Chapter Text
It all started with a call from the boys’ middle school, a few weeks before classes started.
It had been a long, hot summer, and while Sarah loved her kids, it was a lot harder to run a business while making sure AJ and Cass weren't trying to throw each other off of the boat. The two were at a difficult age; Cass was thirteen and AJ was almost eleven, and the smallest things could cause an argument. She knew that some of the mothers in town were already letting their kids stay home alone, and if it was just Cass, she might have considered it, but they weren't that old, not really. Plus, the last time they were home alone, AJ almost blew up the kitchen with a science experiment. She wasn't willing to risk that again. Anyway, she did need the help. Even though Carlos and Tommy were great employees, fishing had never been easy work; there was a reason why she and Sam had basically grown up on the old boat. She usually gave her sons easier tasks, like fixing the nets, but those distractions didn't always stop arguments.
So when she picked up her phone and noticed a missed call from the principal, she couldn't help but groan internally. It couldn't be anything good for Principal Elyas to have called her when she knew Sarah was unavailable until the evening. If she was calling in the middle of the day, Sarah had to call back on her lunch break, even though it cut into the time she and the boys had planned to eat and to pick them both up a new pair of shoes; AJ was growing too fast to even fit into Cass’s old pair.
Of course, there was an issue with the bait that day, and by the time she and the boys finished up lunch and headed into town, Sarah realized that she had completely forgotten to even listen to the message Principal Elyas left her.
As the boys were looking around the only shoe store in town, Hart’s Shoes, Sarah pulled out her phone and promptly called back, a sense of unease in her stomach. She didn’t think something bad had happened, otherwise the shop's owner Harry, or the half dozen acquaintances they walked by on their way to the shop, would have brought it up in passing conversation. Delacroix was just like that––everyone knew everyone else.
As the line started to ring, Sarah tapped at her ankle, a nervous habit she had picked up from reading Sam’s letters while he was overseas. After a split second, the warm voice of Principal Elyas’s secretary picked up.
“Good afternoon! This is the office of Principal Elyas. This is Mrs. Breaux, how can I help you today?” Despite her stress, Sarah smiled at the warm, familiar voice of Lydia Breaux. Mrs. Breaux had been the principal’s secretary at St. Bernard Middle School since she and Sam had attended, and while Principal Elyas had always been great in Sarah’s opinion, she couldn’t have kept it all together without Mrs. Breaux’s help.
“Hi, Mrs. Breaux, it’s Sarah Wilson,” she said, patting the seat next to her when AJ walked over with a pair of black sneakers. “Principal Elyas left me a message, I figured calling might be easier than playing phone tag.”
“Oh, Sarah, didn’t you know? Principal Elyas left for maternity leave just last week,” Mrs. Breaux explained. Sarah cradled the phone between her shoulder and neck, ignoring her urge to facepalm as she grabbed AJ’s pair of too-small shoes. She had known Principal Elyas was going on leave soon, but she had thought she was staying until the beginning of the year. “She told us at her baby shower, don’t you remember?”
Ah. The baby shower she literally helped plan. God, she was frazzled.
“I’m sorry Mrs. Breaux, I must have gotten my dates mixed up,” Sarah sighed, crouching down to check that AJ’s shoes had space for him to grow. Maybe they could make this pair last at least half a year, this time.
“Nothing to apologize for, Sarah. I know how hard you work, everyone does. You’ve always been like that. Now, you got a call from Superintendent Thibault; he’s covering for Principal Elyas while she’s gone.”
“That explains the midday call, I guess,” Sarah said, shrugging even though the other woman couldn’t see it. The shoes AJ had on fit well, but she winced when she looked at the price on the box. She should have checked it first, but the phone call had been on her mind. Damn it, now AJ was going to be disappointed. Covering the receiver with her hand for a split second, she smiled at her younger son. “Those look great, but why don’t you keep looking? That way you have a few pairs to choose from.” From the look AJ gave her, he clearly wasn't happy with the request, but he went without any trouble back into the seemingly endless pile of shoes that Harry seemed to stockpile. “Sorry, I’m with the boys. Back to school shopping.”
