I gave a lopsided grin because I liked this spark of feminist outrage so quickly after she had been throwing around how a woman should look and sound. I was glad she wasn’t stuck in old ideals and traditions after all. Now that she wasn’t purposely pushing at me I could see how easy it was to really like her. She was a character and had no trouble speaking her mind.

I was saved from having to make my brain work by several nurses entering the room with a wheelchair. They were all smiling, and it was clear this was the real Elma Mae. This was the kindhearted older woman that held so much of Church’s heart, the woman that all these people enjoyed taking care of and were sad to see go. The harpy that greeted me, the shrew that raked me over the coals, was all an act. She put me through the gauntlet to see if I was worthy of her boy and by some miracle I passed.

“You ready to go home, Elma?” It was a male nurse that lowered the rails of her bed and helped her move her long legs over the edge. The brace that held her leg straight and secure went all the way up to her hip and seemed very cumbersome and awkward to move.

“More than ready. I’ve been missing all the new episodes of The Blacklist. I can’t wait to get back in front of my DVR.”

He chuckled as I still stood there openmouthed and unable to move. “You’re the coolest, Elma. I’ll have Jenna bring the kids by with cookies once you’re up to having visitors. If you need anything don’t hesitate to call.”

It took some maneuvering and a very delicate touch to get her settled in the chair. Once she was comfortable with her leg extended out in front of her she patted the male nurse’s arm and offered him a warm smile. “You do that but now that all my boys are home I have everything I need.” She lifted an eyebrow at me and tilted her head in my direction as she fake whispered, “And Dashel even brought me a pretty girl to help with all the things he won’t want to do. My boy has good taste, doesn’t he?”

All the nurses turned to look at me and I noticed the looks again, only this time they didn’t feel judgmental but more considering.

“Dash always got all the best-looking girls. Looks like time hasn’t changed much. We were all wondering if your new friend raided your closet when she walked in.” The male nurse chuckled and I looked down at my cow shirt and then over to Elma’s owl shirt. I couldn’t stop the almost hysterical laugh that burst out of me. No wonder they had been watching me like a hawk. I reminded them all of their favorite eccentric. Quirky was cute even when you were in your eighties. That was good to know.

I shoved my hands through my hair and gave a tug at the roots to kick myself back into gear. “I’m going to go move the truck around to the front of the building. It’s lifted to the sky, so I hope you’re prepared to pick her up and put her into it.”

The male nurse nodded at me and told me like it was obvious, “We know all about that monster Jules drives. That’s why I made sure I was on shift when it was time for Elma to go home. We look out for our own around these parts.”

It was like something out of a movie. All that was missing was Tom Hanks eating chocolate, or Brad Pitt reverse aging, or Julia Roberts dying a tragic death. It made me all kinds of warm and fuzzy on the inside to think of them collectively looking out for each other and worrying about the well-being of the community as a whole. This little southern town had every single thing I ever wanted in my life, including the difficult man I couldn’t get my stubborn heart to let go of.

“Of course you look out for one another, because that’s perfect and this place is made of magic and dreams. I’ll meet you outside.” When I made my way back to the front doors I realized all the people that I thought had been sneering at me were actually smirking and trying not to laugh at the fact that the girl Church went halfway around the world to find had the same unusual sense of style and the same kind of effortless charm as the woman that had been the only constant in his youth. I had none of the long, lean elegance that Elma Mae possessed, even confined to a wheelchair, but it was clear despite our physical and generational differences that we both wanted to love and care for those that needed it most.

I was lost in thought as I made my way across the parking lot. I was thinking that I was foolishly glad I had passed Elma’s test, not that it mattered. She might actually like me after all was said and done, but that didn’t change the fact that all Church thought we could have was a complicated friendship and some seriously mind-blowing sex. Granted I was really enjoying exploring both of those things with him but I couldn’t deny that the closer we got, both physically and emotionally, the more I wanted to build every fantasy I had right on top of him and surround him in promises. He told me I deserved to put myself first, to have everything I wanted, but he was the one keeping the thing that I desired most annoyingly out of reach.

I had the keys to the truck in my hand and my head in the clouds, so I barely managed to jump out of the way when a big, black SUV roared by me disturbingly close. Close enough that I could feel the heat coming off the motor. Close enough that I could see my own startled face in the glossy paint as it flew by. Close enough that if I’d been paying attention I would have locked eyes with the driver. My swift reaction made me drop the keys as I jumped back, my backside hitting the side of the borrowed truck with a thump as I stared after the SUV like an idiot. I hadn’t heard a honk. I hadn’t heard the engine rev or even the brakes howl when they got too close. It was almost like the person behind the wheel had deliberately aimed for where I was walking. It seemed like they wanted to watch me jump and purposely caused me to freak out. It seemed like they wanted to scare me, because if they had wanted to plow me over they’d had ample opportunity while I was fantasizing about a future I couldn’t have with the only guy I’d ever wanted one with.