CHAPTER Thirteen:

   “I have someone I want you to meet!” Lauren called into the living room. 

The music coming from the piano immediately stopped, replaced by the patter of little feet. 

   “Who? Who?” Willow’s eyes sparkled. She coughed. 

   “Who who – are you an owl?” Lauren took her hand and led her out the door. “Come with me and you’ll see.”

   Ever since the night Willow had spent out by the creek, she’d been coughing. At first it was only every then and now, but now it seemed to be getting a little worse. A little deeper. Lauren worried it might be something serious. 

   “Mornin’ Buwwercup.” Willow waved at the chicken. She couldn’t quite pronounce her name.

   Lauren swung her purse over her shoulder and grabbed her bike. She held it up with one hand and pushed it down the driveway alongside Willow. 

   “Where are we going?” Willow asked as they turned towards Aunt Betsy’s house.

   “You’ll find out soon enough.” Lauren winked at her and parked her bike at the end of the walkway.

   They were halfway up the path when Aunt Betsy stepped out the door. Willow’s eyes widened at the sight of the woman with the long silver hair. She was stunning.

   “Good morning,” she smiled at the two of them as they approached. “You must be the little girl I’ve heard so much about. Come in dearies, I’ll get you some lemonade. Don’t even protest, I know you have time Lauren.”

   Lauren smiled ruefully and followed her into the kitchen.

   “I like your hair,” Willow said. “It’s grey. Is that because you’re so old?”

   Lauren’s cheeks flushed. Little girls did come with their own share of embarrassing moments. But Aunt Betsy just laughed as she poured them glasses of lemonade. 

   “It’s because I’m so wise.” She turned to them and handed them their drinks. “At least that’s my theory. You are right, it’s more because I’m old.”

   “Wow.” Willow took a sip.

   “If you don’t mind, I think I’ll take you up on your offer,” Lauren said. “Willow has been so bored at work, and I’m worried about her cough.”
   “Of course. Wouldn’t want to have such a charming young lady around.” She beckoned them into the living room. “Before you head out, let me show you something.”
   She moved to the bookshelf and pulled a photo album out. Lauren sat down on the couch, and Willow climbed into her lap.

   Aunt Betsy sat next to them and held out the folder. The cover was made of quilted fabric and edged with lace. She opened it. A picture of two young ladies greeted their eyes. 

   They stood next to one another, and a mischievous glint sparkled in their eyes. 

   “This is me.” Aunt Betsy pointed at the young girl with long reddish blonde hair, then shifted her focus to the other woman. “That is your grandma.”
   Lauren set down her drink and leaned closer. Mrs. Quinley had wavy hair, and overalls with dirt packed on their knees. Even though she was in her early twenties, she still had the same facial expression that Lauren remembered. 

   Aunt Betsy turned the page. “Me and my husband, on our wedding day. Boy, do I miss him.”

   She wore a long lace wedding gown, with a silk sash that tied into a bow at the front. Aunt Betsy’s hair flowed around her waist and she wore a flower crown. The man beside her was handsome, with slicked-back dark hair and a crisp suit. 

   “You were beautiful,” Lauren whispered. “Of course, you still are.”

   “I have a few more wrinkles now.”

   She turned the page again. A meow sounded from the corner of the room. Willow handed Lauren her drink and wiggled off her lap, to go chase the cat. 

   The next picture showed Aunt Betsy and her husband again, both dressed up but not at their own wedding. 

   “Your grandma and grandpa had a beautiful wedding.” She sighed wistfully. “A small one, mind you. Your grandma wore a blue gown, her favourite colour. It was the gossip of the town for months. A light blue gown. Can you imagine?”
   Willow returned and glanced at the photo. “Can you be my grandma?” she asked.

   “Well. I’ve never been anyone’s grandma before.” Aunt Betsy closed the album.

   “Me neither. And I’ve never had one,” Willow replied.

   “Then it would be my pleasure.”

   Willow clapped her hands together. They all stood, it was getting late. Lauren had a bit of a bike ride ahead of her. 

   “I have to go. Thank you for showing me the pictures,” she said, smiling at her friend. 

   Willow returned to the cat, stroking its glossy back. 

   “Do you want to stay here while I work?” Lauren asked. 

   “Yes! I wanna be with gramma!” Willow beamed. 

   “Well, there is one condition to our bargain.” Aunt Betsy’s eyes held that mischievous glint again. “You need a break from work, and Willow needs a treat. Take an evening off soon and do something special with her.”

   Lauren’s nodded. “Alright. I will try to.”

