Again, there was an uncomfortable silence in the room. Emily finally stood up, took a deep breath, and said, “I cannot be a part of destroying programs that I truly believe are vital services in our community. Please accept my resignation. I will make myself available for a smooth transition to whomever you name as my replacement.” With her legs shaking, she stood and walked out of the conference room. She went back to her office, got her purse, and left the building. It was not until she closed the door to her apartment that she allowed the agony to take over. Emily spent the weekend going between pain, anger, and despair. She felt as if she had just lost all meaning in life. She felt once again like the unloved little girl in the big uncaring house on Lake Alice.
On Sunday evening, she received a call from Mr. Willis informing her that she did not need to return to work. They had arranged for a temporary manager to work through the transition. He felt that it was best for her not to be involved in the process. The papers and her personal possessions would be delivered to her within two days, including a check for three months’ salary. He thanked her for her years of service and very insincerely wished her well in her future pursuits.
Two days later as promised, a box of her belongings and a large envelope were delivered to her apartment. Emily had not showered or dressed for almost four days, nor had she left her apartment. As she looked through the box of special mementos, suddenly it all seemed so meaningless. She looked at the papers and signed wherever was indicated with an X. It was almost midnight when she walked up to the front door of the Women’s Center, a place she had grown to love over the years. She slipped the thick envelope into the mail slot and walked away.
A week later, she had donated her furniture and packed up her car. Her last stop was the bank. She wrote two checks—one to herself for $2,000 and the balance of more than $10,000 to the Women’s Center. She enclosed a handwritten note stating that this money was to be used only for keeping the day care center open twenty-four hours for as long as possible. She mailed the envelope and started her drive back to Fergus Falls.
For the eight hours as she drove toward Fergus Falls, she remembered how battered she felt when she had first arrived at the Women’s Center. She remembered the beautiful baby girl who was never a part of her life. There was a flood of faces of the women she had helped to understand that they were women of honor and value. For miles, she drove through tears; but as she crossed over the Mississippi River, for some unknown reason, she started to smile. It felt as though Fergus Falls was calling to her, telling her it was time to come home. A peaceful calm come over Emily as she neared Fergus Falls. She believed that God had some new plans for her. She knew she had enough courage and faith to meet whatever new challenges God was ready to hand her. Emily knew deep in her soul that she was going to survive another day. There was some new purpose, and it was just a few miles away.
*
The summer passed by quickly for Grace. Claire’s was filled with the latest in fall fashions by early August. This year, Grace had arranged to sell the girls’ uniforms for Our Lady of Victory along with their approved sweaters and blazers. She sat behind the counter watching the little girls try on their new uniforms. She smiled as she remembered her happy days at Our Lady of Victory. As she sat there, she could almost smell the school on the first day, when the floors were all polished with a sweet-smelling wax, the blackboards were without a spark of chalk dust, and all of the desks were shining clean. Grace had come a long way from that little girl who ran across the street, eager for each new school year to begin.
The first sign that fall was truly here was when the baskets of free apples began to appear outside the stores along Lincoln Avenue. Everyone was welcome to grab a few to take home. With the kids back in school, the moms were free to get back to their volunteer work at the hospital, museum, and nursing homes. They often stopped by Claire’s to meet for a cup of her special blended herb teas or coffee with peppermint sticks. Grace’s shop continued to be a great success. Her staff enjoyed the world of high fashion, Fergus style.
During her last trip to Minneapolis, she had ordered some reunion gifts for all the attendees. Then she spent hours looking through catalogs until she found the perfect gift to give to Emily, Lindy, Rebecca, and herself. Each day she grew more excited about the reunion. She daydreamed about all the wonderful memories they would share while they were together. She truly hoped that she would be able to talk them into singing at the reunion dance.
Grace was anxious to have them visit her shop and see all that she had done to make it her own. There was also a bit of anxiety, wondering if the four of them had changed so much that they would not be able to recapture the sisterhood they had developed over their years together. Somehow, Grace knew that they would find a way to reconnect as women. Perhaps it would bring them a more meaningful friendship. Only time would tell.
Chapter Sixteen
Reconnecting
As usual, Grace was the first to arrive at her shop each morning and the last one to leave each evening. There was a Welcome Back to the Fergus Falls High School Reunion banner hanging in front of Claire’s. The shop had been busy the past few weeks with the homecoming dance at Fergus Falls High School, the newly opened Fergus Falls Junior College celebrating their first homecoming, plus the twentieth class reunion. Kelli was frantic trying to process all the special orders for the formal gowns and special outfits. Jodi had been exhausted trying to keep peace and order in the dressing rooms as the teenage girls arrived at the same time to try on their gowns for the dances. The reunion was now only a few days away.
Grace had not been this excited about any event in a long time. She had even bought herself a few new outfits for the weekend. As she was getting down from the ladder in the storage room, she heard a laugh that could only come from one person. As she jumped off the ladder, she fell right into the arms of Lindy. As they both tried to catch their balance, they were hugging and laughing. Lindy said, “Lordy, Lordy, Fergus Falls has treated you well. Have you been stored away in bubble wrap, girl? You are prettier than ever, and not a wrinkle on that perky little face. How do you do it? I guess you can tell by my size and wrinkles that I have been living life to the fullest!”