“I remember those days,” Mrs. Breaux said fondly, a hint of longing in her voice. “Now, I’m not sure what Superintendent Thibault said in his message, but he’s in right now, just got back from his lunch break. I can transfer you over if you’d like. That way you can explain your availability.”
“That would be wonderful, thank you, Mrs. Breaux.” Over the sound of the other shoppers, the faint buzzing of the lights, and the noise machine that Mrs. Breaux tended to blast in her office, she could hear Cass and AJ laughing. Thank god today was one of the days they seemed to like each other.
“Of course, I’ll transfer you over right now. Say hi to the boys for me!”
Before Sarah could assure her that she would, she heard the telltale sounds of her call being transferred over. As she waited, Cass and AJ came back over to her, the both of them holding a few boxes each of shoes.
“Is that Uncle Sam?” Cass asked, taking out a pair of sneakers. Sarah shook her head, trying inconspicuously to see the prices on the boxes. Thankfully, Cass had chosen some less expensive options to try on. Business had gotten better after they had fixed the boat, but money was still tight.
“It’s from your school,” she explained, checking the clock above the counter quickly. They still had about twenty minutes left before they had to start heading back to the boat, which theoretically would be enough time, but she hadn’t accounted for a chat with the superintendent when making these plans. That’s when the line got picked up, and the cool, professional voice of the superintendent filled Sarah’s ears.
“Superintendent Thibeault, is this Mrs. Wilson?” Out of the corner of her eye, Sarah could see Cass tying up his shoes, a smile on his face when he looked down at them.
“It is, yes, good afternoon Superintendent Thibeault. I wanted to call you back about the message you left, I’m so sorry about missing that original call,” she apologized, eyes on the clock.
“Oh, no worries, Mrs. Wilson––”
“Miss, actually. I’m a widow,” Sarah explained, her voice quiet. It never got easier to explain that, even after half a decade. The superintendent was quiet for a split second.
“My apologies, Ms. Wilson.” Another second of quiet. “I figured you must have been working, what time tends to work best for reaching you, for future reference?” Did the man plan on making this a regular habit?
“Evenings tend to be best, my lunch hour tends to switch based on how the morning catch and work is going,” Sarah explained. The man made a small humming noise, and she could hear the sound of a pencil scratching; he was writing this down.
“Ah, I’m assuming you work in the fishing industry, then? My husband owns a restaurant, and the fishermen––well, the fishing people, always have such intense schedules.” While normally Sarah would be polite and ask about the restaurant and how long he and his husband had owned the business, she did indeed have an intense schedule to keep.
“It can certainly be taxing, what with the long hours. I actually have to head back after our call,” she added, hoping the man would pick up on the hint.
“Ah, I’m sorry Ms. Wilson, I don’t mean to take up too much of your time. Like I said in my message,” Sarah winced at that, “I called to talk to you about your son, AJ.” Now that made her eyebrows raise. Neither of the boys had ever had any discipline problems, never gotten in trouble. They were popular and usually had lots of friends, Cass more than AJ, however. They had always had great report cards and their teachers had always loved having them in class. Sarah had only gotten calls when the boys were sick.
And to call about AJ, instead of Cass? AJ was starting sixth grade, he hadn’t even technically started middle school yet.
“AJ, Superintendent?” Her younger son looked up at her, his eyebrows furrowing in a mirror image of her own.
“Yes, AJ; while Principal Elyas will be back sooner than we think, I wanted to familiarize myself with the students this year. I started with the incoming sixth grade, and I couldn’t help but notice how excellent AJ’s grades were.”
“Oh, well thank you, Superintendent. He’s always been bright and hardworking,” she said, giving AJ a proud smile as he tried on a different pair.
“I can certainly tell, based on his report cards and the information his elementary school teachers passed on. I have to wonder, however, why is he still going into the sixth grade?” The question took Sarah by surprise––AJ was going into the sixth grade based on his age.
“Excuse me?”
“I saw a note in his file that his first-grade teacher, Ms. Honey, had recommended he potentially skip a grade or two,” Thibeault explained. Ah, now it made more sense.
“She had brought it up to myself and his father, and we had considered it, but my husband passed shortly after. I figured it was too big of a change for him to deal with that on top of our loss,” Sarah said, ignoring the very nosy looks her sons were giving her.
