Next Door Neighbors by Frances Hoelsema Page A

walked out of the café.
                  “He is cute, Jill!” her mom blurted.
                  “Mom!” Jill hissed as she elbowed her.
                  Jill’s mom laughed. “Just stating the obvious.”
                  The two of them continued down the sidewalk to do some shopping. Jill, however, worried over their conversation in the café and hoped she didn’t say anything offensive about Brian. In the end, though, she decided to brush it off since Brian gave no indication whatsoever that he heard anything. Her mom suggested they go into a Christmas store, and the next thing Jill knew, she was determining what color theme she wanted to do on her Christmas tree this year.
     
    ---------------
     
                  But Brian did hear.
                  He heard everything that Jill and her mom had talked about while he sat down at the bar drinking his french vanilla cappuccino.
                  When he walked through the door of The Coffee Cove earlier, he was surprised that Jill was there. But because she had company with her, he didn’t bother her. Instead, he figured a seat close to her would be a nice treat; a good way to be welcomed back.
                  As Jill talked about him, he was flattered. He never would have guessed that she would have said all the wonderful things that she did. His smile grew bigger and bigger, and for a moment he felt there was hope for him to be able to be with her.
                  But as quickly as hope came, it left. Now he didn’t know what to think.
                  Brian put some cash down on the bar and headed out of the café. Getting into his car, he reran Jill’s words through his head.
                  What does she mean it wouldn’t work out? And who in the world is this Mark guy?
                  Determined to find answers, he quickly headed home. If anyone knew, it would be his mom.
                  Maybe she’ll give me the back story , he silently hoped.
                  Driving past some of the nearby stores, Brian noticed Jill and her mom coming out from what looked like a Christmas shop. He particularly liked the way that Jill held the door for her mom and gracefully let her lead the way. A kind and caring person was what he wanted, and although he had seen this side of Jill many times before, he never grew tired of witnessing it.
                  Brian was excited to be back to help his mom. He had missed her these last few days, and thought that getting back a little early would be a great surprise for her. He imagined the smile his mom would have on her face once she saw him, and immediately he felt happier.
                  He drove the car up the driveway and turned off the ignition. Having grabbed some luggage, he made his way indoors. “Mom, I’m home!” he shouted so that Elena could hear. Then leaving his suitcases behind, Brian went looking for his mom.
                  “Brian?” Elena’s voice indicated she was in the living room.
                  When he entered it, there she was sitting in a rocking chair, a book by her side. She donned the biggest smile that Brian had seen in a long time, and he quickly rushed to her side to give her a big bear hug.
                  “I’m so glad you made it back, dear.”
                  “I’m glad to be back. Did everything go okay?”
                  “Yes, yes, yes. Jill took such good care of me. That sweet girl stopped in a couple times each day and kept asking me if there was more she could do. I didn’t need all the attention she gave, but we had some good times.”
                  “I’m glad,” Brian smiled.
                  “So how was your trip?” Elena questioned.
                  “Nothing to brag about,” Brian