Page 6 of Return to Cheshire Bay
“Ireally like it. I did the same colour scheme in the master bedroom,but I haven’t yet movedeverything back into place.”
“Decidedto go with my palette,eh?”
“Why not?You’re the best in the biz.”
Beth wasa highlysought-afterinterior design expert. She’d been lucky enough to have been afeatured designer on a couple of home renovation shows. After thoseaired, she booked months, if not years, in advance.
“I wasanalyzing the living room photos, and I really think you shouldpaint the bookcases seagrey. It won’t stand out like a sore thumb, but it’ll look nice. Ithink if you put a nice panoramic above, but in a white frame,it’ll just add that something you need. Do you have a pano? Youknow what, never mind. I’ll send you some ideas.”
“Keep themreasonable in cost.”
“They’refromstaging’s.”
Frommagazine shoots. The pictures typically stored in a warehouse, hung for a few photoshoots in local magazines and taken back. Beth got access to theirinventory on the cheap and had a long list of things she could sellto her friends, myself included.
“Don’t gocrazy.”
“Me?”She laughed. “Never.”
Islumped on the bed and admired my handiwork. Sure, it was only fresh paint on the walls,but it was amazing how much it changed the feel in the room. It nolonger was the place I’d played with my Barbies, or the room I’dsneak out of when my parents started snoring. Now it had a grownupsense, sophisticated even, ready for a new beginning.
Forguests.
For a possiblenew family in the fall.
“You can bringthem out when you come for a visit.”
Beth scoffed.“Or you can come and pick them up when you come to yoursenses.”
And here we go again.“I know you and Dina and Amelia all think I lost mymind.”
“Youdid. You ran away. Take your little pity break, clear your mind and come home where youbelong.” If I didn’t know better, it sounded like she just gave mea scolding, complete with a nagging whine.
“AsI told youbefore I left, I’m staying the summer.” I flaked off a piece ofdried paint from my finger.
“I knowthat’s what you said, but you’ll change your mind. Lily, I knowyou. You need all the modern conveniences you’re not going to findin your smallhippietown. You hated that place, remember?”
“It’snot a hippie little town.” And I onlyhated it after the incident.
“Really?” Even over the phone, I heard her eyebrowrise.
“Fine.It’s hippie-like, butthe beach is so relaxing.” I’d been here for a few days, and eventhough I was working hard painting and moving furniture, it hadbeen oddly relaxing. The ocean scent, the salt in the breeze. SoonI was going to be splashing in the ocean.
“That’smy point. You’ll get some peace for a bit,relax, and unwind, and then you’ll tuckyour tail between your legs, come home and face the music. You’renot thinking of having the baby there, are you? Oh god, Lily,please tell me you’re going to come home to modern medicine andhave the baby in the hospital?” Desperation, mixed with a heavilypleading tone, oozed from her voice making her sound more like mymother than my best friend.
Ithadn’t been something I’d completely worked out, but I supposed itwas something else to add to my checklist. The nearest majorhospital was an houraway, but there were clinics and outpatient facilities within aneasy drive, and they were all modern. I still lived in a firstworld country, and I was having a baby, not major surgery, butstill. I should be under someone’s care. At least that was a pointI was going to take.
“Oh,Lily,you’re stalling.Please tell me you’re going to come home to have thebaby.”
I shrugged.“It’s likely, okay?”
Her reliefwashed over the phone. “Oh, thank god. You haven’t gone bat-shitcrazy.”
“I’mnot crazy atall.”
“Completely, especially for going back there. Aftereverything that happened. I still can’t believethat’swhere you chose to run to. You wouldn’t catch mereturning.”
My hearttook a little beating. “You’re not going to come for avisit? I just paintedyour room.”