by Autumn Skye
“Then I guess we should try to get back to sleep.” I gave one of her cheeks a playful slap. “Relax. It’ll all be okay.”
***
The next morning, we had room service deliver a light breakfast and then took a cab to the mall. As we walked the infant and children shops Lily’s phone rang half a dozen times. She refused to even look at it, positive it was her mother checking on us to verify we’d be at the shower on time.
“Sometimes I like to give her something to worry about,” she said with a grin.
“And she’s the asshole?”
“Trust me, the woman isn’t happy without a little drama. I’m doing her a favor.”
“I’m beginning to wonder if that isn’t a trait she passed onto you. You can be quite passive-aggressive, Lily. I didn’t know you had it in you.”
“All right, if she calls again I’ll answer. Happy?”
“Thank you. For someone so apprehensive about this shower, I wouldn’t think you’d want to stir the pot before you even arrive.”
“It’s our usual family dynamics.”
“From what I’ve seen, your mother is doing her best to mend fences. Maybe you could put in some effort if you honestly want this afternoon to go well.”
“You’re right. I’m being immature. Let’s just find a gift and get out of here before we really are late.”
We settled on two gifts, a practical gift set complete with everything a mother would need to care for an infant. Boring, but required things like a comb and brush, bottles, nipples and pacifiers. It wasn’t grand by any stretch, so we threw in a musical mobile to hang above the crib. It was made of gold stars, planets and clouds and played “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.” The stars glowed in the dark. I thought it was a decent gift, considering it was a last-minute purchase.
We were hungry again by the time we checked out of the hotel, but we were also out of time, so we again hopped into a cab and made it to Ann’s home. It was nestled in the heart of Dallas’s upper-class suburbia, the very kind of neighborhood I’d left behind for Kinley. A beautiful blond opened the door for us. Ann, I presumed.
“Lily, I can’t believe you made it. I bet Mom lunch at her favorite restaurant that you wouldn’t.”
“Why would you bet against me?”
“Because you never seem to make it. You skipped Kevin’s birthday party and our anniversary dinner.”
“I’m sorry. I was bogged down at work, but I’m here now, if that counts.”
“It does. Come on in. You can set the gifts on that table over there. Mom is keeping busy arranging them as if I’m not just going to rip into them,” she rolled her eyes.
“I hope you like what we brought you. This is my friend and business partner, Danielle. She helped pick them out.”
The way she said it I got the impression she was trying to lay the blame on me early in case the presents fell short. I gave her a disapproving stare which she ignored. I’d only stepped foot in the house and I could tell this was going to be an excruciating afternoon, at least for Lily. It seemed that despite my pep talk, she was hell bent on making this harder than it had to be, not just for her, but for the both of us.
“Danielle, I’m so thrilled you could make it,” Sharon gushed when we approached the table in the middle of the living room. A huge triple layer cake with neutral colored green and yellow frosting had been set in the center with wrapped gifts surrounding it. The decorations consisted of the usual party streamers and there was a table with glasses of wine for those of us who weren’t pregnant and an array of snacks to munch on. The house itself was done in classic movie star fashion, with chandeliers and a balcony the mistress of the house could use to make a hell of an entrance.
“I love your daughter’s home,” I said to Sharon.
“She worked hard on it, adding just the right touches here and there. I’m sure she’d appreciate knowing a professional like you approves.”
“Oh, please, I’d be lost without Lily. She’s the one with all the talent.”
“Lily and I have vastly different taste, but that doesn’t mean I don’t think she has talent.”
“Really?” Lily asked as if it were the first praise she’d received in her life.
“Yes, I’m just so proud to see you putting your passion to good use.”
“Really?”
“She said ‘yes,’. Take the compliment,” I told her.
“Hey, sis, want to help me in the kitchen?” Ann called to me.
“Go on and help your sister. I’ll introduce Danielle to the other guests,” Sharon urged.
“I’ll be right back,” Lily said to me.
“I’m a big girl. Take your time.”
Lily followed her sister into the kitchen, throwing a look of dread back at me before she disappeared into the doorway. She looked like someone about to step up to the guillotine. It was almost comical, almost, if it had been anyone else, but it was Lily. I could feel her misery and I wished I could run after her and put my arms around her. But I couldn’t, because as far as anyone here new, I was just a friend.
Chapter Twenty
Lily
“I can’t imagine what more you need help with, Ann. Everything looks great out there. You’ve outdone yourself.”
“Mom did most everything. She threw the shower for me, technically.”
“She did a wonderful job.”
“She did. I don’t need your help. It’s all covered. I just wanted a chance to talk to you. It’s been over a year since we’ve seen each other. What’s my baby sister been up to?”
“Nothing much.”
“Oh, that’s not what Mom led me to believe.”
“Actually, I have had a lot going on.”
