Nottingham: a little faith... Episode 3: Tori & Marv

 

After her sister, Mauve's break was over, Tori Rae stayed in a chair near the front window of Bakewell's breathing in the homey calming cinnamon and bakery scents that reminded her of her own mother's kitchen. She was avoiding work. In Tori-speak that meant not coming in half an hour early. 

The Maplewood Rec Center was starting a new evening program that had robbed her of sleep last night. She didn't used to have so much trouble sleeping. Maybe her old life was just more subtly exhausting. But she had a better routine back then. Her work hours were the same and her bed time, 10:30 on the dot. Now she might not have to go in until 2pm or 4pm. That made her evening routine stretch till nearly midnight. She still hadn't found her rhythm with this new life routine. The routine that had no routine.

Over thinking was her new super power now. She checked her watch and knew it was time. With a sigh she got up, waved to Mauve and left. As she began her walk to work she noticed all the kids running past her, down the block and into the Rec eager to swim. She wasn't that eager. And that was so not like her. She had a book in her tote from the library. It was one she had used to own but gave away after moving to her much smaller place. Sometimes you had to give up things to start over.

As she passed the Crown Diner, probably her favorite place to eat, Marv Marple, the owner stepped out of the shadow of the entryway startling her. A pretty easy task considering she was not walking her normal pace. She had to learn to slow down, take her time and rest more due to her hospital stay two years earlier and the infection that tried to end her life. In his hands he was holding a good sized to-go box.

"It looks like someone is going to be well fed tonight," she remarked. Tori smiled, A genuine one and a bit of the ache she had been experiencing eased.

"Someone named Tori Rae Davis," he said returning her smile with one of his own. "Judd and Joanie said you had been on the sad side of normal lately, plus Honey even mentioned you were revisiting that old story from two years ago when you thought you might take over writing your mom's books. If Jace hadn't had that meltdown, I think you would have been a good fit for that. But sometimes God has other plans for us, huh?"

Tori nodded not knowing what to say. She didn't think many knew she was planning on being her mom's ghostwriter. It wasn't public knowledge.

"Liam Walsh ordered this dinner for you when he picked up his own. He misses you at church, Tori. We all do." He handed her the box. "Liam is filling in for one of the other officers tonight so Clara won't have to do it all. Being the new chief hasn't been the easiest road for her. I'm sure you can understand."

It surprised her. It was a soul surprise. Liam had been her rock, everyone's rock when Jace left like a thief in the night. Lots of unanswered questions there she wasn't sure she would ever get answers for. She hadn't seen much of Liam after Jace alienated her from church. She thought they all believed him, that they hated her. Not many had sought her out after the meltdown that day. She couldn't blame them. But she had no problem blaming herself. She hadn't set foot back in that church for two years. She had tried other churches but she wondered if her church time had an expiration date and that fateful awful day had been her tipping point.

"Wow. I'm kinda surprised," Tori admitted. "Liam is beyond generous. He stepped up after Jace and was the stability that church needed. I guess I'm surprised you all still think of me after all that happened."

"Honey, we all love you. We hate what Jace did. It fractured our church in ways that took years to diagnose. We all pray one day you will feel comfortable enough to return. Liam will be first in line to hug you and welcome you back. Time really does heal." He patted the box. "Your favorite. Chicken fried chicken and two veggies. Mauve said you were watching your sugar."

"Thank you," she said, flabbergasted. "That is so sweet of you. I was really not looking forward to working late tonight. This definitely will make a difference." She spied the clock on the outside of the Rec Center. "Time to go, I'm afraid."

"Thank us by coming back soon. Jesus said fear not so many times in the Bible. Sage advice."

"You're right. And I will." Tori gave Marv a quick hug and hurried to the Rec Center with a little more pep in her step. She was definitely feeling much better about things. She had heard the song Desperate on the radio this morning and man, she could relate. She was desperate for a miracle and for something to change. A sign. Something. 

As she opened the door to the Rec Center, she whispered to herself, "Message received, God."