Lindy was truly impressed as Grace showed her around the charming shop. Of course, she always had known that Grace would do well in whatever she decided to tackle. Grace made Lindy a cup of her special blend of peppermint tea. When she joined Lindy at the table, she laughed saying, “Will you look at that monster RV out there. It must be taking up five parking spaces. Can you believe the paint job on it!” As soon as she finished the sentence, she knew who the proud RV owner was.
Typical of Lindy, she simply laughed and said, “As soon as I saw it on the lot, I knew it had been created just for little ol’ me. I guess even my vehicles have to make an entrance. My driver is out getting a rental car for me. If I drive that thing, I am sure to wipe out half of Fergus Falls. I must admit after living for years in New York and never driving, I seem to have a problem making turns these days.”
Both of them wanted nothing more than to sit and catch up on their lives. However, it soon became obvious that the shop was getting busy and Grace needed to get back to work. They promised to meet for dinner that evening at the Mabel Murphy Restaurant. As Lindy was leaving, she turned around and gave Grace one more big hug. Then Lindy proceeded to stop all the traffic both ways on Lincoln Avenue as she finally moved the colorful RV out into the street. As Lindy pulled away, she started singing an old Patsy Cline song, and she was suddenly aware of how good it felt to be back in Fergus Falls. Somewhere deep inside her, a feeling came over her that made her giggle. Fergus Falls was a good place to come home to.
*
Rebecca arrived just as the movers were pulling in behind the house. When she got out of the car, she was pleasantly surprised at how nice the new addition looked. As an afterthought, she had had the entire house paint
ed in a soft shade of yellow, which was Monica’s favorite color.
As she walked from the alley to the house, she saw her old neighbors, the Newtons, running across their backyard to greet her. They proceeded to tell Rebecca that even though they were older and slower these days, they still went square dancing every Friday evening and sang in their church choir every Sunday. They were thrilled to know that Rebecca was moving back home. They invited Rebecca to join them at church on Sunday and become part of their choir once again. Monica came running out the back door, smiling from ear to ear. “Rebecca, I need you to come tell the movers how to arrange that beautiful new bedroom of yours.”
Within a few hours, all of Rebecca’s things were in place. She joined her mother in the kitchen for some homemade apple cider. Mom had made her favorite meal of Swedish meatballs, mashed potatoes, green beans, and of course, lefse with butter and sugar. The smells in the tiny home brought back years of good memories. That evening she was shocked at how much she ate for dinner. She had not felt this good in a long time. Rebecca knew that she would soon have to have a painful conversation with her mother about her failing health. However, today was not the day. She had planned on calling Grace and trying to get together with her after the shop closed. Instead, she fell sound asleep, feeling safe, loved, and at home.
Fergus Falls was a gentle place filled with good people and warm memories. In a few days, she would be going to the reunion. She looked forward to seeing all of her old friends. Rebecca wanted to just enjoy her friends and her life. She could wait until after the reunion to discuss her health crisis with her mom. There was no hurry.
The next morning, Monica woke Rebecca up to tell her that Grace had called to invite her to dinner. Grace would be picking her up around 7:00 PM. Rebecca was sitting on the front porch when Grace pulled up and honked her horn. As Rebecca walked down the stairs to the car, memories of the old days flashed before her of her girlfriends all piling into Emily’s VW convertible for another evening of fun and laughter. Their nights often ended back at Emily’s beautiful house overlooking Lake Alice. As she walked to the car, Rebecca gave a prayer of thanks for all the wonderful memories she had shared with her high school friends.
*
It was after midnight when Emily drove into Fergus Falls. At the truck stop she had bought enough food to last her for a day or two. As she slowly drove down Lincoln Avenue, she was shocked by the many changes that had taken place over the twenty years since she had last seen it. She drove past Claire’s shop and wondered if Grace was still working there. As she passed Our Lady of Victory, she admired the beautiful new church and a school addition. It was just a short drive up the hill, and within minutes, she was pulling into her old driveway.
She was glad that she had thought ahead to arrange for the utilities to be turned on. Emily had called a man who worked for Adams Realty and offered Charlie Adams a generous bonus to get the house ready for her. For the favor, she promised to list the house with him when she was ready to sell. Charlie kept his promise and had all the utilities reconnected, the furnace checked and turned on, the lawn mowed, outside debris removed, and new locks installed. After he personally did the final check himself, he slipped the key under the back doormat, just where he had said.
By the time Emily unlocked the door, she was completely exhausted. She quickly put her few items in the old refrigerator. Walking through the once-elegant dining room, she saw that beautiful linen wallpaper hanging off the walls in strange patterns. In her father’s den, the walls were lined with musty books and cobwebs. There still seemed to be the scent of his pipe tobacco lingering in the room. Finally, she lay down on her father’s old leather couch. Within minutes, she was sound asleep, cuddled with her coat over her for warmth. That night her dreams were a mix of her childhood home, the Women’s Center, and her cozy little apartment in Waukesha.
