She didn’t wear much makeup, but she liked to wear lipstick so shiny you could see your reflection in it. Mama refused to wear a jacket in the colder months. The thing is, she rarely got sick or caught a cold. Said it had something to do with the immunity she’d built up working in the hospital.”
“ What else?” Jackson leaned his chin on his hand, elbow resting on one knee. He appeared genuinely interested in hearing her memories. Serenity hoped he’d return the favor sometime and tell her about his family. Other than that he was from the Chicago area and raised in a privileged family, she didn’t know much.
“ Mama taught me to crochet and how to cook some of our family’s favorite dishes. She taught me to say please and thank you. We went on fun trips every summer. My parents wanted to make sure I understood the history of my country, so we toured Philly and visited the Liberty Bell and the Betsy Ross House, exhausted all the museums in Washington, D.C., rode to the top of the Empire State Building, visited the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, walked the Freedom Trail in Boston...”
“ They sound terrific,” Jackson said.
“ They were,” she said. “They never missed a parent-teacher meeting, and were right beside me making school projects—active volcano, Indian pueblo and the Alamo included—and helping with Girl Scout field trips. They were very hands-on and involved, not overbearing in any way. Dad used to tell me firefighters don’t always follow the rules, and he seemed proud of that fact.” The corners of her mouth upturned. “He was daring and a risk taker, my brave, strong daddy willing to take on the world for me or my mom.” Her eyes misted and she glanced down at her lap, overcome with emotion.
“ Mama always took me to the beach on Friday mornings during my summer breaks. The only time she missed was when there was a bad wreck on the outskirts of town and she got called to the hospital to help in the ER. She never told me about it, but I found out later there was a six-year-old girl killed by a drunk driver. Things like that affected her deeply, when she saw firsthand the devastation of the family left behind. She got very involved with MADD after that and was the president of the local chapter. I always admired her passion and regret not telling her. At the time she disappeared, they were planning a big MADD event, and that’s one reason I think she might really be gone.”
She ran a hand across her brow. “She wouldn’t have left them in the lurch, and she’d never willingly devastate her family. I can’t imagine anyone wanting to hurt her, and she and Dad were happy. They had a good marriage, a lot of good friends. That’s what makes what happened so hard to accept. She didn’t seem unhappy or depressed. We were very close, and I think I would have suspected something wasn’t right. Even more than me, I’m sure Dad would have known.”
For two seconds, she thought about showing him the note tucked in her purse. But what would be the point? No sense in dragging Jackson into the quagmire of her life. She needed to do this on her own and she’d already said more than she’d intended. “Maybe there’s something to this psychology thing,” she said. “I managed to get through all that without shedding a tear.”
“ Thanks for sharing,” Jackson said, rising to his feet. Holding out his hand, he helped her do the same. “I promise you, it gets easier.”
“ I guess it does. Time can be a gift from God sometimes. So can the people He brings into our lives. Thanks for listening, Jackson.”
H is smile was as gentle as his voice. “Agreed.” In that moment, something changed between them, something so vivid it was almost tangible. By sharing about her mother, she’d allowed him more access to her life. Perhaps more surprising, she’d wanted to share her memories with Jackson. Was it possible she’d only known him a few days?
As they continued their work, Jackson
“ What else?” Jackson leaned his chin on his hand, elbow resting on one knee. He appeared genuinely interested in hearing her memories. Serenity hoped he’d return the favor sometime and tell her about his family. Other than that he was from the Chicago area and raised in a privileged family, she didn’t know much.
“ Mama taught me to crochet and how to cook some of our family’s favorite dishes. She taught me to say please and thank you. We went on fun trips every summer. My parents wanted to make sure I understood the history of my country, so we toured Philly and visited the Liberty Bell and the Betsy Ross House, exhausted all the museums in Washington, D.C., rode to the top of the Empire State Building, visited the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, walked the Freedom Trail in Boston...”
“ They sound terrific,” Jackson said.
“ They were,” she said. “They never missed a parent-teacher meeting, and were right beside me making school projects—active volcano, Indian pueblo and the Alamo included—and helping with Girl Scout field trips. They were very hands-on and involved, not overbearing in any way. Dad used to tell me firefighters don’t always follow the rules, and he seemed proud of that fact.” The corners of her mouth upturned. “He was daring and a risk taker, my brave, strong daddy willing to take on the world for me or my mom.” Her eyes misted and she glanced down at her lap, overcome with emotion.
“ Mama always took me to the beach on Friday mornings during my summer breaks. The only time she missed was when there was a bad wreck on the outskirts of town and she got called to the hospital to help in the ER. She never told me about it, but I found out later there was a six-year-old girl killed by a drunk driver. Things like that affected her deeply, when she saw firsthand the devastation of the family left behind. She got very involved with MADD after that and was the president of the local chapter. I always admired her passion and regret not telling her. At the time she disappeared, they were planning a big MADD event, and that’s one reason I think she might really be gone.”
She ran a hand across her brow. “She wouldn’t have left them in the lurch, and she’d never willingly devastate her family. I can’t imagine anyone wanting to hurt her, and she and Dad were happy. They had a good marriage, a lot of good friends. That’s what makes what happened so hard to accept. She didn’t seem unhappy or depressed. We were very close, and I think I would have suspected something wasn’t right. Even more than me, I’m sure Dad would have known.”
For two seconds, she thought about showing him the note tucked in her purse. But what would be the point? No sense in dragging Jackson into the quagmire of her life. She needed to do this on her own and she’d already said more than she’d intended. “Maybe there’s something to this psychology thing,” she said. “I managed to get through all that without shedding a tear.”
“ Thanks for sharing,” Jackson said, rising to his feet. Holding out his hand, he helped her do the same. “I promise you, it gets easier.”
“ I guess it does. Time can be a gift from God sometimes. So can the people He brings into our lives. Thanks for listening, Jackson.”
H is smile was as gentle as his voice. “Agreed.” In that moment, something changed between them, something so vivid it was almost tangible. By sharing about her mother, she’d allowed him more access to her life. Perhaps more surprising, she’d wanted to share her memories with Jackson. Was it possible she’d only known him a few days?
As they continued their work, Jackson
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