Sand In My Boots - Morgan Wallen Story

Chapter 1

I never thought I was made for a particularly extraordinary life. Ever since I was a little girl, all I had ever wanted was to be a mom and a wife. I had often found my value to be in the eye of the person looking at me and that might explain why I hadn't been feeling so confident lately.

When I first got pregnant with Ellie, I really thought, for a second, that I could have it all. My never ending optimism had led me to believe that having a baby would make her dad grow up and be the man I wanted him to be. That we, one day, would be one big happy family. But Josh never wanted that. He had left me to fend for myself and our unborn child at eight months pregnant. It had taken me months to heal from that. I'd had to piece my heart back together, and I did. And now, three years later, I could genuinely say that I was doing alright. I had gotten a job as a secretary in a clinic and my daughter was growing to be smarter, funnier and more beautiful every day. I had made incredible friends here, in Burlington, and I could truly say that I was proud of the road I had taken. Given, my life was not the one I had imagined growing up. The guy I had thought would be my prince charming had turned into a frog real fast and my dating life as a 22 year old single mom was pretty dull, but still. I wouldn't have traded my life for anyone else's. Especially considering what came next.

****

    I got up at 6:30 that morning and quickly got Ellie ready for daycare. As I walked out the door, I stumbled across my neighbor, Ms. Brown.

"Aren't you the cutest thing", she said, pinching Ellie's left cheek and making her giggle.

"Are you still okay to watch her tonight, Ms. Brown?" I asked.

"Of course! Aren't we going to have a ball, little Ellie? Now, tell your mama she has nothing to worry about!" She said cheerfully.

"Thank you, I'll bring her by around 6! Have a good day Ms. Brown," I said, rushing down the stairs. I loved that woman so much. I don't know how I could've gotten to where I am today without her. Ever since Ellie and I had moved in next door, Glenda Brown had always been willing to help us out. Whether it be watching Ellie for a few hours, cooking us dinner once in a while to give me a break or bringing us groceries every time she goes to the store, that woman had always been willing to help. And I was thankful.

I dropped Ellie off at daycare and when I got to work, Jared was already waiting for me in the parking lot.

"Aubrey! Are you excited?" He asked, visibly a lot more excited than I was.

"Yeah, sure," I chuckled.

"Oh, you'll love it! Getting a couple beers with the boys, watching the game, you'll wish every Friday night was like this!"

"Don't overdo it Jared," I chuckled awkwardly.

"You'll get to meet my friends too, which I am SO excited about!"

"Yeah? What if they don't like me?"

"Since when do southern guys not like pretty girls?" He winked. I sighed and pushed his shoulder playfully, rolling my eyes at him.

"Alright, time to clock in Dr. Munsen."

****

    The day went by fairly quickly. Jared kept coming to see me in-between patients to remind me of how excited he was for me to meet his friends. He had moved here from Tennessee for school and had ended up getting an internship here in Vermont. One thing had led to another and seven years later, he was still here, telling people every now and then how this was his "last year in Vermont" and that he was "getting ready to move back to Tennessee" without ever making concrete plans about it. I was a little nervous to meet his friends. Not because I feared they wouldn't be nice or anything like that, but just because he spoke so highly of them. It was one of these things where if you don't get along with the friends, it might change your whole relationship and I did not want that to happen. Jared was the one who had gotten me the job at the clinic once he found out I was a single mother trying to make ends meet. He was one of my closest friends. I owed him a lot and I wanted to make him happy.