“I see….I don’t mean to sound insensitive, Ms. Wilson, so please, if you still feel the same, I won’t ask again, but have you reconsidered it? His moving up a few grades, I mean.” Sarah was taken aback, unsure of what to say. Yes, every so often she had thought back to his teacher’s suggestion that they look into his moving up, but after David had died, Ms. Honey’s suggestion had become part of what she had deemed ‘Life Before’, a life that had been picture perfect. 'Life After' meant keeping the business afloat and raising the boys was the priority. In regard to Ms. Honey's suggestion, making sure her sons were doing well in the grades they were supposed to be in was more important than considering the potential outcomes of AJ moving up.
“To be honest, Superintendent, while I’ve certainly thought about it over the years, it’s never been something I seriously considered. He’s been doing well in school, as you’ve seen, and he’s happy, and that’s all I’ve ever wanted for him.”
“That is the most important thing, I agree,” he admitted. “But maybe you might consider asking him about it. He’s about to be eleven, correct?” Sarah nodded, even though the man couldn’t see it. “Understandably, you and your husband would have made that choice when he was younger, but he’s an adolescent now. He might be interested.”
“No offense, Superintendent, but why is this just now coming up again? Principal Elyas had those files, and she never suggested this to us. I understand this would look good for him, in the future, but looking good on paper comes second to his wellbeing.” That had been Sarah’s concern years back, too. AJ had never been a shy child, but that didn’t mean that being around an older age group would be a flawless process.
“That is a potential concern. Some kids thrive in a different age group and blend in well with their peers, others don’t. Admittedly, I don’t know AJ like you do, so I for one can’t say whether or not it's too risky. I do think that academically, it would benefit him. The only non-positive note made in his report cards was that AJ sometimes seemed to be bored in classes; this could solve that problem. And while I agree that his wellbeing is more important than any future resume or application, it would look good for him to do this.”
And good for the school, Sarah mused. There was no way to ignore that this would make the school, and the school district at large, look good.
“I guess I can talk to him about it, but I can’t promise anything,” Sarah finally said, sighing a little. She was definitely going to be a little late; it wasn’t like she was going to be in trouble, considering that she owned the business, but she hated running behind schedule.
“Excellent! Let me give you my number, let me know what you two decide,” he said, clearly pleased. He rattled off a set of numbers that Sarah wrote down on a scrap piece of paper in her purse. She was about to say goodbye when Thibeault spoke up again.
“And really, Ms. Wilson, I know the school year is coming up, but there’s no rush. Take your time. And if you and AJ decide staying in the sixth grade is for the best, I really do understand. I just think it might really be good for him,” he stated, his voice earnest. Maybe he was genuine about this, but genuine wasn’t enough when it came to her sons. She wasn’t going to force AJ into doing this. “Anyway, Ms. Wilson, I hope you have a good day, say hello to your family from me.”
“Thank you, Superintendent. I’ll let you know our decision as soon as possible, have a good rest of your day,” Sarah sighed, trying to sound polite. It wasn’t that she didn’t appreciate the compliment to AJ; skipping grades didn’t just happen, and for Ms. Honey and Thibeault to suggest he move up meant they had noticed how brilliant her son was. But just because AJ could handle a higher grade or two academically didn’t mean he could necessarily handle it socially. A year or two might seem small, but the differences between AJ and the older kids could be vast. Even between AJ and Cass, the difference was obvious.
Plus, even if Thibeault sounded nice, she didn’t know him, and she couldn’t trust a man she didn’t know with her children. She wasn’t going to let him use AJ to make the school look better.
“So……” Cass started, his voice trailing off. “Why did the school call you?” Sarah raised an eyebrow, a small smirk on her lips.
“Oh, that? I was just being called to let you know that the school year was canceled,” she teased, snorting when her sons’ eyes lit up. Both of the boys were bright, but they loved summer break. “If you’re falling for that one, you’ve been talking to Uncle Sam way too much,” Sarah laughed. “Alright, let’s see the shoes. Which ones do you boys like the most?”
