Page 75 of In a Word, Yes

“Elementary education. From the time she was just a little thing, Leah has always known she wanted to be a teacher.”

“That’s wonderful. I have a third grader, and believe me, good teachers are everything. Do you think your daughter might someday want to return and teach here in Charity Falls?”

Hickey sighs. “Man, wouldn’t that be something? Leah has expressed that it’s her dream. Obviously her mother and I would like to see it happen, not just for us but for her.”

I sit up a little in my chair. Now we’re getting somewhere. “Why ‘for her’?”

“For her to have the opportunity to experience this community as a grown woman, as a citizen, and maybe, someday, raising a family...”

With all gentleness I say, “Well, the way things are going, it will be hard to settle here on a teacher’s salary. But I don’t need to tell you that.” What I don’t say is that I wouldn’t still be here five years later if I hadn’t locked in one of the last remaining affordableapartments. Not to mention receiving occasional help from my folks. There are no guarantees Chase and I have a long-term future here.

Hickey lowers his eyes, picks absently at the label on his bottle. “That is true. Housing prices will continue to escalate with demand.”

“Mmm. That’ll make it tough,” I say.

“Indeed.”

“Inevitably people of means will always want to live here.”

“Inevitably.”

I lean in. “With that in mind, I’ll let you fill in the blank. More housing is...?”

Hickey draws a breath and his nose flares. He stands, then circles around and sits down behind his desk.

Oh, dang.That’s it? Does this mean I’m done here?

But then the city manager pins me with a look. “The real problem, Ms. Montgomery, and I hope you’re taking notes, is that thirty percent of the homes in Charity Falls sit unoccupied. Thirty percent of homeowners are either snowbirds or out-of-town investors. We can’t solve this problem overnight, but we must work together toward a solution. Meanwhile, we have got ourselves a serious housing crunch.” Hickey leans back in his chair. Taps his desk with a pen. “So. To answer your question, more housing is ... way overdue. It’s the right thing to do.”

“Sooner or later?”

“Sooner rather than later.”

“So then, in light of all this, would you say you’re in favor of the proposed development?”

Hickey laces his hands, lays them on the desk. “I am in favor of the new development ... with certain caveats.”

That’s it,Montgomery, I think, with a little thrill in my chest as I close my notebook.You got it.Standing, I extend a hand to thank our city manager.

***

Several new emails await my return, but only one that needs immediate attention. The one with the subject line that reads “Sheriff’s Calls.” Two things about this strike me as unusual. First, Wyatt typically sends those to our editor in chief on Mondays. Not to me.

The other weird thing is the physical sensation elicited by seeing Wyatt’s name in my inbox. A fluttering in my abdomen. This has to stop.Put on your professional cap, Lucy.

I open the email.

Sam instructed me to send these directly to you now. Sounds like congratulations are in order for a promotion? Congrats!

Also, you should probably know that your son invited me over to watchStar Trek. I’ll leave it to your discretion. But for the record, most nights I’m available if you two would like to beam me over.

Thrumming my fingers across my lips, I wait for the butterflies to fly away, back to wherever they came from. They don’t.

Instead, they bring friends.

Twenty-Seven

alacrity(n.): a cheerful readiness to do something