Broad Street Goddesses

by Williams, DeAnna

  Lighting up, Mim sat at the stone patio table in the shade of a mammoth flowering mulberry tree. The first drag of her cigarette penetrated without guilt. She closed her eyes and exhaled into the intermittent breeze. She’d forgotten how much she loved to smoke. She’d been buying packages of cigarettes and then tossing them away for over a decade. This was the first time she’d indulged. Remembering her smoking breaks when the kids were young seemed archaic and self-indulgent when she looked back. She didn’t care. Defiantly, she held the slender cigarette between her fingers and took another drag.

  “Well, there’s a blast from the past,” Etta said as the gate clunked shut behind her.

  “Caught me.” Mim smiled, “Just felt like the right thing to do.”

  “I bet it does.” Etta reached for the contraband and took a deep drag herself.

  “Help yourself.” Mim pointed to the package of Virginia Slims on the table.

  Etta simply shook her head, “Interesting times we live in…”

  “Amen, Sweetheart.” Mim reached across to touch Etta’s hand.

  “You know, Mim, I can sit with anyone and talk to them about their future and what direction to take, and how life will unfold for them…” She looked off into the sky and then back into Mim’s eyes, “But I’ve never been able to do it for me. Right now I don’t know which end is up.”

  “I know, Honey, it’s hard. It’s always been that way with you. It’s all about how you can help someone else… never about what’s right for you.” Mim sat thoughtfully for a moment, “This is a hellava situation we’ve got here. You’re in love with my son and I love you both so much I could just burst with it… then our little baby shows up without warning… a grandson! What a joy, what an adjustment to my life and what a bundle dropped into your lap. Quite honestly, Etta, I don’t know how you’re dealing with it all. Why, you haven’t even had a chance to be pissed off at Will. I know I haven’t.” She took a final drag and put the cigarette out.

  “I love Jon. I know he’s going to be a part of my life forever… but I don’t know how I fit into everything. It’s complicated. I’m confused. I don’t know if I am helping the situation or hurting it. I miss being with Will but I feel guilty when I take him away from Jon. I can’t be mad at Will right now,” Etta sighed.

  “He is like a puppy,” Mim laughed, “Jake’s been saying it forever… like a big floppy dog who can’t be trained. You just have to love him and hope for the best.”

  Etta’s eyes misted over, but she was determined not to cry, “Jakes right.” Her shoulders fell, “He blew into town for a couple of days a year and a half ago and it was like I saw him for the first time as a man. He wasn’t a brother figure… I just felt so different… I fell in love.” Etta smile fell, “Sorry, you probably don’t want to hear about my love life.”

  “Don’t be ridiculous! You’re both my children. He sure does know how to work us.” Mim chuckled, “Rolling into town driving that beautiful red alpha and strutting around like the king of the world. I adore that child… man.” Mim took a short little breath out, “our boy.”

  “So… What is your advice to this lovelorn, woman with an uncertain future?”

  “Oh Darlin’, the only thing uncertain about your future is how you embrace all of these changes.”

  “I’m not sure what the changes are.” Etta’s sandal tapped out frustration against the stone bench.

  “As far as I can see you’ve landed in the middle of a life situation. I mean, look at how we all became family. Your parents killed unexpectedly, my return from Texas, your moving here to this house on your 13th birthday. Do you think that was a life we all would have chosen? If I had a perfect life, I would be sitting here with your Mamma and we would be discussing how to raise this beautiful grandbaby. You would have her to lean on…” Mim became quiet.

  “You’ve been more than a mother to me, Mim. You’ve been a solid touchstone and you’ve never let me down. You’re my best friend. I’d love to be sitting here with my mom talking this out with you both… but here we are just you and me. I think we did a pretty darn good job.” Etta thought for a moment, “Whatever happened to Gary? I don’t remember Will mentioning his father or you bringing him up at all.”

