A Magnolia Homecoming

Clementine

I’m just attempting to adjust to my new normal. With Archer moved out and Dad gone, I’ve never been this alone or this lost. On the spur of the moment, I decide to put in a bid on a vacant space next to the hardware store with the idea of opening a dance studio.

If everyone is living their dream, why can’t I?

Little did I know, Jake, my ex-boyfriend becomes my only competition. He’s back and once again, messing up my plans. Problem is, no matter how much I try to push him away, he doesn’t seem to want to go anywhere.

Shari

My marriage isn’t as perfect as everyone thinks it is. Sure, I have the perfect house with the white picket fence. The expected, 2.5 children who are perfectly imperfect. But something is going on with Craig. I can feel it.

Smell it on his shirt when he comes home.

Thankfully, my baby brother Jake is back home and looking to make Magnolia his permanent residence. Even though I don’t have to say anything, he seems to understand just what I need. Because my life is so close to breaking, and the last thing I need is to be alone.

A Magnolia Homecoming with capture you from page one. It’s a story full of second chances, laughter, tears, and swoon-worthy romance.

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Shari

“Bye, Mrs. Harper!” Hannah yelled as she hurried from her
classroom and sprinted right past me.

I raised my finger, getting ready to tell her to walk, but before
the words left my lips, she’d rounded the corner and was out of sight.

I smiled as I shook my head. I didn’t blame her. It was Friday.
Everyone was desperate to get home. And the excited hum that sounded down the
hallway told me there was no stopping the flow of students even if I wanted to.

So I leaned my back against the wall and nodded and waved as the
kids passed by. Ten minutes later, the buses were gone, and the hallways that
had thrummed with life were empty.

I sighed as I pushed off the wall and headed into the front
office. Cassidy was sitting behind the front desk with her headset on, speaking
loudly into the microphone that almost touched her lips.

“I know, Mrs. Trudue, but Lincoln is still here. He didn’t get on
the bus, and it has left.”

I glanced over to see Lincoln Trudue sitting there with mussed
blond hair and pink cheeks. I didn’t have to ask to know what he had been doing
instead of getting on the bus. “Playing on the playground?” I asked him as I
rounded Cassidy’s desk and pulled out the papers that were tucked in my mail
cubby.

“No, I can’t turn the buses back to come and get him, that’s not how
this works,” Cassidy continued. I could hear the frustration in her voice.

I offered her a sympathetic smile, and she just widened her eyes.
I chuckled. I knew the pain of dealing with parents who thought we had more
control than we actually did.

Just as I opened my office door, Tag and Bella squealed. Bella was
sitting on my desk chair, and Tag was spinning her around. I shut my door and
walked over to set my mail in the basket on the corner of my desk.

“How was school?” I asked as I stopped the chair. Tag let out a
growl of complaint. Bella looked green as she stumbled off the chair and
staggered over to one of my armchairs opposite my desk.

“Mom, stop,” Tag said with his newly adopted hint of annoyance as
he pushed past me and back over to the chair I’d moved away from him. I
swallowed the anger that rose inside of me. That tone was new, and I wasn’t
quite sure how to eradicate it. I knew it had something to do with the fact
that Craig wasn’t around much anymore.

Tag was not shy in informing me that I was not his father, and I
wasn’t sure how to handle his disrespect. As an educator, I’d attempted all of
the responses I’d been taught in my training, but nothing seemed to work.

Apparently mother was different than teacher.

“I don’t want you to spin in my chair. I have a few things to
finish up before we can leave,” I said as I kept my hand firmly placed on the
chair. Tag stared up at me and then narrowed his eyes.

“Fine,” he said as he grabbed his backpack and pulled open my
door. He was gone before I could stop him. I sighed as I watched the office
door close. Thankfully, the entire school knew who he was, and I trusted the
other teachers to help keep him in line, even though it was completely
embarrassing that I needed their help to do so.

I was his mother. I should know what he needed from me.

Feeling utterly exhausted, I collapsed into my now empty chair and
tipped my head back and closed my eyes. I took in a few deep breaths as I
allowed my mind to still. When it came to work, my life made sense. But once I
stepped out of these four walls, everything fell apart.

And I was at a loss on how to pick the pieces up in any meaningful
way.

