The Red Strokes

Chapter 24 - Lilah

"That was Mia," I say as I return to the table where Avery is spooning scrambled eggs onto plates.

"That conversation was short enough to have been a wrong number," Val says.

I take my place at the table, and thank Avery. "She said she needed to talk to me alone. I said okay and then she said she'd pick me up in two hours."

"Alone? How very Mia," Val says.

"She's got a lot on her mind. Don't be offended."

"For the record, I'm relieved. I know what it's about and I don't want to hear her go on and on about it, even with your ears."

"Is everything alright?" Heddie Mae.

"Everything's fine," me.

"It's about Roger and their blowout last night," Val

My attempt at the evil eye escapes my sister, and she continues. "It seems Roger learned something that upset him. He confronted Mia about it, they argued, and now she needs someone to hold her hand and tell her it'll all work out."

Thankful she avoided the gritty details of their argument; I chime in before she can continue. "I have some news I'd like to share before Doriah comes down." I take in a big breath, hold it for a second or two, and then exhale. "Bryan's getting married."

Val asks, "Are we happy about this?"

"Of course." If I had had any residual doubts regarding how I felt about him marrying, they left sometime before I woke. "It's been a long time since he's been happy. It's wonderful news."

"I take it Doriah doesn't know yet?" Val asks.

"No, although she has met her. He believes he's going to tell her today while they're car shopping."

"He's a good man," Heddie Mae says.

"He is," I respond. "He just wasn't good for me."

Silence fills the room. While Avery busies herself turning bacon, Heddie Mae and Val shift in their seats. I assume each is trying to figure out whether they should add to the Bryan conversation or let it go to ease any conflicting emotions they believe I might have. I pull my chair closer to the table and straighten in my seat. "So, who's up for another of Heddie Mae's stories?"

* * *

I suppose my suggestion to listen to stories could have been better timed. Between Avery bustling around the table and my having to ready myself before Mia arrives, attentions are drifting in and out of idle conversation. We turn in unison when Doriah joins us with a yawn and a mumbled "morning," as her slippers scuff across the hardwood floor.

"How'd you sleep, little girl?" Heddie Mae asks.

Doriah nods a reply. "I wish someone had woken me earlier. I was hoping to spend some time with you all before my father comes for me."

I tell her there'll be plenty of time to visit since Heddie Mae and Avery plan to stay awhile.

"I know," Doriah says. "But it's so cool having a houseful of people."

Her words ring all too true and I shrug off the sting. When Scotty was alive, the house was a home: warm, happy, and comfortable. Since he's been gone, it feels like a house, a place where Doriah and I simply exist under the same roof. When Scotty's gigs would allow, we would spend entire evenings cuddled under a blanket while watching old movies, and there was always a fire in the fireplace. We would take Doriah with us and walk row after row of Douglas Firs until we found the perfect tree to decorate for the holidays. Scotty would let Doriah hold the saw to make her think she was helping to cut it down. He would tie it to the roof and then we would stop at a little out-of-the-way diner he knew about and order hot chocolate for three. During the summer months, Scotty would join me at Doriah's soccer games when he wasn't on the road and call after each game when he was. Home was the heart of my life and it's only now, watching a room full of women interact, that I realize just how much I miss the feeling of home.

I stand and push my chair underneath the table. I don't address Heddie Mae directly, but my focus is on her. "I have to get ready, but I'm hoping we can pick up where we left off when I get back."

"Indeed," Heddie Mae replies.

Avery offers Doriah breakfast, which she declines. "It got me out of bed; it smells so good, but it's later than I thought. I better get ready, too. I don't want to do anything that will put Dad in a bad mood today."

I follow Doriah up the stairs and we break in opposite directions when we reach the top. I feel like a terrible hostess having spent so much time away from home since Heddie Mae arrived, but Val will be here with her. I make a silent wish that Heddie Mae doesn't tell another story before I get back, and then push the thought away.