The Sunday Potluck Club

by Melissa Storm

  Why did it always feel as if she were living life seated in the back car of a rollercoaster? No matter how much she tried to stay on course, eventually everyone else’s dramas pulled her down at a nauseating clip. At almost thirty, she should have had life figured out a bit better by now, but then again, at her age, she should also still have her parents here to support and guide her.

  No wonder she and her friends were all a mess. Adults still needed their moms and dads, too. They still needed to believe that all the hard work they put in now would lead them somewhere better than an early grave.

  Change your life by changing your heart. The words from Nichole’s book echoed through her mind once more.

  The problem now was that she’d changed her heart too often—back and forth, back and forth, like a terrible metronome. Everyone always acted as if the heart were the strongest thing a person had, but Amy’s had been far too fickle lately.

  Sometimes she felt absolutely justified in avoiding Trent; then others she hung back after school or visited the dog park in hopes of running into him one more time. It had been close to a month since she’d written him out of her life, and yet her story hadn’t gotten any happier.

  I should call. I should just text to see how he’s doing.

  But no. He needed time to heal and she had to respect that. Maybe one day they’d come crashing into each other again. Maybe, maybe. Until then, Amy would just have to wonder what if, what could have been—all the while hoping her brief but fond memories of him would soon fade.

  At least all this flip-flopping over Trent distracted her from how sorely she missed her mother. She’d need some kind of distraction this coming week during spring break. As a teacher, she received a week off from work, while her friends would still be just as busy as ever. She wasn’t quite ready to be alone with herself again, afraid of what she might find.

  Well, like it or not she’d soon see how far she’d come—or hadn’t. The final bell rang, rewarding her students with a long break, and punishing Amy with it. Usually, she looked forward to the extra time to read, relax, and try out new recipes in the kitchen.

  Maybe Bridget’s shelter could use another volunteer for the week? At least it would be something to keep her hands and mind busy.

  She’d just finished tidying the room so that she could head home, when a small voice floated in from the hall.

  “Ms. Shannon? I think I missed my bus.” There stood little Olivia Springer, peering at her from the doorway, her tiny shoulders gobbled up by the thick straps of her oversized backpack.

  Amy checked the clock. Sure enough, the last bus had departed at least five minutes ago. Why had no one come looking for Olivia? Why hadn’t they discovered her absence before now?

  “Uh-oh,” Amy said, motioning for the girl to join her inside. “Do you need me to call your dad for you?”

  Olivia folded her hands in front of her and coyly stepped into the room, a whisper of the shy girl she’d once been returning, if only for a moment. “Actually, can you just take me home?” she asked, batting her eyelashes sweetly and unwittingly making her true intentions known. She hadn’t missed the bus. She’d intentionally stayed behind.

  No, it didn’t take a detective to figure out the little girl was hiding something, just a tuned-in teacher. “Olivia,” Amy said sternly. “Did you miss your bus on purpose?”

  She smiled wide, revealing the gap where another tooth had recently fallen out. “Maybe,” she said, raising her voice to a babyish high pitch.

  “Olivia! Why would you do something like that?”

  Just like that, the girl retreated again. Her lower lip quivered as she begged, “Please don’t be mad at me, Ms. Shannon. I didn’t know what else to do.”

  Something fluttered in Amy’s stomach as she asked, “What do you mean? What are you trying to do?”

  “Trying to get you and my dad back together, of course,” Olivia revealed as she puffed out her skinny chest with pride.

  Amy hated to disappoint her, especially since she still harbored a not-so-secret crush on Olivia’s dad, but there was so much more to this situation than the little girl could possibly understand. Amy took a deep breath and forced herself to keep her expression calm and neutral. “Sweetie, your daddy and I are just friends.”

  Olivia shook her head adamantly. “If you’re friends, then how come you never come to see him anymore?” Well, she had Amy there.

  “Sometimes adult friendships are just a little . . .”

  The little girl put her hands on her hips and widened her eyes impatiently—no doubt, a sneak peek at the sassy teenager she would one day become.