“Tag’s mad, Mommy,” Bella said. I glanced over to see that she had
her lunchbox open and was munching on some leftover animal crackers that I’d
packed for her this morning. Her motion sickness must have worn off, and she
was back to her happy, carefree personality.

“Yeah,” I said as I straightened and moved to finish the emails I
needed to send out and a few budgetary items I needed to record. Once I checked
them off my to-do list, I packed a few projects into my bag and slung my purse
over my shoulder.

Bella had finished her crackers and was now busy watching a show
on my phone. Tag had yet to resurface.

“Come on,” I said as I grabbed my empty water bottle and
half-eaten lunch from my mini fridge. I’d been too stressed and busy to finish
the leftover spaghetti I’d packed. In fact, my appetite had been pretty
non-existent lately. Finding the lipstick stain on Craig’s uniform three days
ago hadn’t helped.

I knew that things were bad between us, I just didn’t know that
they’d gotten that bad. When I confronted Craig about it, he claimed he had
arrested a woman the night before. And I wanted to believe him, I did. But the
pit that formed in my stomach told me otherwise.

I wasn’t stupid, and it angered me that Craig thought I was.

I pushed thoughts of my husband from my mind as I grasped Bella’s
hand and walked through the office. I called a quick goodnight to Cassidy and
pushed through to the hallway.

Thankfully, it didn’t take me long to find Tag. He was holed up in
the library with his nose tucked in a comic. He was predictable, that child of
mine.

He sighed his annoyed sigh when I told him it was time to go. But
I was grateful that he didn’t push me too much. We piled into the car, and I
drove through town to our home.

Mine and Craig’s house. The one we’d bought when we were newly
married ten years ago. The one we brought both Tag and Bella home to. The one
that I couldn’t help but feel was changing, and there was nothing I could do to
stop it.

I pulled into the driveway, and Tag and Bella pulled open the
doors and jumped out as soon as the car stopped. I allowed the engine to idle,
cool air bursting from the vents and covering my skin. Goosebumps rose up in
response, but I barely noticed.

Instead, I just sat there, staring at the closed garage in front
of me. Our driveway was empty, which meant Craig wasn’t here. Since it was his
day off, I was expecting to find his car parked and him inside. But that wasn’t
the case.

“Where did he go?” I whispered to myself as I pulled out my phone
and stared at the black screen. I had a sinking suspicion as to where he’d
gone. Any woman knew when her relationship was slipping. But I didn’t know,
know. All my evidence was anecdotal, and I feared the backlash Craig would give
me if I asked him.

So I drew in a deep breath and pushed out all the anxiety that had
risen up inside of me. If I allowed my questions to eat me alive, I wasn’t
going to be the patient mother that my children needed me to be. Instead, I
would be snapping at them for every little incident, and I couldn’t do that to them.
Not with Tag already sensing something was wrong.

Determination rose up inside of me as I turned off the engine and
gathered my things. I slammed the car door and hurried inside. After dumping my
purse on the table, I turned toward the kitchen only to silently curse.

Craig had promised to take care of the dishes today. But just like
everything else lately, he’d failed to follow through. The dishes were stacked
precariously in the sink, and I winced as I thought of all the dried food that
was stuck to them.

My cheeks flushed as I fought the tears that clung to my lashes. I
felt ridiculous, reacting this way. They were dishes. It wasn’t like it was the
end of the world. So why did it feel that way?

“Mommy, can I watch a show?” Bella asked, snapping me from my
thoughts.

I startled and glanced down to see her holding up the family iPad.
I nodded—even though I felt guilty—and turned it on. I needed all the help I
could get. If I was going to get dinner cooked and the kitchen cleaned, I
couldn’t deal with the fights between Tag and Bella that were sure to come if I
left those two to their own devices.

Tag was already in his room, and I could hear the sounds of his
video games coming from under the door. I sighed, not liking what he was doing
but feeling powerless to stop him. Craig had bought the gaming system despite
my protests, and now if I took it away, I knew Tag would only resent me more.
So I let him do it. I’d stop him eventually, but right now wasn’t the time.