  “He was young and wild and wanted to be single. We lived in a decade of free love. It never set well with me. He wasn’t sorry to see us go. He sent me the money after he sold the Texas house and that’s what bought this pile of rocks.”

  “This is your heart, Mim. You’ve made this the place our home.”

  “It is a home… but my heart is here…” She put her finger to Etta’s shoulder.

  “If you’re asking me what your choices are, I’d say, you’ve got two. Stick it out and stand by Will no matter how this works out or walk away. Since I know you won’t walk away, I think you should be planning an expansion on your house to include a couple of bedrooms and probably a family room in that big empty basement. I can’t imagine that Will and Jon will be happy living here with me after we’re on the other side of this. Jon loves you, Etta. He needs a mom. I’ve done my work. I’m a grandmother now. I’m tired. I want to be thrilled to see him coming toward me not happy to see him go. I’m feeling guilty myself. But I’ve got a huge fear that the moment Miles meets that baby he’s going to fall in love with him like I did. Right now, tired as I am I would wrestle a tiger to keep that little cub next to this mamma bear.”

  “So what your saying is suck it up, quit whining and make some moves in the right direction about how Will and I will live as a family.”

  “Yep. That’s exactly what I would do… well, after a wedding. I’m still a little old fashioned. Make baby steps in the direction you want to be going, it’ll get rid of your helpless feeling. Don’t let this paralyze you. Make a plan.”

  “Without talking to Will?”

  “Of course. He’s my son, but he’s still a man. He can’t see past this meeting and I guarantee that he’ll thank you for doing the thinking right now. He’s consumed with fear that Miles will want custody. What’s he going to do once this is all settled? If you wait for Will to tell you what he’s got planned, you’ll be a frustrated wreck and full of resentment. Just do it, Etta. Plan how you’re going to house these two men, get moving on it. It will give you something to do while all of this plays out.”

  “It’s all so simple to you.”

  “Simple as pie…” Mim patted her hand, “now quit fretting and start planning.”

  Mim stood at the sink in her kitchen and watched the tail of Etta’s car disappear down her driveway. Shaking from the core of her bones, she ran water over her hands, then her face. How could she give Etta such bold advice? She had no idea how it would all end. She had to have faith in her son… the same son that disappeared for over a year? No phone calls, just cards telling her to not worry he was fine. All of their lives rested on the outcome of the visit from Miles. She honestly didn’t know how Will would handle the situation if he had another fight for custody. Grabbing a dish towel she dried her face, grabbed the pack of smokes and headed back out to the stone table again.

  ~

  Etta pulled into the drive of her little cottage with a new sense of purpose. Faith in the future with Will was rejuvenated by her afternoon with Mim. The sweetness of dancing tennis shoes and mary janes filled her with hope. She walked around the outside of the house scoping a place where an addition would look like it naturally belonged. Once she spotted the space she went inside to think it through. Her bedroom was in the farthest back corner of the house, adjacent to an expanse of property which was level. It was the natural path for an addition. .. If she opened up the walls into both her living room and kitchen her bedroom would become a beautiful formal dining room. The little dinette in the kitchen would never work for a family, the dining room would be perfect.

  With a sketch pad, Etta curled up on the chase lounge in the bay window and sketched the new floor plan for the house. Two, no three bedrooms and two bathrooms would be add
ed. The master and a beautiful bath would be upstairs in the attic and the children’s’ bedrooms would be on the main floor. Children? Jon was just one little baby… Etta was planning for at least one more. She’d drawn it all out before she had a chance to think it away. She then thought about how the basement would make a great family room and remembered that Will would need an artist studio. Etta threw down her pad and scampered happily to the far corner of the back yard to a very large and dilapidated wood shed. She assessed the door that hung crooked in its jam, noticed that two of the little panes in the side window were broken. The building was overgrown with wisteria and Ivy. She’d never contemplated turning it into anything. She’d had enough space for all of her projects between the house and the studio in town. Looking closely, the building had almost completely disappeared beneath the heap of shrubbery. Giddy with inspiration, Etta envisioned a winding stone pathway from the patio to the studio.

