Where the Light Glows

by Dena Blake

  Relief washed over her when she spotted Mel’s car in her driveway from down the street. She pulled into the driveway, threw the car into park, and hopped out of the Jeep as it jerked back and forth from the sudden shift.

  She pushed the door open. “Mel,” she shouted. No answer. She felt the cool breeze rush through the house and crossed the room to the back door. No sign of Mel on the deck. She saw the shoes on the deck, the jacket on the railing, and rushed down the pathway to the beach. Mel was sitting in the water with her knees pulled up against her chest. The waves lapped at her legs as the ocean foamed around her body.

  Shit! Izzy ran to the water. “Mel, honey, it’s cold out here. Let’s go inside.”

  Mel didn’t move. She sat staring at the ocean as the sun slowly dipped behind the horizon. Izzy sat down next to her in the frigid Pacific water, matching her position. Her feet numbed immediately.

  “The tide…it wasn’t…this high…when I got here.” Her lip quivered as she spoke.

  “You’re shivering.” Izzy put her arm around her. She was ice-cold, almost hypothermic. “Let’s go inside.” Mel turned and stared blankly into Izzy’s eyes. “Come on. We need to get you warm.” Izzy helped her up and wrapped her arm firmly around Mel’s waist as they trudged through the sand and into the house.

  Mel trembled uncontrollably as Izzy led her to the bathroom and took her into the shower fully dressed. As the warm water ran down Mel’s back, Izzy held her tightly against her until the trembling stopped. Neither one spoke as Izzy removed Mel’s clothing and then her own. She washed her tenderly before drying and wrapping her in a towel. Izzy wrapped herself in a towel too, led Mel into the bedroom, and sat her on the bed. She pulled a thermal shirt and sweatpants from the dresser drawer and handed them to her. “Can you put these on?”

  Mel nodded.

  She took a long-sleeved T-shirt and pajama pants from the drawer for herself and slipped them on. “I’m going to take care of our clothes. Be right back.” When she came out of the laundry room, she saw Mel drift across the deck to the railing. She grabbed the throw from the couch, went outside, and wrapped it around Mel’s shoulders. Standing at the railing next to her, they watched the ocean waves ebb and flow. “I’m so sorry, Mel,” she said softly.

  Izzy’s cell phone rang. She touched the screen and pressed it to her ear. “I’ve got her. She’s fine.” She ended the call without giving Nancy a chance to say anything. “Everyone’s worried about you.”

  “Why do you love me, Izzy?” Mel said, turning to look at her.

  “You have such a pure heart, Mel. You make me feel like I can be so much better than I am.”

  “If only that were true.” Mel scoffed and shook her head. “Are you a religious woman, Iz?”

  “I believe in God, but I can’t say I spend much time in church.”

  “Do you pray?”

  “On occasion.” I prayed the whole way over here I would find you okay.

  “I stopped praying.” Mel’s eyes filled with tears. “I stopped praying and now she’s gone.”

  “Oh, Mel.” She took her by the shoulders. “Your mother didn’t die because you stopped praying.”

  “Then why did God take her?” she asked, softly. “My mother prayed. Each and every day she was able, she went to church. She lit candles for people who had passed and prayed for those of us who were still here.”

  “I think he takes the best first.”

  Mel pulled her lip up and shot out a breath. “She was the best.” Her vivid green eyes clouded with tears.

  “Yes, she was.” Izzy dried the tears rolling down Mel’s cheeks with her thumbs. She gave me you.

  Mel gave her a look she wasn’t familiar with before she fell into Izzy’s arms. “I don’t know what I’d do if I lost you.”

  “I’m not going anywhere.”

  “You could get hit by a bus tomorrow.”

  “I won’t cross any streets tomorrow.”

  “You could die in a plane crash.”

  “I’m not flying anywhere.” With Mel still clinging to her, Izzy lifted Mel’s chin to look into her eyes. “Nothing is going to happen to me.”

  “I can’t live without you, Izzy.”

  Izzy had waited so long to hear those words. She pulled her in close and held her. “You don’t have to, baby. I’m right here.”