  “Complicated,” Amy finished for lack of a better word.

  Olivia tapped her foot, as if Amy’s reticence was now wasting her precious time. “Ms. Shannon,” Olivia said in what was probably the same way Trent said her name when she found herself in trouble. “Is it because you have a crush on my dad?”

  Amy blinked hard. How in the heck was she supposed to answer that?

  Another huge grin wound its way across Olivia’s face. “I knew it,” she announced with glee. “I knew you liked my daddy.”

  “He’s a very nice man, but . . .” Oh, this was not a conversation she wanted to be having with an eight-year-old, especially not with this particular eight-year-old. “I’m calling your dad right now. Hang on.”

  Amy grabbed her phone from on top of her desk and pressed the number she’d been tempted to delete for weeks now. Look at that, it had come in handy, after all. Just not for the reason she’d hoped.

  Trent picked up after several rings. “Amy? Is everything okay? The daycare called and said they couldn’t find Olivia, and—”

  “Everything’s fine,” Amy said, keeping a hand raised so that Olivia would stay quiet. “I have Olivia here with me right now.”

  He swore under his breath but was quick to apologize. “Is she in some kind of trouble?”

  She should be, Amy thought. Instead, she said, “No, no, not at all. Just missed her bus.”

  “Daddy!” Olivia shouted right by Amy’s ear.

  “Is that her?” Trent asked, practically out of breath from his intense worry followed by this rapid relief. “Can I talk to her?”

  Amy swallowed hard, then handed the little girl her phone. She did not like this, not one bit.

  “Hi, Dad,” Olivia said, standing tall and keeping her eyes glued right on Amy. “Is it okay if Ms. Shannon drives me home?”

  No, no, no, Amy wanted to cry. Instead she watched Olivia smile and nod through her side of the conversation.

  “Uh-huh . . . Uh-huh . . . Okay, bye!”

  She returned the phone to Amy and adjusted the straps on her backpack. “He says it’s okay,” she announced, skipping toward the door, then turning back to Amy with the biggest, naughtiest grin of her life. “Are you coming or what?”

  Amy sighed. Nobody had asked her if this would be okay, and now she’d been outmaneuvered by one of her second graders.

  Well played, Olivia. Well played.

  Chapter 37

  Even though Amy had only been there once before, she had no trouble finding her way to Trent’s house that Friday afternoon. As they drove, Olivia chatted happily from the back seat, sharing story after story about Jet and speaking animatedly about how much she loved her new doggie.

  Trent had promised he would be home as soon as he could, but his commute was much farther than the one Amy and Olivia took now. Before hanging up, he’d instructed Olivia to let herself in with the key she kept tucked into her back zippered pocket, just in case of emergencies like the manufactured one they had today.

  “Can we make another fairy house?” Olivia asked the moment they stepped inside the empty house. She raced across the living room to unlatch Jet’s crate and gave him a giant hug hello.

  As soon as Amy agreed, the little girl grabbed her hand and ran upstairs to gather supplies with the big, black dog following in close pursuit. Amy had to laugh at how much Olivia’s
room resembled the one Bridget kept at her father’s house. They had the same bright yellow walls, but Olivia’s artwork proudly displayed her Tinker Bell obsession while Bridget showcased the teen pop icons of her high school years. Everything was surprisingly tidy for a kid’s bedroom, and she wondered if Olivia kept it tidy naturally or if Trent was strict about cleaning up.

  Olivia pulled the comforter from her bed and motioned for Amy to come in closer. “That was my mom,” the little girl said distractedly with a quick nod toward the framed photo on her bedside table.

  Amy studied the photo as Olivia shoved blanket after blanket into her outstretched arms. So that was Julie. She looked just like an aged-up version of Olivia with her dark eyes and sandy hair. Bright teeth peeked out from behind plump red lips, and the joyful gleam in her eyes suggested she’d just finished laughing, that she laughed a lot.

  Instantly, Amy liked her.

