On Tuesday, Megan pulled away from Emily’s
school when she saw Isabelle walking toward the center of town. “Hey, Friend, where are you going?”
“Hi Megan, I was actually headed your way. I have some information on
licensing my kitchen if you’re still interested.”
“You bet I am!” Megan was thrilled. “Hop in. I headed back to the shop.”
Each time Megan saw Isabelle, her heart
smiled. She loved the Pygmalion effect
taking place in Isabelle. The natural
color—pink in her cheeks, a darker blue in her eyes--and smile-lines in her face that hadn't been there before.
On the short drive to the Book ‘n Brew
Isabelle talked about inspections and licensing to allow her to bake and sell
from her kitchen. It all seemed like a
possibility.
After Emily went up to the apartment, Megan
lowered her voice and said, “Have you heard from your husband?”
“He left a phone message while I was at the
store yesterday. It wasn’t much
information but he said to begin packing.
He has a new church. Megan, I am
not going to leave here. I’m becoming
more and more concerned with Roland’s stability.”
Megan also had real concerns about his
emotional health, but decided not to add any of her own thoughts. “How do you think he’ll feel about your not
going with him?”
“Megan, he’ll be furious! I have questioned him on several moves we’ve
made, but never put my foot down before.
I know whatever I can find to do to make a living here will be more
secure than I’ve felt with Roland in a long time. He said he’d be home on Wednesday evening, so
I’ll talk to him then.”
After Isabelle left the shop, Megan took a peek at her schedule for the next few weeks--busy time! Practice for Emily’s Winter Program began this week. Emily
had the part of a fairy—which meant Megan had a fairy costume to make. Light pink netting lined in light weight
cotton—wings glued for stiffness. Megan
remembered her childhood costumes with a smile.
Emily said she’d missed her mother but she
couldn’t stop talking about her Thanksgiving trip to see her dad. While she wasn’t in love with his girlfriend, evidently the woman was nice.
Their time together oozed enough with success that Emily invited her father to come
for the Winter Program. Great—am I supposed to invite him to
stay? Megan felt her stomach churn slightly.
On Wednesday evening, Megan couldn’t get
her mind off Isabelle. She called
Diane. “Hey, have you heard anything
from Isabelle?”
“No, but I can’t stop thinking about
her. Should we call her?”
“I’m tempted, but we’ve got to remember that
she’s a big girl. I want to believe the
‘new’ Isabelle can handle herself.” They
hung up, but continued wondering what might be going on in the Fisher home.
About 10 o’clock, Megan’s phone rang. She grabbed it so it wouldn’t wake
Emily. “Megan, this is Isabelle. I know I’m calling late, but….”
“Isabelle, I’m so glad you called. How is everything?” Megan didn’t want to sound as anxious as she
felt.
“It went smoother than I
thought. I kept reminding myself to say
only what was necessary. I didn’t want
to accuse him of anything, but just state my position. And that’s all I did.”
“What was his response?” Megan tried to hide her anxiety.
“Well, it was so odd—he gave me a strange
look—as if he were afraid.” Megan was
reminded of the look she saw in his eyes the last time he came into her
shop. “He told me it was my place as his
wife to go wherever he did. I told him
I’d spent my life doing that. I was not doing it anymore. Then he went into the bedroom and packed a
few boxes—some clothes and his books and years of notes he’s made from his
studies, and left without another word.”
“Where is his new church?” Megan honestly didn’t care, but was just
happy that he was leaving.
“In a little town in south Texas,” Isabelle said. “I can’t even remember the name. I’m sure this won’t be the last I hear from
him. But I have to admit that even
though I don’t know what my future holds, I feel at peace right now.”
“How will Rachael take this, and your son?”
“I know Rachael cares about her father, but
he was so strict with her that she was pretty stressed whenever he was around. And in the days he’s been gone, she’s
made a couple of friends. She’s staying
with one tonight. I let her go because I
wasn’t sure what would happen when he returned.
It’s Kaitlin Donnelly. She’s
Rachael’s age, and her mother has talked with me several times in the grocery
store. They seem like a nice family.”
“O, Isabelle, I’m so happy for
Rachael. The Donnellys’ are a great
family. They also have a daughter
Emily’s age, and the two play together whenever they can.”
“Our son, Ezra, moved out as soon as he
turned 18. He has a job in Portland, and is going to
community college there. He and his
father have never gotten along. I think
I’ll wait until tomorrow to call and tell him what’s happening—although I’m
still not sure myself.”
“Isabelle, since you’re alone, do you want
to come over for a bit and talk?” Megan
felt concern for her friend even though she sounded strong at the moment.
“You know, I’d love to come over
tomorrow. But tonight, I think I’ll just
go to bed.”
Megan, with hesitation said, “Isabelle, do
you believe you have any reason to be afraid?”
Megan could hear the smile in Isabelle’s
voice as she responded, “Actually, I had the locks changed. Roland didn’t realize it because the door
wasn’t locked when he came home. I don’t
think I have any reason to be concerned, but I didn’t want to take any chances.”
Megan sighed in relief and they hung up. Isabelle promised to stop by the shop the next
day around 11.
“Do you mind if I call Diane to come by
about that time?”
“No, I’d love to see you both!” Megan couldn’t believe the courage she heard
in Isabelle’s voice.
To be continued...
No comments:
Post a Comment