into the unknown

 

He often brought her treats when he came to the library. Everyone called him Lynsey's boyfriend. Of course, he was older, but not anywhere near retirement. Charles always asked for Lynsey's help. Which led to lively conversations about music and movies. Honestly, Lynsey couldn't help but enjoy those moments.

Of course, a few on staff would tease her, but then they just got used to saying, "Oh, Lynsey, your boyfriend's here."

Lynsey would grit a grin and be as much help as she could to him in the library stacks. Maybe he was between jobs, or the pandemic hadn't been so accommodating. Still, she thought he was kind and so funny. She was happy to know him.

And then one morning as she was walking to work a car stopped next to her on the empty street. He got out of his car and came around to open the door on the passenger side. "I'll take you to work."

"Oh, I don't know, it's..it's a nice day."

"Do  you need someone to take you to work?" He offered.

"No, no..it's OK," She smiled wondering what she was getting herself into. Of course, she asked herself this again about two minutes later after she actually got into his car.

She tensed a bit but wasn't afraid. After all, they saw each other daily, just not this early in the morning. And of course, his car might not have been brand new, but it was so pristine. She knew he took good care of his things.

"I don't even know how to drive a car," she found herself saying, thinking she shouldn't have. It was such a hassle to ask Casey to drive her. After all, he would have to get the baby in and out of the car seat and he'd be in a huff. She knew it was too much to ask him to even help with the baby. Lynsey couldn't ask for more.

"You don't drive?" Charles looked at her as if that wasn't right. He drove on to chauffeur her to the library. "Maybe I should teach you."

"Teach me?" Oh, she thought it was a laugh. Didn't he remember she had an infant?  Or did he think she was just fat all this time? 

"You need your independence." He thought it wasn't right that her parents hadn't let her get her driver's license.

"Well.." she had to think about that. "There were so many of us...and..and I ..I'm kind of a slow learner." Or possibly it was the fact of waiting for her turn that she forgot about it. "They..they just didn't think it was necessary." She winced in thought remembering how they always thought she would still be at home now, but then she met Casey and ..she guessed that was her home now. Of course, there was always uncertainty that hung in the balance. Honestly, it made her a little teary-eyed, but she didn't want Charles to know. "I guess, I just never got around to it."

Charles said he would teach her. He was certain they could both find time for lessons before the weather got snowy.