Chapter 18 - Coffee Is Not a Wedding
Charles and Isabella talked for two hours.
They did not talk about getting back together for the first forty minutes.
That helped.
They talked about work.
Mason.
Eleanor's conservation plan.
Then Isabella said:
"I loved you."
Charles looked at his coffee.
"Past tense?"
"I'm trying not to use love as an argument."
"I think I still do. But loving you did not stop me from being cruel to your mother."
"No."
"And loving me did not require you to marry me after that."
"No."
"I understand that now."
"I miss who we were before everything exploded."
"Some of who we were needed to explode."
He laughed despite himself.
They agreed on nothing except another coffee someday.
Meanwhile, the Community Children's Center opened its first new treatment floor.
Eleanor attended in a simple blue dress.
No donor plaque carried her name.
A wall near the lobby listed hundreds of contributors instead.
Children who donated birthday money.
Eleanor found Rose Creek listed simply as:
A FRIEND WHO REMEMBERED.
Isabella attended as a volunteer, directing families toward elevators.
She did not approach Eleanor until Eleanor approached her.
"You look tired," Eleanor said.
"I've been here since six."
"Welcome to farm hours."
Charles watched from across the lobby.
"Don't make a movie out of this."
"Everyone sounds like my mother now."
"Good management spreads."
Then Samuel called Eleanor to a side room.
The county had approved the conservation proposal in principle.
If the court released the north acreage from Victor's company, the land could become Rose Creek Community Fields.
"Henry would have liked that."
Charles put an arm around her.
This time she hugged him back.
Then Samuel smiled.
"There's one condition."
May you like
Eleanor narrowed her eyes.
"I hate conditions."
