anyway.”
“Good. You’re scheduled to see Dr. Oifer next week for a checkup. He’ll probably schedule you for another MRI to make sure everything’s okay.”
“That’s totally not necessary. I’ve already had three and there’s been nothing there. I’m just one of those people unlucky enough to have migraines. That’s it.”
She felt her dad tense beside her and she knew they were both thinking of her mother and how she had died. But Jewel couldn’t think of anything to say that might make it better, so she remained silent, staring out the window.
Her dad had barely put the truck in front of her grandmother’s store before Jewel hopped out and crossed the parking lot, noticing the new Cadillac parked next to them. As she looked at the Georgia plates, she felt the first prickling behind her eyes—always a sign of a headache. She stopped for a moment and closed her eyes and could see in the darkness behind her lids the kaleidoscope circle of light that stayed there. There wasn’t any pain yet, but it was only a matter of time.
She took the steps in one leap and threw open the door. “Grandma!” she yelled, feeling the first stab of pain at the base of her skull. Jewel spotted two ladies standing near a quilt rack holding a quilt of deep blue and red. The older one Jewel recognized as her neighbor, Mrs. Collier, but she was sure she’d never seen the slim blonde who stood behind with her lips tightly pressed into a single line. But there was something familiar about her, something about the eyes and the way they stared out at the world that made her think she’d seen her before.
Grandma Rainy came through the kitchen door and spotted Jewel immediately. Grandma came toward her with a knowing look and pressed Jewel’s head against her bosom. “It’s the start of a bad one, isn’t it? Come on back to the kitchen and I’ll get you some tea right away.”
Rainy nodded to the two ladies as she led Jewel away, and Jewel glanced back to see the young woman again. The blonde was staring back at her, her skin even paler than before, as if she, too, recognized something in Jewel.
Jewel closed her eyes again, succumbing to the dark pain that now engulfed her and to the warm embrace of her grandmother’s arms.
CHAPTER 5
D REW WATCHED RAINY PULL HIS DAUGHTER OUT OF THE ROOM and took a step toward them, but Rainy waved a hand in his direction, making him stop. “She’ll be fine—it’s just a headache. I’m going to get her something to drink and she’ll be better in no time.”
He watched as the door that led to the kitchen swung shut in his face, leaving him staring at the solid expanse of wood. He thought for a moment of staying there with his nose pressed against the door rather than forcing a conversation with the other two occupants in the room.
“Well, hello, there, Drew. It’s good to see you again so soon, isn’t it, Caroline?” Without giving her daughter a chance to answer, Margaret Collier continued, “Was that Jewel? I haven’t seen her since I was here in April. I’d swear she’s grown six inches since then! She looks more like a sixteen-year-old than a thirteen-year-old, that’s for sure. And she’s looking more and more like Shelby, isn’t she?”
Drew smiled, unexpectedly pleased to see that somebody besides him had noticed the resemblance between Jewel and her mother. As a toddler, the similarities had been subtle, except for the color of her hair, but as Jewel approached adolescence, her mother’s stamp was becoming more apparent. It was almost as if the decision as to whom Jewel would look like had been temporarily suspended, leaving her to choose.
“Yes, she is.” He watched as comprehension dawned on Caroline’s face.
“She’s Shelby’s daughter? So you’re . . . Well, I knew she’d married; I just didn’t realize . . .” Blushing, Caroline let her voice trail away as if realizing what she had been about to say out loud.
“Yes, Shelby was my wife. After
“Good. You’re scheduled to see Dr. Oifer next week for a checkup. He’ll probably schedule you for another MRI to make sure everything’s okay.”
“That’s totally not necessary. I’ve already had three and there’s been nothing there. I’m just one of those people unlucky enough to have migraines. That’s it.”
She felt her dad tense beside her and she knew they were both thinking of her mother and how she had died. But Jewel couldn’t think of anything to say that might make it better, so she remained silent, staring out the window.
Her dad had barely put the truck in front of her grandmother’s store before Jewel hopped out and crossed the parking lot, noticing the new Cadillac parked next to them. As she looked at the Georgia plates, she felt the first prickling behind her eyes—always a sign of a headache. She stopped for a moment and closed her eyes and could see in the darkness behind her lids the kaleidoscope circle of light that stayed there. There wasn’t any pain yet, but it was only a matter of time.
She took the steps in one leap and threw open the door. “Grandma!” she yelled, feeling the first stab of pain at the base of her skull. Jewel spotted two ladies standing near a quilt rack holding a quilt of deep blue and red. The older one Jewel recognized as her neighbor, Mrs. Collier, but she was sure she’d never seen the slim blonde who stood behind with her lips tightly pressed into a single line. But there was something familiar about her, something about the eyes and the way they stared out at the world that made her think she’d seen her before.
Grandma Rainy came through the kitchen door and spotted Jewel immediately. Grandma came toward her with a knowing look and pressed Jewel’s head against her bosom. “It’s the start of a bad one, isn’t it? Come on back to the kitchen and I’ll get you some tea right away.”
Rainy nodded to the two ladies as she led Jewel away, and Jewel glanced back to see the young woman again. The blonde was staring back at her, her skin even paler than before, as if she, too, recognized something in Jewel.
Jewel closed her eyes again, succumbing to the dark pain that now engulfed her and to the warm embrace of her grandmother’s arms.
CHAPTER 5
D REW WATCHED RAINY PULL HIS DAUGHTER OUT OF THE ROOM and took a step toward them, but Rainy waved a hand in his direction, making him stop. “She’ll be fine—it’s just a headache. I’m going to get her something to drink and she’ll be better in no time.”
He watched as the door that led to the kitchen swung shut in his face, leaving him staring at the solid expanse of wood. He thought for a moment of staying there with his nose pressed against the door rather than forcing a conversation with the other two occupants in the room.
“Well, hello, there, Drew. It’s good to see you again so soon, isn’t it, Caroline?” Without giving her daughter a chance to answer, Margaret Collier continued, “Was that Jewel? I haven’t seen her since I was here in April. I’d swear she’s grown six inches since then! She looks more like a sixteen-year-old than a thirteen-year-old, that’s for sure. And she’s looking more and more like Shelby, isn’t she?”
Drew smiled, unexpectedly pleased to see that somebody besides him had noticed the resemblance between Jewel and her mother. As a toddler, the similarities had been subtle, except for the color of her hair, but as Jewel approached adolescence, her mother’s stamp was becoming more apparent. It was almost as if the decision as to whom Jewel would look like had been temporarily suspended, leaving her to choose.
“Yes, she is.” He watched as comprehension dawned on Caroline’s face.
“She’s Shelby’s daughter? So you’re . . . Well, I knew she’d married; I just didn’t realize . . .” Blushing, Caroline let her voice trail away as if realizing what she had been about to say out loud.
“Yes, Shelby was my wife. After
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