"Already taken care of, Mrs. Pelletier. That's part of the surprise. Right, girls?" Méline and Bibianne giggled again and looked at Ellie with big smiles. "Well, here we are ladies," the detective said as he pulled into the driveway of a small, tidy-looking brick house. He parked the car in the carport and turned to look back at Ellie.
"The First Baptist Church has offered you their parsonage which is empty at the moment. The church ladies have been here, getting everything spic and span for you and your girls. There's a small fenced-in back yard for the dogs, too. Sadie is there waiting for you. They say you can stay as long as needed. They don't expect it to be used since their preacher owns his own home."
Ellie was stunned into silence. She thought the ladies at First Baptist pretty much hated her. Wasn't that where much of the gossip originated? "I-I d-don't know what to say," Ellie stammered.
He smiled. "A simple thank you will suffice." They got out of the car and the detective escorted them to the front door. He opened it with a key and then handed it to Ellie. "You can thank them later when things aren't so fresh and painful. If I know them like I think I do, you'll have supper waiting on you tonight and casseroles for the next week. Cooking shouldn't be a problem amidst everything else you're going to have to deal with."
That reminded Ellie of all the decisions and calls she would have to make. She groaned and sat down in the swing that hung on the front porch. She slid her hand down her face and asked, "Were any of our clothes recovered? I'm pretty sure some survived the accident."
"I'm sorry, no. The Department of Health ruled in 2013 that all low-value, high-contact materials must be destroyed."
"OK," Ellie responded, trying to be logical. "Since food and lodging are covered, the first order of business will be to find something to sleep in tonight and something to wear for tomorrow. Or at least to get some laundry detergent and wash what we're wearing now." Ellie was verbalizing her to-do list and entering full-steam-ahead into provider mode. Maybe that would help her forget about Julien. The girls walked over to her and grabbed her hands, practically dragging her inside.
"Come in and look, maman!" They prompted.
Instead of accompanying them inside, the detective left with Dedé, promising to take her straight to the vet. He left his card with Ellie in case she needed anything. He also told her that he would be checking in with her daily to provide updates about the investigation.
When the detective and Dedé had driven off, Ellie and the girls entered the parsonage and started looking around. It was a small, one-bathroom house from the 1950s. There was one largish bedroom that looked like it must have been the master, and then a smaller one that had been turned into a study. That was fine with Ellie. She would feel better with the girls in her bedroom anyway.
The detective had been right about the church ladies. The house smelled clean rather than musty. There was food in the refrigerator, detergent in the laundry closet, and basic toiletries in the bathroom. When she opened the closet in her bedroom, she even found an oversized sleep shirt for herself and pajamas for the girls, all with the tags still on them. Wow! When had they had time to do all this? She wondered. Those First Baptist ladies must be more efficient than FEMA. The realization hit her that she owed them a debt greater than she could ever repay.
After their brief tour, they all three collapsed on the living room sofa. Ellie turned on the TV and she and the girls watched cartoons until it was time to eat. After a wonderful chicken casserole, everyone showered and piled into the King-sized bed. Exhaustion finally took over as they fell asleep to the sounds of the Sadie's contented, light snoring.
◆◆◆
A ping that sounded like an incoming text woke Ellie in the night. She grabbed her phone, thinking that it was Julien. Her heart dropped into her stomach when she remembered that he wouldn't be texting her – ever again. She looked at the empty spot on her ring finger.
The text message turned out to be a reminder that tomorrow the girls had dentist appointments. What was she going to do? It was overwhelming. She instinctively grabbed her phone and sent a text.
Girls and I are fine. House is not.
Please help – we need you!
She waited for a few seconds. Nothing. What was she doing texting her dead husband? Had she crossed the line between sanity and insanity? What could it hurt, though? No one would ever read the message. She added another few lines.
What happened to you?
What were you involved in?
Why did you leave us?