  *

  After the service, Izzy drove Mel back to the house she grew up in. People would be coming to pay their respects—to eat, to drink, to remember Cecilia. Many people would be there. Cecilia was well loved in the community for her philanthropy as well as her loving personality. Mel was so numb by this point, the false smile she’d been giving was a reflex. She would paste it on for as long as she had to socialize with both friends and strangers. People she hadn’t seen in years. It wouldn’t be easy. She glanced at her brother and father. Not for any of them. She didn’t know if she could get through it. All she wanted was to lock herself in a room away from all these people. She glanced over her shoulder and spotted Izzy, who hadn’t been more than five feet away from her all afternoon. Somehow, just knowing she was there gave Mel inner strength.

  The steady stream of people hadn’t stopped, and when Jess came through the door, no one seemed more surprised than Izzy.

  “What are you doing here?” Izzy asked, stepping in front of Mel.

  Mel was warmed by her protective stance. “It’s okay,” Mel whispered into her back, then slid under her arm to remain as close as she could to Izzy.

  “I’m so sorry about your mother,” Jess said, empathy choking her voice. “I need to talk to you.” Her gaze slipped from Mel to Izzy, then back to Mel. “I’m sorry to do this here, but I just found something out I think you should know.”

  “Okay. Let’s go back outside and talk.” Izzy motioned to the door.

  Jess stayed put. “Mel needs to hear this.”

  “What is it?”

  Jess rolled her lip in and bit it. “What Dana told you when you came to see her…about her and Izzy that night. It wasn’t true.” She hesitated. “You were at the bar all night drinking, and she did take you home, but nothing happened between the two of you. I was there too. I helped get you out of the car and inside. You were totally passed out. We both stayed that night.”

  “But when I woke up—”

  “Yeah, that.” She shifted her weight to her other foot. “We left at the same time in the morning. I had no idea she went back and tried to make you think you and she…” Jess shook her head and slid her gaze back Mel. “I’m so sorry. I just found out about this.”

  “Thank you for telling me.” Mel uttered, still holding on to Izzy.

  “Well, I’m gonna go.” Jess rocked back on one foot. “If there’s anything I can do for you, I mean anything at all, please let me know.” Jess turned and stepped back out the door.

  Izzy led Mel over to Nancy, then followed Jess out the door and down the steps. “Thank you for that.”

  “It’s the least I could do, considering all the trouble I caused you. I picked up her phone the other day and saw all the texts she’s been sending. I didn’t realize she was trying to destroy your life.”

  “So, are you done with Dana?”

  “Yeah. I don’t know what I ever saw there.”

  “I know exactly how you feel.”

  “Well, for what it’s worth, I am sorry.”

  She turned to go, and Izzy called after her. “Hey, Jess. Maybe we could talk later in the week and work out some kind of compromise about the restaurants? I’d much rather be allies than enemies.”

  “I’d like that. But I have a new partner to deal with now. Dana sold her share to some corporation. I have no idea what’s going to happen.”

  “A corporation? Really?”

  Jess nodded. “I should know more next week. Give me a call.”

  “I will.” She waved and watched Jess walk down the street to her car.

  Mel met Izzy at the door as she walked back into the house. “Are
you okay?”

  “I’m so sorry about all that. I just can’t believe Dana could be so cruel.”

  “She’s the one who should be sorry. You’re not responsible for her actions. Remember?”

  “But I am responsible for my own.” She searched Mel’s eyes. “I am truly sorry, Mel. If I hadn’t gotten so drunk that night, none of it would have ever happened.” Izzy threaded her fingers through her hair. “What a big fucking mess I made of everything.”

  “It’s all right,” Mel said.

  Izzy stroked Mel’s arm. “I must have been some kind of idiot to let that woman into my life.”

  “Really, I’m okay.” Mel gave her a soft smile. “As long as you are.”

  “Look at you. All this going on and you’re worried about me. Let’s go back inside and get some food in you.”

  “I’m not really hungry.”

