Life was certainly full of surprises, and Sharon had been experiencing a lot of them recently. It was now Monday evening, the Monday after Thanksgiving, and she was trying to relax after her first day at work. Yes, work, but it wasn't at the university, not yet anyway. Oddly enough, Sharon had found a part-time job, or maybe, it was the other way around in that a part-time job had found Sharon. She had been busy the last few weeks, settling into her new life. She spent that first weekend in Flagstaff with Ricky, and the two had done a lot of unpacking. She'd hired a small moving company, and the company had done a good job with her furniture. She didn't have much damaged, and so far, she'd only found a lampshade badly dented and unable to use. She'd been really happy with the movers, which was such a relief after reading horror stories in reviews online with other companies. Ricky's visit had been great and welcome; the two accomplished a tremendous amount over that weekend, and she loved watching him with his baby sister. Ricky had left Sunday at lunch to drive back to Phoenix where he had an evening flight back to San Francisco. It had worked perfectly, and she appreciated the effort her middle child made to see her.
That next week, she spent doing more unpacking. She found herself hauling things into and out of her garage storage as she worked on the décor in her apartment. It was finally feeling like home and looking like it too. After several days of working around the apartment, she decided to get out and check out the local scene. With Hannah, the two went to the local coffee shop first, and Sharon enjoyed some quiet time there while Hannah slept in her stroller. She watched locals drift in and out and tried to stay warm with the cold weather drifting inside every time the door opened. After she finished her hot tea, she checked on Hannah, made sure she was warm, and the two continued their window shopping. She didn't get far as she stepped outside of the coffee shop and spotted a florist next door. She couldn't remember the last time she had flowers, and without any thought, she decided to buy something, anything, to brighten her new apartment. It was a spur of the moment idea, but she smiled as she made her way into the flower shop.
"Morning," the woman said and looked up at her. "How can I help you?"
"Good morning," Sharon smiled back at her. Sharon took in the woman in front of her. She was older than Sharon, with gray shoulder-length hair and glasses. She had on a solid navy t-shirt with a flannel shirt open over it. Sharon looked around before saying anything more, "Well, I'm not sure, but something told me to come inside today. I was just next door at the coffee shop. I'm new in town and thought I might find something to brighten my place. I'm not even sure why I stopped in, honestly," she chuckled.
"I'm Helen," she extended her hand. Sharon walked to the counter and greeted her, putting her hand in Helen's.
"Sharon," she nodded in return. "It's nice to meet you, Helen. Are you the owner?" she asked.
"I am," she nodded as she looked over the counter at the stroller. "Now, who might this angel be?"
Sharon grinned and gestured to the baby, "This is Hannah, my youngest." Hannah was still sleeping, a light pink blanket tucked around her to keep her warm. She also had on a small white hat.
"Youngest," Helen nodded and glanced again at Sharon, almost sizing her up right there. Sharon had the feeling Helen wanted to comment on that, but she didn't. Instead, she said, "How many more do you have at home?"
"Oh," Sharon blushed slightly, "she's the only one at home. My other two are grown and out of the house. As you can see," Sharon gestured to herself, "I'm a little old for this, but she was a very good blessing in disguise."
"Ahh, one of those," Helen smiled. "Well, she's a cutie, and she looks very content and warm there sleeping. So, what brings you here? You have a spouse who was transferred or something?"
"No, divorced," Sharon nodded and gave a small shrug. "Fresh start, and I have a job at the university starting in January. I'll be teaching criminal justice."
"Hmm, we are starting to have more and more in common. I have three kids too, all grown and gone from here," she rolled her eyes slightly. "I'm divorced as well, but I'm not a professor. I've owned this shop for decades, and now, I'm just getting too old for all of it. I hire these college kids to work here, and I don't understand half the things they are discussing with each other," she chuckled.
Sharon laughed too and nodded, "I feel the same around some of the young mothers I've met. I'm ancient in comparison. I'm really not a professor either, not exactly. I've been hired as a lecturer for now, and if that goes well and I enjoy it, it may turn into more. This was a good move, and I'm excited about it. I'm actually a retired police officer."
"You? Really?" Helen pulled her head back in surprise. "I'm sorry," she shook her head and nodded to Sharon, "but you just don't strike me as the type. Well, good for you."
