I needed to do laundry, so I drove into Roanoke to get what I needed to do and returned. When I arrived home, I unloaded the car and took in the bags that I had accumulated while shopping with Rona the day before. I had enough clothes that I would not need to return, but I needed the comfort and love that Mom and dad could provide. I stayed until after dinner. Mom had cooked pork chops, mashed potatoes and green beans. It was nice to come home to a meal prepared by my mother and it really made me feel some relief. When my laundry was finished, I returned home to an empty house. When I had left earlier, I had purposely left a light on in the foyer or hallway as it were so as to trick myself into thinking that I was not alone. The stark reality of the situation was beginning to sink in. I was alone.

               

A shower made me feel better and afterward, I curled up with a good book and a cup of tea in bed. Reading has always been a relaxing activity for me, and tonight was no different. I had a big day tomorrow as I would go through the phone book to try to land an interview. With my book almost half finished, I picked a good stopping point and lay down to sleep alone in a cold bed. It was not long before I warmed up, but this was not the warmth that I felt when Graham had laid next to me for the past six years.

                

I woke early as I normally had and sat down with the phone book. I knew that I wanted to stay with what I knew, which was accounting. There were several firms in town, some large and some small. I decided that I would enjoy a smaller firm as I had worked for my father which was a small business. As I combed through the phone book, I chuckled as I saw a listing for Crook & Chase. I could not simply gloss over the page as I laughed out loud, but decided I would give them a call. To my surprise they had just had their office manager leave the practice for another position which they needed to fill. I explained a little about my background and they offered me an interview the following day.

                

With an interview in place I decided that the rest of the day would be filed with errands. I took time to get a haircut, my nails done and even indulged in a facial. I was going to go in there tomorrow looking proper and polished. After all, this was the first job interview I had ever attended, and I needed to be at my best. After returning home, I made a cup of tea and headed for the closet. I thought a mini-skirt may be too sexy, so I opted for a pants suit. You can never go wrong with a pants suit, right? I reasoned that this was the case anyway. A black pants suit with a white top and some appropriate jewelry would fit the bill. I laid out my clothes that evening so as to avoid running around in the morning trying to make critical decisions. I even set my alarm clock for a half-hour earlier than normal to give me extra time in case I needed to re-do any final preparations such as ironing or touching up my make-up. Whether Crook or Chase, I was going to raise the bar for what expectations they might have.

                

I had set aside time in the morning to treat myself to breakfast. At 7:30 A.M., I went down to Ernie’s on Market Street. They do not serve Eggs Benedict, so I instead ordered a ham and spinach omelet. Their specialty at the restaurant is potato cakes, but I opted not to have one that morning. I wanted to feel like I had fulfilled my protein need with nothing heavy on top. I was proud of the way I looked that morning and made it through breakfast without getting nary a crumb on me. It was going to be a good day.

               

I arrived at the office of Crook & Chase at ten minutes until nine. I was to meet with them at 9:00 A.M. I walked in the door at five minutes till so as to be prompt but not so early as to interrupt anyone’s morning routine. Gabriel was Crook’s first name and as I waited in the foyer he walked down a half-spiraled staircase to introduce himself. He appeared to be in his mid-to-late thirties. He was not what I would call incredibly attractive, but he had a subtle confidence about himself. He was not thin, but looked as though he had seen a few beers in his life by the shape of his waistline. He had a strong chin and I caught a small hint of aftershave, even though it appeared as though he hadn’t shaven whatsoever. He was dressed for the part in a suit and tie and had a firm handshake.

The office was quaint, but nice. There were several offices downstairs and two upstairs for Crook and Chase. He explained after showing me to the conference room that they had just lost their office manager. My timing could not have been better. I explained a little about myself first at his request. I was honest about the fact that I had not finished my degree at Vanderbilt and instead offered the classes that were relevant to the situation and position at the firm. I further noted that I had been doing the books for a small engineering firm for nearly eight years. This was what impressed him most as many of his clients were small business owners. I explained further that I had not only done accounts payable and accounts receivable, but also the tax returns for my father’s business. At this point, I could see a small glimmer in his eyes. In the end, I thought this job interview thing was not so hard after all.

                

I thought he would have a must more critical and detailed list of questions for me, but I could tell he had a busy practice that needed some serious attention. He complimented me on my appearance and starting asking questions such as what I might expect in terms of pay and when I could start. So as not to seem too needy, he stated that he would like me to start the following Monday. I knew my Dad would be happy and if I asked he would let me work for him the rest of the week. I accepted.

