Page 86 of Beautiful Dreamer

“I did, too. Good night, Jilly. Call me soon and we can go schoolsupply shopping. You know it’s my favorite.”

Once the door closed behind her, Elizabeth shrugged out of heropen plaid shirt, leaving just the maroon spaghetti strap top beneath. Sheneeded to free herself from that whole experience, and the less that encumberedher, even physically, the better. The summer evening air on her skin helped.She paused at the end of the driveway and took a deep, steading inhale.

“I think I really fucked up.” She turned around and saw the mostbeautiful woman in the world walking toward her. Devyn’s hazel eyes carriedworry. No, maybe that was fear. “Amend that. I know I did. Seeing you…I can’tdescribe it, but it’s made everything snap into focus.”

“I’m happy I helped with that.” She turned to go.

Devyn raced forward. “But before you leave, try to understand thatI’m not good at any of this.”

“You’ve mentioned that. You were right.”

Devyn nodded, accepting the barb. “I was planning on calling whenI got back to Philly. I honestly was, but I was scared. What you and I hadchanged me, and I’ve never felt more terrified of anything in my life. Itbecame easier to just avoid dealing with the concept of us altogether. I ran,and I’m an ass for that.”

“Ya think?” Elizabeth wrapped her arms around herself. She wasaware of the intense effect of being near Devyn. She felt her all over, andwhat she once cherished, she now hated. Devyn’s power over her apparentlyhadn’t changed, only it was no longer a good thing.

“It was awful of me. I’m awful.” A pause. “But you’re not. God,Elizabeth, I’m so sorry.”

Elizabeth nodded. “Thank you for saying so. I’m gonna go. Pleaselet me do that.” She headed off down the sidewalk, the conversation just a bittoo much for her in her present state. She was just a few blocks from home andcould have made it there in no time flat. Instead, she walked a little farther,meandering through town, or at least pretending to. The evening was acomfortable one and she smiled at her neighbors, some of whom walked dogs,while others watered their lawns. Crickets chirped. She scrunched her shoulders,very much lost in her own depressing feelings. She didn’t notice when the tearsmade their way onto her cheeks, but they’d apparently done so at some point.The doorstep she eventually landed upon seemed only a minor surprise.

Her mother answered after a lengthy pause. “Well, I’ll be.Elizabeth.” The smile was immediate. She wore no makeup and her normallyglamorous persona was MIA. The woman before Elizabeth was stripped down andlooked much older than she was used to. She wore baggy jeans and an untuckedhigh school T-shirt. There were no heels, only bare feet with red polishedtoenails. “Come inside. This is an unexpected surprise.”

She’d been in her mother’s home before, but it’d been a while. Itsmelled homey, like maybe they’d had fried chicken for dinner that night.Jeopardywas on the TV,and there were a couple of pairs of tennis shoes abandoned on the living roomrug. A soft-looking plaid blanket sat unfolded on the couch, and she could hearthe girls’ voices upstairs. It felt like a real home, and though it wasn’thers, she took comfort.

“I was on a walk. I almost passed by, but I don’t know. I decidedI’d stop and say hello.”

Her mother tossed her hands in the air. “Of course you shouldhave. I’m thrilled as a tick on a piglet. Here, sit.” She caught sight of theblanket and immediately set to folding it. “I was making me some black brew.That’s what I call coffee. Want some black brew?”

“Sure. I’ll take some.”

“Coming right up. Two cups of brew for two weary gals.”

Elizabeth felt lost and didn’t know what she was doing there, butthe comfort that seeped in felt pleasant and very much needed. She sank intothe comfy couch and exhaled as her mother prepared coffee in the kitchen to herleft. “I tell you what, I just had the trickiest of days. One of those roughones where it feels like nothin’ much is going your way and you might as welljust put on your comfy pants and watch Alex Trebek.” She gestured to thetelevision, and Elizabeth smiled.

“I didn’t have a great day either. Devyn showed up after weeks ofnot speaking to me.”

“Oh yeah?” Elizabeth could hear the coffee being stirred, thoughshe didn’t look over. “She blew you off after heading back to the city?”

“Expertly.”

“Well, that’s no good,” her mother said. She came around the couchand handed the warm cup to Elizabeth, who cradled it in both hands. “What doyou think happened there?”

Elizabeth took a moment. “Hard to say. Maybe she just wasn’t thatinto me.”

“You really think that’s it?”

Elizabeth blew on her coffee, and the warmth blew back against herface. “No.”

“Nah, me neither. She was all starry-eyed when I met her. Couldn’tstop looking at you like you climbed a ladder and hung the moon on a hook inthe sky. She was gone on you.”

“I’d started to believe that, too.” She shook her head andhumiliation overcame her. “Maybe we can talk about something else?”

Her mother nodded. “Yep. How about I bore you with the details ofhow my entire roundup of groceries was left at Festive Foods this afternoonwith a stock boy named Johnny standing guard, and then we can watch someJeopardy?”

Elizabeth smiled, actually liking that idea very much, assurprising as that was. “Tell me about Johnny and the groceries.”

And she did. They spent the evening trading stories as Elizabethwarmed up to the give-and-take a little bit at a time. Two hours later, thedevastation of Devyn had been replaced with a solid kernel of hope for herrelationship with her mom. No, she didn’t dare put too many eggs in thatbasket, but they’d had a good night…for the second time in a row.

“You’ve been more than hospitable,” Elizabeth said, as she washedher cup in the sink. “I’m gonna get out of your way now and go throw a rubbermonkey for my dog. She’s obsessed.”

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