Gifted a Second Chance at Life

Chapter 2

It was late morning, and the weather was the same as Callie’s mood: gloomy, overcast, and cold. She dropped off her first resume less than ten minutes after leaving her parents’ house. It was also the first of many rejections she had already received.

Callie had worried about finding work when she returned to Green Forest, and her worries were confirmed. Everyone she spoke with knew her or her family and was happy to see her. Unfortunately, all of them had said the same thing. Times were tight, and they had no openings. They all promised to call her if a position opened up or if they heard of anything. That was nice, and while she appreciated the gestures, they did nothing to help her and Maya as they tried to start over.

She stopped at a coffee shop on Main Street to get something hot to drink. Callie hoped it would soothe her nerves and fortify her to keep going. She wouldn’t deny that being turned down over and over was wearing on her. Callie let out a sigh as she stepped up to the counter.

“Can I get an extra-large mocha latte with extra chocolate and whipped cream?” Callie asked as she pulled her card out of her wallet.

“You got it,” the barista chirped before she turned to begin preparing the order.

“You don’t happen to have any openings here, do you?” Callie asked as she paid.

“You know, I’m not sure,” the woman replied as she made Callie’s coffee. “Our manager mentioned something about needing to find someone new, but she might have been venting and not serious about it. She’s in the back and will be out in a minute if you want to talk to her.”

“Yes! That would be great!” Callie exclaimed, sounding more excited about working in a coffee shop than she should have been.

“Taste this, and if you want me to add a little more chocolate syrup, I will,” the barista said with a wink.

Callie took a sip of the coffee and let out a moan. It was the best cup of coffee she had ever tasted. She shook her head as she tapped on the side of the cup.

“This is amazing. It is, hands down, the best latte I have ever had,” Callie said with her first genuine smile since she arrived in Green Forest.

“That’s what I was hoping to hear. It’s my own top-secret recipe for the way I make mine,” the barista giggled. She stuck her hand out and said, “I’m Jay, by the way. Well, Jaylynne, but everyone calls me Jay.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Callie said, shaking Jay’s hand. “I’m Callie. Technically, it’s Callista, but call me Callie.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Callie,” Jay grinned. “Are you visiting family here? I don’t remember ever seeing you before.”

“I grew up here, went away for school, and now I’m back,” Callie explained, leaving out specific details and the general timeline. “I’m a teacher, but there aren’t any openings at the school right now, and probably won’t be until the new school year. That means I need to find a job, any job, as soon as possible.”

A middle-aged woman came out from the back of the coffee shop and joined Jay behind the counter. She had been quietly muttering as she did until she reached Jay and noticed Callie. With that, the woman plastered on a smile and acted as if nothing were wrong.

“Hi! Welcome to Copper Pot Coffee. Are you enjoying your coffee?” the woman asked.

“I am. Thank you,” Callie replied.

“Callie, this is Bonnie, our manager,” Jay said. “Bonnie, this is Callie, and she is hoping you might have an opening here at the Copper Pot.”

The smile fell from Bonnie’s face as she sighed. Callie understood what that meant. She had seen it several times that day. It meant there was no job available for her at the coffee shop.

“I’m sorry, Callie, but right now, I don’t have any openings,” Bonnie said as she tried to give Callie a friendly smile. “I have an employee on thin ice at the moment, and if they miss any more shifts, a position will be available. Do you have a number where I can reach you?”

Callie quickly pulled a copy of her resume out of her bag and handed it to Bonnie. Jay moved where she could look at it while Bonnie flipped through it. Both women seemed surprised by what they read.

“With this resume, why do you want to serve coffee here?” Bonnie questioned. “Something doesn’t seem right about that.”

Callie sighed. She had hoped she would be able to make it through at least one day without telling someone what a failure she was. She lowered her gaze and tried to find the right words.

“My daughter and I are trying to start over. It was a bad divorce, so I had to move home until I can find a job. I’m hoping to be hired as a teacher here in town eventually, but until then, I will take any job I can get,” Callie admitted.

“You are just the kind of person I want to work with,” Bonnie said with a smile. She sighed, “But, as I said, I don’t have any openings. I promise that if that changes, you will be my first call.”

