was stiff, strained, and Lila wanted more than anything to release both of them from their discomfort. But she nodded her head and they turned toward the house.
The huge shoe squished as she took a step. “Oh—here.” She stopped to pull the shoes off and held them out, tipping them so water streamed from the insides. “And thank you.” Her eyes rested on Juniper’s, and a glint of appreciation flashed back at Lila. She had the inexplicable feeling that this was a child whose good graces you would do well to find yourself in.
On the back steps, Lila twisted her skirt to ring out as much water as possible. It dripped onto the hot cement, where it immediately sank in and started to disappear. She waited to hold the door open for Max, who had retrieved a large box from his truck, and Juniper, who carried a clear container full of cords and odd objects. It looked very large in her skinny arms.
Max dropped the box on the table and surveyed the room, his eyes finally resting on an ancient computer in the corner.
“That’s what she’s been using?” he asked, walking over to examine it.
“ Well, I don’t know that she uses it all that much. But she did mention she’d like everything updated. Apparently it was pointed out by Betsy Barker that the Society should have a blog, and possibly a Facebook page. She may have called it a mugshot page.” She smiled, imagining what the mugshots of the Society ladies would look like. “Anyway, it runs really slow.”
Lila recognized his smirk, but she didn't read it as arrogant this time.
“If you have everything you need, I’m going to go change,” she said, suddenly self-conscious about the see-through state of her cotton dress. “I’ll find something for Juniper to put on, and how about if I heat some water for cocoa?”
Juniper nodded enthusiastically. Lila was relieved she hadn’t asked her for a list of the ingredients.
“And hey—I’d appreciate it if you didn’t mention this to Ada.”
Max looked up from the mess of dusty cords he was untangling and coughed. He raised an eyebrow. “I’m just as afraid of her as you are.”
She took it as a peace offering.
After filling the tea kettle and turning the stove on, she trudged up the stairs and started down the hall, but stopped short as something caught her eye and tugged at her consciousness. She stared at the picture of Ada with the pearl necklace. She squeezed her eyes shut and swayed as the memory of the pond flooded through her. The image that had flashed through her mind as she struggled beneath the water was of Ada. The smooth-faced Ada that smiled from these photos. Why had she felt such anger as she envisioned that face?
As she pulled off the soaking-wet dress she looked down at her scratched calves and arms. Blood still seeped from some of them and streaked down her wet skin. She searched through the small bathroom closet and found a tin of Band-Aids. Behind it was a bottle of men's cologne. It was clearly decades old, and the label had been torn off. Curious, she sprayed it into the air. Her stomach lurched and she gagged at the familiar scent of Old Spice.
Chapter 9
Store-Bought
The sun hadn't yet cleared the horizon. Lila sat at the vanity blinking the blur from her eyes so she could apply her mascara. Ada woke so early that Lila felt guilty if she slept past six. She did not consider herself a morning person, but she'd adjust.
Every day Ada gave her a list of tasks and errands to do, and she was glad to ease her burden in any little way. It reminded her of the time she had spent with Grandpa Isaac. Learning about Ada gave her that same sense of belonging.
She'd spent her days changing light bulbs, dusting hard-to-reach areas, and pulling stubborn weeds. Ada even had her rubbing the scratches on her piano with walnuts, and surprisingly enough, while it was not a
The huge shoe squished as she took a step. “Oh—here.” She stopped to pull the shoes off and held them out, tipping them so water streamed from the insides. “And thank you.” Her eyes rested on Juniper’s, and a glint of appreciation flashed back at Lila. She had the inexplicable feeling that this was a child whose good graces you would do well to find yourself in.
On the back steps, Lila twisted her skirt to ring out as much water as possible. It dripped onto the hot cement, where it immediately sank in and started to disappear. She waited to hold the door open for Max, who had retrieved a large box from his truck, and Juniper, who carried a clear container full of cords and odd objects. It looked very large in her skinny arms.
Max dropped the box on the table and surveyed the room, his eyes finally resting on an ancient computer in the corner.
“That’s what she’s been using?” he asked, walking over to examine it.
“ Well, I don’t know that she uses it all that much. But she did mention she’d like everything updated. Apparently it was pointed out by Betsy Barker that the Society should have a blog, and possibly a Facebook page. She may have called it a mugshot page.” She smiled, imagining what the mugshots of the Society ladies would look like. “Anyway, it runs really slow.”
Lila recognized his smirk, but she didn't read it as arrogant this time.
“If you have everything you need, I’m going to go change,” she said, suddenly self-conscious about the see-through state of her cotton dress. “I’ll find something for Juniper to put on, and how about if I heat some water for cocoa?”
Juniper nodded enthusiastically. Lila was relieved she hadn’t asked her for a list of the ingredients.
“And hey—I’d appreciate it if you didn’t mention this to Ada.”
Max looked up from the mess of dusty cords he was untangling and coughed. He raised an eyebrow. “I’m just as afraid of her as you are.”
She took it as a peace offering.
After filling the tea kettle and turning the stove on, she trudged up the stairs and started down the hall, but stopped short as something caught her eye and tugged at her consciousness. She stared at the picture of Ada with the pearl necklace. She squeezed her eyes shut and swayed as the memory of the pond flooded through her. The image that had flashed through her mind as she struggled beneath the water was of Ada. The smooth-faced Ada that smiled from these photos. Why had she felt such anger as she envisioned that face?
As she pulled off the soaking-wet dress she looked down at her scratched calves and arms. Blood still seeped from some of them and streaked down her wet skin. She searched through the small bathroom closet and found a tin of Band-Aids. Behind it was a bottle of men's cologne. It was clearly decades old, and the label had been torn off. Curious, she sprayed it into the air. Her stomach lurched and she gagged at the familiar scent of Old Spice.
Chapter 9
Store-Bought
The sun hadn't yet cleared the horizon. Lila sat at the vanity blinking the blur from her eyes so she could apply her mascara. Ada woke so early that Lila felt guilty if she slept past six. She did not consider herself a morning person, but she'd adjust.
Every day Ada gave her a list of tasks and errands to do, and she was glad to ease her burden in any little way. It reminded her of the time she had spent with Grandpa Isaac. Learning about Ada gave her that same sense of belonging.
She'd spent her days changing light bulbs, dusting hard-to-reach areas, and pulling stubborn weeds. Ada even had her rubbing the scratches on her piano with walnuts, and surprisingly enough, while it was not a
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