“I think it takes courage.”
“Really? Parenting takes courage.”
“Yes. But what you’re doing does, too. Taking care of children takes courage, period. It’s the most important work in life. I mean, if you believe in the perpetuation of the human race.”
Aly laughed. “Now we’re into biology.”
“Which brings me back to you moving forward. It’s time for you to get out of the mindset of marriage. You still have to get used to your freedom, that’s all. You know what? Just date. At first. Just get your feet wet. Just go out, get your confidence back. Maybe you’ll meet someone, maybe you’ll make friends. Maybe you’ll have some funny anecdotes to tell the rest of us. But somewhere, sometime, you’ll fall again.”
Aly felt shot through with fear. “That’s a terrifying prospect. Risking again. Oh, I don’t know if I can face it.”
“Well, lessons learned, my dear. You can take your time. Get to know her well before you commit. Lesbians,” Anita shook her head. “We fall in love too fast and forget that we’re in love with a stranger. Then we move in together too soon and find out we don’t know her at all.”
Aly laughed. “It’s too bad we can’t live with her before we fall in love.”
Anita’s eyebrows shot up in surprise and a smile played on her lips, but she didn’t say anything. Instead she looked out the window, not seeing, her mind far away, as though she was imagining how such a scenario could come to be.
Part II: Ice Melts and Aly Falls
10
July passed in a different sort of chaos for Aly and the Giannis. The mess they usually lived in slowly receded into boxes. But some things were packed too soon, many things were misplaced by the process of packing, and, unless Aly was doing it, there was no order to how things were packed. The house looked neater, but each day toes were stubbed and shins barked on boxes in unexpected places.
Aly determined to enjoy her family while they were still around. Sometimes, though, she would take herself off to her room or the bathroom to cry a little. At those times she wondered if perhaps she was making a mistake and she should go with them to Boston. But then sense would kick in and she’d know she would not be happy. It was just grief talking. And, perhaps, a little clinging to a stunted life out of fear of what the future held in store.
The weekend before she was to move she called Erika. She wanted to know exactly when the girls would be back to see if she could be settled in before they got home. Erika told her they would be back Saturday, so if Aly wanted to move in Friday that would be fine. “You know what? Come by my office on Thursday and get your keys. And the alarm code. That way you can get started early on Friday.” She gave Aly directions to her office.
This is really going to happen. I’m really going to do this. It helped stir Aly out of her grief funk to feel movement toward her new life.
On Thursday she drove to the Cheyenne office of Allende Milton. It was east of the 215 in a nondescript professional office park occupied by lawyers, doctors, dentists, and insurance companies. The buildings were low and grey and flat roofed. Aly found Allende Milton in the back of the complex and parked in front of their dark glass doors.
It was so disappointingly dull that Aly anticipated that inside it would be a modern, utilitarian legal office with gray walls and endless file drawers. Or, perhaps, white, chill, and sterile, a harsher version of Erika’s home. But, instead, when she opened the door to the cool office she found a sharp contrast to the exterior. She was greeted by warm wood floors and paneled walls and comfortable tan leather furniture in a nod to law offices past. There were shelves of legal tomes, which had to be for show, because wasn’t everything on computers now? The dark wood and furniture were offset by the impression of daylight streaming in, but the only windows were the tinted front doors, so it had to be deliberate lighting. Aly had the singular experience of feeling embraced, secure, and refreshed all at once.
A fresh faced young white woman with straight white blond hair sat behind the reception counter. She was the only one there and greeted Aly with a welcoming smile. “Good morning. My name is Candace. How may I help you?”
Aly gave her name and Candace asked her to take a seat. She offered Aly refreshment and Aly asked for bottled water. Candace brought her a cold one from a refrigerator concealed behind the reception desk.
