“No worries. Would you like me to make some?” Amelia stood up.
“No, you just sit right there and I will make some. It’ll only take a minute.” Her mother pointed to her chair.
While her mother was inside the house, her father questioned her about job opportunities. “Have you found a job here yet?”
“Nope, not yet. But Bailey told me Anna’s Deli is looking for help and also the hospital.”
“Anna’s Deli? Is that a restaurant?”
Amelia chuckled at her father’s clueless question. “No, it’s actually a grocery store with a deli counter. Anna, the owner, is in her sixties and has owned it for the last ten years.”
“That sounds great.” Her father nodded. “Did you say the hospital? What are you planning to do for work there?”
Amelia glanced at Bailey. Bailey explained her job. She explained the details of what she did as a housekeeper. When she talked about the morgue, Amelia’s father’s face twisted and his nose wrinkled. Bailey noticed too. “It sounds disgusting, but it’s actually wicked cool.”
Amelia’s father looked at Amelia and asked, “A.J., are you sure you could do that job? You don’t do well with blood and gross stuff.”
Amelia shrugged. “I’ll do what I have to do. I’m sure I’d get used to it.”
Her father shrugged his shoulders. “It’s up to you. You’re the one that’ll have to work there. As long as you like it, that’s all that’ll matter.”
Her mother brought out two coffee cups filled to the rim with coffee. She handed a cup to Richard and asked Bailey, “Do you drink coffee? Would you like a cup?”
“No, thanks. I drank about four cups this morning. If I get any sleep tonight, it’ll be a miracle.”
They laughed.
“This is a quiet neighborhood,” her mother said. “Not too many cars drive by.”
“Nope, this neighborhood is peaceful. No noise unless someone is cleaning their house at nine at night.” Bailey glanced at Amelia with a playful grin on her face. Amelia smiled back.
“Who would clean their house that late at night?” her mother asked. She missed the girls’ exchanged grins.
“This girl right here.” Bailey pointed at Amelia.
“No way.” Her mother shook her head. “Not Amelia Jean.” Her mother chuckled and took a drink of her coffee.
“Yes, her. She cleaned her house last night,” Bailey stated again.
“Yes, I did. I enjoyed every minute of it, too,” Amelia confirmed. “I’m guilty as charged.” She laughed.
“Oh my, a lot has changed in a few days. Hasn’t it, Richard?” Her mother nudged his arm.
“I guess so,” Amelia’s father said. “It took a lot to get A.J. to clean her room when she lived at home. It was like pulling teeth.”
Amelia playfully shoved her father. “Oh, whatever. It was not. I cleaned.”
“You did every once in a while. You cleaned for chores. You had no other choice.” Her father chuckled lightly.
After they talked for a couple hours about home memories, Amelia checked on the food.
She put on her neon green oven mitts and opened the oven door. She grabbed the pan of food out and placed it on top of the stove. She called out, “Food’s done. Come and get it!”
The sound of shuffling feet entering the house could be heard in the kitchen.
“Mmm. It smells amazing in here. What’s for lunch?” her father asked as he entered the kitchen.
“Lasagna, of course,” Amelia said as she scooped a square onto a plate and handed it to her father. “Your favorite. I added just enough sauce to make it the way you love it.”
“Thank you, A.J. It looks delicious.”
“It does look delicious,” Bailey and Diane said in unison.
Amelia scooped everyone a square of lasagna each, and then served herself. They sat at the table and ate in silence. Amelia took the silence as a compliment.
“If anyone wants seconds, there’s plenty there.”
Once everyone finished eating, they all stretched and rubbed their stomachs. “Thanks. It tasted pretty good,” Amelia’s father said as he walked to the counter. He scooped dessert onto his plate. “I think I’ll try some of this.”
“Yes, thank you. We haven’t eaten lasagna in a while. I’m sure your father misses it,” Amelia’s mother said and chuckled.
Amelia visited with her parents and Bailey most of the day. Around four o’clock, her parents stood up from the living room couch.
