The sky was purple. A myriad fireflies twinkled in the field. Dina sat on the porch of her parents house in a rocking chair. She had traveled to her home town from New York, where she had made a modest success of her life. She made the trip back to the country town three or four times a year, depending on her workload. She usually enjoyed the relaxed pace. It recharged her, made her feel able to take on another season in the big city. This trip had been no exception, so far, until supper last night.
"You know Tommy's back in town," her mother had said casually as they were preparing the meal together.
Dina's hand stilled over the salad bowl for an instant. She cleared her throat and continued fixing the dish. "Really, mama?"
"Yes. He's come back from Wilson. He's takin' over his daddy's shop since he passed."
"Oh," Dina replied.
"Remember when you two used to date? You were so cute together."
We did more than date, Mama...
"Yes, I remember."
"You know he's divorced now."
Dina set down the carrot she was chopping and turned to face her mother.
"Mama, it was a long time ago. I'm sure Tom doesn't even remember me. Besides I'm only here for a week."
A fitful sleep followed dinner last night. It was impossible to get comfortable in this country heat. The sheets felt heavy and sticky and even the table fan Dina had brought up from the kitchen didn't help. She stripped down to a camisole and panties and lay staring at the textured ceiling.
Tommy.
Her first...everything.
She hadn't seen Tom since she the weekend before she had left for college. His eyes had been soft and sad. On her way to an Ivy League school, she had promised to come back for him. He wasn't having any of it.
You deserve better than I can give you.
She had cried, but ultimately had to leave and make her way in the world. But she had still kept the photo of the two of them laughing at the lake on her nightstand. She kept it there for two years.
Until the afternoon her mother called her and told her that Tom had married Meredith Blank. She packed up the photo along with any idealistic fantasy she had about eventually reuniting with him. She barely looked back
But now they were both here in this small town of less than two thousand people. She was bound to run into him eventually.
Dina heard the low rumble of a pick-up truck with a failing muffler and broke from her reverie. She stared into the sky, now inky black littered with stars.
Tommy and I in the back of his old pick-up. Under cover of night.
She shook her head sharply to clear her thoughts and sent up a prayer.
Dear God, Keep him out of my path while I'm here. But if I have to run into him, let him be balding and have a beer belly.
**
Going into town is a Saturday occupation for country folks. Dina and her mother had gotten up early to take the drive into Claremont, the tiny town near the farmhouse. Dina had fretted about what to wear for an hour. All these city clothes seemed too fancy, even the casual ones. But cut off jeans weren't an option at her age. Finally deciding on khaki shorts and a blue cotton top with pearl snaps, she brushed out her dark hair and walked out the door.
"What's got you so jittery?" her mother asked once the were well on there way.
"Nothing at all, mama."