  What first? She went back to the kitchen and reached for the phone to pull in a favor from an architect client. As it rang, she heard her front door creak open.

  “Etta?” Paige called. She had every intention of making an appointment with Etta to try getting to the bottom of her dreams and feelings about Jake.

  “In here…” she would have to leave a message with the architect. She hung up the phone when she saw Paige looking at her sketches.

  “Wow, what do you have going here?” Paige asked.

  “Just dreaming to maintain my sanity.” Etta reached for the pad of paper.

  “Looks pretty good to me.” Paige held fast to the sketches, studying all the details.

  “Big changes coming for the Goddess…” Paige smiled at her friend.

  She reached for the book again, “Come on, Paige, they’re not finished.”

  Paige released the sketches into Etta’s hands, “Sure…” Taking a step back, Paige leveled off a look, “You know, you don’t have to hide that from me. We all know how this is going to go. This happily ever after… I have all the faith in the world in you, Etta,” her pause was just a little too long.

  “But you’re not sure about Will.” Etta interjected, “I mean, he’s disappeared for a year … made love to me… left me without a word or a thought… I know.” She bit down on her lip and said with firm determination, “He’s going to come through this. Jon is going to be placed into his care permanently and I’ll eventually build onto this house for our family. I’ll turn the wood shed into an artist studio for Will. Our children will grow up together Paige, just like Jake and I did with Will. It’s the picture perfect ending to this nightmare.”

  Paige felt sad thinking how much of Etta’s heart had gone into the dream, “From your lips to Goddess’ ears, my friend.” She reached for her hand.

  “And so it is.” Etta whispered giving her hand a little squeeze.

  “Hey, show me what you’re planning!” Paige swallowed her fears, forgot about her own issues and looked brightly at the sketch book that Etta still held close to her chest.

  CHAPTER 23

  Etta had cleared the overgrowth from the shed in the far corner of her yard. It was good to sweat and feel her muscles working. She assessed the huge mound of shrubbery that would need to be hauled off or burned before she could go any further. It had been two days since her chat with Mim. Will had been tied up, stuck in San Francisco meeting with his lawyer. Keeping busy was her only sanity in the waiting. He assured he’d be back in time for the party at the mansion Friday night.

  She recounted the conversation she’d had with Jake about their parent’s estate. They hadn’t left much; being in their thirties when they died. The little remnants of their lives were treasured by Jake and Etta as the most valuable things they owned. The house where Jake now lived, some stocks in TI that Etta had held onto all these years at Mim’s insistence. Etta had asked Jake for her father’s wedding ring which had a ruby and tiny diamonds on either side. He was very sweet about the whole request. The turquoise velvet box was taken from the safety deposit and placed into her lingerie drawer for just the right moment.

  It seemed to Etta that everyone wore the same guarded smile when she talked about Will and her having a normal life. It’s what she wanted. She’d seen it. Knew with every fiber of her being it was going to all play out the way she envisioned it. Will had assured her that he wanted to settle down and give Jon the sweet small town life they’d all had. She reached for a glass of tea sweating on the cement ledge and gulped, allowing the chill to fill her belly. She was determined to co-create that life with Will.

  The phone rang from the patio. Ed, her architect, was on the other end.

  “I’ve got the renderings all done. You caught me between projects… looks incredible. Once you see the drawings, you’ll be floored. It’s gonna’ be a spendy venture though. When you want to stay true to the period your house was built…” Ed chuckled.

  “Do you have time to drop them by this afternoon?” Etta asked. “I’m covered in dirt, greenery and sweat at the moment, but I don’t want to wait.”

  “I’m heading out in about 30 minutes. I’ll see you then.”

  “Great!” Etta clicked the phone off and headed in to clean up.

