is somewhere in this town, and I’m shackled to Serena.
He pictured Isabella’s face as she watched him from the balcony. Her face melded to Sally’s.
And what could I possibly do to deserve anything else?
EIGHT
Izzy leaned over the railing and soaked in the sounds of the city. There was something peaceful about the sleepy silence that settled like a blanket over a district that had, as recently as four hours earlier, throbbed with music and barbeque and neon. She sipped the coffee she’d made herself in the tiny hotel coffee pot and wondered if she could truly pull herself away and go back to Wisconsin.
“Mornin’ Iz.” Adele stepped out of her room, still clad in her t shirt and lounge pants. “It’s really quiet this morning, isn’t it?”
“I know. Like the whole city is sleeping.”
“Are you feeling any better?”
Izzy rubbed her eyes, trying to wipe away the faint ache that lingered within her. Surprised by Adele’s rare show of concern, Izzy was honest. “A bit. I took some Tylenol PM and pretty much just zonked out. How late was it before you guys got in?”
Adele stretched her arms over her head. “Late enough. But we should get the girls up. We’ve got a lot of moving in to do today.”
Izzy glanced to the parking lot where the U-haul trailer attached to Sean’s van waited for them. She suddenly felt exhausted, drained of any energy. “Adele, I don’t think I can help today.”
“What are you saying? Of course you can.” The civil tone, and the concern that went with it, were gone.
“I don’t think I can. I’m sorry. I’m exhausted and I need some rest.”
“Fine, fine. Don’t help move your own daugh ter into the dormitory. Sean and I will just do that, just like we’ll have to move you into the house when we get home.”
Izzy bit the inside of her cheek, keeping her temper in check. “I’m sorry, Adele. I’m just not feeling well.”
Adele gave her a doubtful look, but said nothing more. Instead, she pounded on the girls’ door and shouted, “Girls! It’s moving in day! Get up!” before slamming her door.
“Holy carp, Mom, what’s up her butt?” Jenna emerged from her room.
“Don’t say butt, Jenna. She’s actually a little put out with me. I can’t help you guys move in today.”
“Still not feeling well?”
“Just not feeling up to moving.”
Jenna put an arm around her mother. “It’s cool, Mom. You know I don’t have much of anything to move it. It’s Mikayla that’s got all that furniture. Probably why Aunt Adele’s so bent, she knows it’s going to be a complete bitch to move up the stairs.”
“Jenna!”
“Sorry, I know that’s vulgar.” Jenna grinned, reminding Izzy a little of Jason in the days when they shared little jokes. “You feel better, Mom. I’ll check in with you tonight when we get home.”
“Thanks honey. You’re a good kid.”
“I have a good mom.” Jenna hugged Izzy, and returned to her room to get dressed.
Izzy returned to her room as well, turned the AC on high, curled up under some blankets and fell asleep.
** *
Quinn checked the clock. Two more hours.
As he expected, Serena was not easily coaxed from her foul mood. Thanks to his short conversation with the two young women the night before, he’d had to do penance. Serena informed him moments after a fairly tawdry session in her bedroom, he was to fill in the Sunday afternoon spot.
She’s still blaming me for those girls calling her my mother.
The good n ews is, no one cares what I do on a Sunday afternoon because everyone is at the Volunteers opening game of the season, and we aren’t airing it. So I can rerun a Titans game from five years ago and no one is going to care.
Checking the dials to make sure the rerun game was still playing properly, Quinn leaned back in his chair and allowed himself a rare moment of reflection on his history with the woman who held his darkest secret in her dangerous hands.
Serena Shipley Chapman, former
He pictured Isabella’s face as she watched him from the balcony. Her face melded to Sally’s.
And what could I possibly do to deserve anything else?
EIGHT
Izzy leaned over the railing and soaked in the sounds of the city. There was something peaceful about the sleepy silence that settled like a blanket over a district that had, as recently as four hours earlier, throbbed with music and barbeque and neon. She sipped the coffee she’d made herself in the tiny hotel coffee pot and wondered if she could truly pull herself away and go back to Wisconsin.
“Mornin’ Iz.” Adele stepped out of her room, still clad in her t shirt and lounge pants. “It’s really quiet this morning, isn’t it?”
“I know. Like the whole city is sleeping.”
“Are you feeling any better?”
Izzy rubbed her eyes, trying to wipe away the faint ache that lingered within her. Surprised by Adele’s rare show of concern, Izzy was honest. “A bit. I took some Tylenol PM and pretty much just zonked out. How late was it before you guys got in?”
Adele stretched her arms over her head. “Late enough. But we should get the girls up. We’ve got a lot of moving in to do today.”
Izzy glanced to the parking lot where the U-haul trailer attached to Sean’s van waited for them. She suddenly felt exhausted, drained of any energy. “Adele, I don’t think I can help today.”
“What are you saying? Of course you can.” The civil tone, and the concern that went with it, were gone.
“I don’t think I can. I’m sorry. I’m exhausted and I need some rest.”
“Fine, fine. Don’t help move your own daugh ter into the dormitory. Sean and I will just do that, just like we’ll have to move you into the house when we get home.”
Izzy bit the inside of her cheek, keeping her temper in check. “I’m sorry, Adele. I’m just not feeling well.”
Adele gave her a doubtful look, but said nothing more. Instead, she pounded on the girls’ door and shouted, “Girls! It’s moving in day! Get up!” before slamming her door.
“Holy carp, Mom, what’s up her butt?” Jenna emerged from her room.
“Don’t say butt, Jenna. She’s actually a little put out with me. I can’t help you guys move in today.”
“Still not feeling well?”
“Just not feeling up to moving.”
Jenna put an arm around her mother. “It’s cool, Mom. You know I don’t have much of anything to move it. It’s Mikayla that’s got all that furniture. Probably why Aunt Adele’s so bent, she knows it’s going to be a complete bitch to move up the stairs.”
“Jenna!”
“Sorry, I know that’s vulgar.” Jenna grinned, reminding Izzy a little of Jason in the days when they shared little jokes. “You feel better, Mom. I’ll check in with you tonight when we get home.”
“Thanks honey. You’re a good kid.”
“I have a good mom.” Jenna hugged Izzy, and returned to her room to get dressed.
Izzy returned to her room as well, turned the AC on high, curled up under some blankets and fell asleep.
** *
Quinn checked the clock. Two more hours.
As he expected, Serena was not easily coaxed from her foul mood. Thanks to his short conversation with the two young women the night before, he’d had to do penance. Serena informed him moments after a fairly tawdry session in her bedroom, he was to fill in the Sunday afternoon spot.
She’s still blaming me for those girls calling her my mother.
The good n ews is, no one cares what I do on a Sunday afternoon because everyone is at the Volunteers opening game of the season, and we aren’t airing it. So I can rerun a Titans game from five years ago and no one is going to care.
Checking the dials to make sure the rerun game was still playing properly, Quinn leaned back in his chair and allowed himself a rare moment of reflection on his history with the woman who held his darkest secret in her dangerous hands.
Serena Shipley Chapman, former
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