Take Care, Sara

shorts.
    The tree they sat under afforded shade, but little respite from the heat. It had been close to eight weeks since Sara had made the trip to Waupun, lost and confused. She wasn’t either of those things anymore, though she also wasn’t exactly whole.
    She and Dana had gotten closer over the weeks, spending more than their habitual morning coffee and doughnut time together; going for walks, Dana playing the local tour guide to Sara, watching movies at night, sitting on Dana’s deck that was connected to the motel. Sara absolutely thought the world of Dana. In her she’d found a friend. They looked like grandmother and granddaughter, but that had little bearing on their kinship.
    Dana drank from her glass of vegetable juice, the ice clinking against her teeth as she tipped her head back. “Your eyes. They aren’t so sad. Your back is straighter. You don’t hesitate with every action or word you say. You’re ready.”
    It was all true. The oozing hole of agony was shrinking, deteriorating in size and power over her. She could finally breathe again, on her own. And that was what she’d needed before she could begin to absolve herself of responsibility over circumstances out of her control.
    Sara pushed her sunglasses to the top of her head and gave Dana her full attention. “How did you meet my parents?”
    A smile stretched Dana’s red lips. “Darcy and Jim. My second husband was distantly related to them. Very distantly. I met them at a family reunion many, many years ago, before your time. There was something about your mother that drew me to her, much like I was drawn to you; an inner spark, a flame that wouldn’t be snuffed out; a quiet strength that seemed frail, but was stronger than steel. People like that get underestimated a lot, I’ve found. Sometimes they even underestimate themselves.”
    “You’ll get no denial from me,” Sara replied, inhaling slowly, deeply of the fragranced air of newly mowed grass, so thankful she’d found the strength she hadn’t been aware she had.
    Dana turned her brown eyes to Sara. They were warm and bright. “You look like her, but you also have your father’s chin and eyes and his quiet manner. I’ve always found the ones that are the quietest make the most of their words when they do talk.”
    Sara smiled, touching the cross necklace she wore around her neck, thinking of her parents and her husband. “Cole was like that. He didn’t have to say much to get his point across.”
    “I met him.”
    She blinked, surprised. “You did?”
    “At your wedding. I’m not surprised you don’t remember. You only had eyes for him. But his brother, I remember, only had eyes for you. Cole was the embodiment of happiness and his brother was a perfect imitation of brooding. Except when you looked at him. Then he lit up.”
    Sara shifted, suddenly hotter than she’d been a moment before. She hated knowing Lincoln had been loving her and hurting because of it, for so long . It made her feel guilty, though she’d had no idea of his feelings for her at the time. But Cole had known. That must have twisted him up inside. Sara hung her head and rubbed her forehead, weary of the past.
    “Don’t feel remorseful. We don’t choose who we love. Love chooses us. You love him now. That’s all that matters.”
    Sara reached over and took Dana’s leathery hand, squeezing it. “I’m not ready to go, not yet. I want to spend a little more time with you, if that’s okay?”
    Dana’s eyes watered and she hastily swiped a hand across them, scowling. “If you really think you need to. What’s an old lady got that a young strapping man doesn’t?”
    A smile teased Sara’s lips. “Well, for the moment… me . If you’ll let me stay.”
    “Of course I’ll let you stay,” Dana replied gruffly. “I expect you to bring your man friend around sometime too so I drool over him. I don’t get much action these days.”
    “Deal.” Laughing, Sara got to her feet and helped Dana up, then reached down to fold up the blanket. She tucked it under her arm, saying, “ Much action?”
    “Never you mind. Come on. You can help me oversee the cleaning ladies. I think one of them has been snitching soap and I aim to catch the thief.” Her eyes sparkled in anticipation and Sara laughed again, wrapping her arm around Dana’s thin shoulders as they walked back to the red and brown brick rambling structure called Newman Motel.
     
     
     

18
     
     
     
    “I expect you to visit