   It was still cheaper than paying for a full-time babysitter. Even if Chuck hired her again, she still couldn’t afford a day off. But it was better than not having a babysitter.

ef

   Tourist season was coming to an end. The store was much quieter. Lauren restocked the shelves after a shipment was delivered, and sorted through the mail with little interruption.

   Finally, the bell jingled and she returned to the till. A man in his early forties came through the door. He had dark brown hair and wore suspenders.

   “Hello.” He caught Lauren staring at him and judging his fashion choices, but didn’t look annoyed. 

   “Hi. Welcome to Silver-Bell Creek. Are you passing through?” she asked. 

   For some reason, he looked familiar. Maybe he’d come through the town before, was a reoccurring vacationer. It was hard for her to remember everyone when they flooded through in the summer. 

   “No. Just moved in.” He walked over to the freezer and grabbed a box of hamburgers. Then grabbed a bag of buns from the discount rack. 

   “I see,” she was curious but didn’t want to sound nosy.

   Lauren knew she must be getting behind on the town news. No one had told her a house had been for sale, or that someone was moving in.

   “Chuck needed some help, so I’m working with him.” He brought the items to the till and pulled out his wallet. “You must be Lauren?”

   “Yes.” She rang through the items. “Do I know you from somewhere?”

   “No, you don’t know me.” His brown eyes watched her too closely for comfort. Then he blinked and grew serious. “Chuck told me you used to work for him.”

   Lauren nodded. Her hopes were falling. If he’d hired help, no doubt Chuck wouldn’t be needing her anymore. 

   The man paid, then walked to the door. “By the way, my name is Jared.”

   With that short introduction, he left. He was a little odd, if not for his style, for his mannerisms. But he seemed friendly enough. Lauren couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something familiar about him.

   Shaking her head, she dismissed the foolish thoughts. She wondered how Willow was doing? There was a bit of guilt nagging at her for leaving her. But she was in good hands. 

   A young couple came through the door. They looked like they would make the perfect parents. Lauren wondered if they wanted children. Maybe she should start thinking seriously about finding Willow a proper home. At least that way she’d have a chance in life, someone steady and secure to rely on. 

   The couple came up to the till with two jars of pickles and three bags of honey mustard chips. Lauren raised her eyebrows at the strange combo but said nothing. 

   “Cravings.” The man winked at his wife.

   Lauren laughed, and the woman flushed. 

   “Our little one is very demanding.” The lady didn’t look so embarrassed as happy. 

   “Congratulations!” Lauren smiled at her. 

   Her thoughts returned to Willow. If she reported Charlotte and they took Willow into a foster home, would she end up with someone like these people? Or would she end up in one of the awful homes she’d heard stories about?
   It was a gamble. Lauren didn’t know what to think.

hg

   “Here you go.” Lacey handed Charlotte a steaming cup of peppermint tea.

   “Thank you.” Charlotte cradled it in her hands and blew at the surface. 

   Lacey sat down next to her, curling her legs up beneath her. “We’ve got a lot of catching up to do. I’m glad you came back. How are you doing?”

   “Alright. Busy.” she shrugged. “Not sure I’ll ever find a job or a place to stay.”
   “Well, you know, my offer is still on.” Lacey’s smile was warm. “If you want, you can stay here. I would be happy to try and find you some work.”

   “No.” She shifted over on the couch, putting some distance between them. “I’d rather not intrude on your privacy. Besides, Lauren can’t babysit forever, I have to get back to Willow soon.”

   “You have a daughter?” Lacey looked surprised by the news.

   Lacey had known that she was pregnant with Lauren all those years ago. But she’d been very private about it all, about her whole family. When the time came to move on, they’d lost touch.

“Well, you know about my daughter Lauren. She’s all grown up now.” Charlotte ran a    finger along the rim of her mug. “Now I have a sweet little girl, Willow. She’s five.”

   Lacey took a moment to digest the information. “How are your parents doing?”

   “They passed away. A year ago.” She looked down at her drink.

   “Oh, Charlotte. I’m so sorry. That must have been really hard on you.”

   “We never really spoke anyways.” Her voice was lighthearted, but she could feel a stab of sorrow. “We didn’t part on what you’d call good terms. You see, they raised Lauren.”

   “What a shame.” Lacey’s eyes were sad. “I didn’t know the whole story. Didn’t know much about you really. But I should have persisted you go home when we first met.”

   “Nah, everything turned out alright in the end. It was probably better that way anyway.” The lie slipped smoothly off her tongue. “Anyway, the past is in the past. Now I have Willow’s future to think about.”

   Lacey nodded and reached out to squeeze her friend’s hand. Charlotte felt clammy and was relieved when she settled back in her chair.

   “How nice of your other daughter to look after her.” 

