“The cat needs to be inside where he can be loved.”
Yeah, kid, I need to be loved too.
“I’m sorry, sweetheart. I really am, but we can’t have a cat or dog or any other stray thing you bring home.”
She huffs. “Animals need me.”
My daughter is really a great kid. She gets straight A’s, always listens, still thinks I’m sort of okay, unless we’re talking about animals. Then, she’s a lunatic. As much as I’d love to give her what she’s asking, it’s not possible. I’m saving every penny so I can get us out of this town and into a better life.
“Yes, they do, and all of this is fascinating, but you’re going to miss the bus and I can’t drive you today, so…” I grip her shoulders, turn her about, and start to march her toward the door to the apartment. “…off you go, my Ace Ventura.”
She shakes her head. “You’re really lame.”
“So I’ve been told.”
“Do you think we can go see Dr. Hartz today? Maybe I can volunteer at the clinic or help with the animals.”
Immediately I feel my chest constrict.
“You can,” I say with a tight smile. “I’m sure he would appreciate the help.”
Dr. Hartz is Derek’s father, and even though I haven’t spoken to Derek in over thirteen years, I still feel anxious just hearing his name. An unbreakable friendship that dissolved the day Chastity was born. I have no idea why or what happened to make him disappear. All I know is one day the phone rang and when we hung up, we never spoke again. It’s been so long since it all happened, and still it hurts.
There was no more help or calls. No more late-night talks where I had my friend, my only friend. It was like he vanished, and I was left completely alone.
“Good, then I’ll go see Dr. Hartz after school.”
Derek’s parents have always been kind to me. They’ve never judged me or made me feel small, which is great, because living in this tiny town doesn’t lend itself to avoiding people. It’s just that whenever we talk, it’s superficial because what do two people talk about when the common thread between them has been severed?
“I’m sure that’ll cure your itch regarding the animals.”
“Not likely, but I think I could do some good,” she says.
There’s my girl, always wanting to help. Her heart is ten times too big for her body. She would do anything for anyone. At her age, my life revolved around Friday night football games, my stupid boyfriend, and my friends—who were, I’m ashamed to say, the mean girls.
Chastity is my polar opposite. And I’m so thankful for that.
“I know you could. Let me know how it goes with Dr. Hartz, okay?”
She wraps her arms around my neck, squeezing me tight. “I will! Thanks, Mom!”
I kiss the top of her head, grateful that she still thinks I’m cool enough to hug.
“Don’t bring home any animals. Understood?”
Chastity smiles and I know that look. “I make no promises.” She rushes out the door, avoiding any response I could toss back.
And I begin my mundane day.
Once I’ve had my coffee, I head downstairs to the store. It’s the end of summer, which means tourists are gone and the town is going into off-season mode. The antique shop hours have dwindled, the beach crowd has thinned, and everything is a bit…calmer.
During the summer, the busyness keeps my mind off the things that haven’t panned out the way I hoped. My parents are gone the entire time because they want to see the world, which is great for them—and me. My mother drives me to drink, and I enjoy every moment when she’s gone.
It’s much quieter and less judgy.
In a few days, they’ll return, letting me know all the things I did wrong, reminding me that this is not the way I ever wanted my life to go. How much potential I had—and wasted.
It’s super fun times. However, I will survive, like I always have.
“Teagan?” Nina calls from the back. “You down here?”
“I am.”
She peeks her head over the lamp by the back entrance, waving her hand. “Hey!”
Nina is my best friend and has a glow about her. No matter how crappy things are, when she’s around, you can’t help but smile. Her energy is infectious, and she’s the kindest person in the world. She loves, forgives, and every day I wonder how she found it in her heart to give me her trust.
“How was yesterday? Sorry I couldn’t come by, but I had to handle Daddy and his doctor’s appointment. He would not go willingly. Trying to say it was a bruise from hitting the side of the boat when he clearly has a gash on his arm that needs tending. That man is either hell-bent on making my life a nightmare or he wants to join my mama in the ground.”
“Is he okay?”
Her lips purse and her eyes narrow. “Uhh hmm. He’s fine, just stubborn and thinking he can still go out crabbing. The man can barely walk on steady land, but he thinks he can navigate a boat?”
Nina’s father is the sweetest man. However, he’s old and refuses to believe he’s old.
“Well, at least he’s feeling good, you know?”
She sighs. “I know. I prefer him this way, but I’d also prefer he listen to what we tell him. Anyway, what’s new with you?”
It’s been a day since I’ve talked to her. “It’s Chincoteague, what could be new?”
Nina sits on the old sofa that’s been here since 1973 and will never sell. It’s probably the ugliest thing I’ve ever seen, but there’s something ornately beautiful about it. The sofa may not have the best upholstery, but the bones are there. The frame strong, withstanding countless times of being sat upon, and the cushions aren’t dented, regardless of the number of asses that have been there. If I ever get my own home, I plan to buy it because someone should see it for what it could be.
“Maybe some handsome stranger rolled into town to see the wild horses and realized you’re the fairest maiden in the land, professed his undying love, and now you’re getting married. Of course he only granted you a chaste kiss, after which you fell helplessly in his arms and wanted to stay there.”
Oh Lord. “You’re reading historical romance novels again, I see.”
“I always do. One day I’m going to find a man like the heroes I read about. Mark my words. Until then, I refuse to settle.”
I love my friend, but her head is always in the clouds. She’s beautiful, smart, and any man would be lucky to have her…she just won’t even give them a chance. I don’t know what it is that has her so afraid to love, and she won’t tell me. I’ve tried many times to get her to open up, but I’ve never been able to crack her.
There’s no secret as to what my issue is. Keith is the biggest piece of shit there is, my ex–best friend abandoned me, I’m broke, and I have a teenager who is my priority number one. As soon as I tell any potential date I have a kid—poof—they’re gone. Which is fine by me. I’ve had enough disappointment from men unwilling to commit.
“Well, I would like to meet a man who isn’t married, like the last asshole, or unwilling to deal with the fact that Chastity is my life. I’m tired of having to even explain that.”