  ~

  Large blue prints covered the entire surface of the dinette table in Etta’s kitchen. As Ed explained each detail, Etta saw it unfolding into reality. Then he showed her the exterior rendering, which included her wood shed turned artist’s studio.

  “You captured it,” Etta said softly. Running her hands over the images, “Just a few tweaks and it’s perfect.”

  “I’m sure there’ll be a lot of tweaks.”

  “Won’t be enough time for much tweaking… I’d like to start right away.” Etta gave Ed a wide smile, “I’d like to be done before the snow flies… and I am thinking since we’re ripping the rear end out of everything I’d like to remodel the kitchen as well.”

  “Etta, it might be more cost effective to start a house from scratch.” He presented her with the estimate for all the work she’d asked for, “The kitchen is going to add at minimum of thirty thousand onto that total.”

  Etta stared at the number and let the zero’s compute in her head, “Okay… wow, that’s a lot more than I thought.” She set the estimate down like a precious relic.

  “I’ll call you tomorrow afternoon, Etta. The contractor who worked the estimates is listed there… I’m pretty sure he’ll need at least twenty five percent to get started.”

  “Sure. I’m going to the bank in the morning and see what I can come up with. Thanks Ed, you did a great job.”

  That night Etta had a bottle of red wine with some pasta and looked over the renderings again. Ed had captured every detail she’d asked him for. In her mind she was already painting the children’s rooms. Her vision of little shoes dancing in leaves was burned into her mind. Yes, two bedrooms downstairs. The master suite she’d share with Will would be romantic and wonderful, just like her room now, only bigger. She had some amazing antiques stored at her studio that would make the impact she visualized.

  How was she going to fund the project? It was more than triple what she thought it might be. She could always take a loan out on her house. She owned it free and clear. She’d talk to Jake in the morning and see what he had to say about it. He was smart with money… something that had eluded Etta her whole life. Once she had a few dollars they were spent. She loved shopping and spoiling the people in her life. It was her greatest joy. Now she wanted to invest in her future.

  Jake held the door for his sister as they entered the bank on Broad Street. It’s where their parents had banked, it’s where everyone banked. The name had only changed twice in forty years, which was almost unheard of. It was a solid cornerstone of Nevada City history. Etta was nervous as her sandals padded across the marble floor, renderings rolled and tucked under her arm. Jake sat next to her supportively as she presented her project to the loan officer. He looked barely old enough to drive.

  After a couple of qu
estions on the part of the loan juvenile, Josh, who showed little interest in helping Etta actualize her dream, Jake cleared his throat and asked, “Josh, we have been generational patrons of this institution. I believe that our roots run back to the foundation of this bank in Nevada City. Do you have any intention of helping us with a loan?”

  “Well, I’ll refer you to the mortgage department.” Josh said flatly.

  “That would be great, Josh.” Jake said squeezing Etta’s hand under the desk.

  “Actually, Josh, I would like to go to the safety deposit box we have… can you do that for us?” Etta smiled sweetly.

  “I’ll call someone for you.” Josh said curtly.

  “Of course you will…” Jake said with an incredulous look on his face.

  Margie, the manager of the bank appeared in Josh’s cubicle opening, “Hi Jake! Hi Etta,” She reached for Jakes hand and then hugged Etta. Josh gaffed quietly behind them as the old friends walked out arm in arm.

  Jake gave Margie a quizzical look, “What’s with the kid?”

  “Corporate sent him in a month ago,” she rolled her eyes, “He’s a piece of work.”

  “I just need to get to my box, Margie, and then I need someone to help me with the stocks that my folks left.”

  “I can do that.” Margie led them into a long hallway, “Here you go. Just meet me at my desk when you’re ready.”

  The metal container was crammed with boxes of coins, and odds and ends that neither of them wanted to lose track of through the years. The stocks were in an envelope on the very bottom. Etta hadn’t looked at them since she was 18 and given access to everything through a trust.