“I suppose we should get going. Thank you so much for lunch and having us over,” her mother said as she gave Amelia a hug. “You can go ahead and keep the desserts.” She turned to Bailey. “It was very nice meeting you. I’m glad you and Amelia became friends.”
Her mother gave a quick hug to Bailey and another hug to Amelia.
Her father walked over to Amelia and patted her shoulder. “You’ve done well with everything. I’m proud of you, A.J. I’m glad you’ve found a friend.” He turned to Bailey. “It was nice meeting you.”
Bailey nodded and waved at Richard and Diane as they walked to the door. She called out, “It was great meeting both of you.”
Amelia’s mother turned toward Amelia on the way out the door. She smiled and demanded, “If you need anything, let us know. And keep us in the loop, please.”
Amelia nodded. “Yes, Mother.”
“Okay, good. Good luck finding a job. I’ll call you later or tomorrow.”
“Sounds good. Love you guys.”
“Love you, too,” her parents hollered over their shoulders.
As her parents drove away, Bailey told Amelia, “They’re great people.”
Amelia agreed, “They sure are.”
“I’ll help you clean up around here. Then I better get over to my house.”
Amelia picked up the dishes from lunch and placed them in the sink. Bailey turned the sink faucet on and sprayed dish soap into the running water. She used enough soap to fill the left side with bubbles. She placed the drying rack on the counter. “Where are your dish cloths and dish towels?” Bailey asked. She opened and closed several drawers.
Amelia leaned the broom against the wall and walked over to the counter. She opened the top drawer. Inside the drawer there were wash cloths and towels of different colors. The majority of them were maroon colored with apple designs. Amelia handed a wash cloth to Bailey, “Are you sure you want to help wash dishes? I can wash them later.”
“Yes, I’m sure. Besides, you cooked lunch, which was amazing by the way.”
Amelia grabbed a dish towel and placed it on the counter next to the drying rack. “Thanks. Lasagna is my dad’s favorite and the recipe is my mom’s.”
As Bailey washed and rinsed the dishes, Amelia placed them in the drying rack. She dried each dish before she put them away.
“You’re lucky.” Bailey stated.
Amelia looked at Bailey. Her face contorted with confusion. “Why do you say that? That was random.”
“Ha, sorry, that’s me. I’m random.” Bailey shrugged. “Seriously though, you’re extremely lucky.”
Amelia caught jealous vibes from Bailey. She could tell something was bothering her. “I’m lucky because I’ve met you and became friends with you?”
Bailey smiled and shrugged her shoulders. “Besides that.”
Amelia dropped the towel on the counter. “What makes me lucky?”
Bailey hesitated. She dried her hands and walked to the table and sat down. Amelia followed her and sat in the chair across from her.
Bailey looked at Amelia. Amelia could see the sadness in Bailey’s eyes. She reached over and touched Bailey’s hand. “Hey, what’s wrong?”
With Amelia’s invitation, Bailey opened up. “For years I’ve ignored the fact that I still have a mom. For years, my mom has been dead to me. Ever since my dad died and she became an alcoholic.” She wiped tears from her face as they streamed down her cheeks. Amelia sat quietly. She was afraid to interrupt her friend. Amel
ia knew it was good for Bailey to open up to her. She hated to see people sad and hated to see her friend cry, but she knew it was better for Bailey to release it instead of keeping it all in. Between sobs, Bailey continued, “I’ve managed to live without my mother for the last six years, and she has managed to live without me.”
Amelia sat quietly. She was unsure where the conversation was headed. Bailey grabbed a tissue and wiped her eyes. Her makeup streaked down her cheeks. Long, jagged black lines ran from her eyelashes to the corner of her mouth.
She shook her head. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be telling you about my problems. I hate burdening others with my issues.”
Amelia grabbed Bailey’s hand and squeezed it. “Bailey, you’re not burdening me with anything. I’m your friend. This is what friends are for.”
Bailey smiled. “Not everything is rainbows and unicorns, huh?”
Amelia shook her head. “Not always.”
They laughed.
Amelia focused on the issue. “Maybe you could call your mom?”
“I don’t have her number. I’m sure she’s the same person she was six years ago.” Bailey dabbed her eyes with the same worn out tissue.
