called her Alex, and now she thinks it sounds more professional. I told her it’s a big mistake. Lexy ’s got flair, and it rhymes with sexy . And if there’s one thing I know, sex sells.
She actually laughed when I said that. And she gave me the okay to slip up every now and then. More like all the time. I’ll never get used to calling her Alex. It sounds too… masculine or something.
I don’t care, I’ll be glad to call her Hortense if that’s what she wants. I’m just so happy she’s home. It’s been ages since I’ve written anything. Sorry, Journal.
Since Daddy died and Mama moved to Sedona, Billy’s been working practically around the clock hoping to finish school by May. I tried throwing myself into motherhood, but there’s only so much conversation you can have with a fourteen-month-old.
I tried volunteering at the hospital, but it was so sad being there with Daddy gone. It made me even more miserable. I tried attending a few DAR functions, but the ladies weren’t so thrilled about having a toddler knocking over all their pretty table arrangements, and I guess they were more Mama’s friends than mine. So I’d taken to hanging around the house or going to the little park most days.
I’d been so lonely these last few months, when Billy said Lexy Alex had agreed to come back and help with the design of the Phoenicians, I actually screamed. He said she was going to take over all the interior design work, and he must’ve promised her something major to get her to leave art school, although she’d already left Savannah to do a semester internship at some big advertising firm in Atlanta. All because of that stupid Professor Nick. I needed to get the rest of that story.
“I can’t believe Billy convinced you to come back,” I said when we were finally together.
“You know your husband and his big plans,” she said, hugging me.
“But you had your own plans.” I squeezed her arms before stepping back. “All you could talk about was getting to Savannah and then on to Atlanta.”
She shrugged. “I guess I realized my plans weren’t making me happy. I was just another cog in the wheel.”
“That professor really did a number on you, didn’t he.” I chewed my lip as I studied her eyes, hoping she’d tell me more.
“Breaking up with Nick was rough. But it was more than that. Really.” She smiled. “All that time in Atlanta with Suzanne, I never felt right. I was always the fish out of water.”
“Suzanne your roommate? I thought you guys got along so well!”
“We do. Of course, we do! But I’m just… different.” She shook her dark hair and played with a button on her charcoal blazer. “Those guys would be all talking about deals and moving in for the kill, and I’d be trying to work out how I could get down to the beach,” she sighed. “When Billy showed up and made his big pitch for me to come back… It was such a relief to see someone from home.”
“He is always nice to look at.” I grinned.
“Oh, you.” She rolled her eyes. “That’s not what I meant. It was like I could finally relax and be myself again. Joking around and talking to him just put me at ease for the first time in a while, and when he offered me the job, it just felt right somehow.”
My lips poked out as I considered what she meant. “I guess I understand that. He’s like home, a safe place. And here I thought you and Billy would never get along.”
“Funny you should say that. I was thinking the same thing,” she said. “But I came back just as much for you as for your husband. Maybe more so.”
“For me?” I frowned.
“You and this place and Miss Stella. I missed my home. All of it. The colors and the flowers. It’s so beautiful here. This is what inspires my art. Not the cold concrete and the drone of the city.”
I nodded, thinking about that. “When you left you said you hated this place and if you didn’t get out of here you’d go crazy.”
“I know,” she said, closing
She actually laughed when I said that. And she gave me the okay to slip up every now and then. More like all the time. I’ll never get used to calling her Alex. It sounds too… masculine or something.
I don’t care, I’ll be glad to call her Hortense if that’s what she wants. I’m just so happy she’s home. It’s been ages since I’ve written anything. Sorry, Journal.
Since Daddy died and Mama moved to Sedona, Billy’s been working practically around the clock hoping to finish school by May. I tried throwing myself into motherhood, but there’s only so much conversation you can have with a fourteen-month-old.
I tried volunteering at the hospital, but it was so sad being there with Daddy gone. It made me even more miserable. I tried attending a few DAR functions, but the ladies weren’t so thrilled about having a toddler knocking over all their pretty table arrangements, and I guess they were more Mama’s friends than mine. So I’d taken to hanging around the house or going to the little park most days.
I’d been so lonely these last few months, when Billy said Lexy Alex had agreed to come back and help with the design of the Phoenicians, I actually screamed. He said she was going to take over all the interior design work, and he must’ve promised her something major to get her to leave art school, although she’d already left Savannah to do a semester internship at some big advertising firm in Atlanta. All because of that stupid Professor Nick. I needed to get the rest of that story.
“I can’t believe Billy convinced you to come back,” I said when we were finally together.
“You know your husband and his big plans,” she said, hugging me.
“But you had your own plans.” I squeezed her arms before stepping back. “All you could talk about was getting to Savannah and then on to Atlanta.”
She shrugged. “I guess I realized my plans weren’t making me happy. I was just another cog in the wheel.”
“That professor really did a number on you, didn’t he.” I chewed my lip as I studied her eyes, hoping she’d tell me more.
“Breaking up with Nick was rough. But it was more than that. Really.” She smiled. “All that time in Atlanta with Suzanne, I never felt right. I was always the fish out of water.”
“Suzanne your roommate? I thought you guys got along so well!”
“We do. Of course, we do! But I’m just… different.” She shook her dark hair and played with a button on her charcoal blazer. “Those guys would be all talking about deals and moving in for the kill, and I’d be trying to work out how I could get down to the beach,” she sighed. “When Billy showed up and made his big pitch for me to come back… It was such a relief to see someone from home.”
“He is always nice to look at.” I grinned.
“Oh, you.” She rolled her eyes. “That’s not what I meant. It was like I could finally relax and be myself again. Joking around and talking to him just put me at ease for the first time in a while, and when he offered me the job, it just felt right somehow.”
My lips poked out as I considered what she meant. “I guess I understand that. He’s like home, a safe place. And here I thought you and Billy would never get along.”
“Funny you should say that. I was thinking the same thing,” she said. “But I came back just as much for you as for your husband. Maybe more so.”
“For me?” I frowned.
“You and this place and Miss Stella. I missed my home. All of it. The colors and the flowers. It’s so beautiful here. This is what inspires my art. Not the cold concrete and the drone of the city.”
I nodded, thinking about that. “When you left you said you hated this place and if you didn’t get out of here you’d go crazy.”
“I know,” she said, closing
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