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Troy was exhausted as he had been burning the candle at both ends for over a week now. He was putting the final changes on the grand opening for the Quad Community Service Center, with the help of Matthew, a few volunteers, and two other part-time staff. The donations were overwhelming them already, and twice they had a mother stop by to see if she might get a few clothing items. Even though they were not fully ready for the public opening, they met her needs nonetheless.
After leaving the Service Center, Troy and Mathew stopped at the hospital to check on Katherine and her father’s progress. It had been ten days, and while no one understood why, her father wasn’t coming out of his coma. The tumor had been benign, and all other diagnostic tests indicated he should be awake, yet day after day, the news remained the same.
Katherine was overseeing the farmhands and chores that needed to be done, leaving her mother overnight by her husband’s side. The strain on everyone was showing in puffy eyes, bedraggled hair, and conversations more stilted than ever before. No one was giving up, though, and that spirit of resilience he hoped would help Casimir open his eyes.
After he dropped Matthew off at the ranch, he thought he might go to the beach and watch the waves of Lake Michigan for a while. He was surprised when he pulled up to notice the bonfire was going. He changed his mind, deciding he might join the circle instead. There were over twenty-five people gathered tonight, despite the chilly temperatures. As soon as they approached, several looked up to give Matthew a high five, as he provided a quick update on his day at work.
“How is Katherine?’ Margaret directed the question to him.
“Her daddy is still sleeping,” Matthew volunteered, not realizing she wasn’t talking to him.
“Oh no,” Belle whispered. “I had hoped for a change today. Though I’ve been praying for over a week now, at least he is hanging in there.”
“Yep,” Troy said, looking to see if there was a seat for him, but all were taken.
“Here, you look ready to fall over,” Noah said, standing up and offering his Adirondack chair.
“It’s okay,” Troy said, “You have had as long a day as I.”
“Nothing doing, I can share an arm of my wife’s,” he finished, planting himself on the solid arm of Margaret’s chair.
“Thanks,” Troy said, feeling himself sink and the stress and tiredness released just slightly.
“Here,” Stormi offered, holding out a giant mug. “It’s hot cider, and I put a cinnamon stick in it.”
“Thanks,” he said, feeling overwhelmed that she remembered. “You are amazing to have come out to visit after a long day. The center is moving along great, and we hope to open next Saturday.”
“I heard Sandra and her two boys stopped by,” Jake piped in. “I hope you don’t mind, but I was doing an intake for them here, and she brought up how she can’t keep up with clothes.”
“No worries, we found them a couple of great outfits,” he let Jake know.
“If you need any help for the opening day, I can come in to do a shift,” Emily offered.
“Count me in,” Margaret chimed.
“And me,” Belle said.
By the end, just about everyone gathered was willing to pitch in, and Troy was overwhelmed to capacity. This was a community, and he was so grateful for it. Just a small reminder of his impact here and what it meant to everyone. It was so different from the fight he had to put up in the city to offer similar opportunities to the community. The red tape and political scene were always about the money and not about what help could be had or who needed it the most. It was always just the almighty dollar. He found a reason to be grateful he was making Little Bend, and this extended community his home.
Marissa came sauntering up, laden down with what looked like cut-up sandwiches. “I know for a fact, a few of you have been doing double duty here and at the Grazinski farm,” she said, holding out the tray. After a few were removed, she bent down to Troy, “and the community center and hospital trips... You could use one of my famous hoagies,” she said with a huge grin.
“Thank you,” he said, taking one as she pushed a napkin toward him.
He sank his teeth into food and wanted to moan out loud. It was by far the best thing he had eaten in the last week, if not longer. He just ate, listened to ongoing conversations, and felt the peace invade his psyche. He wouldn’t miss these moments, even for a dot of extra sleep. This was what drove him now to get up and make each day count in the best way possible.