“Let’s sit and you can tell me all about it.” She took a seat at the kitchen table and waited for me to take the one opposite her.
“What did Mom tell you?”
“That you’ve started a new business with your friend, Danielle, is it?”
I nodded.
“Congratulations on finally getting our parents to give you your own damned money.”
“Technically, it was their money, so I can’t say much.”
“It was still horrible of them to hold onto it so long just because you had the guts to go off and do your own thing. I got my trust fund on my twenty-first birthday. They weren’t fair to you. I’m sure you know it was mostly Mom, not Dad.”
“I’ve always known that. But back to what you said, you think I have guts?”
“You walked away from seven figures without batting an eye so you could live your life the way you chose. I wish I could say I’d have done the same, but I doubt it.”
“You mean if Mom hadn’t approved of Kevin you wouldn’t have married him? I find that hard to believe. You two are head over heels for each other and you have been since high school.”
“That’s different. Kevin is a surgeon. I didn’t need Mom and Dad’s money. You made it on your own.”
I gave her a wary stare. Since when did my sister have such nice things to say to me?
“Look, I know you never felt like you fit in with the family. You’ve whined about it your whole life.”
“I don’t whine.”
“Yes, you do, and you’re right. You don’t fit in, but that’s not a bad thing, Lily. However, fitting in isn’t so awful, either. I took a different road than you because I found the love of my life early. I’m happy with myself and I wouldn’t change anything, but that doesn’t mean I’d change you, either.”
“Well, um, I found the love of my life, too. The truth is, Danielle is more than a friend,” I confessed.
“I know,” she smiled.
“You do?”
She nodded. “Mom told me.”
“What?!”
“She said it was obvious the way you two looked at each other.”
“And she doesn’t have a problem with it?”
“If she does, she hides it well. She’s gone on and on about what a w
onderful influence Danielle is on you.”
“Are you kidding me?”
“No, I’ve only known her for fifteen minutes now and I can see those two getting along. She has a magnificent style. Mom will only grow to adore her more and more until suddenly you won’t even be invited along when they get together for lunch.”
I felt my jaw drop. Ann was only teasing, but I didn’t like the thought of my girlfriend and my mother freezing me out. It was a fear I’d had when they’d gotten along so splendidly in Kinsley.
“Lily, don’t be so sensitive. Mom isn’t going to hog your girlfriend all to herself, but aren’t you glad you found someone she likes?”
“I guess. I was just planning this big announcement about Danielle and this whole time Mom knew.”
“You’re missing the point. She waited for you to tell her. She hasn’t interfered in your love life in any way. That’s huge. She really wants the two of you to be closer.”
“We’ll never be close the way you are with her.”
“Then co-exist, or be close in a different way, but do come around more often. I miss having a kid sister.”
“I miss having a big sister,” I replied. We’d never have the type of relationship where we called each other on a daily, or even a monthly basis. We didn’t have enough in common to hold a conversation that long and that was all right. I supposed real families could disagree, drift apart, and still come back together when it really mattered. For all my attempts to avoid this shower, I was here. That’s what counted and it would have to be enough, because the only one I was ever going to truly fit with was Danielle.
The same couldn’t be said for her, however. When Ann and I returned to the living room, Danielle was standing in the middle of the room surrounded by a half dozen of Ann’s closest friends. They were all hanging on her every word as she told them the details of her new business. Her last name was Whitmore. She would always fascinate women like these unless she wanted to go back to her maiden name. It wasn’t just the fact that she’d once been Jared Whitmore’s wife, though. She had charisma, that something I didn’t have that made her stand out in the crowd. That was all right, too. I didn’t mind being in her shadow. Some people were too beautiful not to be noticed and admired. You had to let them shine. And she did, all afternoon while I stood back and watched without the slightly envy. I wasn’t jealous of my girlfriend. I was proud.
“Can I just tell you again how glad I am that you came, both of you?” my mother asked when Danielle and I were preparing to leave. The shower was all but over, we being the last stragglers.
“I’m glad, too, Mom. You were right. We don’t get together often enough. I’d love you to visit Kinley again once the house is finished. We’re doing some amazing things with it. I hope it’s amazing, anyway.”
“It is. I love the house more and more every day,” Danielle added.
“I’m looking forward to seeing what you’ve done with the place, but you speak of it as if you aren’t planning to sell.”
“Sure, we are. That’s the whole point, but there’s nothing wrong with taking pride in your work,” I said.
“No, there certainly isn’t. You two have a safe trip back.”
“We will. Tell Daddy I’ll be in touch soon,” I said.
“Only if you mean it. I don’t want to get his hopes up, Lily. He doesn’t complain, but I know he wishes both his girls would call home more.”
“Great, you’re going to include me in the guilt trip,” Ann said.
“Why wouldn’t I? Your father deserves better, even if neither of you think I do,” she sniffed.
