The couple of days I had gotten a chance to talk to her I could definitely tell she was being very guarded. It made me wonder what had happened to her to make her feel she had to protect herself. Since I have sisters, I had it ground into my head how to treat a lady but it was hard to get her to really talk to me other than conversational basics. When I brought the welcoming gift, I was doing an internal cheer I was able to step into her apartment. It felt like this was a huge step for her, but I will take my time to get to know her. There was something about her that drew me in, she seemed honest and sweet, and when she stated she was a school social worker it made a lot of sense. I admire people who work with young children, it takes lots of patience working with all those little ones.
Since James told me she had a rough time where she came from, I decided I would slowly get to know her and maybe it would help to have a new friend here to turn to when she needed it.
I have been settling in over the past couple of weeks with work and trying to find time to explore the area, but it has been hard. Morgan has been extremely helpful when I ask for directions to places I need to go. I have been wanting to find time to explore, but I have been spending my free time working on getting to know my students in person and what is in their files. I have been trying to make time to get out but it keeps getting pushed back, but I am determined to find time this weekend.
Amy has been sharing how things are going back in Tennessee. She says Mark has been over a lot lately, which has been odd, but she is not sure what his extracurricular activities have been lately when he is home. She did tell me that Dean had been more distant with Mark and he wouldn’t go out with him anymore, since he didn’t like that Mark lied to him. She said she hopes he completely cuts ties with him but it is his choice to make that final decision. I mentioned to her that this is his life now due to his choices and I won’t worry about him as long as it doesn’t affect me. Any communication with me has to go through my lawyer now and, just for my sanity, I had blocked his number on my cell phone to avoid him trying to reach me. Amy did say that she wants to make a trip down to see me in a couple of months because she has a surprise for me. She just has to take care of some things at her job first so she can get the time off. I can’t wait because I miss having my best friend near me to just hang out whenever we want.
When I got home, I got myself a snack and pulled out my laptop to go through some things I could not get to at work. I planned on working for a couple of hours before going for a walk because it was a gorgeous day and it gave me time to get more familiar with the area. As I poured through the information on my laptop, I heard someone at my door. Smiling, I figured I knew who it was, the only person that had ever stopped by. I opened the door, “Hello Morgan, how have you been?” He smiled at me and stepped in. “I have been good, but it will be even better if I can get you to agree to go out so I can finally show you around. I know I have helped you with a couple places, but there is a lot more to see than the local grocery store and pharmacy.” Laughing, I answered, “I’m sure there is, and you will be happy to know I was going to head out for a walk around after I finish this work.”
Morgan stuck around while I finished working and offered to keep me company while I went for my walk. He wanted to show me some really cool historical sites in town that were open for a few more hours, the museum, but he wanted to show me a couple of local plantations on a day where we had more time to drive around. We walked around making small talk about things we like to do in our spare time. Morgan shared that when he has spare time he likes to go horseback riding and has a friend that raises them not far away. “It is a great stress reliever when I have had a long week, and I like riding around the countryside where there isn’t a person for miles.”
“That sounds relaxing and I can’t say I have ever done that. I would have to say the only hobby I have is writing when I have spare time. I find it to be relaxing to get thoughts out of my head and, especially recently, I have needed it. I usually only get to do this at night before I go to bed. I also enjoy walks like this because I don’t have to be in a hurry and I can take my time walking and looking at what is around me.” We continued to walk around and ended up at a park where we just sat on a bench that looked out over the lake. “This is nice, where are we?” I asked Morgan. “This is one of the other places I like to go when I just need quiet. We are at Cassidy Park and I like that when I come here it is never busy. Don’t get me wrong, I like watching kids play and have fun, but sometimes I just want some quiet.”
“I couldn’t agree more. I work as a social worker and I preach about self-care all the time and sometimes I need to listen to my own advice. Taking advantage of moments like this is important when we are on the go all day and we don’t get a moment of quiet.” I sat there and just looked out at the pond and watched a family of ducks make their way over the still water. This was just what I needed after my day, and I will have to make a point of doing this more often. After we sat in silence for a while, Morgan asked a question that I was not ready to get into yet, “Jessie, can I ask what brought you to town. It must have been a big step to move to a town where you have no family.” I sighed and looked over at him. I could see general concern in his eyes but I had to say, “Maybe in time I will be ready to talk about it, but I will say this is a fresh start for me. I miss my best friend, but we still talk almost everyday and she understands my need for this.”
“I understand Jessie, but I hope in time you will consider me a friend too. I will be here when you are ready to talk, and sometimes we need a person to just vent too.” I was glad he didn’t push me beyond that and I was starting to consider him a friend, but I still am struggling with trusting others. “Thank you for understanding Morgan, and I will keep that offer in mind right now it is just too soon to talk about it.”
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.