Tammy chose that moment to bring their salads. Matt’s was placed before him with care. Brit’s was dropped midtable. As Tammy moved away, she dusted her hands on her apron like Brit’s mere presence had contaminated them.
Matt slipped out of the booth and stood to his feet. “That’s it. I’m going to the back to have a little word with Tamara and her mother about etiquette.”
“Please don’t, Matt. Don’t do that on my behalf. It’ll only make her hate me more.”
“She shouldn’t hate you at all. She hasn’t even met you. She has no clue what you’re like.”
“And she probably won’t if she has anything to say about it. I can live with the fact I’ve inadvertently upset a person I don’t know.”
“But we’re paying customers. It isn’t right for her to treat you this way just because you’re in my company.”
“I know. And I agree. But your talking to her mother isn’t going to help. Besides, I’ve dealt with far worse situations in the past. And I’m sure I didn’t earn brownie points by commenting on and being wrong about her age.”
“It wasn’t like you did it maliciously.” He slid back into his seat. “I’m sure you’re right, but I don’t like it.”
“I don’t like it either, but there are a lot of things I don’t like that are far beyond my control. Sometimes you just have to push through the situations that cause you pain before you can get to the other side.”
“You can be very diplomatic when you want to be.”
“I try.”
Once again he studied her.
“So, you were telling me about your family?” Brit picked up her fork and dug through her salad. Broccoli, carrots, cucumber. . .the salad was pretty complete for such a small place. She took a bite. The french dressing suited the array of vegetables perfectly.
“I wasn’t telling you anything.” Matt laughed. “There really isn’t much to tell. I lost my mom when I was young. She ran out on us. Dad was always working. He buried himself further in his work after we lost her. I rebelled. Ethel was there and helped me pick up the pieces.”
“That sounds like an awfully condensed version.”
“It is. And for now, that’s all you need to know.” Matt smirked. “Now it’s your turn. Tell me about your family.”
“You know more than enough about mine. My mom is a mess. She had me without benefit of a husband. She struggled and lost the battle with drugs, alcohol, men, and just about any other weakness she could find. She had more kids with other men and ended up serving a stint in jail. I was away at college, and the younger kids were separated and farmed out to different foster homes. It was the most awful time of our lives, but Mom did rally, and she was able to get the kids back in time. Unfortunately, she only got worse as time went by until she left them again.
Matt was quiet. “You’ve overcome so much.”
“I did what I had to do. My brother Sam, though, is so full of anger. I worry about him constantly, and I don’t know what he’ll do when he returns home and finds everyone gone. He’s old enough to make it on his own, but if he feels we’ve abandoned him or left him behind, I’m not sure how he’ll take it.”
Brit left the part about Ryan out of the picture. For some reason he already felt like a piece of her distant past. She felt more connected to Matt in the few hours she’d spent with him than she’d ever felt with Ryan.
Twelve
After lunch they walked over to the building that would serve as the pregnancy center.
“I know it doesn’t look like much right now—keep in mind that we’re still working on renovations—but this is the building where we’ll kick off the crisis pregnancy center.” Matt stopped at an arched doorway a few shops down from the café.
Brit shaded her eyes and squinted up at the two-story, red-brick building. The structure backed up to the lake and was the closest building to her grandmother’s side of town. There wasn’t much to set it apart from the other buildings in the downtown strip, but the location felt safe, and Brit could see that the building had potential. She followed Matt to the front stoop and waited as he searched his key ring for the right key. He inserted it, and the lock turned with a rusty grunt.
Matt kept a running commentary as he opened the door that led into the building. “New security locks have already been ordered and are on the way. Wait there while I turn on a light.” Matt stepped into the room’s dim interior and flipped on a switch. Light flooded the room and chased away the shadows.
Brit blinked at the sudden onslaught of light. Her eyes were having issues from going from the bright sunlight outside, into the dark interior, and then readjusting to the artificial light’s glare. She frowned as she surveyed the room.
Matt rejoined her and beamed as she glanced around. “Well, what do you think?”
“I think I need the grand tour, and then I’ll give my input.” Her first impression was that the room was clinical and cold, but how could she tell him that? It was obvious he liked the room as it was. She hoped the other areas were cozier and filled with color.
Matt motioned around the room. “Okay. Obviously, this is the waiting room where the girls will wait to see the midwife or counselor. The walls still need paint, and the furniture is on its way, but other than that, the room is pretty much ready.”
“What color of paint and furniture did you order?”
Matt looked blank. “I can’t answer that. I assume the walls will remain a light color. That’s something you and Ethel should discuss. We will probably just add a coat of white paint to cover the white primer. That keeps it easy and bright.”
“Hmm.”
“Hmm, what? You don’t agree?”
“I’m not sure white is a good idea.”
“Why not?”
“It’s cold. It’s depressing. The girls already have a hard row to hoe. I think they need a cheery and welcoming environment when they come here.” She started toward the hall. “Can I see more?”
“Yes, ma’am.” Matt had a humorous tilt to his voice. “Let’s get on with it.”