"Thanks," Sharon just nodded. "I know what you mean, and I get that response a lot, that I don't look like a cop. I am," she shrugged, "or, I was. Retired LAPD, police captain," Sharon clarified.
"Amazing!" Helen smiled. "You don't see that often around here. So, you and little Hannah are here to start a new chapter," she nodded to herself. "Well, you most definitely need flowers, even a nice plant to start you off right."
"That sounds nice, lovely, really," Sharon smiled at her.
The two women talked for another 15 minutes before Hannah started to stir. Sharon looked to Helen with a small frown, "I'm afraid I'm going to need to get going. I'll take the plant and this lovely bouquet of mixed flowers."
Helen nodded and waved at her, "You don't have to run out if she needs to be fed. I've got that small table up front where I meet with people planning weddings, funerals, things like that. You're welcome to sit and feed her if you like. It's quiet around here today. Exams are coming up quickly, and my college kids always want more time off. I mean, exams are still a month away, but they all start to panic. It's fine, usually. Then, they go home for the holidays, always leaving me short-staffed."
"Oh, I don't want to bother," Sharon shook her head.
"Look, go if you like, but I could use a cup of coffee. I have a pot on in the back. Are you interested? Sounds like we could both use a friend to just chat," she offered.
Sharon looked around, and Hannah started to cry more. She looked down at Hannah and back at Helen. She nodded, and then bent over to scoop up Hannah before she shrugged at Helen. She pulled off her hat, "Sure, that sounds lovely."
Over the next hour, the two women talked and found out they had even more in common. There were small breaks in conversation. Helen got two phone orders during that time, and Sharon changed Hannah, but otherwise, the women had time to chat and get to know each other better. Helen had grown up in Flagstaff and had bought the flower shop with her husband over 25 years ago. She'd kept the shop, but she'd divorced the husband. Sharon found they had a lot in common, as Helen's ex-husband had cheated on her and left town with the woman, causing Helen to be the talk of the town for awhile. Sharon shared that she'd had a similar experience, the cheating at least, but then, further, that Jack had abandoned her with two small children. The topic of Hannah's paternity was not specifically discussed, and Sharon just left it without explanation. She did tell Helen she was only recently divorced after being separated for years, allowing Helen to assume Hannah belonged to her ex-husband. Helen never asked. Right now, Sharon had decided that was easier than explaining anything else.
After Hannah had been fed and the women had enjoyed their coffee, Sharon was burping Hannah on her shoulder, patting her back, when Helen asked if she could hold her.
"May I?' she gestured and gave her a small smile. "I've been watching you with that darling baby, and I'd love to hold her a moment if you don't mind. My kids are out of the house, but none have kids yet. I'm not a grandma, even if I look like one."
"Sure," Sharon gave her another smile and gave Hannah to her. "She's getting big, and I'm just waiting for the day she starts really grabbing my hair. She latched onto t a handful of it the other day, but it seemed to be by accident. She didn't know what to do with it," Sharon started to laugh.
"Hannah, you are a beauty," Helen said with Hannah in her arms. "I love your dark hair against your light complexion. Hmmm, you are going to have boys after you."
Sharon chuckled and held up her hand, "I'm not in any hurry for that. She's growing so fast already. I'm not sure if I will ever understand how the pregnancy seems endless, but this now," she nodded to Hannah, "goes by in the blink of an eye."
"Before you know it, she will be crawling and walking, talking even. They do grow quickly. What are you going to do with her when you start work?" Helen asked.
Sharon took a deep breath and gave Helen a sympathetic glance, "Cry," she said and let out a low chuckle. "No, I mean, I will be fine. She will be fine. I've always worked. I'm looking forward to working, but it will be hard leaving her. I suppose some of my fear, hmmm not fear, but anxiety is due to the fact I don't know what to expect for either of us. Before, I knew my job, and returning to it was easy. Now, it's all new. This town is new. Our home is new. My job will be new, and daycare for Hannah will be new. I'll be fine," she nodded. "It's just all so new, and I'm adjusting."
Helen gave her a small smile and patted her hand with her free one. She looked down to Hannah in her arms, "Well, she is doing just fine, so that means you are already doing a great job. You've had a lot of change this year it sounds. Do you have family in town to help?"
"No," Sharon gave her a small smile, "we are on our own. My parents are in Phoenix, but they are older. My kids are out of state, and I left a lot of my life behind in California. It's nice to start over, but honestly, it's a bit lonely too. That's one of the reasons we got out of the house today."