From a seat to the left of the front door, Aly looked around. There was a feminine touch of bright, colorful, fresh flowers in various locations around the reception area. This was a detail she hadn’t caught at first glance, but it was probably a factor in her positive first impression. It was not common to see fresh flowers in Las Vegas and she was surprised by the expense. She couldn’t get over the contrast between this office and Erika’s home. Perhaps Julio helped decorate the office.
She sat for only a minute when a paneled door opened at the other end of the room and a tall, broad, grey haired African-American woman emerged. She had the look and bustle of an experienced, efficient middle manager. It was also possible she had been a drill sergeant earlier in life. Her wide, plain, serious face cracked into a beautiful smile as she approached Aly and put her hand out. She had a strong handshake. “Miz Wong?” she asked in a soft voice with a Southern accent. “I’m Thea Harris? Erika’s assistant? This way, please.”
Aly followed her through the door from which she had emerged. The wood floors continued into a hallway painted beige. It was lined with wood framed glass pocket doors with name plates beside them. Thea turned left and, as she followed, Aly could see that inside each small office was a young lawyer cocooned in modular office furniture.
At the end of the hall there was another hall running perpendicular to it. Its far wall was glass, floor to ceiling. The unremarkable view was of a sidewalk along the window, a one lane access for cars, and a line of grey green Texas rangers blooming purple along a beige stucco wall. They turned right to an office at the end with an open doorway. Erika’s nameplate was on the wall and, beneath it in smaller letters, was Thea’s.
The glass wall continued into the office. Thea’s desk faced the window and took up most of the room. There were a couple of comfortable chairs and a table with more fresh flowers in front of the window. Beyond Thea’s desk, opposite the door they had entered, was another paneled door that Aly assumed led to Erika’s office.
“Erika’s in a meeting downtown with Mr. Allende?” Thea said as she walked around her desk. She slid a padded manila envelope across it to Aly. “These are the keys to the house and the SUV. And the remote for the garage door.” Aly looked inside and saw the garage remote and two keys attached to fobs, one for the house alarm, the other for the SUV. Thea surprised her by saying, “I’ll follow you up to the house to show you how to work the alarm.”
She followed Aly to Far Hills in her own maroon Cadillac coupe. When they reached the house Aly pulled in to the driveway and used the garage remote. The single door on the empty bay rose and she pulled in next to Gigi. Thea parked in the driveway and walked down to join her in the garage.
Aly unlocked the garage door and the alarm system began its alerting beeps. Thea plugged in the code and it went quiet. She then took her through setting and unsetting the alarm, with practice runs.
“Well, I guess I’ll see you around, Miz Wong,” Thea said as they left.
“Please, call me Aly.”
“And you can call me Thea. Good luck with your new position.”
When Aly left, making sure the garage door was closed behind her, she found Thea waiting in her running car just outside the driveway. She followed Aly’s car, only peeling off when Aly headed south and she headed north.
That evening, as her was finishing up her packing, Erika called.
“I want to apologize for Thea,” she said, a laugh in her voice.
“Why?” Aly was truly puzzled. “She was very nice.”
“Oh, I’m sure. But I only asked her to give you the keys and the code. I didn’t ask her to give you lessons a
nd chaperon you out. I trust you, obviously.”
Aly laughed. “I guess I thought it was her, not you.”
“It was. She’s very protective. Well, I guess I’ll see you tomorrow.”
After they hung up she wondered why Erika bothered to call. She hadn’t given any more thought to Thea’s behavior herself. She was scheduled to move in tomorrow. Whether it was Erika or Thea who didn’t want her alone in the house before then, it was understandable. Was Erika’s concern that she know she trusted her for Aly’s sake or to save face? In light of Anita’s claims that Erika was warm, generous, and very thoughtful of others, for the first time she wasn’t certain she knew how to read Erika.
11
In the morning, before Aly shut her laptop off for the move, she found an email with an attachment from Erika. “Casey asked me to pass this on to you. I will see you later.” She signed it “E”.