Another five minutes ticked by slowly with no response. A sick feeling that had been building all day hit Ellie forcefully in the gut and rose to her throat. She jumped out of bed and ran to the toilet where she vomited up the chicken casserole in great heaving streams that left her breathless and teary-eyed. As she leaned over the toilet making sure nothing more was coming up, she began to cry.
Why had this happened? Why couldn't she remember the accident? Why did she feel angry at Julien? Why couldn't she remember what they'd argued about?
She heaved the remaining contents of her stomach into the toilet and wondered if she'd have to live the rest of her life with the guilt, both of having argued with him before his death and of not having the chance to make amends. Try as she might, she couldn't remember what had happened, and she knew she was forgetting something important.
No! She shook her head. She could not let that worrisome seed take root on top of everything else she was feeling. Ellie would just have to move on. Eventually, time would heal this crippling wound, but until then, she'd have to do the hardest thing in the world -- wait.
CHAPTER FIFTY
BOLD BEGINNINGS
One Saturday morning, several weeks after the accident, Ellie and the girls were having breakfast at the tiny kitchen table in the parsonage when they heard a knock on the door. Bibianne rushed to let the visitors in before Ellie could remind her they were all still in their pajamas.
Bibianne returned to the kitchen escorting Mrs. Lydia Bennett and Mrs. Louella Baxter. Ellie wondered what could bring them over so early. The two preachers' wives quivered and smiled with what could only be enthusiasm.
Mrs. Bennet spoke first. "Good morning, Ellie, girls. I know it's early, but we were too eager to wait any longer. We have something to show you." She beamed.
Mrs. Baxter chimed in. "Let us clean up your breakfast dishes while you go get dressed. We want to take you somewhere."
Ellie tried to protest, but the ladies shushed her with their efficiency. Mrs. Bennet was already wrist deep in dishwater, and Mrs. Baxter was taking the girls to the bedroom before Ellie had processed what was happening. She let herself be guided to the bedroom where she and the girls dutifully dressed for the day.
Ellie wondered how the dynamic duo had taken over so effortlessly. She felt like a small tornado had just bustled through. The girls picked up on the atmosphere of excitement that pervaded the parsonage. They chatted to each other, "I wonder where we're going?" Bibianne asked.
"On an adventure, silly!" giggled Méline. "Let's go, maman! Vite, vite!"
Ellie wondered how her kids could bounce back so quickly. They had lost their home and their dad in the last six weeks, yet they seemed perfectly content to go on an adventure this early Saturday morning without a moment's hesitation and with good cheer to boot.
Ellie decided she'd follow their lead. She put on a happy face and said, "Well, okay! I'm ready if you are! Race you to the bathroom to see who can brush her teeth first!"
Moments later, they were in the church van and heading towards downtown Stusa. Mrs. Baxter was driving, and Mrs. Bennet was explaining. "Now, we know you have been through a lot over the course of this year. Being new to our community is hard enough, but you have also had more than your share of tragic events. We couldn't let you get the wrong idea about Stusa. We wanted to show you how wonderful it can be if you give us a chance."
Mrs. Baxter added, "I think today you will find that Stusa is full of p
eople who care about you and your girls. We are willing to help if you'll let us." She cocked an eyebrow at Ellie in the rearview mirror.
Ellie was puzzled; she couldn't decide if she was being reprimanded or rewarded. The mood in the van was far too cheerful to be a scolding, so she figured maybe it was both at once. That's how these church ladies worked – all compliment-and-correct simultaneously. Their intentions were good, though, and Ellie knew they had a point. She hadn't been very open to accepting help from anyone until she had been forced by horrible events to move into the parsonage. She opened her mouth to thank them again for their generosity.
"Ladies, we are so grateful for your help at the parsonage. We couldn't have made it without you! Thanks so-"
"Oh, dearie," Mrs. Bennett cut her off. "It's not about that. We were thrilled someone could make use of that empty old house. No, no, don't thank us yet. We want to show you something else entirely." Mrs. Bennett and Mrs. Baxter beamed.