“Okay, Okay, we both swear we’ll call more often, don’t we, Lily?” Ann asked.
“Yes, we swear.”
“And I promise to see that she keeps her word,” Danielle chimed in.
“I figured I could count on you,” my mother told her with a sly wink.
“Let’s go before you get me into any more trouble,” I said to her jokingly.
“Yes, let’s go home,” she said.
Home. That had a nice ring to it, but my mother was right. It didn’t sound temporary and I wondered what was going through Danielle’s mind. The manor wasn’t really our home. We hadn’t, as of yet, settled anywhere, or had we?
Chapter Twenty-one
Once we put our minds to it and refused to allow ourselves to be wavered from the task, we got the manor into shape in what seemed like no time at all. One day every room was painted, every piece of furniture in place, every rug laid out on the refurbished floors, and there was nothing left to do. As a last minute thought, or perhaps out of desperation to find one final touch to add and thereby avoid announcing our project ended out of fear of having to decide what comes next, I spray painted a flower pot full of Daisy’s. I used a glow in the dark paint to transform the floral arrangement into a luminescent orb that set above the top porch step like a welcoming globe of golden light. Even I, modest as I was, had to admit that it was a brilliant addition to the décor, like a guiding beacon in the night.
“The town hall meeting is tonight,” Danielle said after we declared our home fully renovated.
“Should we really attend? We’ll be putting the house up for sale next week and moving on to who knows where. I mean, I’ve already started searching online for another property to buy. Auctions seem our best bet to get the best bet to buy low and sell high. The downside of those is that you sometimes have to bid on the house sight unseen.”
“I think we should go.”
“To an auction? I believe I saw where they’re having quite a few in the Houston area next week.”
“No, I’m talking about the town meeting. It isn’t as though the house will sell the day we put it on the market. We still live here and we were invited to join in on the meeting.”
“This is the meeting about the pumpkin festival, right?” I chuckled.
“Don’t be a snob. That’s not like you, Lily.”
“I am not being a snob.”
“What do you have against the town getting together and celebrating?”
“I don’t. I’m just not sure pumpkins are a cause I feel compelled to rally behind,” I snickered.
“We already had this conversation and we agreed we would go.”
“Fine. I assume they’ll be serving coffee. Should I bring that pumpkin spice cream we have in the fridge. You know, really get into the spirit of things?”
She shook her head, clearly trying to hide the fact that she found me more amusing than she pretended. “That won’t be necessary. Just be ready to leave at seven, please.”
“No problem.”
The meeting began at seven-thirty sharp. We arrived at the town hall about quarter after and took our seats in the second row of chairs facing the podium where the mayor would speak. It was hard to fathom a town with the population of 602 citizens would even have a mayor. We did, though, and he appeared quite excited about the upcoming festival. In fact, everyone was excited, and it seemed everyone had a contribution to offer, from providing food, to manning the booths, to serving on the clean-up crew. Since neither of us cooked, I’d resigned myself to the fate of picking up litter long after the festival was over, but Danielle had the brilliant notion to volunteer us as the official decorators. I knew fuck all about how to dress up a fall festival all about pumpkins, but I imagined lots of fall colors like orange, brown and gold would do.
“You realize if we don’t get out of this town fast we’ll be hanging lights and snowflakes at the winter festival, right?” I asked her when we arrived back at the manor.
“If were here, why not?”
“But we won’t be here, Danielle. We did a magnificent job on this place. It’s going to sell fast.”
“I really do love that flower pot you did on the porch. It shines like moonlight. That’s what I’m naming this place, Moonlight Manor.”
“I thought you said it was for the owners to name it.”
“We’re the owners, Lily. This is
our home. I want to be here for the winter festival. Please, let’s stay.”
“But what about making a profit?”
“We don’t need to make a profit on this house. I already got my money back by selling the Corpus house to Jared. We can find another place to flip, but not this one. This house brought us together. This one is ours.”
It was true. Why run off and leave the first place I felt I truly belonged? Even before I’d met her this house had called to me. Now that I had her I could never be anything but happy here.
“It would be hard to find another café that serves home cooking. Could we have that pool and privacy fence you mentioned once?” I smiled.
“Oh, Lily, the landscaping is nowhere near finished. We can do a lot of things.”
“A rose garden?”
“Naturally.”
“Do you suppose we’ll be hanging streamers of paper hearts over the fairgrounds come Valentine’s Day?”
“Probably.”
“Well, then, I guess they can’t say we aren’t useful members of the community.”
“It’s settled?”
“It’s settled,” I nodded.
“Want to go to bed early tonight and celebrate?”
“After you,” I said, gesturing to the staircase.”
She took my hand. “It feels good to be home, doesn’t it?”
“Yeah, I can’t believe I’m finally here,” I said. “Hey, you don’t really believe all those stories about the place being haunted, do you?”
“No, Lily, we’re the only free spirits here.”
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