The attachment was notes on the girls’ food preferences and several recipes and preferred meals. Aly only glanced at it for a moment. “Whitney has a wicked sweet tooth that has to be managed.” “Lu gags over foods she considers ‘gushy’, like oatmeal, yoghurt, pudding. Ice cream is firm enough.” The recipes looked very healthy. Plain meats or fish grilled, roasted, or broiled, fresh or steamed vegetables, rice and pasta as side dishes mixed with vegetables. Groceries were bought at Whole Foods. It was quite a contrast to the cheap, convenient, and processed foods she was used to at the Gianni’s. She and Toy had tried to eat healthier, though not as healthy as the Miltons. Her diet had taken a dive when she moved in with her cousin. Still, she had lost weight.
The next day Gemma followed her up to the Miltons’ in her van. She wanted to see her new situation. It struck Aly as pathetic that at her age her possessions could fit in one little car and a van.
They entered through the garage, Aly shutting off the alarm without incident. She led Gemma through the house to her room. “Wow, Aly, this is unbelievable,” Gemma said looking around as they passed through the living room. “You are going to be so happy here.”
“I hope so,” Aly said. In her room she found a vase full of fresh flowers on one of the end tables. There was a card, written in blue felt in a spiky hand. “Welcome! Love, Erika, Whitney, Lu, and Julio”.
“That’s really nice,” Gemma murmured, reading the card over her shoulder.
She wondered who thought of this touch. Erika? Julio? Thea? She knew after seeing Erika’s signature that Erika wrote the card. In any case, she felt moved and undeserving and texted Erika, “Thank you for the flowers.”
Erika must’ve been busy because it was hours before she got a reply. “You are welcome.”
She gave Gemma a brief tour and she oohed and awed properly over Aly’s space, the house, and, of course, the view. “Boy, I would’ve loved to have seen the fireworks from up here.”
On the way out to the cars to get boxes, she introduced Gemma to the family via the pictures on the dining room wall. “Wow, I like this. Maybe I’ll do something like this in our new home.”
“You can only hope to have a wall big enough for our family.”
Gemma looked closely at the central picture. “Aww, the girls are so pretty. And that’s Erika?” She looked up at Aly, her eyebrows raised.
“Yeah.”
She looked back at the picture. “Aly, she’s gorgeous. You never told me she’s gorgeous.”
“She’s an attractive woman,” Aly acknowledged. Gemma looked pointedly at her again. “Oh, no. She’s way out of my league - "
“Don’t underestimate yourself.”
“ - and I’ve told you about her. There’s a big difference between thinking someone’s attractive and being attracted to them.”
“Well, if I was into women I’d be attracted to her.”
They made several trips each to bring in Aly’s possessions. The final item was her large tube television, which required the two of them crab walking sideways with it through the house. The only piece of furniture she brought was a stand for it.
This was the second-to-the-last time she would see Gemma. She would say goodbye to the Giannis at dinner on Tuesday. In the driveway, she gave Gemma a big hug, tears in her eyes. “Thank you, Gemma, for this and for the last two years. You saved my life.”
Gemma, too, was teary. “Oh, we got the better end of the deal.” She waved her hand to take in the Milton’s house. “You deserve this upgrade, Aly. You really do.”
Aly watched Gemma drive away and went inside to start her new life.
12
Aly spent the day setting up her room. She had new bedding that she had prewashed at Gemma’s so she could get set up quickly. She was not yet familiar with the Miltons’ appliances and was certain they were high end and overly complicated.
She liked the rose walls and had chosen a comforter set in neutral stripes with matching rose accents. In the bathroom she placed sand colored towels and rugs and a new accessory set.
The walk in closet was a wonder to her after improvising to hang her clothes at the Giannis. She didn’t have much to hang or put on the shelves and what she did have was well worn and too large. She had dropped a size after the divorce. New clothes were her next priority. Living with the Miltons she needed a wardrobe upgrade anyway. She wanted to look like she belonged.