“I still like these,” AJ said, holding up the first box with the more expensive shoes. All Sarah could hope was that the boys didn’t notice her wince. The shoes were nice, Sarah could admit that, but even if money wasn’t tight, AJ was growing too quickly to spend that much.
“Are you sure, honey? Don’t you want a more colorful pair? What about these purple ones, it’s your favorite color.” She pointed to a different box, the shoes ten dollars less and a bright purple color that she was surprised AJ hadn’t gone to immediately.
“Those are for little kids. Cass is getting dark shoes,” AJ pointed out, nodding his chin towards the pair that his brother still had on.
“It doesn’t matter if they’re for kids, you are a kid. What matters is that they fit and you can grow into them,” Sarah said, trying to keep her voice calm. She remembered what it was like being his age, wanting to fit in, but she wasn’t going to throw away ten dollars for shoes that might not fit in only a month or two.
“C’mon, those are boring, try on the purple,” Cass suggested, quickly untying the pair on his feet. “Look, I have a similar pair with me.” He took those out of the box and put on the purple pair, pointing his feet to show off the sneakers. AJ frowned, but followed suit and pulled on his own matching pair of sneakers.
“They look good, AJ. What do you think?” Sarah asked, quickly texting Carlos and Tommy to let them know she was going to be at least fifteen minutes late.
“I mean, if Cass thinks they look alright,” AJ said, shrugging but already packing up the other boxes. Cass jostled his shoulder with his own, talking about his friends and some middle school gossip when he pulled his own pair of purple shoes off.
“What about what I think?” Sarah suggested, trying not to roll her eyes when they looked at each other, clearly trying to figure out a way to tell her that as someone who hadn’t been in middle school in years , what she thought about fashion didn’t really matter. “Okay, okay, I see how it is. Can you boys put these boxes back while I buy these?” The two boys nodded, but before Cass followed his brother, she held him back.
“Are you sure you want the purple? I know you don’t like the color,” Sarah asked, looking at her son seriously. It was helpful that he had convinced AJ to go with the less expensive pair, but the sneakers he had originally chosen were the same price as the purple ones in his size. For a second, Cass looked like he was about to change his mind, but he shrugged.
“It’s okay mom. It’s like you said, as long as they fit that’s what matters, and AJ wants to fit in. I might as well help him feel like he is,” he explained, and Sarah felt a rush of warmth in her chest for her boys. She really had the two best kids out there.
“Alright, if you’re sure. Now go help your brother. And Cass? You’re a really good brother, honey,” she said fondly, running her thumb over his cheek. Even though Cass was thirteen, he didn’t move away or act annoyed with the gesture, he just beamed at her before going to help AJ. She headed up to the front of the store, trying to ignore the clock. Now that she had accepted that she and the boys were going to be late back to the boat, she didn’t want to be reminded about it.
“Back again, huh, Sarah?” Harry asks, grinning at her. Sarah rolled her eyes, but she gave him a fond look. She had gone on a few dates with Harry as a teenager, but they had ended up staying friends after she had met David and he had met his future wife Barbara.
“Lots of sarcasm you’re giving to your star customer,” Sarah retorted, making him laugh.
“You’ve got a point, you’re probably going to end up putting Lacey through college at this point,” he mused, ringing both pairs of shoes up. From behind her, she could hear the sound of a door opening and someone entering the store, but she was focused on grabbing her wallet out of her pocketbook.
“I can’t believe she’s already a junior,” Sarah remarked, remembering the little girl who used to come with Harry and Barbara to the docks.
“I know, it’s wild. But that’s life, I suppose. How old are the boys about now?”
“Cass is thirteen, and AJ is turning eleven the eighth of September,” Sarah said, swiping her card and waiting for the machine to accept the transaction.
“I remember when we were the boys’ age; I ate my mother out of house and home,” Harry remarked. “Before you know it, they’re going to be talking about prom and looking at colleges.”
“I don’t even want to think about that yet,” Sarah said, shaking her head. “I’ll stick to complaining about how many shoes I have to buy them for now.”
“Trust me, enjoy it while you can,” Harry said seriously. “Here you are, I’ll see you in a few months, hopefully!”