"So, between now and January, do you have ways to meet other moms or other people?" Helen asked.
Sharon bit her lip, "I'm not sure I really fit with other moms, at least ones with infants. I'm just so much older than most. I'm going to try the Catholic Church, but I just don't know. My son advised me to get out of the house and not be a hermit," she chuckled. "I'm trying."
"This sounds crazy," Helen told her, but she shrugged and continued, "as I'm a believer in things happening for a reason. I could really use some seasonal help. I told you I usually have a few college kids on my staff, but most will be going home. I think I have one, maybe two who will be here through the holidays. We are pretty busy then, which," she chuckled, "I know, doesn't look like it right now. I could use an extra hand. Now, I am simple. What you see is what you get. I can't offer much in pay, but I would have no problem with you bringing Hannah with you, whatever you need to do. You can put up some sort of bed thing for her in the back if you want. I don't need you all the time, just a few hours a week. It would help me a lot. I have only just met you, and you've only just met me. We could totally hate each other," she grinned at Sharon and continued, "but we could also work really well together. Are you at all interested? It would be a nice way to meet some of the locals."
Sharon looked to her, the shock evident on her face. She shook her head, "I don't know what to say," she finally admitted.
Helen nodded and continued to look at Hannah, "Think about it. I really do need some help. I don't mind Hannah here at all. The idea just came to me as we talked. You need to meet people, and I need to hire help. Hannah might just bring in more business," she chuckled. "People love cute babies."
Sharon pursed her lips and nodded, "You said you need some help, just seasonal?"
Helen shrugged, "Yes, at least for now. If you have travel plans, I'm flexible. It might work. It might be awful. What do you have to lose? If you have one of those baby carrier things, you could even wear her. I really don't mind. This is a small family-style business. It would be nice having another mature adult here," she winked at Sharon.
"Can I think about it, at least for today?" Sharon asked.
"Please," Helen nodded. "I can tell you are a thinker. Just let me know."
Sharon nodded and said, "I will think about it. It might be perfect. I've spent the majority of my career dealing with a lot of sadness. I've seen some of the worst in people. It might be nice to deal with something bright and cheery, to be around flowers. Flowers just have a way of warming one's heart."
Now, here at the end of November, Sharon was relaxing on her couch after her first day at the flower shop. She had a vase full of flowers sitting in front of her, and she couldn't help but smile at that. The month had flown by. Thanksgiving was already over now. For that, she'd enjoyed a nice long weekend in Phoenix with her parents and Ricky to celebrate the holiday. They had all spoiled her and sent her out for an afternoon on her own while they watched Hannah. Sharon had taken Ricky to dinner while her parents doted on their youngest granddaughter. It had been good for family time, even though Emily couldn't fly there to be with all of them. She'd also told them of her new job and just how excited she was about it. Yes, she had taken the job. That day, back when she'd first met Helen, she'd taken two hours to think over the offer before calling Helen and telling her they had a deal. Sharon told her she had plans to see her family over Thanksgiving, and with that in mind, the women decided Sharon would start the Monday after Thanksgiving. Now, she was exhausted, as was Hannah, who was sleeping on Sharon's chest.
It felt good to work, to get out of the apartment and do something. This job had fallen into her lap, and it seemed to be just perfect for her right now. She wasn't looking for a job that had her working 12+ hours a day. She was looking for a way to be social, to get out of the house, and also a way to spend time with her daughter. She'd done all of that today, and it felt great. It wasn't about the money. Helen had apologized for not being able to pay her much over minimum wage, but Sharon didn't care. She had her pension, and she would be making decent money at the university. No, this would be perfect for the holiday season. It put her into the holiday spirit, a spirit she loved. She'd worked five hours today, and it felt great. To be honest, she had to admit it was nice to get back into a routine of sorts. Hannah had done well too, which Sharon knew might not always be the case, but today, she'd done well. Sharon had worn her in the carrier for part of the time she'd been working, and she'd even put her in her travel crib for her nap. Helen had cleared out a space for that in her office, and it had gone smoothly. Thankfully, Helen didn't mind when Hannah needed to be fed, and that too, had gone well. Yes, things did happen for a reason, and Sharon now knew that this job was just the right thing for her as she was settling into life in Flagstaff.
