“No.” Casey stood up, her hands flat on the counter. “It wasn’t his fault.” She attempted a smile. “He’s fine.”
Johnny stood chewing on his lip, his eyes twitching.
She tried harder at the smile. “I’m glad to see you, too, Johnny. Thank you.”
His tight face relaxed, and the smile returned. “See, Eric. You find nice ladies.”
“Yes, Johnny, I do.” He steered Casey toward a chair and pushed her down into it. “What happened?”
“Nothing.” She brushed him away and rubbed her face. “He just surprised me, is all. Now, what can I do?”
Obviously not convinced, he reluctantly set her to work doing what she had the previous night—arranging bread in baskets and cutting up just-past-ripe fruit. She could feel his eyes on her throughout their food preparation, and even when the guests began arriving.
“Eric.” She waved him over to the kitchen door from his spot in the dining room.
“What is it? Are you feeling all right?”
“I’m fine. Really. Now pay attention to them, not me. Okay?”
Color rose in his cheeks, and he looked away.
“I appreciate it, Eric, but really, they need your attention more than I do.”
He let out a breath. “Yeah. I guess you’re right. You don’t really need help from me, do you?” Without looking at her again, he set to work welcoming the diners.
Casey did what she could to serve, scooping out macaroni, taking away garbage, and refilling water glasses. As she worked and watched, it became even more apparent, this second night, that food was only partly why the people came. The time here in Home Sweet Home served another, perhaps even more important, function. More than filling their bellies.
These people’s lives were hard. They’d lost jobs. They’d lost dignity. They’d lost Ellen Schneider. This fellowship, this time together, underscored the reality that they weren’t alone. They weren’t the only people suffering. Here, in this room, was proof that others were as badly off as they. Some even worse. It wasn’t their life, alone, that had been affected.
But this realization wouldn’t come through conversation. The people were as quiet as the night before, speaking only when they needed something passed, or to offer a quick thank you after being served. But they were together. They understood each other.
And they had Eric.
Casey watched Eric as he mingled with the people. He, out of everyone, was the central figure. Not in a showy way. But everyone in the room seemed aware of him, turning toward him, searching him out, as one searches out any item of comfort. His concern for the people was evident on his face as he moved from one to another, listening, talking, putting an arm around a shoulder.
What exactly was his connection here? While Eric had questioned Casey about her presence at HomeMaker, she hadn’t asked why he was there. Was he an employee? Had he been visiting someone? And what had those other two—Holly and Thomas—meant in the church garden? Who were Eric’s parents? And why did they think he had the upper hand?
“Praise God, here are the cookies!” Loretta handed Casey a tray with cookie plates, filled with a variety of day-old goodies from the bakery.
Casey took the tray and walked around the tables, leaning in to deposit dessert every so often. The people whispered thank yous, but didn’t look up and meet her eyes. She wondered how long she would have to work there before they would be brave enough to acknowledge her presence.
She met up with Eric at the kitchen door. “You okay?”
He shrugged. “Sure. Why wouldn’t I be?”
Right.
The diners ate the cookies quickly, and were soon headed home. Eric stood as host at the front of the room, shaking hands and patting the kids’ heads. Casey smiled. He should be running for office.
As soon as the door shut, Eric locked it and strode to the kitchen. “Any of that macaroni left, Loretta!”
“Thank you, Jesus, there’s just enough!”
She pulled a partially filled casserole dish from the oven, and Casey found a couple of bruised peaches in the refrigerator, which she sliced and distributed on their plates.
“Silverware, nice lady!” Johnny thrust a bundle at her.
“Thank you, Johnny.”
“I’m the best at wrapping it, you know.”
“Yes, Johnny, you definitely are.”
They sat at the end of one of the dining room tables, Loretta said grace (Thank you, precious Jesus!), and Johnny told them all about a restaurant he’d visited when he was sixteen, and how the napkins were folded like pyramids. Eric made comments at the right places, but Casey could see he wasn’t entirely with them.
He finally set down his silverware on his empty plate. “Well, Loretta and Johnny, do you mind cleaning up? Casey and I have a rehearsal to get to.” He smiled at Casey, almost erasing the worry from his face.
“Is it that time already?” Casey glanced at the clock. The day kept flying by. And she wasn’t exactly looking forward to another meeting with Thomas, or coming face-to-face with this Holly person, who obviously didn’t want her around.
Eric stood and took Casey’s plate, along with his. “We can clean up before dinner tomorrow. If Loretta doesn’t mind wiping down the tables, at least?”
Loretta clucked her tongue. “Of course I’m happy to do that, baby. Jesus wasn’t afraid to work, thank the Lord! ”
“I appreciate it. See you tomorrow, Johnny?”
Johnny jumped up from his chair to hug Eric, and spun toward Casey. She was ready this time, and folded her arms protectively in front of her chest to receive Johnny’s embrace.
“See you tomorrow, Johnny.”
“See you, nice lady.”
Eric walked her to the front door, so he could lock it behind her. He smiled as she passed. “Wanna race again?”
She made a face. “On a full stomach? I don’t think so. Besides, I don’t want to make you look silly in front of the cast.”
“I’ve still got the car.”
“Yeah, but I’m getting a head start, and it’s not that far.”
He grinned. “What if I told you I’m walking?”
She waved at her bike. “You can have a ride on my handlebars.”
He eyed the old Schwinn. “I think I’ll pass, thanks.”
“How ‘bout I just wait for you to lock up, so we can arrive together?”
He leaned against the doorway, his arms crossed. “Scared?”
“Not for me. But I think Thomas is going to be gunning for you tonight, after your show of…whatever it was last night.”
He pushed off from the jamb. “Nah. He’s too wimpy, when it comes right down to it. And he really has no say in the matter.”
“I wanted to ask you about that—”
“So we’d better get going. Just a sec.” He trotted back into the building and came out with his bag, Loretta following. “She’ll lock up. Shall we?”
Casey walked beside her bike, with Eric on the other side.
“It’ll be interesting tonight,” Eric said.
“Why’s that?”
“Whole cast will be there. You only met some of them last night.”
“Aaron and Jack, right? And Becca?”
“Yup. And there’ll be a few more. Todd, who does some of the older male roles, and Leila. She fills in wherever needed—acting, props, whatever.”
“And will I like Holly?”
