Chapter 21 #2
“When I peered through the front window and saw the beautiful wooden shelves running up to the ceiling, I knew.”
Dad nodded. “When Carmen’s right, she’s right. Two months later, we signed a lease and moved to Heartsprings Valley, and we’ve been here ever since.”
“Wow,” Daniel said.
“It was a big move. I’d grown up in Boston and was used to city living. The change was even bigger for Carmen.”
Mom nodded. “I’d only recently moved from Oaxaca.
But something about Heartsprings Valley spoke to me.
There was so much here to love — the charming town square, the beauty of the lake, the wonderful views up on the ridge.
But what drew me most was the feeling of community.
People were so welcoming. Heartsprings Valley is a place where people can settle down and establish roots, where folks can really get to know each other. ”
“Where did you two meet?” Daniel asked.
“We met in Oaxaca, forty-four years ago,” Dad said. “I was a graduate student in archaeology working on the excavation at Mitla, a pre-Columbian site near Oaxaca.”
“Archaeology — wow.”
“The site is known for, among other things, its intricate mosaics of finely cut and polished stone.”
“I didn’t know you were an archaeologist.”
“I’m not — I left the field — but in those days, that was the career I was pursuing.”
“What changed your focus?”
Dad shrugged. “I’ve always been drawn to reading and learning, especially about history.
A career in academia seemed to align with that.
But over the course of that summer in Oaxaca, I realized that becoming a college professor wasn’t for me.
The dig was important and I was proud to be part of it, but what I enjoyed more was being in Oaxaca and poking around bookstores and libraries in search of new topics to explore. ”
“You’re saying academia was too…?”
“Limiting,” Dad replied. “My interests were — are — quite broad. Tenure tends to reward specialization.”
Mom piped up. “Robert would have been a wonderful professor if he’d chosen that path. But his journey has been his own.”
“At one of the libraries in Oaxaca, one of the staff members was Carmen.”
“So that’s where you met,” Daniel said.
“I checked out a book on Latin American history,” Dad said, “and Carmen immediately suggested two related books.” He turned to his wife. “And when I asked why you were recommending those two books, you told me exactly why, in detail.”
“I’d read both of them,” Mom said with a shrug.
“Which started a conversation about books that hasn’t stopped,” Dad said.
Daniel turned to Mom. “Penny told me that you’re a huge lover of literature.”
“Oh, yes,” Mom said immediately. “Since I was a child. The reason I took that job at the library was to read their books. As one of my very favorite authors put it, ‘The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.’”
“Who wrote that?” Daniel asked. “Hemingway?”
“Dr. Seuss,” Mom said with a smile.
Daniel laughed.
“Carmen and I bonded over our love of reading,” Dad said. “Every time I visited the library, we ended up talking for hours. I very quickly realized that I was falling for her.”
Mom reached over and squeezed Dad’s hand. “By the end of the summer, the question was: What next?”
“We had a decision to make,” Dad said. “Should I stay in Oaxaca? Should she move to Boston? Should we say goodbye to each other?”
“Wait,” Penny said. “That part’s new. Saying goodbye was an option?”
“Well,” Dad said, looking at Mom, “it’s something we put on the table.”
“We needed to be realistic,” Mom added. “Him staying with me, me going with him — both were huge life changes.”
Penny smiled. “So I almost didn’t exist.”
Mom shook her head. “The universe would never have allowed that.”
Dad nodded. “I was ready to stay in Oaxaca. So I suppose it’s possible that you would have been born there.”
“But in the end, we chose to come here,” Mom said. “Living in Heartsprings Valley was the best choice for us to start our family.”
“And now,” Dad added, “we’re coming full circle with our move to Oaxaca.”
“Wait,” Daniel said, eyes widening with surprise. “You’re moving to Oaxaca?”
“They are,” Penny said, jumping in. “They told me a few nights ago. My Aunt Rosario needs help taking care of my grandmother.”
Mom nodded. “Mama is ninety and has memory issues.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” Daniel said.
“I’m sorry, too,” Mom said. “We’re going to help Rosario with Mama and make the most of the time we have with her.”
“We’ve been considering the move for a while,” Dad said. “With Penny doing so well at the bookstore and Jorge and Ramon finally settling down, the timing seems right.”
For the next hour, talk continued around the table, the conversation a mix of light and substantive. But with everyone tired and another big day ahead, Penny knew it was time to bring the meal to a close.
After saying their goodbyes, Penny accompanied Daniel out to the front porch.
“Do you know how to get to your car?” she asked.
“It’s just a couple of blocks from here,” he replied. “I’m good.”
“I think you made a good impression on Mom and Dad.”
“Good,” he said, turning to face her. “Your parents are really great.”
She smiled. “They are, aren’t they.”
“Their move seems like big news.”
“It is.”
“When they told you, were you surprised?”
“I was,” she said. “My initial instinct was — no, please don’t leave! But I’ve had a few days to let the news settle in. They’re doing it for the right reasons.”
“It seems like a big change, for them and for you.”
“Definitely. But nothing stays the same, no matter how much we might want it to. Change is inevitable.”
“Wise words.”
“So, about tomorrow,” she said, changing the topic. “Your press event is at three. We’ll start setup around two. The bookstore’s podium is at the community center right now, but the mayor has promised to return it by two.”
“You need help with the setup?”
She shook her head. “Nope. Mom and Dad will be at the bookstore to help out along with Ben and Sara. You should focus on what you’re going to say. Have you decided on your approach?”
He nodded. “Nigel said I should keep it straightforward. Open with a prepared statement, then take questions.”
“Have you figured out what you’re going to say?”
“Not fully, but getting close. You want a preview?”
She was tempted — very tempted — to say yes, but instead shook her head. As much as she wanted him to embrace Christmas, she sensed that he needed to get there under his own volition. “I want you to tell me when you’re ready to tell me.”
His dark brown eyes grew intense. “If that’s what you want….”
“That’s what I want.”
“All right,” he said. “Then that’s what we’ll do.”
“If you need a private place tomorrow to work, you’re welcome to use the bookstore’s attic office.”
His eyes lit up. “I’d like that. Thank you.”
“Great.” She paused, very aware of the his deep, dark brown eyes on her. “Okay, you should go now.”
“Okay,” he said, not budging.
“You need a good night’s sleep.”
“Because of my big day tomorrow.”
“Because of your big day tomorrow.”
His eyes flashed. “I’m very glad your roof sprang a leak, Penny Quinn.”
She opened her mouth to respond, but no words came out.
“See you tomorrow,” he said with a smile, then turned and made his way down the porch stairs.
She watched him head into the night, her insides tumbling.
I’m glad my roof sprang a leak, too.