She noticed how everything about Miss Harriet seemed graceful and orderly, from her straight blonde hair, pulled smoothly into a French roll, to the light floral skirt that flowed respectably around her as she walked, to the neat little pastel blue flats and the precise way she had rolled up the cuffs of her spotless collared shirt over the sleeves of her light pink cardigan. This was a lady who personified grace, elegance, and meticulous attention to detail.

Miss Harriet disappeared behind a curtained doorway, and Katherine let her gaze drift over the other occupants of the room. She noticed a mother and daughter sitting at a table nearby. The little girl was probably around six, and from the looks of it, had decked herself in every piece of costume jewelry she owned. The two seemed to be enjoying themselves immensely.

Katherine thought of the imaginary tea parties she’d had with her mother as a child, and soon her mind was flitting back through the years she had spent at her home in Harborhaven. A wave of loss swept over her as the happy memories all tumbled over each other, rushing headlong into the shock of that last Christmas at home, when everything changed and the life and home she knew and loved had been so abruptly jerked out from under her.

Somehow, coming back to the little town where she had been so happy before only served to solidify the nagging, painful truth that those days were gone forever. She now was a stranger to the town she loved. She had no friends or family there to bolster the rush of courage that had at first driven her to return. She could feel it fading faster as the day wore on. Letting her shoulders slump, she stared into her teacup, overwhelmed by loneliness, and utterly daunted by the excruciating struggle of deciding what to do next.

After a while, Miss Harriet returned with a small plate of hot scones. Laying a hand lightly on the chair across from Katherine, she asked, “May I?”

Katherine nodded, and Miss Harriet took a seat.

“Katherine, I have something I wondered if you might help me with?”

“What is it?” Katherine asked, intrigued.

“Well, you can see how full the shop is today, and I’m the sole waitress, cook, and dishwasher. Would you mind helping out, just for the day? Of course, I would pay you.”

Katherine’s face lit up as she exclaimed, “Oh, yes. I would love to!”

Miss Harriet smiled broadly and said, “When you’re finished with your tea and scones, come to the kitchen and we’ll get you an apron.”

Katherine found she enjoyed the work immensely. She spent most of the day bussing tables and delivering food, but Miss Harriet watched her closely and by the end of the day had allowed her to begin welcoming customers and taking orders.

As closing time approached, however, Katherine was again gripped by the need to decide what to do next. She realized that, although she had found work for that day, she now had no place to spend the night.

With a heavy weight in the pit of her stomach, she acknowledged to herself that she taken the job in hopes that something would turn up before the end of the workday, so she would be spared the awkward and bewildering task of looking for a place to stay. What have I gotten myself into? she wondered silently.

She had to find somewhere to sleep. There was the old Grand Hotel down the street, but she knew one night there would be sure to empty her bank account, even if she added in her day’s earnings. Without a car, she would have to walk somewhere… or else… maybe she could get a bus to the next town. But something seemed to be compelling her to stay in Harborhaven. Maybe there was some other option.

She hated to impose upon the woman who had been so kind to her already, but she didn’t know where else to turn. So she walked hesitatingly over to where Miss Harriet stood vigorously polishing the counter.

Before she could say a word, Miss Harriet, still polishing, said in a cheerful tone: “Well, then. You’ll need a place to stay for the night, now, won’t you?”

Katherine let out the breath she had been holding. “Yes. In fact, I was just coming over to ask you if you could recommend a cheap hotel nearby?”

“Oh, I can do better than that. There’s a rather dreary little flat above the shop I keep up in case of company. You can stay there tonight, free of charge.”

Astonished by the older woman’s generosity, Katherine stuttered out her thanks. Miss Harriet laughed a sweet, bubbly, infectious laugh, then held out her hand.

“Give me your apron, Dearie, and I’ll show you up.” Katherine looked at Miss Harriet’s warm and genuine smile and felt—just for a moment—that everything was going to be all right.

* * * *

Once settled in for the night, Katherine lay down, wide-eyed and not a bit sleepy, though physically and emotionally exhausted.

Just yesterday, she had walked across a platform in front of a crowd of people to receive her diploma. That was supposed to have been her new beginning, the start of a new life, a happily ever after. But when the ceremony ended, her parents drove her to their house, and all the old feelings of hurt and emptiness filled her afresh.

