricia Parker, the eminent domain expert. She told her she’d been trying to follow the money to find who was behind the effort to push the Taylors to sell their farm.
“Keep digging. Sometimes the best clue is hiding in plain sight,” Patricia advised.
Mary made a mental note to look through all the paperwork again.
Once she was sure that everything was settled at home and that her Nonna was okay, Mary decided it was time to go back to finish out her year in Wisconsin. It was midsummer, and she had just five months left in Cedar Falls.