Finding Home
Pairings: Chris x Fem. OFC Alaina (but basically named reader)
Summary: Alaina moves to Concord, MA for a fresh start. After a fateful run in at a local restaurant shortly after arriving to town, Alaina accepts a teaching job working with Carly and Shanna. The sisters are on a mission to play matchmaker between Alaina and Chris, but her family keeps trying to pull her home and to her childhood best friend Nick. Will Alaina find a new home and the fresh start she’s wanting?
Warnings: None–pure fluff. (Will update in each chapter)
A/N- I do not give permission for my work to be copied, translated or posted on any site. Reblogs are always welcome!! I do not know Chris, this is purely fiction from my own imagination (and wishful thinking) THANK YOU SHANNON for grammar checking me!
“Good Morning! Welcome to Kelly’s. Have a seat wherever you’d like and I’ll be right with you!” the waitress said, smiling warmly in your direction.
You made your way to a small table next to a window. You sat down and pulled out a copy of the visitor’s guide to the town, continuing to read through and familiarize yourself with the area. Your new home.
“Sorry about that,” the waitress that had greeted you said, smiling, “We got a little busy in the morning rush. It’s starting to calm down now. I’m Kelly, what can I get you to drink?”
“Please, no need to apologize.” you reassured her, smiling back, “I’m in no hurry. May I get a mocha latte please?”
“You sure can! Would you like whipped cream on that?” she asked.
“Yes, please, that sounds wonderful.” you replied.
After she left to get your coffee, you let your eyes wander around the diner, taking it all in. It was small, and had a very welcoming atmosphere. You had a feeling you’d be spending a lot of time here.
A family walked in as Kelly was bringing your coffee to you. They must come here often as Kelly directed them to their normal table, which was next to your own. They pushed a couple of tables together, one side of the table with chairs, the side nearest the wall had a bench.
“Have the whole crew today, Lisa?” Kelly asked on her way past, heading towards you.
“Just about.” she replied smiling. “Missing a couple. I sent a text to Chris letting him know it wasn’t busy, he may be joining.”
“Good!” Kelly replied. “The breakfast crowd cleared out and being a weekday, it’ll be pretty quiet for a few hours.”
She arrived at the table and handed you your coffee. “Here you go sweetheart,” she said, “Did you want to order a late breakfast?”
“I am still trying to decide what I’d like,” you replied, smiling, “Everything looks amazing, so I can’t decide.”
“No problem, take your time!” she said, glancing down at the visitor’s information spread out before you. “On vacation?”
“Actually, I just moved here.” you answered, “Still trying to get my bearings, learn what’s in the area.”
“Well welcome to Concord!” Kelly said cheerfully. “Where did you move from?”
“Chicago.” you replied. “This is a very nice change of pace and seriously refreshing.”
“That’s quite the move.” she agreed. “What brought you here?”
“I visited Boston with friends and fell in love with the area. I applied for some teaching jobs on a whim and was offered a job, so here I am!” you answered. “So far I have no regrets.”
“Hopefully it stays that way! I’ll give you some more time and check back in a few. Let me know if you need anything in the meantime.” she replied.
“Thank you!” you exclaimed, smiling as she walked away. You definitely made the right decision on towns if the interaction with Kelly was an indication of the people that lived here.
“Excuse me,” one of the women at the neighboring table interjected, “I don’t mean to be nosy or eavesdrop, but I overheard you say you’re new to the area and are a teacher?”
“No, it’s fine!” you reassured her, “Yes, I just moved here and will start work in a few weeks as a Special Education teacher.”
“I’m Carly by the way,” she introduced herself. “What grade level do you teach and which district?”
“I’m Alaina,” you replied, “I’ll be teaching high school. I was offered a position at Concord-Carlisle and at Lincoln-Sudbury. I actually have to make a decision this week and let them know.”
“Oh my God! I teach at Lincoln-Sudbury!” she exclaimed. “And my little sister Shanna teaches special education there too! We’re both at LSHS. If you’re leaning between the two, I highly recommend it. It’s where we all graduated from too.”
“I have to be honest, I was actually leaning that way. The students I’d be working with and the job description there just sounded more of what I’m looking for.” you confided.
“The kids are great!” Carly assured. “And you’ll get to work with some really cool people.”
“Then I guess I’ll be accepting the LSHS position!” you beamed. “Thank you so much!”
“I’m glad we were here today!” She laughed, “Although, this is one of my ma’s favorite places to eat, so we actually come often.”
“I have a feeling, I’ll be here a lot too.” you replied chuckling. “The coffee is amazing and it’s not far from where I’m renting.”
“When did you move to Concord?” Carly’s mom asked. “I’m Lisa, by the way.”