“Let’s hope it’s at least that long,” Sarah sighed, taking the bag he held out for her. “Anyway, have a good day, Harry. Come on boys, we need to head back!” She turned around to head to the door, but instead of the way being clear, she bumped into something hard.
Well, not something, but someone.
“Oh my god, I’m so sorry,” she exclaimed, stepping back and looking up at the person she had run into. As soon as she did, she had to consciously stop her mouth from dropping open.
Sarah hadn’t dated since David had died. She had gone on a few casual blind dates set up by friends, but actual dating? Long term, let’s see if this will be serious, we might end up together, dating? Absolutely not. She didn't miss it, really, even though her friends didn't seem to understand it. She was happy without it.
But Sarah had eyes, alright? And standing in front of her was one of the most attractive men she had ever seen. He was taller than her, a white man with dark, very neat hair and pale blue eyes. He was clearly muscular, too, though that was a bit of an understatement considering his shoulder to waist ratio. He was holding a box of work shoes, his sleeves rolled up to reveal a prosthetic left arm and a set of old, woven friendship bracelets on his right wrist.
Sarah knew logically that she had only looked at him for a second, but it felt like years before he smiled at her, face lighting up in a way that was far, far too attractive.
“Don’t be sorry, I’ve been told I’m too quiet and sneak up on people,” he joked. “Doing some back-to-school shopping?” He gestured to the bag in her hands, and Sarah nodded. This she could do. She could talk about AJ and Cass no problem; much easier to talk about her kids than think about the unfairly attractive man standing in front of her, looking like he was absolutely pleased about being bumped into.
“That time of year,” she said, trying to joke around and smile. She felt like she was a teenager again, fumbling around and trying to talk to the cute boys in her classes. For some reason, however, the man didn’t look put off; he held his left hand out for her. Pleased, Sarah took it and shook his hand, the awkwardness of bumping into him pushed to the back of her mind.
“I’m James Barnes,” he said, introducing himself with a grin that Sarah knew spelled trouble.
“Sarah Wilson. I’m guessing you're new in Delacroix, or I wouldn’t be having the pleasure of meeting you,” she said, turning on the charm with a big smile. There was a reason why even after she had decided not to date, that she had never been at a loss for young men offering to open the door for her or pull out her seat. Of course, she never usually felt this awkward around those young men.
“Hit the nail on the head,” James said, running his fingers through his hair. “Just moved here last week for business.”
“Oh? What business are you in?” Sarah asked, realizing that out of the corner of her eye, AJ and Cass were standing near the counter and eyeing the two of them. She suddenly realized how close she was standing to James, and took one step back.
“Flowers, I’m a florist,” he explained. “Family business, y’see. I figured the business needed a fresh start, and well, here we are,” he said, shrugging his shoulders. “I’m opening the shop up next week.”
“I certainly hope you get what you’re looking for,” Sarah remarked, looking over his shoulder at the boys. “C’mon, you two, we’re late enough as it is. These are my sons, Cass and AJ,” she said, introducing them to James once they were at her side.
“Hey there guys,” he smiled, his eyes almost affectionate when the two shuffled over and stood next in front of Sarah. “Nice shoes you picked out, my friend Clint would love a pair of purple sneakers.”
“Thanks, Mr. Barnes,” AJ finally said, nudging Cass’s shoulder, but her older son just muttered a greeting. Sarah’s eyes squinted in confusion as she looked at Cass; usually, he was the one reminding AJ to be polite, not the other way around. Thankfully, James didn’t look annoyed by it, but something was clearly up. She made a mental note to talk to him about it once they got home.
“We’ll see you around, Mr. Barnes. I hope the shop’s opening goes well,” Sarah said, giving him a small wave and letting the boys lead the way out the door.
“Maybe you can stop by and see for yourself,” James suggested, the edge of his lips quirking up in a way that caused heat to flare in her lower stomach. Shit. A handsome stranger was one thing, but a reaction like this….Sarah refused to even give it a name.
She just smiled before closing the shop door behind her, giving Cass the bag of shoes before deciding then and there that she would absolutely not stop by and see the shop for herself. If anything, Sarah Wilson decided that she and James Barnes would remain little more than strangers.