  “Did I ask if you were hungry?” Izzy took her hand and led her inside. “Now you can pick something I made.” She motioned to the array of pastas on the dining-room table. “Or we can go into the kitchen and you can take a chance on something of your own making.” She smiled. “I hear you cook a mean omelet.”

  “I’ll stick with the safe stuff today, if you don’t mind.” She picked up a plate. “But I will give you a rain check on the omelet.”

  Izzy gave her a soft smile. “I’ll take you up on that.”

  “Please do.” She cupped Izzy’s face in her hand, stroked her cheek with her thumb.

  “I’m seeing a bit of optimism here. What happened to the pessimist?”

  “She’s tired today.” She set her plate on the table.

  Izzy wasn’t surprised when her strength gave out and Mel fell into her. She held her close, stroking her hair. Food wouldn’t help now—pure comfort was what Mel needed. She glanced up at Izzy, who was watching her intently.

  “You okay?” Izzy uttered softly.

  Mel nodded against Izzy’s chest.

  Izzy knew she was lying. The woman Mel respected most in the world, the rock in her life, was dead.

  *

  Later that evening, when Izzy took her home to the beach house, Mel headed straight into the master bedroom, then turned abruptly. “I’ve got to get my bag out of the car.” Izzy could see by her bloodshot eyes, she was drowsy already.

  Izzy pointed at the dresser. “Second and fourth drawer. T-shirts and sweats.”

  “Thanks.” Mel tugged the drawers open, took out the clothes, then stripped off her dress and pulled on one of Izzy’s over-sized T-shirts.

  Izzy took a shirt and a pair of athletic shorts from the dresser as well. “I’ll get your bag.” She started to leave, then turned back. “Are you sure you’ll be all right?”

  “Yeah, I’m fine. Just tired.” She crawled into the bed and under the covers.

  “I have a little work to do on next week’s orders, but I’ll be right down the hall if you need me.” Izzy pulled the door to, leaving it open just a crack before going into the spare room to change.

  Izzy took off her suit jacket and hung it in the closet along with her slacks and blouse, then flopped back onto the bed to pull on the shorts and T-shirt. She was headed into the bathroom to wash her face when she heard Mel let out an agonizing sob. Work would just have to wait. She pushed open the door, crawled into bed with Mel, and wrapped her in her arms. Mel’s sobs vibrated against Izzy’s chest as she clung to her. Izzy’s heart constricted. Nothing she could say or do would make this any better.

  Chapter Twenty-seven

  Mel glanced at the clock. Fifteen minutes had ticked by since the last time she’d checked. It wouldn’t be light until close to seven. She hated turning the clocks back for daylight saving time in the fall. The days seemed to get darker and drearier. She’d managed to get a few hours of sleep, but they were restless. Mel studied Izzy’s face in the glow of the moonlight. She’d almost forgotten how lovely she was when she slept. The smooth, olive-toned skin; the thick, naturally shaped eyebrows that relaxed perfectly above her eyes; full, pink lips that pulled easily into a smile when she woke; the slight scar on the bottom of her chin Mel loved to kiss. She ran her finger across the scar, remembering the story she’d told her from her childhood about the surfboard accident.

  Quietly slipping out of bed, she went into the living room and grabbed the blanket from the couch on her way out to the deck. She wrapped herself in the blanket and took in a deep breath, letting the saltiness of the sea air fill her nose. The sound of the waves stirred thoughts of Izzy. Mel wanted her, needed her. She longed to see the world the way Izzy did. She lowered herself onto the lounger, pulled her knees up to her chest, and closed her eyes.

  Mel felt the soft brush of Izzy’s fingers on her cheek and opened her eyes to see her deep-blue eyes. With a swipe of her finger, Izzy motioned for Mel to move forward, and she slid down behind her, wrapping her with her body. The sun was still elusive. Muted yellows, oranges, and pinks melted into the sea.

  “Tell me what you see, Izzy.”

  “I see the promise of daybreak as it tickles the rhythm of the sea and the stillness of the sky. It’s neither here nor there yet. It’s the temperance, the vaporous haze. It entrances us, keeps us wanting more. A quiet consciousness to help us indulge in its beauty.”

