heavy
ceramic bowl to the table for the family dinner.
* * * *
A week later at the Old Victorian on Bay
Street
Kit was so excited, she couldn’t sleep.
Trading her small apartment for this big house brought unexpected
pleasure she needed to share with Zoe.
“A house? You bought a house?”
“I rented a house…a big house…a huge house!”
She cradled the phone in her neck while she unloaded groceries.
“For two people? Why?”
“Because the house is beautiful and we
deserve to live in such a grand place.”
“You’ll be living there alone.”
“You can come for weekends. There’s plenty
of room to bring friends.”
“Oh.”
“Don’t fall all over yourself with
enthusiasm, Zoe.” Kit put her half-filled coffee cup in the
microwave to reheat.
“Gotta go. Good deal on the house, Mom.”
When the microwave dinged, she took a mug to
the kitchen table. I finally did something right. Kit blew
out her breath in a sigh and took a sip, then called Sarah.
“I’m here. I’ve moved in, if you can call
unpacking one suitcase moving in.”
“Congratulations! Your first place on your
own.”
“Don’t remind me. What if something breaks?”
Kit took a sip of her coffee.
“Call Tunney. You said he’s cute, so…”
“He thinks I’m married.”
Chapter Six
“What?”
“I told him I’m married…first night…I…” Kit
plopped down into a wing chair in the den.
“Mistake number one.”
“Probably. But at least I don’t have to
worry about him coming on to me or anything.”
“His coming on to you would be bad…how?”
“Hell, the ink on the divorce papers isn’t
even dry.” She put her mug on a side table.
“Don’t worry about Tunney. Enjoy your
freedom and your first place. You’ve got enough on your plate right
now. You deserve to be happy, Kit.”
“Thanks. You’re the best.”
Kit pulled out a small pad and pen. List
time. Place to live, check. What’s next? Take care of business.
Back to New York. The next morning, Kit caught an early bus
back to the City and checked into a hotel. Then she put her
apartment on the market, filled out a change of address for the
post office, moved her bank account and gave her lawyer her new
location. Anxious to have the no-fault divorce over so she could
begin again with a clean slate, Kit was impatient to be rid of the
last remnants of her old life.
Upon returning to Willow Falls, she found a
small, barely affordable vehicle at Delsey’s Used Cars. New sheets,
towels and duct tape, plus other household necessities were
purchased next. In the morning sitting with her coffee, she made
lists again. Setting up house energized Kit. Plunged into her new
life, she could almost enjoy her fresh start if Johnny and her old
routines would fade into the background. Tunney questioned her,
when he saw her move into the house with only her suitcase. She
lied, explaining her possessions were in storage until Staid got
through with his world tour. Tunney bought it. After all, she
didn’t need furniture; the house was already furnished.
Her first nights in the house…in a new place
without Johnny…felt odd. Kit listened for the sound of his
footsteps on the stairs, or his voice, yelling complaints or asking
her to do something yet nothing but silence greeted her. She was
completely alone in a strange place.
If the house had been new, the transition
might have been easier. But an old house makes noises, the
well-worn, wooden boards creak with changes in temperature, the
wind whistles through old shingles and tiny gaps in the windows.
Kit didn’t know what to expect. She got into bed, turned out the
light but couldn’t sleep. She tossed for a while, tried reading
then changed position again. Finally still, listening to the house
whine and moan freaked her out. Did Tunney’s parents haunt the
house… never having left?
Turning on her laptop, Kit looked up Blue
Waters tour. She clicked on a YouTube video showing the
ceramic bowl to the table for the family dinner.
* * * *
A week later at the Old Victorian on Bay
Street
Kit was so excited, she couldn’t sleep.
Trading her small apartment for this big house brought unexpected
pleasure she needed to share with Zoe.
“A house? You bought a house?”
“I rented a house…a big house…a huge house!”
She cradled the phone in her neck while she unloaded groceries.
“For two people? Why?”
“Because the house is beautiful and we
deserve to live in such a grand place.”
“You’ll be living there alone.”
“You can come for weekends. There’s plenty
of room to bring friends.”
“Oh.”
“Don’t fall all over yourself with
enthusiasm, Zoe.” Kit put her half-filled coffee cup in the
microwave to reheat.
“Gotta go. Good deal on the house, Mom.”
When the microwave dinged, she took a mug to
the kitchen table. I finally did something right. Kit blew
out her breath in a sigh and took a sip, then called Sarah.
“I’m here. I’ve moved in, if you can call
unpacking one suitcase moving in.”
“Congratulations! Your first place on your
own.”
“Don’t remind me. What if something breaks?”
Kit took a sip of her coffee.
“Call Tunney. You said he’s cute, so…”
“He thinks I’m married.”
Chapter Six
“What?”
“I told him I’m married…first night…I…” Kit
plopped down into a wing chair in the den.
“Mistake number one.”
“Probably. But at least I don’t have to
worry about him coming on to me or anything.”
“His coming on to you would be bad…how?”
“Hell, the ink on the divorce papers isn’t
even dry.” She put her mug on a side table.
“Don’t worry about Tunney. Enjoy your
freedom and your first place. You’ve got enough on your plate right
now. You deserve to be happy, Kit.”
“Thanks. You’re the best.”
Kit pulled out a small pad and pen. List
time. Place to live, check. What’s next? Take care of business.
Back to New York. The next morning, Kit caught an early bus
back to the City and checked into a hotel. Then she put her
apartment on the market, filled out a change of address for the
post office, moved her bank account and gave her lawyer her new
location. Anxious to have the no-fault divorce over so she could
begin again with a clean slate, Kit was impatient to be rid of the
last remnants of her old life.
Upon returning to Willow Falls, she found a
small, barely affordable vehicle at Delsey’s Used Cars. New sheets,
towels and duct tape, plus other household necessities were
purchased next. In the morning sitting with her coffee, she made
lists again. Setting up house energized Kit. Plunged into her new
life, she could almost enjoy her fresh start if Johnny and her old
routines would fade into the background. Tunney questioned her,
when he saw her move into the house with only her suitcase. She
lied, explaining her possessions were in storage until Staid got
through with his world tour. Tunney bought it. After all, she
didn’t need furniture; the house was already furnished.
Her first nights in the house…in a new place
without Johnny…felt odd. Kit listened for the sound of his
footsteps on the stairs, or his voice, yelling complaints or asking
her to do something yet nothing but silence greeted her. She was
completely alone in a strange place.
If the house had been new, the transition
might have been easier. But an old house makes noises, the
well-worn, wooden boards creak with changes in temperature, the
wind whistles through old shingles and tiny gaps in the windows.
Kit didn’t know what to expect. She got into bed, turned out the
light but couldn’t sleep. She tossed for a while, tried reading
then changed position again. Finally still, listening to the house
whine and moan freaked her out. Did Tunney’s parents haunt the
house… never having left?
Turning on her laptop, Kit looked up Blue
Waters tour. She clicked on a YouTube video showing the
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