   “Yes.” Charlotte held back laughter. “It was a rather involuntary decision on her part.” 

   Lacey raised her eyebrows, and she realized her slip of the tongue. 

   “Enough about me. Let me hear about your life now.” She changed the subject before Lacey could pry. “What has changed with you through all these years?”

   Lacey smiled down at the floor, her eyes glowing with happiness. “Well, I continued to work in my salon. A few years ago I met my husband, Kevin.”

   Charlotte fidgeted in her seat and turned to gaze out the wide window that overlooked the city streets. It was going to be a ‘happily ever after’ story, she could already tell, and she didn’t care to hear it.

   “We got married, and now we’ve decided to go to Africa.” 

   “Africa?!” Charlotte’s gaze shot back to her friend. 

   Lacey nodded as if it were a perfectly normal decision to fly half-way around the globe. 

   “Of all the places in the world, why would you ever want to go there?” Her brows knit together in disbelief. “With lions and elephants, and deserts.”
   Lacey’s smile dropped, and she wondered if she’d overstepped her boundaries. 

   “Um, well, it’s not all like that.” Lacey paused and took a deep breath. “You see, there’s an orphanage over there. The founders can’t stay much longer. Kevin is a pastor, and ever since he was a little boy he’s wanted to do something like this.”

   “Oh, I see.”

   The air in the room suddenly seemed stuffy. Charlotte wanted to get out.

   “And I love children, you know.” Lacey traced the design on her mug with a finger.    “We can’t have any of our own. I think this really might be my calling.”

   “I’m glad to hear that you’re happy.”

   “Thank you. Kevin is away right now, visiting his parents. He should be back any time now. After that, we only have a few more months here and then we’re off.”

   The room grew silent, each woman engrossed in her own thoughts. Lacey’s were filled with excitement and hope for the future. 

   Charlotte hated how ‘virtuous’ and changed she’d found her friend. What had happened to the edgy woman who’d blasted rock and roll and taught her to tight-line her eyes with eyeliner?

   “So. You’re a pastor’s wife now?”

   Yes, and I’ve never been so happy.” She sighed contently. “I found real meaning in my life when I found God. It’s amazing how much He’s changed me.”

   That much was evident, thought Charlotte. Did this mean all their time together had meant nothing to the woman? Had it really meant anything to Charlotte? What am I doing here, she wondered. 

   “Well, this was a nice visit. It’s time for me to be on my way.” She began to push herself up from the sofa, but Lacey put a hand on her arm to stop her. 

“No, stay a little longer. Please,” her voice was gentle. “Is something wrong? Did I say something? Oh me and my mouth – I’ve gone and offended you.”
With a sigh, Charlotte fell back into the navy blue cushions. 

   “You didn’t have to. It’s obvious.” She was starting to get a headache. “Look at your life. It’s all figured out. You’re a pastor’s wife, and you’re going to Africa to help orphans for goodness sake.”

   Lacey’s mouth opened, then closed, like a gaping fish. Speechless, for once. 

   “I’m a homeless, unemployed mother, who abandons her children.” She was beginning to get angry now. “Go ahead. Say it. I’m a failure.” 

   Silence fell over them like a weight. I’ve ruined things again. Charlotte’s chest heaved.

   “I don’t think you’re a failure.”

   “You don’t have to lie to me.” Charlotte’s eyes filled with tears. She set her mug down on the coffee table in front of them. “We are such different people now. I mean, you’re running a church.”

   “Why does that change things between us?”

   Charlotte’s jaw tightened. She wasn’t going to explain everything she said and let Lacey make her look like a fool. “I know religious people. They say they want to help, but what they mean is they want to ‘bring the prodigal’ back to church. If it works, you get praised as a hero.” She raised her voice and pushed to her feet. “It’s not caring, it’s ego.”

   “Charlotte, that is not what I want.” Lacey’s expression was filled with hurt.

   “No. I can’t do this.” Charlotte found her way back to the hall. 

   “Please, how can I show you that I’m sincere? Yes, you’ve made mistakes, I’m not denying that. So have I. Let me help you,” Lacey was getting frantic as she followed her. “You can’t shut people out forever. God-”

   “I don’t need your pity.” Charlotte snapped. “And I don’t need him. I’m more than happy to make my own way in life, even if that means being alone.”
   She slammed the door in Lacey’s face, then jumped, although she’d been the one to shut it.

   Hesitant footsteps sounded on the other side of the door, as the woman walked away. 

She walked away. Charlotte’s fists clenched. Of course she’d walked away. I made her walk away. She crumpled to the ground, her back pressed up against the door. Shame flooded over her.
   Another bridge burned, and the smoke stung.