through the mall by the woman that was
three steps ahead of them. He recognized the woman on a
mission. He’d seen that same expression on his mother’s
face a time or two. Then there were the teenage girls that
were there to be seen and heard. He wondered if that was
once Carissa.
Thomas tried to imagine her childhood.
He knew she’d showed up on David and Sophia’s
doorstep when she was very young. Sophia left to play with
Pablo after that. He really didn’t know about Carissa at all.
He took a sip of his soda, which had gone flat, and
decided he’d been there longer than he’d thought. He
tossed his trash in the bin and walked down the mall.
He was tempted to buy something to make his room at
Katie’s homey. However, doing so would say he was
laying down roots and he wasn’t sure he could commit to
that. Sure, when Sophia had first called and offered him the
chance to help start the school he’d have bought land and
built a house. Now, after spending a few days with Carissa,
he couldn’t make that kind of statement. Eventually he was
going to break her heart and hurt her. He just hoped he
could convince her to move on from any feelings he knew
she was having before he did just that. Even worse, he was
afraid he’d physically hurt her and that had his stomach tied
in knots, especially after the incident at the barbershop.
He stopped outside a store window because he had to
squeeze his eyes shut. In all his life, he’d never raised his
hand to another human being. More than enough times,
he’d been on the receiving end of it all, but never the
giving. Yet. How far did that have to travel in your blood
before you did it? After all, he’d turned into a raging
alcoholic and almost killed one of his dearest friends.
He sucked in another deep breath and opened his eyes.
Pablo had destroyed his career in Rome for what he’d done
to Pierre, and who could blame him? Sophia’s call had
come at the right time. He’d been without work for a long
time and without Pablo’s support in the music community,
Thomas was just a washed-up pianist. If Pablo could, he
would bury Thomas’s career completely.
“Thomas?” He heard his name called from behind him
and he snapped around to see Sophia and Katie slowly
walking toward him. He adjusted his attitude and put on his
best smile.
“I didn’t mean to startle you,” Sophia said as she
approached him. “You looked deep in thought.”
“I suppose I was.”
“Are you doing some shopping?”
“Just killing time. Carissa is working, so she loaned me
her car.”
“All the better. She hates being interrupted when she
works. Let’s just say there’s a Jekyll and Hyde personality
that comes out.”
Thomas smiled. He knew others like that. Sophia, for
one.
“So what are your plans for the rest of the day?” she
continued.
“I think I’ll drive around town and get acquainted a bit.
Maybe you could give me directions to the school and I
could stop by and help David.”
Sophia nodded and began to look through her purse for
a pen and a piece of paper.
“I think Carissa and I are going to go to dinner
tonight.” He said it as nonchalantly as he could, but
Sophia’s head snapped up.
“Really?” Her eyes opened wide and a smile slid
across her lips. “I heard she dragged you out for a run to
The Spot for breakfast too.”
“That she did. She runs faster than you ever did.”
Sophia laughed and went back to writing out directions
to the school on the back of a receipt.
“Okay, here are directions from the mall and then
directions back home.”
“You know me too well, dear friend.”
“I hope so.”
Thomas took his instructions, said his good-byes, and
headed back down the mall toward the parking lot.
Katie scanned her granddaughter’s face.
“Sophia, what are you doing?”
“Nothing, Grandma.”
Katie smiled with a shake of her head. “Well, at least I
taught you well. Matchmaking is an art and you can’t
meddle too much or it gets sloppy.”
“I
three steps ahead of them. He recognized the woman on a
mission. He’d seen that same expression on his mother’s
face a time or two. Then there were the teenage girls that
were there to be seen and heard. He wondered if that was
once Carissa.
Thomas tried to imagine her childhood.
He knew she’d showed up on David and Sophia’s
doorstep when she was very young. Sophia left to play with
Pablo after that. He really didn’t know about Carissa at all.
He took a sip of his soda, which had gone flat, and
decided he’d been there longer than he’d thought. He
tossed his trash in the bin and walked down the mall.
He was tempted to buy something to make his room at
Katie’s homey. However, doing so would say he was
laying down roots and he wasn’t sure he could commit to
that. Sure, when Sophia had first called and offered him the
chance to help start the school he’d have bought land and
built a house. Now, after spending a few days with Carissa,
he couldn’t make that kind of statement. Eventually he was
going to break her heart and hurt her. He just hoped he
could convince her to move on from any feelings he knew
she was having before he did just that. Even worse, he was
afraid he’d physically hurt her and that had his stomach tied
in knots, especially after the incident at the barbershop.
He stopped outside a store window because he had to
squeeze his eyes shut. In all his life, he’d never raised his
hand to another human being. More than enough times,
he’d been on the receiving end of it all, but never the
giving. Yet. How far did that have to travel in your blood
before you did it? After all, he’d turned into a raging
alcoholic and almost killed one of his dearest friends.
He sucked in another deep breath and opened his eyes.
Pablo had destroyed his career in Rome for what he’d done
to Pierre, and who could blame him? Sophia’s call had
come at the right time. He’d been without work for a long
time and without Pablo’s support in the music community,
Thomas was just a washed-up pianist. If Pablo could, he
would bury Thomas’s career completely.
“Thomas?” He heard his name called from behind him
and he snapped around to see Sophia and Katie slowly
walking toward him. He adjusted his attitude and put on his
best smile.
“I didn’t mean to startle you,” Sophia said as she
approached him. “You looked deep in thought.”
“I suppose I was.”
“Are you doing some shopping?”
“Just killing time. Carissa is working, so she loaned me
her car.”
“All the better. She hates being interrupted when she
works. Let’s just say there’s a Jekyll and Hyde personality
that comes out.”
Thomas smiled. He knew others like that. Sophia, for
one.
“So what are your plans for the rest of the day?” she
continued.
“I think I’ll drive around town and get acquainted a bit.
Maybe you could give me directions to the school and I
could stop by and help David.”
Sophia nodded and began to look through her purse for
a pen and a piece of paper.
“I think Carissa and I are going to go to dinner
tonight.” He said it as nonchalantly as he could, but
Sophia’s head snapped up.
“Really?” Her eyes opened wide and a smile slid
across her lips. “I heard she dragged you out for a run to
The Spot for breakfast too.”
“That she did. She runs faster than you ever did.”
Sophia laughed and went back to writing out directions
to the school on the back of a receipt.
“Okay, here are directions from the mall and then
directions back home.”
“You know me too well, dear friend.”
“I hope so.”
Thomas took his instructions, said his good-byes, and
headed back down the mall toward the parking lot.
Katie scanned her granddaughter’s face.
“Sophia, what are you doing?”
“Nothing, Grandma.”
Katie smiled with a shake of her head. “Well, at least I
taught you well. Matchmaking is an art and you can’t
meddle too much or it gets sloppy.”
“I
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