  “I love the way you see the world, Izzy. I want to spend every day for the rest of my life seeing it through your eyes.”

  “That’s good, because I want to spend every day for the rest of mine sharing it with you.”

  “Really?” She turned her head to face Izzy.

  “Yes, really.” Izzy brushed Mel’s lips lightly with hers. “I’ve wanted that since the first night you came home with me.”

  Mel sank back into Izzy and squeezed her. She was right where she wanted to be, where she should’ve been all along. Her mother had seen what Mel couldn’t. She had everything she needed right in front of her. Her name was Isabel Calabrese.

  “Are you working today?”

  “No. I thought I’d stick close to you. Is that okay?”

  “I’d like that.”

  “I need to call Tony later. Jess told me yesterday that some corporation bought Dana out of the restaurant.”

  “I bought it.”

  “What?”

  “I’m the corporation.” She twisted around to face Izzy. “The day after we saw her at the wine tasting, I called Mike and had him prepare an offer.”

  “Why?”

  “I was being selfish. I knew if Dana was still in the restaurant business she would always be showing up in the same places as you. It’s probably not the best investment. The reviews haven’t been all that great. Apparently the food is good, but the manager is a bitch.” She let her lips tip up slightly.

  “Sell it to Jess. Let her have it.”

  “I can’t. It’s not mine to sell.”

  Izzy pinched her brows together.

  “When I bought it, I had Mike form the corporation in both of our names. Thomas Calabrese LLC.” Izzy gave Mel a look she hadn’t seen before, and she thought maybe she’d done the wrong thing. “I love you, Izzy. I want you to be happy. It’s yours. No strings.”

  “Except the one big string that connects my heart to yours.” Izzy brushed a strand of hair from Mel’s forehead. “I can’t believe you did that.”

  “Do you still love me, Izzy?”

  “I’ve tried my damnedest not to.” She brushed Mel’s cheek with her thumb and pulled her lips into a contented smile. “But I can’t help it. I do love you, Mary Elizabeth.”

  Mel thought she’d never hear those words again. She grabbed her face and kissed her. Slowly, softly, tenderly. It was the most wonderful kiss ever with the most wonderful woman she’d ever known.

  *

  Izzy had met with Jess earlier in the week, and they decided to serve a few signature dishes in each restaurant to tie them together. They would still keep their separate names and styles of cuisine, but now they would be sister restaurants connected in a subtle, yet di
stinct manner. They hadn’t worked out the staffing yet, but Jess would need some help once they made the announcement about their partnership, and Izzy was going to have to replace Angie now that she’d received the internship at Mel’s firm.

  As Izzy sat at the table next to Tony showing him her plan to bridge Gustoso with Bella’s, she could see he was apprehensive about the partnership.

  “I think I need to step out here at Bella’s and let you run things for a while. I’m going to help Jess get Gustoso back on its feet. Once the clientele has been established and business has stabilized, I think we should move Gio over there to work with Jess. He can do his market testing and bring in new dishes there before we try them here.”

  “What about the JBF nomination?”

  “Does it really matter if I win? The nomination has brought in more business than we can handle.”

  “But they’re coming for your cooking.”

  “No. They’re coming for the food, which you and Gio can prepare just as well as I can.”

  He gave her a blank look. “You’ve never said that to me before.”

  “What? That you’re a great chef? You’ve taught me everything I know, Tony. I may have learned to step up the recipes in culinary school, but you taught me the basics.” She squeezed his shoulder. “I could’ve never gotten the nomination without you. In fact, I feel kind of guilty accepting it. We’re a team. We always have been.”

  “A team.” Tony nodded slowly and his smile widened. “A team that is going to bring Jess and Gustoso into the family.”

  *

  Mel skipped down the steps of the building where she worked. She was ready for a celebration tonight. Instead of going straight to the restaurant, she drove home to change out of the navy suit she’d put on this morning. She thought about throwing on a pair of jeans as she clanked the hangers together, looking through her closet, but it was such a beautiful night. It would be ninety degrees in the kitchen, so she should wear something light. She came across a red spaghetti-strap dress and smiled, remembering the last time she’d worn it.