As they went under the town's one traffic light, Ellie figured out their destination - The Jewel - although it seemed a little grandiose to call it that anymore. After the fire at Julien's studio, Ellie had meticulously avoided passing by it, and had been careful to take another route home that didn't wind through downtown. She simply hadn't wanted another reminder of everything that had gone wrong in her life.
She saw what looked like a new sign on the front, covered with a tarp, and groaned inwardly. She didn't want to disappoint the church ladies, but if they expected her to be glad that they cleaned up Julien's studio, she would have a hard time faking it. She hadn't even begun to recover from Julien's death or the incomprehensible anger she felt at him. She didn't want to see another photography studio for the rest of her life. She leaned back against the head rest and shut her eyes.
Maybe if she just sat here, it would all go away. Or maybe she would wake up and it would have all been an awful nightmare. She and the girls would be in bed snuggled together at the comfortable, restored farmhouse. Julien would be downstairs making crepes and cappuccino. The dogs would be whining for crumbs. Ellie's life would be exactly what she had planned.
Tears collected in her closed eyes, and she stopped herself angrily. Daydreaming would not help. It would only make her pine for something that was unattainable and unhealthy. She had to be brave; she had to face her fears.
This was her life now. She had to accept it. She was a widow, a single mom, currently living on the charity of others. Her deceased husband was suspected of foul-play. There was a missing student, a destroyed farmhouse, and a job teaching kids who thought she'd bullied a girl into suicide. There really was no way to hope her way around the facts.
This was her reality, a waking nightmare. She couldn't see a bright side at all. Her present and her future looked entirely black.
As she’d suspected, the van pulled up in front of The Jewel. Mrs. Bennet and Mrs. Baxter made Ellie and the girls close their eyes as they led them to the front entrance. Ellie peeked. She felt, rather than saw, a crowd gather behind her.
"Okay! Open your eyes!" Mrs. Bennet shouted gleefully. The tarp covering the sign was being pulled down by two men with cords.
Ellie gasped.
Méline and Bibianne squealed and looked up at their mom. The crowd behind them clapped and cheered. Where there had once been a sign for Julien's photography, now hung a sign in emerald-green calligraphy.
Tea and Tomes
Ellie's face froze. How had they known? Just then Zyla stepped out from behind one of the columns, nervously checking Ellie's reaction. She was literally wringing her hands.
"Well, what do you think? I couldn't decide between purple and green for the sign. I thought green looked earthier. Plus, it shows up better against the color of the bricks."
Ellie couldn't think of anything to say. She swallowed. "I like the sign. I don't understand, exactly. But I like the sign. Green is perfect."
Zyla heaved a sigh of relief and grabbed Ellie's hand. "C'mon girls, Mrs. Bennet, Mrs. Baxter. Let's show her the rest! You guys," she shouted to the small crowd, "fall in behind us and wait downstairs. There are refreshments for everyone!" Another small cheer erupted, and Ellie was swept into the building.
The sight that met her made her stop in her tracks, and a few people bumped right into her from behind.
Where there once had been smoky, charred timbers and scorched brick walls, now stood a cozy café replete with small tables, a couple of over-stuffed chairs, lamps, and bookshelf-lined walls. White lights twinkled from the ceiling, giving the place a cheerful look. It was almost exactly what Ellie had pictured in her head when she’d described it to Zyla nearly nine months earlier.
At the back, Ellie could see a small galley kitchen. On the countertop sat two large mason jars - one filled with lemons and another filled with dried lavender blooms. A small chalkboard announced the house specialties – lavender lemonade and vanilla cupcakes. Ellie couldn't believe what she was seeing. She blinked her eyes several times and turned to face the crowd behind her.
"You guys!" She gulped. "How? When? This is…perfect."