It was almost ten o’clock the next morning when she awoke to the doorbell. As she stumbled to the front door, she realized that the noise was coming from the back door. To her surprise, three little girls stood there staring at her. The oldest girl, who seemed to be the leader, glared at her.
“My name is Melissa. I am ten years old. This is Katherine.” She indicated the child beside her. “She’s eight, and Sarah just had her sixth birthday last week. Who are you?”
Emily stared in stunned silence at the children.
“Don’t you know this house is haunted?” Melissa asked. “No one lives here. What is your name? We live next door with my dad, and he will call the police. Then you will be arrested! So, I think you had better run away fast. We also have a big dog named Harley, who will bite anyone that tries to hurt us.”
Emily adored the little girl’s spunky attitude. She told them that her name was Emily and that she owned the house. Many years ago, she had lived here. She had come home to fix it up and sell it. Then she told them that she hoped they could all be friends while she was living there.
Melissa told her that it did not make any sense. Why fix up a house and not stay to enjoy it?
Emily told them that when she was their age, a very nice boy had lived next door whose name was Warren Brooks. All three girls started laughing as they told her that was their daddy. They had moved back to Fergus Falls just before school had started.
Emily ran out the door grabbing the girls’ hands as they all ran across the backyards. Within minutes, she stood in the kitchen looking at Warren bent over the sink, finishing the breakfast dishes. As he turned to tell the girls to calm down, he saw Emily. He stood there speechless, just staring at her. Finally, they embraced. Both of them started talking at the same time. Warren said, “Welcome back home, Emily. I never thought I would set eyes on you again. It has been a long time, girlfriend. Are you home for the reunion?”
Emily explained that it was time in her career life to do some reevaluation, and Fergus Falls seemed as good a place as any to do that.
Warren told her that they had just moved back to town a few months ago. His parents wanted to sell the home because it was just too much for them to keep up these days. Warren had been living in Dallas, Texas, when his wife was killed in a car accident more than a year ago. He could not bear the thought of anyone else living in the Brooks’ house. It was also time for him to move on and leave the painful memories behind in Dallas. He bought the house from his parents and helped them move into the senior citizens’ apartments. He told Emily that the girls loved Fergus Falls from the moment they arrived. They were going to Our Lady of Victory, where he was shocked to see that there were still nuns teaching. He had taken a job working for Lincoln Bank, where he was making $25,000 less than in Texas, but here he was finally happy and actually looked forward to walking to work each day. There was no stress in his life. He worked every weekend to restore the house to its original beauty and enjoyed every minute of the hard work. Moving back to Fergus Falls was one of the best decisions he had ever made.
After their second cup of coffee, Emily left to start getting her house in order. Charlie was waiting for her on the front porch swing. He had prepared a list of all the repairs and work that needed to be done in and around the house. He just assumed that just like for her parents, money was no problem. As Emily looked over the long list of repairs and the costs to fix everything, she was in shock. She finally turned to Charlie to tell him that she did not have this kind of money. They worked for hours dividing the list into things that she would do on her own versus things that required someone with the skills needed to do the repairs. By noon, Charlie was promising to try and get the contractors to sharpen their pencils and lower their estimates, providing cheaper options for redoing the kitchen and bathrooms. Finally, he agreed to come up with some less expensive places to purchase wallpaper, paint, and flooring.
Emily did not want to dwell on the challenge she was facing just to get the house repaired enough to sell. She decided to take a break from her worries an
d treat herself to a late lunch at the Viking Café. As she parked the car on Lincoln Avenue, she realized that she had not changed out of the clothes she had worn all day yesterday and slept in all night. She quickly brushed her hair, putting it into a ponytail, applied some lipstick, and decided that was just going to have to be good enough for now.
Grace was walking out of Viking’s door when she bumped into a stranger. Emily nodded as she tried to move out of her way. At almost the exact same time, they both recognized each other. For a brief moment, they softly whispered each other’s name. Neither of them could believe whom they were seeing. There were no hugs or laughs as there had been with Lindy’s arrival. Instead, they stood simply staring at each other.
Emily spoke first. “I really never look as bad as I do right now. I just got into town last night.” As she looked at Grace in a beautiful sky blue sweater with perfect makeup and hair, she felt like a bohemian. Grace smiled and simply welcomed Emily home. She told her how happy she was to see her and thrilled that she was coming to the reunion. After a few uncomfortable moments, Grace invited Emily to join her and Lindy for dinner at Mabel Murphy’s that evening. Hoping that she could cancel out later, Emily agreed to meet them at 7:30 PM at the restaurant.
As Grace crossed the street to Claire’s, she was surprised that Emily was planning to stay after the reunion. She took it as a good sign. It was hard to believe that all four of them were back in Fergus Falls for the first time in twenty years. Tonight, Grace would do her best to talk them into singing at the reunion. Yes, this was a good sign, a very good sign indeed!
Sisterhood Of Lake Alice Page 15