“Thank you, Bonnie,” Callie nodded as she mustered a smile. “That seems to be what everyone is saying, and I can’t blame them for that, with it being this close to the holidays.”

“Still, I wish there was more I could do,” Bonnie said. “And I think I know of something I can do. How about I give you a free cup of coffee each day while you are out searching for a job? We also have free Wi-Fi and some of the best cookies in town. You are welcome to come in and take advantage of it whenever you need it. How does that sound?”

“It sounds wonderful. Thank you,” Callie said as she saw Jay putting something in a small bag.

“These are on me,” Jay grinned as she gave the bag to Callie. “A loaded brownie and one of our ginormous chocolate chip cookies. Enjoy! It sounds like you need a little happy right now.”

“Thank you! I mean that!” Callie smiled warmly at the women. “I’m sorry. I wish I could stay longer, but I still have a long list of places to go today, along with checking in on my dad, who is decorating the house with a sprained ankle, and my brother’s help. Plus, I need to make sure my daughter isn’t running her grandmother ragged at the store.” Callie hurried to the door and waved at Bonnie and Jay, calling, “Thanks again.”

Bonnie and Jay waved at Callie through the windows after she left the building. They both felt terrible and wished they could do more. That was when Jay made a suggestion.

“Are you sure that you need to keep Cliff on the staff? He never does anything. Admit it, you only hired him because he is the owner’s nephew,” Jay said as she folded her arms across her chest and looked at Bonnie.

“I will talk to the owner about Cliff. That boy is driving me up the wall. He doesn’t need or want the job. Maybe being fired will teach him something. I doubt it, but it might,” Bonnie grumbled. “The problem is, I can’t do that until tomorrow, and with it being almost Christmas, I’m not sure anyone will want to discuss hiring or firing until after the first of the year.”

Jay shrugged and asked, “It’s worth a shot, isn’t it?”

-

Callie was blinking, trying to clear the tears clouding her vision as she walked. She couldn’t believe she had admitted to crawling home and needing a job as desperately as she did. To make it worse, it was to two strangers who were nice to her and might have eventually become friends.

By the time she reached her SUV, she was no longer fighting her tears. They streamed down her face as she unlocked her vehicle and climbed behind the wheel. She placed her latte in the cupholder and pulled a cookie from the bag. Callie took a bite and chuckled as she looked at the cookie in her hand. It was one of the best she had ever had. It was even better than her mother’s, which was quite the feat.

Callie was wiping her tears when her phone rang, making her jump. She fished it out of her bag and saw it was her mother calling. Her chest tightened. Her mind raced with all the things that could have happened to Maya as she answered the phone.

“Is Maya OK?” Callie asked as she answered her phone.

“Of course she is, sweetheart,” Rosemary replied. “I’m calling because Mark is insisting that he take us girls to lunch at the resort. It’s his treat. Maya is excited and wants her mommy to eat with us.”

“Oh, Mom, I don’t know. I don’t want to disappoint Maya, but I still have a lot to do today. I’m not sure that I have time to drive out to the resort and still get it all done,” Callie replied.

Mark’s voice came through the phone, “Callie, you need to eat. Please join us. It has been a while, and I would love to catch up with you since I couldn’t stay last night. If you are worried about finding a job by the first of the year, I’m sure I can find a place for you at the ski lodge. We always need capable and reliable people in all areas. Come and join us. You know you think better on a full stomach. You always have. That’s why there was a never-ending supply of frozen pizzas and hot pockets in your house when you were in school.”

“I can’t deny that,” Callie laughed, even though she didn’t want to. Alright. I will have lunch with you. When do you want to meet?”

“We are sitting in my SUV outside the store. If you are free now, we can all start that way and arrive at about the same time,” Mark said.

“That will work. I will see you soon,” Callie smiled.

“See you soon, Callie Cat,” Matt said before the call ended.

Callie laughed and shook her head. That was something Mark had called her for as long as she could remember, and he was the only one. It made her happy that little appeared to have changed in his mind. Callie only hoped things wouldn’t change after they caught up at lunch, and he found out everything that had brought her back to Green Forest.