“Nice to meet you!” you replied, “I actually just officially moved in two days ago. I’ve been unburrying from boxes, trying to get unpacked. This is the first time I’ve ventured out.”
“Wow, you really are new!” Lisa laughed, “You’re going to love it here. And I think I overheard you telling Kelly you’re from Chicago, so winters shouldn’t be too different!”
“Here I was, hoping to escape horrible winters.” you teased. “Honestly though, it’d be weird to not have snow.”
“Too early for talk like that!” Carly complained. “It’s not even officially fall yet! You’re in for a real treat though when fall hits.”
“That, I’m excited for!” you responded. “Especially Halloween, in New England! I will be going to Salem and doing all of the ghostly tours.”
“You’re going to love it!” Lisa said warmly.
Kelly came back, bringing out refills on their drinks, then headed over to you once more.
“Alright, sweetheart,” she winked, “Decision time. What sounds good today? I have a feeling I’ll be seeing you in here again, so you can always work your way through the entire menu and find out your favorites.”
“I definitely will be back, if only for the coffee alone!” you beamed, “I think today, I’ll go with…” just as you were about to give your order another customer walked in, catching your eye. You did a slight double take, not believing your eyes… was that… Chris Evans? Your face must have betrayed your shock, as Kelly chuckled.
“You’ll get used to seeing him around.” she assured you in a soft voice, winking again.
“Umm, sorry!” You shook yourself out of the shock. “I’d love the pancakes this morning, please.”
“Good solid choice.” She smiled, “I’ll get that started!”
On her way to the kitchen, she stopped by the table next to you, that you now realized consisted of Chris Evans’ family. You hoped none of them noticed your minor internal freakout or your pause in giving your order.
You busied yourself with the visitor’s guide once more, circling the places you wanted to try out and starting a list in a notebook you’d brought along. Time slipped past as you were focused on your task and soon, Kelly was bringing over a steaming plate of delicious looking pancakes.
“Enjoy!” She eyed your empty mug and inquired, “Can I get you another coffee?
“Actually, could I get a glass of ice water please?” you asked. “Any more coffee and I’ll be bouncing off walls.”
“Of course!” she replied, “I’ll be right back with that.” Once she walked away you dug into the pancakes. They were the perfect amount of fluffy and cooked to perfection. The syrup was warm and added just a little sweetness. You made a mental note that breakfast at Kelly’s would be a regular occurrence… at least on weekends once school started.
Before long, you finished your pancakes and Kelly came to collect your plate and drop the check. You dug your wallet out of your purse and pulled out your bank card. You made a note to switch to a local bank soon to make life easier.
After paying, you gathered your bag and tucked your guide and notebook inside.
“I hope you enjoy the rest of your day exploring,” Kelly said, “Please don’t hesitate to come in at any time if you need anything.”
“You’ve been so helpful already, and welcoming,” you smiled warmly, “thank you so much.”
Noticing you were about to leave, Carly smiled and waved to get your attention. “It was very nice to meet you, Alaina! I can’t wait to work with you at LSHS!”
“It was nice meeting you too, Carly!” you smiled happily. “I’m glad I ran into someone to help make the decision on which school to teach at!”
“You won’t regret it!” she reassured you. “I promise.”
With another quick wave, you headed out the front door, into the warm summer air. You let out a deep breath, laughing slightly to yourself. Well that was an interesting turn of events, you thought, heading down the street toward the bookstore.
Chris couldn’t help but to glance back at the woman who left. He then turned to Carly and asked, “ Who was that?” He had been hiding behind his cup of coffee, glancing in her direction discreetly a couple of times. He was curious because most women would be gluing their eyes on him, which made him feel uncomfortable, especially since he was with family. Yet with the woman who had been sitting only mere feet away, she hadn’t been fixated about his presence.
“Her name is Alaina,” Carly replied, trying not to show surprise on her face when Chris piped up. “She just moved here from Chicago. She’s a teacher and will be starting at LSHS this fall.”
“She’s very sweet.” Kelly added, bringing food to the table. “I hope to see more of her here.”
That afternoon after stopping in the bookstore, you went home to finish unpacking and setting up your apartment. Once you felt your living space was organized the way you wanted it, you decided to call both districts back to let them know your decision. You made sure to thank Concord-Carlisle for the opportunity but that you just didn’t feel it was the best fit at this time. You’d learned as a teacher, you never want to burn bridges you may need later down the road.
The principal at LSHS was ecstatic to hear you were accepting the position and wanted to set up a time for you to come in the following week to fill out all of your new hire paperwork, meet a few coworkers, and have time to see and set up your classroom. With that taken care of you decided to call and check in with your family.