He led her down a long hall that led to a door at the back. “This door leads to a covered deck that overlooks the lake. The girls can wait for appointments back there if they want to. And the girls who live upstairs can sit down here when it’s hot or rainy.”
He opened the door, and a breathtaking view of the lake spread before them.
“If I were one of the girls, I’d certainly prefer to sit out here. Think about it, Matt. Would you rather spend time out here or sitting in that cold and clinical white reception area?”
“Well, when you put it that way, out here.”
“That’s what I’m talking about. This is a lakeside tourist town. Even though most of the girls will be locals or from nearby towns, I’m sure they’d appreciate a reception area that brightens them up, not one that brings them down.”
“Point taken.”
They watched a duck waddle up the yard. It stopped at the edge of the deck and tilted its head, staring at them intently.
“Sorry little guy, I don’t have anything to feed you.” Matt grinned. “Lots of the locals feed the ducks from their decks and docks. They’ve kind of become accustomed to eating that way.”
“So I see. The little kids would love that.”
“We’ll make sure they experience a feeding then. The fish love to be fed from the docks, too.”
The duck turned around and waddled back the way he’d come.
“The duck gave me an idea. Maybe do the décor and color scheme to match the view from here? You know, with bright yellow for the ducks, blue for the sky, white boats for accent pieces, to represent the boats on the lake. Maybe paint one wall yellow to brighten things up and accent with the blue and white.”
“Sounds like a good plan. I suggest you bring it up at the committee meeting on Friday night.”
“I didn’t know there was a meeting.”
“Yep. I’ll pick you and Ethel up at 6 p.m. We can ride over to
gether.” He smiled.
“Sounds good.” Brit’s heart skipped a beat at the prospect of spending more time in Matt’s company. She figured they’d better focus and finish the tour. She forced her thoughts back to the task at hand. “What’s next?”
“We’ll check out the exam and counseling rooms. Right this way.”
He held the door for Brit, and she followed him back inside. They walked down the hall and started with the nearest door, which led to the counselor’s office.
Brit took a moment and looked it over. “I like the warm tan walls. That’s a huge improvement over the white. But the décor is still quite bland. Green plants would go a long way in brightening things up. Maybe hang some nature pictures that will bring the outdoors in. Pictures with a lot of greenery to match the room’s décor.”
“I like it.” Matt was taking notes in a small notebook much like the one he’d held when he wrote her ticket. “Maybe we can ask for donations from the congregation for some of these finishing touches. We’ll come up with a wish list, and we can put a note up in the church foyer.”
“That’s a wonderful idea! What a great way to include the church in the preparations! And it would keep our budget down. I’m sure people have things lying around collecting dust that would brighten up the center.”
“And we’ll see if the pastor can take up a special offering for the things that aren’t donated.” He finished his notes and walked back out. “Next, we’ll take a peek at the clinical exam rooms.”
They peeked into several identical stark rooms.
“Surprise, surprise, white walls and stainless steel.”
“You have a thing about color, don’t you? Or should I say lack of it.”
Brit scowled. “I do happen to hate white, yes. Every apartment we’ve ever lived in had the same dreary white walls. Smoke-coated, dreary white walls. They were impossible to clean and impossible to keep clean. They were depressing.”
“Oh. I can imagine.”
“The rooms need to be pretty and uplifting. Filled with color. Warm. Maybe they could each have a theme. Instead of numbering the rooms, we could call them by the theme. The rose room. The lake room. The boat room.”
Matt furiously jotted down notes as she spoke.
Brit smiled.
He bit his lower lip, and his expression was intense as he struggled to keep up. He glanced up to see why she’d stopped talking. “Is that it? Please tell me you’ve run out of ideas? I’m getting a hand cramp here.”
“You don’t like the ideas?”
“I love them. I think you’re on to something with the themes and uplifting colors. These girls need pampering and love. Their lives won’t ever be the same. They have families who may be shunning them, pushing them to abort, or pushing them to put their babies up for adoption. They need a safe place to go where they can have peace and unconditional love along with guidance and someone to talk to about their choices.”
“Choices? Will abortion be a consideration here?” The idea surprised Brit.
“No way. We’ll offer support for the moms-to-be. We’ll counsel them about adoption and direct them to a Christian adoption agency if they want to go that route. If they want to keep the baby, we’ll help them build a support system. We’ll give them the assistance they need to let the baby grow to term. We’ll offer necessities and housing so if the girls want to keep their baby, finances won’t prohibit them.”
He took a breath.
Brit smiled. He was passionate about the topic.
“We’ll help them find jobs, housing—we’ve had families in the church volunteer to open their homes so the girls can go there during their pregnancy if their family kicks them out. We also have families who are willing to assist after the birth by providing a home, or work, or child care, that type of thing. Everyone is pitching in with their own gift and blessing the girls and program however they can. The church’s goal is to provide diapers, formula, food, and all the basics the baby will need for at least two years. Too many pregnancy centers help the new mother decide to keep the baby, but then the mother has no support programs in place to let her provide for the baby after the birth. We don’t want to abandon them after they step into their new role.”
