was bone-weary tired. She had arrived at 4:00 A.M. to make sure everything was ready for what was supposed to be one of the busiest days of the year. She had opened the doors at 6:00, preparing for the early shoppers to arrive, despite the fact that no one was lined up at the entrance, as she’d hoped.
As she lay there with nothing but her thoughts to occupy her, she thought about her father and his illness. He remained in such high spirits and always had a positive attitude, and she knew that she had to do whatever it took to keep the store open. If that meant delving into her own funds, then so be it. She didn’t have the heart to deliver the news to her parents, especially at the beginning of the holiday season. She would call her financial adviser Monday morning. Lauren knew he would advise against this, but she didn’t care. It had to be done. Family was such an integral part of her life. Even though she’d been an only child, she hadn’t been spoiled. Lauren had worked for her family since the seventh grade and had started saving her pennies even then. The Montgomerys were a tight-knit bunch, and that meant a lot to her.
After punching the pillow numerous times in order to get comfortable, she finally gave up and decided to make a cup of tea. She took a bottle of water from the refrigerator, poured it into the all-glass teakettle she kept at the store, zapped it in the microwave, and ten minutes later sipped her favorite chamomile tea. It was just after two. She wasn’t going to sleep, no matter how tired she was, so she let her thoughts drift where they might.
Until shortly before returning to Fallen Springs three years ago, Lauren had been in a very serious relationship with Eric Porter, her polar opposite. He came from a large family, had relatives spread throughout the States and abroad, and cared little for his siblings or his parents. While Lauren hadn’t liked this aspect of his personality, she’d accepted it as his history. She’d never met his parents, and maybe Eric had had good reasons for his feelings. The few times she’d brought up the subject, he’d become angry, so she would let the topic rest, giving him the benefit of the doubt. They had been an item for almost three years when she started to realize that the parts of his personality that had amused her during the early stages of their relationship had begun to turn her off completely. Soon, they began to spend less time together, and when they did, she realized she couldn’t wait to get back to her condo and her life.
He was a bit arrogant, too. She came to realize all of this as their relationship faded. He’d always questioned her about her finances, and that was just one more thing to add to her ever-growing list of discontents. When seeing him became a chore, she broke it off and felt as though she was free to live life on her own terms again.
It was soon after this that her mother made the fateful telephone call asking her to return to Fallen Springs. Lauren was devastated by her father’s diagnosis and immediately prepared for the changes it would bring.
At first, she didn’t see her father’s illness as debilitating. He was able to continue with his normal routine but tired easily. She had thought her mother might have exaggerated the extent of his disability until she saw firsthand how debilitating his condition was.
When he became unable to walk, her mother had called the ambulance, and he’d been admitted to the hospital for infusions that seemed to help for a few weeks. After several episodes, he became even weaker, and Lauren realized that her mother truly needed her. She was thankful she’d had the freedom and the financial wherewithal to help her parents when they had needed her most.
At 5:00, she finally fell into a fitful sleep, only to be awakened by the business phone.
“Hello,” she said groggily.
“Lauren, why are you still at the store? I’ve been worried to death,” her mother asked.
“Mom, I’m sorry. My car wouldn’t start. I didn’t want to wake you. I’m okay.”
“Well, thank goodness. I was about to send the police to the store.”
Lauren smiled, knowing her mother would have done just that.
“Go back to bed. I’ll have my car towed to Jimmy’s tomorrow, today.” It was already tomorrow, she