“What if she isn’t? What if she kicked the habit? Or what if she has been as lonely as you’ve been?”
Bailey shrugged. “What if she hasn’t given up the alcohol?”
Amelia shrugged. “What if? What if? You won’t ever know unless you find out for yourself.” Amelia sat back into her chair. “Do you miss her?”
Bailey sat back as though Amelia had slapped her. “Of course I miss her. She was my mom.”
Amelia heard the defensive tone in Bailey’s voice. “Bai, she’s still your mom. The only thing that changed is you both went separate ways.”
Bailey shook her head in disagreement. “No Amelia, a lot has changed. She has missed so much of my life.”
Bailey sobbed again. Amelia handed her a clean tissue.
Bailey managed to say a quiet “thank you” between her uncontrollable sobs. Amelia waited for Bailey to continue on with her story.
“This is so silly. I’m really sorry, Amelia.” Bailey dabbed her eyes. “I just took a great day for you and I ruined it.”
“Don’t be silly!” Amelia slapped at Bailey’s hand. “I already told you this is what friends are for. I can imagine there’ll be plenty of opportunities for you to repay the favor.”
Bailey snorted and chuckled. “Yeah, right. What could possibly go wrong for you?”
Amelia slapped her friend’s arm. “Hey, now. There could be something in the future of my so-called perfect life.”
Bailey laughed, “Okay, whatever.”
“And by the way, my life’s far from perfect. Sometimes the lollipops taste like shit.”
They laughed until tears streamed from their eyes.
Soon after the crying and talking had ended, Bailey left Amelia’s house to go to her own. It was then that Amelia hoped Bailey would contact her sister Kim, and she hoped Bailey would find a way to get in touch with her mother.
Chapter Five
The moment Amelia woke up, she had a random thought of Zach. It had been only a few days since she met him.
Amelia wondered if he thought about her, and if he wondered why she had not come to see him yet.
“Yeah, right. I’m sure he has forgotten about me,” she said to herself. “It’s silly of me to wonder about a man I’ve just met.”
Amelia pushed the blanket off and sat up in bed. “Ha! I’m pathetic. He owns a business. He’s supposed to be nice to his customers.” She talked out loud as she gathered clothes to wear from her closet. She picked a comfy blue sweater and a pair of jeans.
She walked into the bathroom and looked into the mirror. “Who’d fall for a girl like me? I’m nobody special.”
“Really? You are too,” a voice announced, and startled Amelia.
Amelia turned around. In the doorway, wearing pajamas and holding two cups of hot chocolate, Bailey stood with a smile on her face. “Sorry to interrupt your conversation with yourself. You left the door unlocked, so I thought I’d walk in. I brought you a cup of hot chocolate.” Bailey held up a cup to show Amelia that one was for her.
A light chuckle escaped Amelia’s mouth. “Okay, thanks. I need to quit leaving the door unlocked.” She walked over to the doorway and took the cup of hot chocolate as Bailey handed it to her. “Thank you. Please don’t tell anyone that I talk to myself, okay?”
“I don’t know if I can keep that to myself.”
Amelia gave an exaggerated glare to her friend.
“Okay, okay, I won’t.” Bailey held up her hands in defense. “But on a serious note, is that how you talk to yourself all the time?”
“No, I’m not crazy, okay?” Amelia rolled her eyes.
“I’m not saying you’re crazy. I’m just asking if you’re always so negative to yourself.”
Amelia looked down at the cup she was holding. She traced the rim of the cup with her finger. When she looked up, Bailey’s eyes were focused on her, while she waited for a response. “Um…no, not always.”
Bailey took a sip from her cup. “Why don’t you think Zach likes you?”
Amelia’s eyes grew wide. “You heard that?”
Bailey nodded sheepishly.
“Oh man, I really need to stop talking to myself. I can’t believe you heard me say that.”
“Well technically, you didn’t say it like that. You actually said, ‘Who would fall for a girl like me. I’m no one special.’ And I just figured you were referring to Zach Gallagher.” Bailey had a smirk on her face as Amelia tossed a slipper at her.
