She cracked a laugh and picked up her pen. “Let’s hear ‘em!”
Twenty minutes later, Mrs. Woodworth answered my knock and appeared absolutely floored to see me on her doorstep but not so that she couldn’t find words to discourage me from doing it indefinitely.
“Joleigh-Anna . . . honey, look—this is very sweet, but I really feel you ought to stop hanging onto Irvyn like this! You gave him back his ring, and I applaud you for your good sense. But now you ought to let it rest. Irvyn’s moving on with his life. I hope you’ll accept that and not come between him and his future.” She put a hand on my arm. “We’ll appear at your parents’ anniversary party, dear. We wouldn’t cut you entirely. But it is time for you to get on with your life.”
She’d shut the door gently but firmly upon me then. Left