               

 I had requested a slight raise from what I had been earning at my father’s business and to my surprise, Crook was agreeable to my request. My father agreed to let me work the rest of the week for him. I thought this was not only appropriate, but warranted. He too would have to find somebody to fill my shoes and I had just spent the last week in Knoxville with Rona. I agreed to help him interview some candidates so he would have a second opinion to fall back on for who would be suitable to the position within the family business. It was a short week and on Friday I sat down with two different ladies that had the required skills. In the end, my father chose one of them, and he too would have someone to fill my role on Monday.

                

Saturday was laundry day, but more importantly it was time with my mother. She was concerned for me and it showed. I had never really been alone, and certainly not under these circumstances. At her request, I answered some hard questions that morning, but it was really just my mother trying to gauge how I was doing. Some of them seemed a little personal, while others were just to make her feel better about the situation herself. She asked if I needed money to which I replied that I didn’t. She further asked if I needed help finding a lawyer to represent me. There was really not much to settle. And finally, she asked the big question. Did I have any desire to marry again? I think this was the one question that was troubling her the most, and I felt certain that inside of me it was the one that troubled me. However, I knew that I would someday marry again, as I wanted to find true love.

                

After I confirmed that I believed I would again marry someday, she sighed in relief. She knew this divorce was a big blow to my inner confidence. I felt sure that the divorce itself would be painless. There really wasn’t much to contest. We didn’t have much in the way of marital assets as we had lived in my apartment. Additionally, Graham was not going to receive anything from his father’s estate for a few years to come, so that was not an issue. The simple things would have to be done, such as removing my name from the joint checking account and a few other minor details. Since I had nothing to contest, and I felt sure he would want things to go smoothly, we decided to settle without counsel on either side. A simple filing of the appropriate paperwork, a few signatures and in six months I would be as free as a new eagle to fly my own course. I thought for a minute to myself that perhaps the person whom I would kiss under the mistletoe this coming holiday might be the one with whom I would find true love.

               

  My first few weeks on the job went fairly smoothly. I obviously had to be briefed on where everything could be located and what would be expected of me on a daily basis, but I felt sure I was up to the task. I knew how to take appropriate care of clients. Make them feel comfortable, show them to the conference room, ask them if they would like something to drink and explain that either Crook or Chase would be along shortly. Simple, right? Well, that part was at least. In the beginning, I was unaware that I would be doing a mountain of returns, or at least the ones that they deemed to be simple. I would have to bone up on and hone my skill set. I realized the need to further my education. Not knowing what else to do, I made a trip to Barnes & Noble to pick up a few books. There was “Business Accounting for Dummies”, “Corporations for Dummies”, and “GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Practices) for Dummies.” I knew I was in for a boat-load of fun reading those. Argh!

               

  I took my time reading over each volume. I typically read a few chapters each evening for several weeks. At times, I had to skip between volumes to find the section that I needed to complete the next day’s work.  I was sort of amazed at how fast I was able to learn what I needed to efficiently and effectively do my job. I made it through August, September and October fairly smoothly. This is the time when corporate returns are due when a person has filed for a corporate extension. I could now rest easy until January and enjoy the holidays.

                

There was no way to top Hollywood, but Mom felt like she needed to plan something special for our usual Thanksgiving mecca of shopping. We would go to the Mall of America in Minnesota. It was different having Thanksgiving Day without Graham, but I can’t say that I ever really remember him being thankful or in a cheerful mood. Perhaps two holidays had been permanently effected as having a negative connotation for him and his mother. I could only imagine. I was thankful that my parents were in good health and that my brother had had another successful year in the skies with no major issues to report. Mom and Dad were thankful for family and another successful year in business. While I could have felt like there was something missing on that day, instead I had a calm peace about the situation of being single again during the holidays.

               

                

The Mall of America was amazing and as usual I spent too much money. This time, I did not have a husband to purchase gifts for, so I spent more time encouraging Mom to splurge a little on Dad. At my request, she purchased a few extra things that year. I even decided to get something for Rona and Jack that I would mail to Knoxville. It was a cheese board set complete with a bamboo cutting board and several smaller utensils perfect for an afternoon picnic. I knew they would appreciate the gesture.

                

I had a hard time waiting until Christmas that year to exchange gifts. I was particularly excited to see Dad’s eyes as Mom had certainly purchased more for him that year than she had in years. I was a snowy Christmas Eve as I drove out to the farm. There were parties that I could have attended, but I was more interested in spending time with family. One of the things that Mom had purchased for Dad was a nice watch. He had worn the same one for what seemed to be at least ten years. As he opened the box, he stared intently at the contents inside. He could hardly believe that Mom had spent the money, but he was quietly excited inside I believe.