  She seemed like such a nice, happy person. What could have gone so wrong that Trent had planned on leaving?

  “Okay, that’s everything,” Olivia announced, breaking the spell that had fallen over Amy as she pushed her teacher toward the door with both hands. “C’mon. We have to hurry, or it won’t be ready in time.”

  Amy let that last comment go, seeing as she’d already figured out that this whole thing was a setup to get her and Trent together again. How would Trent react once he realized what Olivia had in mind? Well, she’d find out soon enough. Until then, she’d focus on building the best fairy house she possibly could. How different everything played out this time around. The first time she’d been here, Olivia had retreated into herself, watching instead of participating and hardly saying a word to anyone.

  “It needs to be bigger!” Olivia shouted now, jumping on the couch while Amy tried her best to position chairs the way Trent had set them up last time. She shrugged and pulled them farther apart until Olivia cheered and gave her the thumbs-up sign.

  Jet stood by absolutely enamored with his new owner, panting happily and thumping his tail against the couch as he watched her jump and play.

  It wasn’t easy for Amy to keep the structure upright as she piled on blankets and sheets, but Olivia was bound and determined to have “the biggest fairy house in the world” by the time they were through.

  When at last they’d finished, the little girl yanked all the cushions off one of the couches and stuffed them inside. “Perfect,” she declared, climbing inside to check it out. Jet joined her for the inspection as well.

  Amy stood by, watching, waiting.

  “Sorry it took me so long!” Trent cried as he burst through the front door.

  “Yay, Daddy’s here!” Olivia whooped in a babyish voice as she and Jet crawled out from the fort and ran to greet him at the door.

  “Thank you for bringing her home,” Trent mumbled, his eyes at last locking with Amy’s.

  That same magic from before danced between them. Amy attempted to focus on her breathing and not on how Trent’s recent haircut framed his beautiful blue eyes better than ever before.

  “Daddy, I’m hungry,” Olivia complained as she stalked back to the giant fairy house made of blankets.

  “It was no trouble,” Amy said. Everything in her began to shake—no, not shake. Vibrate. One by one her cells came alive just from the nearness of the very thing she’d craved for weeks. He was here and just as intense now as when he’d pounded on her car window and demanded to know if she’d come out of their accident unscathed.

  “Can we have pizza?” Olivia shouted from somewhere across the room.

  Jet barked his agreement.

  “Yeah, sure,” Trent said, keeping his eyes firmly on Amy. “It’s good to see you,” he said.

  “You, too,” she said. That wasn’t something she could hide even if she’d wanted to. Amy knew her eyes must have said every bit as much as his did in that moment.

  I miss you. I need you. I’m still here. Still waiting.

  “Can Ms. Shannon stay for pizza? Oh, please, Daddy. Please?” Olivia asked, coming up between them in a begging pose, shaking her folded hands dramatically.

  Trent shook his head at his daughter’s antics, then laughed. “What do you say? Would you like to join us?”

  Jet barked again. What a happy dog he’d turned out to be. If there had been any doubt that rescinding her application for him had been the right move, it completely vanished now. The black Lab stuck to the little girl like a burr and only had eyes for her. Meanwhile, Darwin had proved to be the perfect match for her household, too.

  Darwin! Oh, shoot.

  “My dog’s home alone,” Amy explained, wishing she didn’t have to leave, but knowing it was the right thing to do. “I really need to get back to him.”

  Trent couldn’t hide his disappointment. “I understand.” He frowned and reached down to rub his hand over Jet’s head.

  She hated seeing him like that. She hated that she was feeling disappointed, too. Now that she stood here, so close to Trent, she could no longer deny that this was what she wanted. He was what she wanted.

  “I want to stay. It’s just that I can’t,” she murmured, wondering if she would ever get another chance like this again.

  Olivia grabbed her hand and gave it a good tug. “Hey, Ms. Shannon. Maybe you can get your dog and then you can both come back.”