“Whatever! I wasn’t referring to him.”
Bailey put her hand on her hip and tapped a foot against the floor. She cleared her throat, “Ahem.”
When Amelia noticed Bailey had caught her in a lie, she decided to tell the truth. “Okay, so I like him. Only a little bit.” She held her finger and thumb close together. “Like this much.”
Bailey shook her head. “I’m thinking it’s a little more like this much.” She said as she held her arms open wide.
Amelia shook her head and chuckled. “No way. We’re strangers! We don’t even know each other!”
“Lies!” Bailey exclaimed while she playfully pointed a finger at Amelia. “You met each other, therefore you two are not strangers!”
Amelia narrowed her eyes. “You know what I mean.”
Bailey burst out laughing. “You can’t act serious about this. And no, I don’t know what you mean. Please explain.”
“I don’t have to explain. You know exactly what I meant.” Amelia drank the rest of the hot chocolate and left the room.
“Hey, where are you going?” With no answer, Bailey followed her down the stairs and into the kitchen. “Come on, you have to tell me what you’re thinking! I’m your friend, right?”
Amelia turned while she placed the cup into the sink. “You want to know what I think? I think it’s ridiculous and a bunch of nonsense to fall for a guy that I don’t even know!” Amelia threw her arms up in the air. “I also think that I’m absolutely crazy to even think about him! Why am I even thinking about him?”
Bailey watched Amelia as she paced around the kitchen with her arms flapping wildly as she talked rapidly and ranted about strangers falling in love.
Amelia stopped rambling and looked at Bailey. She placed a hand to the side of her face. “Oh my, I’ve gone completely insane.”
Bailey chuckled and shrugged her shoulders as she sat at the kitchen table. “Have you ever been in a serious relationship?”
Amelia pulled a chair out away from the table and sat down. Her facial expression saddened and her mood turned somber. “No.”
“Really? Not even one? I don’t believe that.”
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Oh! Then you have!” Bailey was sitting on the edge of her chair. “Tell me about him, or them?”
Amelia shook
her head. “I really don’t want to talk about it.” She thought about the man who stole her heart when she was twenty, only to break it five years later. It left her shattered, pieces of her heart left lying on the floor. She had built walls to protect herself and to secure her feelings. She had to make sure no one could ever hurt her again.
“Really? After my heartfelt meltdown last night, you won’t share your love life with me?” Bailey begged until Amelia sighed.
“I’ve had plenty of relationships and one night stands. One of which completely broke me apart and shattered me.” Amelia glanced at Bailey, who sat contentedly while she waited for her to continue on with her love history. “How’d we get on this subject anyway? We were talking about Zach.”
“It doesn’t matter. Tell me about this guy who broke your heart.” Bailey walked to the sink and filled two cups with water. She brought them back to the table and sat down in her chair. “Please?”
Amelia gulped the water down. She told Bailey about Ryan. “His name is Ryan Andrews. He was twenty-two and I was twenty. I met him through one of my friends. She went to college and hooked up with his best friend. She called me one night and told me all about him.” Amelia fidgeted in her chair as she talked. She rolled a pen between her fingers and thumb. “He sounded like a perfect guy. I mean, he was, until…” Amelia’s voice trailed off. Thoughts of that awful day rushed back. She shook her head to dismiss the thoughts. “He was attending college, a four-year college, for part of his journey to become a doctor.”
Bailey was intrigued. “Oh, he was one of those guys. He must’ve been sent to college by his mommy and daddy.” Jealousy echoed loudly in Bailey’s voice.
“Actually, no. His parents are extremely poor. He had to work his ass off to get where he was.” Amelia stated defensively. “Anyways, Katie told me all about him. She described him perfectly.” Amelia caught herself smiling. “So, I agreed to meet him. I liked him from how Katie described him. When I met him, it was as though I already knew him. I fell head over heels in love with him.”
“That great, huh?”
“Yes! He was everything I ever wanted in a man. He had sandy brown hair, blue eyes, and a nice white smile. Plus, he was muscular.”
Second Chances (Fairshore Series Book 1) Page 3