               

I spent much of Christmas Day by the window watching it snow. With a cup of hot chocolate in hand, the quiet nature of my home was relaxing. I must have sat in that window seat for hours. Finally, when Mom came over to ask what I was thinking about, I told her that I was thinking about everything and nothing. It was simply a day for reflection. I still had a Christmas party or two to attend, so perhaps the season would still have some surprises in store.

                

On the 27^th, we had scheduled the Crook & Chase Company Christmas party at 419 West. By now, there were five people in the office including me. Two junior accountants had joined the firm during the summer months prior to August. In addition to our corps, we had invited some clients and also some other industry professionals who had been instrumental in our business throughout the year. I had been the one in charge of making the invitations; mostly by phone, and I was excited to see just who I might meet.

                

There was a light dinner served and I had chosen prime rib. Mostly for the men, but I felt that the ladies attending may also enjoy a good slab of beef. As I mingled through the bar, I made sure to introduce myself to everyone who attended. These after all, were the individuals that I called on for favors or assistance throughout the year when we needed it.  I felt comfortable working the room that night and there were a few moments when I caught a glimpse from Crook. He would smile at me so as to say that he appreciated my efforts to make our clients and our associates feel good.

               

 At the end of the night, I was cleaning up a bit in the private room when a man walked up to me to introduce himself. He jokingly stated that we were under the mistletoe, but explained he did not yet expect such a delicate or intimate gesture. His name was Brady. He was an accountant at a competing firm in town. He was a bit shorter than me, but not too much to notice. His brown hair was parted to one side and he wore glasses. He was wearing a brown windowpane suit and a tie in the maroon red color of Virginia Tech. He stated that he had waited all night to introduce himself, but felt that I needed a breather before talking to one more person that evening. He had apparently asked Crook about me earlier in the night as he knew a little about my position and how long I had been at the firm. He further explained that it was nice to put a face to the voice that had been on the other end of the phone a week prior. He was new to Roanoke, but not new to the business. He had graduated from Virginia Tech and had been working as an accountant for nearly twelve years. Most of that time, he had been in a small practice in Blacksburg, Virginia. However, recently, he had been made an offer to join a larger firm as a partner in Roanoke. He accepted of course, as a partnership offer is not something you turn down. He also explained that he still had a house in Blacksburg and was commuting each day to Roanoke.

                

I didn’t want to show my hand, but I was immediately attracted to Brady. Here was someone that fit many, if not all of the criteria that I had desired. Working, stable, owned a home, had a secure job, pleasant and kind; and thankfully, straight! Or at least, I could surmise this fact from his small advance at the beginning of our conversation. I offered to buy him a drink as soon as I had finished cleaning up in the private room that we had reserved for the evening.

                

This was the first time that I had heard myself laugh since leaving Rona and Jack. Brady was adept at making me smile and was complimentary. While I had not expected to meet anyone special that evening, I felt as we talked that we might have some common ground after all. He explained that he had grown up in Blacksburg and even as a child wanted to attend Virginia Tech. I stated that my father was also a graduate from Virginia Tech and that I had worked for the family business prior to joining Crook & Chase this past year.  

                

One drink led to more and it seemed as though we had only been talking for a few minutes when the bartender called for the last round. We ordered one more, and then it would be time to go. As we stepped outside into the cold air, he offered me his card. He said that I could call at any time if I ever had a question about work or even if I just wanted to talk. I offered the same in return and he walked me to my car. He opened the door and asked if he could kiss me. I offered my cheek, and he leaned in slowly to kiss it. After doing so, he said goodnight and closed the door for me. I watched him leave as my car was warming up. As the thick frost on the windshield cleared, I felt a sense of renewal. Similar to the clearing of the ice and fog, I felt as if I may be getting a clearer picture into what the next chapter of my life might be like.

                I didn’t hear from Brady until after the New Year. I began to think he wouldn’t call. I went back to work on Monday, January 3^rd. Shortly after ten o’clock, there was a floral delivery. It was a bouquet of white roses and I wondered who they might be for, as the two junior accountants in the office were women. To my surprise, it was for me.

Stephanie,

I wanted to thank you for sharing part of your evening with me at the Christmas party. With your permission, I would like to take you to lunch one day soon at your convenience.

Regards,

Brady