Midday she went out to find what amenities were nearby. She was not very familiar with the area. On Charleston, just off the 215, she found Costco and Best Buy and Bed, Bath and Beyond, among many other stores and restaurants. Further down the street she found a Home Depot, and, further than that, Target and the Whole Foods the Miltons must use.
Heading back up the hill she stopped at a smoothie restaurant for a smoothie and sandwich for lunch. And then she went back to the Miltons’ to snoop around the kitchen and laundry room to familiarize herself with them. She didn’t want to seem as completely lost as she felt. She found a bottom drawer in the kitchen with instructions for the various appliances and perused them for a while. In the afternoon she ventured into using the pod coffee maker and remembered where she saw Erika produce the sugar. It was sublimely easy.
Around five Erika called. “Do you have plans for dinner? You want McDonalds?”
Aly was surprised. What about those healthy recipes Casey had sent? “Uh. Sure.” She asked for a quarter pounder and fries.
“Do you want a soda with that or wine?”
“Wine?”
“Oh, yes. Red wine pairs well with McDonalds. Especially a heavy Pinot Noir.”
“Umm…well, new life, I guess I should try new things. I’ll go with the wine.”
Aly’s real motivation for the choice was the alcohol to help her relax. She only drank socially, so a little went a long way with her. She felt awkward in Erika’s home. It took her a while to be comfortable at Gemma’s, and she was family. Here, she was a total outsider. She had always pitied governesses in nineteenth century novels their hybrid status as employee and family intimate. Certainly, in time, she would adjust. But, for now, she looked forward to going around the corner to her room and closing the door on her own private space as much as possible.
Erika arrived home around six and, hearing her, Aly took a deep breath and plunged out into the public area. She decided if she started awkward she would remain awkward. She would try to relax and just be herself. If herself wasn’t good enough or rubbed up against the others, well, so be it. This was her home now and, however long she was to be there, she didn’t want to be uncomfortable.
The heavy smell of fried food hit her before she reached the kitchen. Erika had put down her briefcase on one of the stools and hung a blue suit jacket over the back. She greeted Aly, washed her hands, and went to the cupboards and pulled down two plates and two wine glasses. She also pulled down a glass and filled it with ice and water from the refrigerator door.
“It doesn’t have to be red wine,” she said. “It’s what I like. Would you like some water?”
“Please. Red’s fine. I prefer reds.”
>
She distributed the food on plates while Erika set out the waters and poured the wine. “You get moved in okay?”
“Yes. I don’t have much. I’ve just got my billing stuff left to sort.” They took their seats and Aly gratefully took a gulp of wine. “Thank you,” she said, lifting her burger.
“You’re welcome.”
Sitting next to her, Aly could smell the crisp perfume Erika wore when they bumped into each other at the court house. Today, though, at the end of a hot day, the perfume mingled sensually with her own scent. Aly took another gulp of wine and plunged in. “I’m surprised. McDonalds. After Casey’s notes.”
“Don’t tell the girls. I was raised on it. I don’t mean it’s all I ate, of course. But fast food was part of life back then. We don’t want that for them, though. Julio and I don’t feed it to them unless there’s really nothing else around, like on a driving trip or something. If others serve it, they can have it. But we won’t.”
“You don’t look like you eat fast food.”
“It all lands here,” Erika said, patting her left hip.
Aly, who had half her glass of wine in her by then, leaned out as if to take a look. But she had already noticed Erika’s nice round form when she was following her around on the tour of the house the month before. “Are you sure that’s not just your African genes? You don’t look like you’re carrying more than you should.”
Erika cocked her head, her eyes amused and curious as she studied her for a moment. “I limit myself to once a month,” she replied. “And I work out. We have a small gym at work.” She took a sip of her wine and tipped her glass toward Aly. “So, what do you think?”
“I think I’d prefer a dry white with it.”
She laughed. “Are you mocking me?”
“No! I’m serious. You have something here. It’s the best McDonalds I’ve ever had. I just think something dry would cut through the grease better.”
A Good Woman Page 6