moving on

She was Sara without an H. She'd reminded this to Max on more than one occasion. He guessed she did want him to remember her. After all she was a cashier at the grocery store where he worked. No one seemed to be believe she was even 17.  Some how she found a way to brighten his day when he worked.

She went to an all girl's Catholic school. He guessed she was on the honor society too. There was just something special about Sara. Maybe it was that smile.

Max did his best not to be happy about that. But he was. She made everything better.

Then she got him to go to mass with her one Saturday afternoon. Sara was definitely a beacon of faith. Yet, they'd never held hands. He suspected she was trying to save him from something, all along.

He had her figured out.

But she liked to flirt. Not just with him. He could see it. But it was hard to figure out if she were doing it to aggravate him, or maybe she needed to save Van Scott, too.

"You do know who he is?" Max questioned her one day after she'd checked Van through the express lane. Of course, she might have been checking out his muscles. He was wearing only a tight Tee while the rest were bundling up in sweaters.

"No, are you going to tell me?" She grinned as if there might be a twinkle in her eye.

"He's on the football team. He plays for West." He told her. "You sure you want to be flavor of the week, with him?"

"Oh. I didn't know." She pulled a stringy blond strand of hair behind her ear and then the other. Suddenly, she was straight lipped as if he'd ruined her day.

"Do you want to go out with me?" He found himself asking as if he needed to make this up to her.

"Like a date?" She grinned, as if she'd played her cards right all along.

"Yeah, like a date." He smiled back as if he was really moving on. Not a second thought about Daisy or where she might be. He didn't even feel sad nor guilty. Because he knew, he was not on her mind. He hadn't been on her mind in a long time.