A round of applause exploded as soon as the word left her mouth. People started clapping her on the back, and everyone was talking at once. Mrs. Dennis pointed out the doilies she’d crocheted for each table. Mr. Evans pointed at the wrought iron staircase he had welded for her in the back. Mrs. Juniper showed Ellie the curtains she had sewn for the front windows. Mrs. Towns had donated the small lamps at each table, wonderfully eclectic and charmingly mismatched. Mr. Bruce had painted the café chairs donated from various families to give them coherence despite their differing styles.
The girls had run into the café's kitchen and were pointing out the industrial grade lemon squeezer. "Maman, look! It's for your lavender lemonade!" Bibianne squealed. Ellie looked over the counter area where she could make and serve drinks. Mrs. Bennett and Mrs. Baxter - Do call us Lydia and Louella - showed her into the kitchen behind swinging doors. It was tiny, but it was just exactly what Ellie would need to whip up cupcakes and sandwiches – nothing extravagant - she found herself thinking.
She hadn't realized she was getting caught up in the excitement until she found herself planning menus and ticking off a mental list of ingredients she would need. With summer holidays right around the corner, she thought she'd have enough time to get it up and running by Memorial Day. For the first time in over six weeks, she smiled.
She could do this. Stusa had given her every reason to try and no reason to doubt her little dream café any longer. There were no barriers, no excuses. Tea and Tomes was a reality. She stopped dead in her tracks and turned to give Zyla, Lydia, and Louella a ferocious hug.
"Thank you! Thank you! A thousand times thank you!" she whispered as tears ran down her cheeks. "I don't know if I'll ever be able to repay you for your kindness!"
"Oh, now. There's no need for that." Said Louella, clearly embarrassed by the outpouring of affection from Ellie.
"We'll just expect you to host all our book club meetings into perpetuity," laughed Lydia.
"With pleasure!" cried Ellie. At that moment, Mr. Evans came back to the group rocking back and forth on his heels while the rest of the crowd munched on the refreshments set out on the tables in the café.
"Ummm…Mrs. Pelletier? I'd love to show you upstairs if you're ready." He said nervously.
"What, you mean there's more?" Ellie asked in disbelief. Lydia and Louella grabbed her hands and dragged her up the beautiful staircase Mr. Evans had constructed. The black spiral staircase was a work of art itself. She oohed and ahhhed, and Mr. Evans blushed.
"You know; I think I'll leave the swinging doors open so everyone can see this gorgeous staircase!" Ellie said.
"Well, I don't know about all that, but I'm glad you like it." Mr. Evans smiled. "Me and my fellow deacons worked on this upstairs part." He paused as Ellie looked around. They had reached the top of the staircase which opened into a small sitting room in what used to be Julien's attic.
There was a cushy loveseat and a side chair with a reading lamp. A colorful, crocheted afghan covered the back of the sofa. It was just the right size for Ellie and her two girls.
"How could you afford all this?" The question popped out before she thought about how it sounded.
"Well, it's all used furniture that people no longer needed. Except the lemon squeezer. That is brand new." Lydia replied.
"And one or two things in your kitchen." Louella added.
Ellie was speechless. Seeing her astonishment, the ladies and Mr. Evans led her down a short hall. There was a bedroom on the left and a bedroom on the right. The hall ended in a tiny bathroom that Ellie realized must be right over the one downstairs. The one for customers.
The layout was perfect. Ellie's room was over the café section. Her bedroom had a large spacious window that let light in from the street side of the café. It was high enough that no one would be able to see inside, and big enough to let in the copious amounts of light that Ellie craved. She chuckled to herself. There would be no danger of oversleeping in this bedroom. She'd be up every morning with the sun, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed.
It was the girls' room that pushed Ellie over the edge and made her break into her ugly cry. The girls' room was above the kitchen area and faced the back of the lot. It overlooked a tiny fenced-in yard for the dogs. Ellie saw that there was a little balcony accessible via their window. When the girls and Ellie crowded together on the tiny balcony, Ellie looked down to see a small herb garden, already blooming with lavender, mint, and basil.
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