  Amy looked at Trent, who now stood with one hand on his lower back and the other pushing back his hair. “That’s a good idea. I mean, if you want to, that is. I’m sure the dogs would enjoy each other’s company.”

  He stopped there, but his implication was clear. And we’d enjoy each other’s company, too.

  “Are you sure?” she asked, and those three words were about so much more than just pizza and dogs.

  Are you sure you want to open yourself back up again?

  Are you sure we’re ready?

  Are you sure about me?

  “Yes,” Trent said, keeping his eyes locked on hers.

  And in that one word, he answered all her doubts.

  Yes, Amy. Yes, I want this. I want us. I want you.

  “Yes, okay,” she said with a growing smile. “I’ll come right back.”

  Now she’d made him a promise, too. No more disappearing. No more hiding from him or from her own feelings. She was back and so excited to find out what would happen next.

  Thank goodness for meddling kids! Amy thought as she slipped back into the cold, wintery night. The icy air tickled her ears and nose, but she didn’t care. She’d be warm again soon enough.

  Chapter 38

  Amy returned with Darwin in tow just as the pizza deliveryman had begun backing out of Trent’s driveway.

  “You’re right on time!” Trent crooned, ushering them both inside.

  They ate at the table this time to avoid having their food swiped or slobbered on by two very eager canines—one short and stout, the other tall and thin. Amy and Trent sat across from each other in the same spots they’d taken as they lingered over that first tea about a month ago.

  She caught him stealing quick glances at her all through their meal. Instead of feeling unsettled as she had with Matt at the auto dealership, Amy got a little thrill every time she saw his eyes on hers. It was almost as if he couldn’t believe that they were here together again. Honestly, she almost couldn’t believe it, either.

  Only Olivia seemed completely unfazed by the momentousness of the night she’d concocted. “Can we watch the new Tinker Bell movie?” she asked, just as they’d finished up their greasy feast. Amy had hardly touched her pizza, seeing as there were far too many butterflies already flitting about her stomach to leave space for much of anything else.

  “You’ve already seen it at least a hundred times,” Trent said with a chuckle.

  “But I really want to watch it again,” Olivia whined, pushing out her lower lip so far she resembled an adorable bulldog pup.

  “Fine, fine, but first help me clean up.”

  Olivia grabbed the paper plates and napk
ins, and skipped away toward the kitchen. Both dogs followed in hopes of scoring a scrap or two.

  “If I didn’t know better,” Trent whispered to Amy, “I’d think she has a plan.”

  “You’re only just now figuring that out?” Amy teased, reaching for the pizza box so she could help clean up, too.

  A thrill ran up her spine when Trent’s hand brushed hers. He’d also made a move for the mostly empty box. They paused and stared at each other, the mess all but forgotten.

  “Can Ms. Shannon stay, too?” Olivia asked, plucking the suddenly very popular pizza box from the table on her way back to the kitchen.

  “Yes,” Trent answered without even asking Amy. He already knew. “Yes, she can.”

  Amy swallowed hard. It was as if their time apart had never occurred. As if they’d continued their ritual of texting all day and talking all night and were now weeks ahead of where they’d been at the start of their friendship.

  What did it mean, the fact they were no longer denying what they had? Was Trent ready for what came next? Was she?

  They finished in the dining room and moved to the living room. Olivia crawled into the newly constructed fairy house, spent a few minutes inside, and then came right back out.

  “You know,” she said, twirling back and forth with her hands clasped behind her back. “Last time I got to watch the movie from inside the fairy house, so this time it’s your turn.”

  “Me?” Amy asked with a hand pressed to her chest in mock surprise. She felt her heart hammering away, taking delight in each moment. Yes, Olivia had definitely conspired to bring this whole evening about, recreating every detail almost flawlessly from their first night together all those weeks ago.

  “You, you.” Olivia pumped her head. “And Daddy, too.”

  Trent cleared his throat but didn’t respond.

  “Sure, that seems fair,” Amy said, dropping to her hands and knees. “C’mon, Trent. It looks like it’s big enough for both of us.”