into the silver-plated receptacle in Reggie’s guest bathroom, Autumn shook her head. “Good riddance.” She denounced the discarded shoes. Eighty dollars sat in the bottom of a trashcan. “Oh well. It’s not the last time I’ll throw away money,” she mumbled and shuffled off to her bedroom.
“Are you talking to yourself, crazy lady?” Erica peeped into the room where Autumn sat on the edge of the bed.
“Look at these.” She lifted her aching feet.
“Girl , those were some cute shoes, but dang. They did a number on those feet.”
“Yeah, you’re right. I definitely should have worn different shoes. I won’t be able to practice until I soak my feet. Whew, they hurt like hell!” She stood and limped toward Reggie’s room. Erica followed closely behind her. “What time are you guys headed home?”
“In a couple of hours,” Erica said. “When are you going home? I’ll make sure to be off so we can spend a little more one-on-one together. You think you’ll have time?”
“Sure.” She turned around and met Erica’s gaze. In all that she’d gone through in her life, Erica always found time for her. Aside from Reggie, she was the only other person who she talked to about her nightmares, about the days that haunted her even to this day. She touched Erica’s arm and smiled. Nothing could come between their friendships. They’d managed to remain friends all th ose years. Men would come and go, but friends like her, Reggie, and Mona were hard to come by.
Just as that thought settled in her mind, Mona came dashing from one of the other rooms. “What are you two up to?”
“Quadroon here has ugly ducklings for feet.” Erica pointed down to Autumn’s feet. “We’re trying to find something so home girl can soak her dogs.”
“Dang , girl, I tried to tell you last night you weren’t going to last in those shoes.”
“Yeah, and I should have listened. Whew, I’m in trouble if I can’t work out today. Look at this. I swear I’ve gained ten pounds since I’ve been here. Eating all of that food last night didn’t help.” She patted her flat stomach.
“Girl, please. There’s not an ounce of fat on your tail. Well, maybe there is a little too much on the tail.” Mona slapped Autumn’s butt and Autumn yelped.
“Quit it.”
Reggie stuck her head out of her bedroom door. “You girls must play nice or I’ll have to put you in time-out.”
“We got your time-out alright. This one has bad feet and we don’t want to be the blame when she misses her practice.” Mona held up the quotation sign to put emphasis on the word practice.
They all entered Reggie’s spacious bedroom. “Let’s see what we got.” Reggie glanced down at Autumn’s feet. “Goodness, girlfriend, you’re a mess indeed. Let’s see what we can do for you, child.”
Autumn soaked her feet while the others fixed breakfast. They enjoyed each other until Erica stood. “We’ve got to kick this can down the road, ya’ll.”
They hugged one another. “I’ll see you guys in a couple of days.” Autumn hugged both friends. “I’m staying with Mer Drace.’
“Now , you know your cell phone won’t work at your grandmother’s house. There isn’t a consistently working tower within thirty miles of the island.” Erica reminded her.
“That is not true, silly. I’ll call when I get settled. Tempest will pick me up.” Her brother owned a ferry that ran from the mainland up the Caminada Bay to the coastal town where they grew up. She could drive across the bridge that married the island to the mainland, but taking Tempest’s ferry would give her a little downtime with her brother.
“What day should we expect you? You know Mer Drace is a little cuckoo, right?” Mona sneered. Everyone knew Drace Grimillion, and everyone called her Mer Drace, even her children. Most people believed she could see things no one else could, and is why they called her the dreamer. She lived in the same house all her adult life.
“Are you talking to yourself, crazy lady?” Erica peeped into the room where Autumn sat on the edge of the bed.
“Look at these.” She lifted her aching feet.
“Girl , those were some cute shoes, but dang. They did a number on those feet.”
“Yeah, you’re right. I definitely should have worn different shoes. I won’t be able to practice until I soak my feet. Whew, they hurt like hell!” She stood and limped toward Reggie’s room. Erica followed closely behind her. “What time are you guys headed home?”
“In a couple of hours,” Erica said. “When are you going home? I’ll make sure to be off so we can spend a little more one-on-one together. You think you’ll have time?”
“Sure.” She turned around and met Erica’s gaze. In all that she’d gone through in her life, Erica always found time for her. Aside from Reggie, she was the only other person who she talked to about her nightmares, about the days that haunted her even to this day. She touched Erica’s arm and smiled. Nothing could come between their friendships. They’d managed to remain friends all th ose years. Men would come and go, but friends like her, Reggie, and Mona were hard to come by.
Just as that thought settled in her mind, Mona came dashing from one of the other rooms. “What are you two up to?”
“Quadroon here has ugly ducklings for feet.” Erica pointed down to Autumn’s feet. “We’re trying to find something so home girl can soak her dogs.”
“Dang , girl, I tried to tell you last night you weren’t going to last in those shoes.”
“Yeah, and I should have listened. Whew, I’m in trouble if I can’t work out today. Look at this. I swear I’ve gained ten pounds since I’ve been here. Eating all of that food last night didn’t help.” She patted her flat stomach.
“Girl, please. There’s not an ounce of fat on your tail. Well, maybe there is a little too much on the tail.” Mona slapped Autumn’s butt and Autumn yelped.
“Quit it.”
Reggie stuck her head out of her bedroom door. “You girls must play nice or I’ll have to put you in time-out.”
“We got your time-out alright. This one has bad feet and we don’t want to be the blame when she misses her practice.” Mona held up the quotation sign to put emphasis on the word practice.
They all entered Reggie’s spacious bedroom. “Let’s see what we got.” Reggie glanced down at Autumn’s feet. “Goodness, girlfriend, you’re a mess indeed. Let’s see what we can do for you, child.”
Autumn soaked her feet while the others fixed breakfast. They enjoyed each other until Erica stood. “We’ve got to kick this can down the road, ya’ll.”
They hugged one another. “I’ll see you guys in a couple of days.” Autumn hugged both friends. “I’m staying with Mer Drace.’
“Now , you know your cell phone won’t work at your grandmother’s house. There isn’t a consistently working tower within thirty miles of the island.” Erica reminded her.
“That is not true, silly. I’ll call when I get settled. Tempest will pick me up.” Her brother owned a ferry that ran from the mainland up the Caminada Bay to the coastal town where they grew up. She could drive across the bridge that married the island to the mainland, but taking Tempest’s ferry would give her a little downtime with her brother.
“What day should we expect you? You know Mer Drace is a little cuckoo, right?” Mona sneered. Everyone knew Drace Grimillion, and everyone called her Mer Drace, even her children. Most people believed she could see things no one else could, and is why they called her the dreamer. She lived in the same house all her adult life.
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