Meet the Neighbors
“Hey honey…have you eaten?”
If there's one thing Loretta Pruitt can't abide, it's an empty stomach. As Winkle Creek Elementary's longtime cafeteria manager, she's spent decades making sure generations of children—and more than a few teachers—never left hungry. Retirement hasn't changed her much. There's usually a pan of cinnamon rolls cooling on the counter, a casserole ready for a neighbor in need, or a pot of soup simmering "just in case somebody drops by."
Loretta seems to know everything that's happening in Winkle Creek, though she'll never admit how she knows it. Births, weddings, broken-down pickups, surprise engagements, and who's been under the weather—somehow it all finds its way to her kitchen. Yet for all the stories she hears, she's one of the town's most trustworthy confidantes. Secrets are safe with Loretta. She'll offer a listening ear, a slice of pie, and perhaps a little gentle advice, but she'll never betray a confidence.
Quick with a laugh and quicker with a serving spoon, Loretta believes most problems are easier to face after a good meal. Her kitchen table has welcomed lonely teenagers, exhausted parents, new neighbors, grieving friends, and anyone else who happened to wander through the door around suppertime. Around Winkle Creek, it's understood that if Loretta asks whether you've eaten, she's really asking how you're doing.
To outsiders, she's the friendly lunch lady. To the people of Winkle Creek, she's the keeper of recipes, memories, and quiet acts of kindness—the sort of person who makes a town feel like home.