“That’s where the counselor comes in?”
“Well, there and also during the prenatal process. We’ll offer classes on various topics like prenatal care, the birth process, and postpartum depression. We even want to provide training for the girls to get their GED. If they want to get their degree, we’re working with an area daycare to arrange child care while the mothers return to class.”
“That’s wonderful.”
“What are you thinking? You say it’s wonderful, but I see the gears turning in your head.”
“Lullaby is a small town. Is there really enough need in a town like this for such an extravagant program?”
“You’d be surprised. We have teens come to the church to ask for help from miles around. There are many much smaller towns than ours, and the girls will come from there, too. Our town and church have become known as places of second chances where we don’t judge, but we offer solutions. The program won’t be extravagant—it’s just stepping up the process of what we’ve already tried to do to help in response to the need we’ve seen. Most of the training and classes will be incorporated into the girls’ daily lives.”
“How will a town such as this help with that many jobs?”
“That’s the thing. . .it sounds like a lot, but there won’t be a lot of girls at the center at any one time. The plan is when one mother graduates, gives birth, etc., we’ll help them move into more independent living situations, and another opening will be available for the next mother-to-be. The new moms will be busy in classes, and they’ll be expected to help around the center—they’ll answer phones, make appointments, clean—that type of thing. After they give birth, newer moms-to-be will take their place as the new mothers step into their new roles. It’ll be a ripple effect. At least we hope it will.”
“I love it! They’ll build their self-esteem because they’re pulling their weight and earning their own way.”
“That’s the plan.” Matt headed back down the hall toward the back of the building. He opened a door that led up to the second floor.
“What’s up here?”
He flicked lights as they went and opened another door at the top of the stairs. They entered a large living area complete with a kitchen. “This is the dorm. We’ll fill this area up first before calling in the church members to open their homes. We can house up to a dozen girls at a time here.”
“It’s not very far along.” The rooms had studs in place, but no Sheetrock on the walls. The plumbing was in, but the tubs and toilets weren’t in place.
“No, but we’ll have it ready by the time the program opens. We have to work around our volunteers’ hours for this part. Most of the men have full-time jobs and work here in the evenings and on weekends.”
“So I could come over and paint during the day and work on the rooms downstairs while we wait for this area to be finished?”
“Right.”
Brit wandered through the spaces. “They’ll all have private rooms?”
“We felt that would be best. Each room has space for a crib and a twin bed. The rooms aren’t huge, but this way each new mother can have her baby in the room with her and won’t have to worry about waking up a roommate when the baby cries. The whole point is to teach the mothers to be as independent as possible.”
“That makes sense.” Brit wandered back to the living area. “What’s this room in the corner? An office?”
“We want someone here with the girls at all times. This room will be for the counselor we hire for the program. It’ll have a sitting area and a mini kitchen and a private bath. Because the budget is tight, board is part of her pay. She can watch the girls as they interact, can see trouble coming before it happens, and she’ll be here if a new mother needs help.”
“The ap
plicants already know this?”
“They do. The job isn’t going to pay a lot at the beginning. Room and board will be a perk for the new counselor. The women’s ministry has made a list of volunteers, too, who are willing to devote a certain block of hours per week so the counselor can work part-time to supplement what we pay her and allow her some time to herself. Hopefully the funding and grants we’ve applied for will kick in soon after we open and the part-time job won’t be necessary for long. Some of the families of the girls can pay their way, and insurance will cover things like the birth. At some point we hope to pay a decent salary for the counselor, and we’ll hire a dorm mom to move in and oversee the girls.”
“Sounds like you have it all figured out. I’m not sure why you even need me to help with this.”
“We need you to keep the plans moving. We need you to warm up the building like you already plan to do and make it a refuge for the girls who need it. We need you to oversee the programs and figure out the fund-raiser. And we need you to hire the midwife and counselor.” Matt was grinning by the time he was done with his spiel. “Do you think that’s enough to keep you busy?”
“Well, yeah. When you put it that way.” She nudged him with her elbow. “I only have thirty days, you know.”
“Not if we can help it. I think there’s an undercurrent of hope that you’ll stay on after your time is up and continue to help. I know my dad wants you to have time to bond with your grandmother, and we’ll need someone to oversee the entire program. If you help finish the details, you’ll be perfect to step into the next role.”
His words surprised her. She’d only been in town a short time, yet she already had people going to bat for her, wanting her to stay. “You don’t even know me. Why would you or your dad want me here?”
“We know Ethel, and we know you’re her granddaughter. That makes you family. That’s enough for us.”
“I’ve never had that.” For the first time ever, Brit felt enveloped in someone else’s life—in a good way. For the first time ever, she felt that maybe she didn’t have to go it alone, figure everything out on her own. Again she felt God’s hand in her life. She nudged Matt’s arm. “Why is it you’re so involved with this as a single man, a sheriff?”
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