Nottingham - a little faith, Episode 2: Mauve, Tori

 

Tori Rae Davis had dreams of being a great writer like her mother Helena or a fabulous baker like her sister Mauve. She even wished she could be a great speaker and servant like her brother Marcus or her favorite deacon, Liam Walsh. It was easy to see all their talents and successes. But even though her life had not been a blown up Easy Bake Oven (yes, she still had nightmares about that) she rarely saw her own strengths or even applauded her simple wins in life.

She had recently gotten off of the phone with Ramsey Redcliffe, her mother's literary agent. Her mother's legacy of writing spanned decades and she was an internationally known author. But few people in Willow Creek knew of her mother's celebrity status. Ramsey had revealed that yet another ghostwriter had up and quit. Tori didn't have the heart to tell Mauve or Marcus about the development. The author who had bailed was focusing on their mother's Nottingham-era Regency book series. She was tempted to ask Huck Henderson, the man her mom used to embody many of her Regency gentlemen if he had a writing genie inside of him. That would definitely solve a slew of her problems. 

The teen series was still going strong and the young gal who wrote them was such a fun and creative spirit. The Davis clan had decided to add her name on the books along with their mother's. Marcus lived close to Blair Carmichael and Tori had a feeling there was a little more between them than her or Mauve knew.

Ramsey was not her biggest fan, he liked reminding her of her failures in life over the past few years as if it was his job to be her "lifestyles of the grief stricken and miserable" corrispondant. She had a hard time putting Jace Quinn in the past because Ramsey wouldn't stop bringing up his latest exploits, as if she really wanted to know. And truly a secret part of her would always yearn for what might have been.

She sat across from her sister Mauve while on her break at the uber popular Bakewell's Bakery owned by her good friend Hannah. Mauve looked as vibrant and perky as ever with her day glow pink bandana holding back her course curly dark hair. She always reminded Tori of Rosie the Riviter. Mauve might have been a bit on the chunky side, like Tori herself, but Mauve had this inner glow and vibrant smile that just set her apart from the lesser beings around her. She could definitely be a model.

Mauve was almost giddy was she pushed a new chocolate muffin creation across the table. It practically sparkled. Tori could tell it was going to be amazing.

"I made this for you," she said. "Sugar free and chocolate. I know work at the Rec Center has been pulling you down lately." Her boss Judd Hill and his second in command Joanie Wright hadn't been the Wonder Twins after the Foundation decided to hammer them with a bunch of restrictions and crazy requests. It had been a bit of a mad house there as of late.

"Thanks, sis." Tori accepted the muffin with a smile. She was truly blessed and she wished she was able to give back as much as she received from her beautiful family and friends. One of her prayers was to have the ability to smile again and not make it feel like she was such a big phoney attempting to be grateful. 

She nibbled at the edge of the muffin. She was feeling queazy about a new program they were starting at the Rec Center making her hours a lot later than she had hoped for. "With this new schedule I'm worried about my blood sugar readings and remembering to take my medication at night. I've already decided to buy one of those pill containers to track my usage. God, that makes me feel old. My Rec job has my mind so chaotic. I've barely set foot in the AKA Art Cafe lately. I think Flo and Hannah sent out a missing person's report on me." She took a big bite of the muffin and chewed thoughtfully as Mauve just listened. She was good at that too.

"And my own personal sketchbook? Forget about it. My creativity is fine but my mind is half in panic mode and half in exhausted mode. I think I was less stressed when my job was a constant deadline. At least I knew what to expect. I almost feel like half the panic isn't even mine and am just picking it up from everyone else."

"I saw on social media you designed a July calendar," Mauve said.

Tori Rae laughed. "And a June one, but I didn't post it. I guess I needed to pretend I had some sort of control over my schedule. Church hasn't been comforting my soul like it used to. After mom and dad died, and all that nonsense with Jace." Tori sighed. "I felt like my life didn't want to deal with what I wanted *in* my life. And the most ironic thing was, Jace alienated me from church, but it was his sermons that got me to see God in a whole new way. And for that, I will be forever grateful to him, even if we never speak to one another again."

"We've all felt it," Mauve said. "Even Junie made this card for you." She passed the colorful creation her daughter had made to Tori Rae who wiped the last muffin crumb from her lips. It was a drawing of a slug on a mushroom saying, "It's okay to slow down."

The wisdom of a child.

Tori smiled. "Thank her for me. It's advice I definitely need to take."