They’d worried about you moving so far from home not knowing anyone. For you, it was a fresh start, something that was very much needed. You did, however, promise to check in regularly.
“Hey sweetie!” your mom answered on the second ring. “How’s everything going? Are you all settled in?”
“Hi, Mom!” you replied, smiling contently at the sound of her voice. “Everything is great! I just accepted the job offer from Lincoln-Sudbury High School.”
“You didn’t want the one right there in the same town you live in?” she asked.
“It was a good offer as well, but I actually met someone today who works for LSHS as a teacher and she highly recommended the school.” You explained, “I figured if someone who teaches there loves it and recommends it, it’s a good place to work.”
“That makes sense.” she agreed. “I’m glad you’re meeting people already. We worry about you being alone out there. I ran into Nick at the store the other day. He asked about you.”
“Mom…” you groaned. Your mom had been trying to push you towards Nick for as long as you could remember. He was one of your best friends growing up, and you loved him dearly, but in the same way you loved your brother Ryland. You were pretty sure Nick felt the same way towards you. Much to your parents’ dismay. Both of your moms had been trying to make something happen between the two of you for as long as you could remember.
“I know, I know,” she sighed, “but you would be perfect for one another… and neither of you are in a relationship.”
“Yeah, that’s a great reason to date someone.” you retorted with sarcasm. “I love Nick, just like I love Ry… definitely nothing romantic there.”
“Fair enough.” she acquiesced. “I did tell him to give you a call though, I hope that’s ok.”
“Of course!” you said happily. “I miss him. I miss you all, but this is going to be good, Mom. I know I’m going to be happy here.” Reaffirming to yourself, you had made the right decision by moving to Concord.
“That’s all we want.” she said. After a short pause, she inquired, “So, what have you all visited so far?”
You told your mom about the town and about your encounter at Kelly’s.
“Everyone has been so nice here, it’s actually refreshing!” you informed her.
“You’ll have to make a list of places for us to visit.” she suggested. “Your dad and I are going to try to fly out for a visit this fall. I know Ry wants to come visit as well and check on his baby sister.”
“I’d love for you all to come visit. You’ll love it here.” you replied.
After getting caught up on all the gossip from home and promising to call again in a few days, you said your goodbyes.
Realizing you still hadn’t gotten groceries, you decided to make a list and head out to pick up some. It was almost dinner time so you planned on picking up something quick on your way home.
There was a Whole Foods that wasn’t too far from where you lived, so you decided to head there for groceries. It’s where you generally shopped back home too, so it would be familiar.
An hour and a car full of groceries later, you’re ready to head home to get it all sorted. You decide sushi sounds good, and you place an order quickly so you can pick it up on your way home. Before pulling out of the parking lot, you enter the address into your phone’s GPS as you’re still learning to navigate your way around.
You pulled into a parking spot near the restaurant about fifteen minutes later. You quickly made your way into the restaurant and paid for your order. On your way out, another customer was coming in. Noticing that your hands were full, he backed up and held the door so you could get out.
“Thank you!” you smiled brightly, finally looking up. Your heart stopped in your chest when you came face to face with a smiling Chris Evans. The man should come with a warning label. His smile was even more dangerous in person than in pictures or on the screen.
“You’re welcome,” he replied, taking note it was the woman from the diner when he was there with Carly and his mom. “Enjoy your dinner.”
“Hope so!” you replied, recovering from the initial shock. “First time here.”
“You won’t regret it.” He assured you, “I order from here a lot.”
“It’s gotta be good then.” You smiled, “Enjoy your dinner as well.”
Once you were safely back in your car you allowed yourself to take a calming breath. You’d just had a seemingly normal exchange of words with Chris Evans and you didn’t sound like a complete idiot. You smiled, starting your car. I think I can get used to this you said to yourself as you pulled away.
Two weeks into living in Concord and you definitely had a routine. You stopped most mornings at Kelly’s for coffee, and a couple days a week you’d allow yourself the luxury of eating breakfast there as well. You’d had a few more run-ins with Chris around town, Kelly had been right, you do in fact get used to seeing him. Your heart still sped up when you saw him but you no longer froze or forgot to breathe.
You had plans today to go over to the high school and start to get your classroom set up. You’d been in the week before to fill out paperwork but hadn’t taken the time to do anything other than look at your room. With school starting in a couple of weeks, it was time to get your space set up. Your backseat and trunk were full of boxes from your last classroom, ready to be set up in your new space. Carly had gotten your number from the school and had called to let you know she’d be in her room this week too and to stop by when you were in the building. Before going in though, you stopped at Kelley’s to grab an iced coffee and something quick to eat.
“I hope you’ll still pop in when you’re back at work, Alaina.” Kelly said. “You’ve become a bright spot in my day when you come in.”