With both kids preoccupied, I turned my attention to the dishes. I
grabbed my earbuds and slipped them in. I turned on our book club read and lost
myself in the story as I unloaded the dishwasher. I was halfway through rinsing
the dirty dishes and finding places for them when two arms wrapped around me,
and suddenly I was airborne.

I screamed as I hurried to pull the buds from my ears. My first
thought was for my children. But when I turned to see the big smile and floppy
hair of Jake, my ridiculously childish brother, my reaction was stifled in my
throat.

Jake chuckled as he set me down. I almost fell over but managed to
catch myself before I did. Going from adrenaline pumping through my veins to
relief left me shaky and unstable.

“What the crap, Jake?” I breathed out as I reached forward to
whack his arm. He’d been planning to return to Magnolia earlier, but then a few
of his traveling arrangements had fallen through. I’d been waiting to hear what
had happened, but he hadn’t sent me so much as a text. So I’d figured his plans
of returning home were over.

He just stood there, smiling at me as he leaned against the
countertop. He was wearing his signature t-shirt and jeans. There was a faint
fish smell to him—one that I’d gotten used to over the years. And I would be
lying if I said I didn’t appreciate the familiarity.

It reminded me of home. It reminded me of our dad. It reminded me
of a time when my life was a lot less complicated.

“I wanted to surprise you,” he said as he reached out and grabbed
a handful of grapes from the bowl on the counter. He popped one in his mouth
and chewed for a moment before he grinned at me. “Were you surprised?”

I patted my heart for a moment, as if that was all it took to calm
it down, and then returned to the sink where I grabbed the dish I had been
rinsing. “What do you think?”

He nodded as he leaned into me. “I think you were terrified.” He
raised his hands. “Ahh.” His scream was much quieter and more mocking
than mine.

I shouldered him but kept my hands on the dish that I then loaded
into the dishwasher. Now that the machine was full, I added the dish detergent
and pressed start. It hummed to life. With a now clean kitchen, I turned to
face my brother who was busy finishing the grapes in his hand.

“How long are you here for?” I folded my arms and gave him an
appraising look.

He chewed and swallowed before he spoke. “Until you get annoyed of
me.”

I sighed, needing his answer to be different. I needed him to be
serious. I missed my brother, and right now, I could really use his support.
“Seriously.”

Jake held his smile for a minute before it fell. “Everything
okay?”

I cleared my throat, frustrated that I’d let my guard slip. I
didn’t want to burden him with my issues—especially when I didn’t know if my
assumptions were facts yet. So I smiled and nodded. “Of course. Your ancient
sister just doesn’t like surprises. I need to know what to expect. So I can
plan.”

Jake studied me for a moment before he chuckled. “Plan? What is
that?”

I grabbed a dishtowel and swatted him with it. “It’s what mature mothers
do.”

“Mother,” he said quietly. Then he glanced around. “Speaking of
that, where are my niece and nephew?” His gaze fell on me. “And Craig.”

My cheeks flushed at the mention of my husband’s name. And I knew
that was ridiculous. I shouldn’t react that way. But I had, so I turned to face
the cabinet and busied myself with pulling down a glass as I gathered my
emotions.

“Um, the off spring are getting screen time, and Craig had some
things to take care of.” I pinched my lips together as I waited for Jake to ask
more. I knew my brother. He wasn’t going to be satisfied with I don’t know.

“Oh.”

When he didn’t say more, I turned to look at him. Needing to get
my brother out of my house before he realized how crappy my life had become, I
clapped my hands together. “I don’t want to cook.”

Jake raised his eyebrows as if I were asking him to do it instead.

I waved my hand in his direction. “That’s not what I meant. How
about Shakes to celebrate you coming home?”

Jake’s smile widened as he nodded and shot a finger pistol in my
direction. “Genius. I’ll grab my bag and stick it into the guest room.”

My heart dropped. “The what? Why?”

He paused in the doorway. “Because I’m staying here until I find a
place.”

Before I could say anything, he was outside with the storm door
slamming behind him. I stood there, gaping at the glass as our conversation
played in my head like a toy monkey playing the cymbals.

Jake was staying here. In the house that was very quickly falling
down around me. As much as I loved my brother, this was a part of my life that
I didn’t want him to see—that I didn’t want anyone to see.

I felt like I was going to be sick.

This was not good. Not good at all.