In Parched Gardens: Book 1

Chapter 18: Toward the Thunder

Maria walked out of the front doors of the pharmacy toward the edge of Allbrook Park. If she cut through the outer circle of the park, The Diner was almost directly across from the pharmacy. She didn't go to the park much, even though it was only a few steps away from her work. She loved parks as a child. She'd visit them, especially with her grandmother, and play for what felt like hours. But it was different now.

Walking, she passed several teenagers as they made their way quickly through the park going in the opposite direction. Beyond them, several young mothers sat on blankets, pulling snacks from a picnic basket as their toddlers played among them. Looking to her left, she could see the red of strong maple trees, covering the park beneath them. Beside them, a field of vibrant flowers swayed almost unnoticeably in the wind. To her right, she could see two cars lined up on either side of the traffic light there. Beyond that, the sun's light glided over the calm surface of Mill Lake. One boat slowly made its way through the water while several others were stopped around the lake. From those boats, fishing rods could be seen casting lines into the water. Maria had never been fishing, but she thought it looked fun. She imagined herself alone by the shore of the lake carrying a rod and a basket. She'd find a peaceful spot and fish for a while, if someone taught her how. When she was done, she'd sit down and enjoy what she'd brought in her basket and watch the world around her. She might enjoy some cheeses and fruits, sipping one of her favorite juices, letting the day wash over her. That sounded nice to her. Maybe she could even get Natalie to join her. Did she know anything about fishing, she wondered.

"Hey, Maria," she heard as she walked, and the voice sounded familiar. She actually knew a few people in Allbrook at this point, so it wasn't completely surprising. Snapped back to reality from her visions of the side of the lake, she looked toward the voice.

"Fin," she answered, happily. "It's good to see you again."

"It's good to see you too," he replied.

She pointed toward the bag in his hand with its trademark logo. "Did you get something good?" she asked him, pointing toward the bag, clearly from The Diner.

"A bacon turkey sandwich," Fin answered. "It's one of my favorites. And the Diner's so close, I can stop by on my break at work and pick it up. I'm headed back now."

"I'm actually on my way to the Diner," Maria replied. "When I first moved to town, I went there a lot because it was easy. But I keep going back because of how good it is. Pretty cheap too."

"It's a great spot," Fin answered. "I've been there so many times at this point..." he paused. "You probably get sick of me saying that," he added, chuckling.

"No," Maria answered. "I think it's kinda funny. And I'm actually a little jealous. I feel like you aren't a real citizen of Allbrook until you've been everywhere about a hundred times."

"Well at least you've got a good start," Fin said. "Speaking of places in Allbrook, how'd you like the bowling alley and the bar and grill the other day?" he asked her.

She thought about it before she answered. She'd really liked both of them. The old restored look of the bowling alley was very cool to her and the bar and grill surprised her. She'd loved the lights and the wrapping deck and the countless seasonal decorations. But what she'd really liked was the company. Feeling like she might actually have friends in Allbrook had lifted her spirits for days. And she felt like she'd gotten along with them so well. When she'd seen Fin, her heart had dropped for a moment, but it seemed like he wasn't totally ignoring her. If he was, why would he talk with her so much? Why would they get along so well, she thought.

"I really, really liked both of them," she started. "The bowling alley was a lot of fun. I'd love to go back sometime," she said. "And the bar and grill," she paused. "Really the whole island, with that cute little lighthouse, was great. The lights and the decorations and everything. And Keanu," she said, remembering, smiling.