All the way there, she had stared out the window, knowing there was only one place she wanted to go: home. So that night, she bought a plane ticket and gathered a few things from the boxes in her parents’ garage before throwing a few extra pillows on the old sofa. Curling up in a blanket, she had tossed and turned until daylight.

It wasn’t as if she and her parents had fought. Everything had been fine on the surface, as it always seemed to be. They just never could manage to get any deeper than that superficial “fine”-ness anymore, and Katherine felt uneasy and out of place in their home.

As she packed her luggage into the taxi early that morning, she had felt convinced that leaving was the only option. Her parents waved at her from the porch as she left, smiling and calling out their goodbyes as if she were off to a grand adventure. She secretly wondered if they were actually just glad to be rid of her.

Finally aboard her plane, Katherine watched the miles melt away beneath her. Her heart beat faster as the plane banked and turned, preparing to land. Soon she would be there. Soon she would be home.

When the plane landed, Katherine hurriedly collected her one suitcase and caught a bus to Harborhaven. The thrill of expectation gripped her as she began to see familiar landmarks race past the windows: she was almost home!

Katherine closed her eyes, reliving the bus trip. She knew she had been running. She meant to run: away from her parents, away from the reminder of that catastrophic last Christmas together and the misery that followed, away from the rift which had formed that moment when everything changed, away from their new life—the life she didn’t belong in anymore—and toward the one place she’d been dreaming of returning to ever since.

Katherine shifted her head on the pillow. All she had wanted was to be home; home in Harborhaven. Now, here she was, in that very place, and what did she have to show for it? No job, nowhere to live, no one to care what happened to her. It was bad enough to have a rift between her and her parents, but now it seemed there was a rift between her and the whole world.

Sitting up in bed, Katherine cradled her head in her hands. She had to figure out what to do. Trying to slow her thoughts down, she forced herself to focus on the problem at hand. She couldn’t go back to her parents—there was really no place for her there if she did go, unless she wanted to live out of a suitcase and sleep on the couch.

She wanted to stay in Harborhaven. Her heart had been whispering inside her all day, pleading to stay, but what could she do? Her brand-new history degree was of little enough use in a large city; but in a small harbor town where the historical society manned its offices and museum with volunteers, she couldn’t possibly hope for a paid position. She could try for a waitressing job somewhere, but the ice cream shop had been her best chance for that.

Miss Harriet had been kind, and Katherine would have asked her for a job, but it seemed obvious that Miss Harriet was perfectly capable of running the shop by herself. Katherine suspected her day’s work had only been the result of the soft-hearted woman’s compassion. No, the only option she could see was to move on.

Perhaps she could find a job in the next town up the coast. Then she could at least come to Harborhaven on her days off. In spite of all the disappointments she had experienced that day, she still felt a tie to the old town. She felt that she could make a life here, a new life in this place that held so many dear memories of the old one. She would have to move on, but she hoped it would not be too far.

* * * *

The next day, Katherine went down to the tea shop as soon as she heard Miss Harriet arrive, meaning to thank her for her kindness and then be on her way, wherever that might be.

Miss Harriet came out of the kitchen with a cheery “Good morning! Did you sleep well?”

“Yes, thank you.”

“That’s good! I want to talk to you about something, and it’s always better to chat when one is well rested.”

She motioned for Katherine to sit at one of the tables, then took a seat across from her. Katherine rubbed her hands together nervously under the table, not sure what to expect.

“Now, Katherine, I’ve been thinking. It was so nice to have your help yesterday, I’d like to hire you on.” Katherine’s eyes grew wide as the older lady continued. “If you are willing, I can offer you three days a week with good pay, opening to closing, with the flat upstairs thrown in, if you’d like. I only ask that you agree to stay at least one month. What do you think?”

Katherine stared, speechless. This would meet her needs exactly, and she certainly had enjoyed her work the day before. Having waitressed her way through college, she knew exactly what she was taking on—and a place to stay thrown in! It all seemed too good, too easy to be true.

“Yes… Yes, I would like that very much!” she finally managed to say, almost giddy with relief.

Miss Harriet smiled a satisfied smile and said, “Good! Now, let’s get you some breakfast before you begin work. I’ve just pulled some scones out of the oven. Will that do?”

Katherine nodded, speechless, and still struggling to believe it was possible that she had really been offered a job in Harborhaven. Despite this seeming miracle of provision, she still couldn’t quite surrender to the hopeful thought that began to tug at her heart: that this just might be the beginning of the new life for which she had longed.