“You’re the sweetest,” you replied, “I promise to still come in at least for coffee and will eat breakfast at least once on the weekend.”
“I have to say, I’ve been seeing more and more of a certain someone in here since you moved to town too.” she teased. “And as much as I want to believe it’s for the coffee or food, I’m starting to suspect otherwise.”
“I’m sure it’s more to do with your amazing coffee and food than it is with me.” you laughed, shaking your head, unsure to believe her words. Why would Chris Evans be looking for you? If that indeed, was the case.
“And speak of the devil,” she chuckled, glancing at the door. You looked over to see Chris walking into the diner. “Have a seat wherever, hon,” Kelly said, winking at Chris, “I’ll be right with you.”
“No rush!” he assured her, heading to the counter where you were sitting. He had a Red Sox hat on and was in jeans and a tight fitting t-shirt. He sat down at the counter, leaving a space between the two of you.
Your phone dinged, alerting you to a new message. Grateful to have something to busy yourself with, you picked it up and read the message.
Carly: Hey! I just got to the school, if you need help with anything let me know! Want to grab some lunch later?
You smiled, thankful to have a friendly face in the building when you got there. Besides the principal, Carly was really the only one you’d had a chance to meet so far.
You: Hi! I’m just picking up some coffee and a quick breakfast at Kelly’s then I will be headed that way. Lunch sounds great! Thanks!
You glanced up as Kelly came back with your iced coffee and to take Chris’ order.
“Here you are, sweetheart.” she said. “Your food will be ready in a few minutes.”
“Thank you so much!” you replied, smiling, “I’m not in a hurry today. Just setting up my classroom.”
You took a sip of the iced coffee, as your phone dinged again.
Carly: Shanna is going to join in on lunch too, you’ll get to meet her!
You: Great! Looking forward to it.
Both your phone and Chris’ phone dinged at the same time. You glance down, seeing a new group text that Carly sent along with two numbers you didn’t know.
Carly: Do we want to go out somewhere for lunch or order in here?
Unknown: Carly, it’s 8:30 in the morning. I’m only up because I’m being coerced into helping you, so I’m focused on BREAKFAST right now.
Carly: ‘Coerced’ is such a strong word. You won’t regret it though. ;)
Unknown: My question is, who’s bringing coffee?? It’s too early to be at work when we don’t have work.
Carly: Alaina is at Kelly’s I think…
Unknown: Already on it Shan. Alaina?
Carly: Oops. Shan, Chris… meet Alaina. Alaina… meet my siblings. Shanna works with us. Chris is here for his heavy lifting ability and free labor.
Kelly approached and placed a bag with your food in front of you. “Here you are, sweetheart,” she said. “Do you need a refill before you head out?”
“I’m good!” you replied, “Too much caffeine and I’ll be climbing the walls in my classroom instead of decorating them.”
“Alright then,” she smiled, “have a good day, and I expect to see you here again soon.”
“You will!” you promised. “I hope you have a good day as well!”
Before you could grab your bag and head out, Chris looked up from his phone and smiled at you. He had seen you around town the past couple of weeks, your name a ghost in his mind. Yet he confidently remembered your soft features because of the secret glances he had sent your way at the diner weeks ago.
“You must be Alaina?” he asked, holding his phone up slightly towards you, delighted he was finally rewarded with your name once again.
“That’s me,” you replied, butterflies erupting in your stomach. You really needed to build an immunity to this man and his effect on you. “You must be one of the unknown numbers.”
“I’m Chris, the free labor and muscle for my sister, Carly.” he laughed, “It’s nice to officially meet you.”
“You too!” you responded, smiling back at him. You were unsure of what else to say, so you picked up your order, readying yourself to leave. “Enjoy your breakfast. If you want revenge for having to be up early, you can always deliver their breakfast and coffee cold…”
“You know, I should do that.” he agreed. “At least to Carly… Shanna is an innocent bystander in this one.”
“I will deny all knowledge of this conversation ever happening.” you teased. “I’m new here, can’t make enemies just yet.”
“Your involvement will be kept strictly classified.” he promised you, laughing.
“I guess I’ll be seeing you again later,” you said, gathering your bag and coffee, “Hopefully Carly doesn’t work you too hard before lunch.”
“I’ll definitely see you later.” he replied, flashing his megawatt smile. “If you need any help with any heavy lifting, just text the group text and I’ll come help.”
“Thank you!” you replied. You released a soft laugh, “You may regret offering that later.”
“I highly doubt it.” he muttered, elated you might take him up on his offer. “The company would be worth it.”
After saying goodbye, you made your way to your car. You couldn’t wipe the smile off of your face the entire drive to Sudbury, his last words to you echoing in your mind.
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