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Her father spoke first, and to her surprise, he didn’t seem to be speaking to her.
“They’ll be serving breakfast soon. I was going to show Maddie around a bit and take her there afterwards. Would you like to join us?” His tone was slightly forced, but to his credit, it did seem like he’d tried to sound at least somewhat inviting.
Saff was quiet for a beat before Sylvia added, “They’ll have more coffee there.”
Maddie smirked. “Well, she’ll definitely say yes now.”
Saff loosed a breath that held just a touch of amusement. “Sure.”
Footsteps trudged down beside her. “Maddie?” her dad said, brushing his arm against hers. She reached up and took it, walking beside him as he guided them down the path.
As they walked, her father described and explained each main area they passed and its purpose.
Saff remained quiet the entire walk, while Maddie asked the occasional question for both of them. Although she knew Saff was probably memorizing every word he spoke.
She wondered what she thought of it—if it was up to her high standards.
They walked for a while, and Maddie began to mostly tune out what he was saying, until eventually, they came to a building that he explained had been turned into a makeshift dining hall.
He led them to the doors, and that’s when she tuned back in. The smell of food and a hint of coffee wafted inside.
“They usually don’t bring out the food still for a little while,” he said, “but my wife has been helping out here in the mornings. Usually, she can get me an early cup of coffee.”
As they entered, the smells and noises grew.
A light murmur of voices filled the space around them, and Maddie felt almost nostalgic at the sound. It sounded normal in a way she hadn’t heard in a very long time. Not even at their lake community did it ever feel that way—so crowded with life.
A few seconds later, she heard her mother’s approaching voice.
“Hi honey,” she said before placing a hand on her arm and giving it a light squeeze.
“Hey Mom,” she answered with a smile. Then she cleared her throat. “Mom, this is Saff.”
“I’m Erin,” her mother said, in her usual warm tone. “Maddie filled us in on a lot last night. I can’t thank you enough for being one of the reasons she’s back here with us now.”
Saff mumbled something that Maddie couldn’t quite make out over the noises of the surrounding crowd.
Her father quickly cut in then, and Maddie wondered if he could sense some type of tension in Saff. “You have a couple of cups of coffee we could steal before the rush arrives?”
Her mother chuckled. “Let me see what I can do,” she replied. “Maddie, honey, why don’t you join me?”
Maddie frowned, not entirely ready to walk away from Saff just yet.
“Sure,” she muttered reluctantly.
She lifted a hand, and her mother took her by the arm, leading them away.
Chapter twenty-one
After a few seconds of standing there uncomfortably, James motioned to a table nearby, and they each sat down on opposite sides.
“So,” he started, resting a fist lazily beneath his chin, “Maddie said you’re a doctor?”
Saff wanted to say no. She’d had that conversation enough for one day.
“Yeah,” she answered reluctantly.
“And how was that going for you?” he asked. “Can’t imagine you see many patients when you’re traveling alone.”