One year while waiting to move into
our own home, we rented an older
house in town. It had spacious
rooms, with our bedroom at the
front of the house and the children's
near the kitchen at the back.
daughter spotted the cookies and
gave us a bright grin. You could tell
they were Mother and daughter,
they looked alike - same blonde hair
and same smile.
As many older homes have, this one
had a large upstairs that had been
converted into a small studio
apartment, and was vacant.
I introduced myself and my daughter
and we talked about the area for a
few minutes. Before we left, our
daughter Mandy, volunteered to
watch the little girl if her Mother
ever needed a baby sitter.
With the coming of Thanksgiving I
was busy with preparations for the
children and their activities.
I hadn't noticed the young mother
and her little girl until after they had
moved in upstairs.
I immediately placed some cookies
on a plate and with our eighth grade
daughter, took the side stairway to
greet our new neighbors.
A young woman in her middle
twenties stood in the doorway, and
stepped back to ask us in. Her young
A few days before Thanksgiving, I
realized how much I missed our own
stove and oven, which was packed
away while we were renting. I made
a mental note to clean the oven
before baking my pies. It was a gas
stove, and although I liked cooking
over gas, I'd always had an electric
stove before.
We were planning on grandparents,
aunts, uncles and other family
members to come and share the day.
I also sent a note to our new
neighbor, in the apartment upstairs,
and invited them to join us.
JASMINE'S PLACE
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