“Even then, you knew nothing about me. You thought you knew me twenty years ago based on a few months of school and a few small encounters. I wasn’t your friend then, and I’m not your friend now.” I realize I’ve been wiping the same spot over and over again, but I can’t seem to calm down enough to do another task.
He’s quiet as he stands behind me. I hear him clear his throat before he says, “You’re right. Good night, Erin.” Then he turns around and walks out of the library.
I’m left standing there, looking at the place he just stood, and wondering if I’ll ever really get over Jake Stevens. It’s not like I’m in love with him or anything. I just don’t know if I will ever get past the hurt and anger I’ve carried around with me for twenty years. And for the first time in the past two months, I question whether coming back to Rivers Edge was the right choice.
*****
After all the patrons have left, all the food is cleaned up and removed, and the doors are locked up for the night, it’s finally time for me to head home. Tomorrow is the first official day that I take over as Librarian. I’m excited and a little nervous knowing that Mrs. Masterson won’t be around to answer any questions that I may have. Though, she didn’t really help answer my questions before, so I guess it’s really just another day at the office.
I pull into the driveway of the large house I’ve been renting for the past few months and kill the engine. I got this old house for a steal after Mr. Johnson passed away last spring. Mrs. Johnson couldn’t keep up with the day-to-day upkeep of the large house and her family finally convinced her to move into assisted living care.
I’ve been putting all of my free time and extra money into updating some things around the place. I’ve painted almost every room which already breathes new life into the old, worn out home. I’ve also painted the cabinets in the kitchen, updated lighting fixtures, and purchased new outlet covers. I have a handful of new outlets, but I’m not ready to tackle those by myself just yet. I’ll find someone who knows a little about electrical and pay them to help me. Eventually, I’d love to rip up the old carpeting in the living room and refinish the hardwood floors underneath, but that’s still a little ways out there. All in all, I think I’m doing pretty well learning new home improvement skills thanks to a couple of How-To books I found at the library.
I walk in the familiar front door and deposit my work satchel down on the foyer table. I was also lucky that the Johnson’s left a ton of furniture for me to rummage through. The older, eclectic furnishings fit right in with the older home charm. I hear the soft “meow” before I see my Siamese cat, Miss Whiskers, stroll in from the living room. She arches her back and stretches like I just busted her from one of her many daily naps. She’s a lazy cat, but I love her all the same.
“Hi, Miss Whiskers. Did you miss me today?” I ask as I pick my kitty up off the old floor and rub my nose along the top of her soft head, nuzzling her pointed ears.
I rescued Miss Whiskers from a shelter back in Jackson, Mississippi where I was living prior to coming to Rivers Edge. I was a resident of Jackson for almost twenty years before I finally decided to broaden my horizons and move away from the only place I’ve ever really called home. It was the hardest decision I’ve ever had to make, but I’m comfortable with the changes, the move, and my life in Rivers Edge.
I love snuggling up to Miss Whiskers; the feel of her heart beating against my chest and the sound of her joyous purrs. I’ve never considered myself a cat person. Heck, I’ve never been able to have a pet before, not even a fish. When I was younger and moving around so much, my parents didn’t want to deal with a pet on top of relocating. So, as soon as I was living on my own, I went to the shelter and adopted my baby girl.
I walk into my kitchen and set Miss Whiskers down on the floor by her dish. There’s still a little water in her dish, but she’s out of food. Miss Whiskers is a high maintenance cat – only eats fancy wet food. I’ve tried to break her of this eating habit, but every time I put dry food in her bowl, she refuses to eat any of it and just meows as loud as she possibly can. Yep, she’s a food snob.
Miss Whiskers starts to meow at me as I step over to the sink to top off her water bowl. When I get to the counter, I slip on the floor, almost falling down.
“What in the world?” I open the cabinet under the sink and see the water streaming down from the old pipe. “Great!”
I reach into a drawer and pull out all the hand towels I have and lay them out on the floor to soak up the water. What do I do now? I search my memory for anything in those How To books that talked about water leaks. Nothing. I have no idea what to do so I grab a large bowl and stick it under the leak. There. Done.