“Nonsense.You never have to call when you want to come home.”
Home?Her gaze moved around the compact living room.This place didn’t feel like home.She glanced at the walls.There were no paintings or photographs on them like there had been at the house.But she didn’t say anything.She still didn’t know why her mother had made this move.
“Well, take your shoes and coat off,” her mother said.“I’ll just put your suitcase in the guest room.”Her mother rolled the suitcase down a little hallway.
As Felicity watched her mother walk away, she felt the gaping distance between them.What was she supposed to say to her?Without her father around to act as the buffer between her and her mother, Felicity wasn’t sure how to overcome the distance between them.
Her mother returned to the room.She frowned.“You didn’t take off your coat.”
“Oh.Right?”Felicity shrugged it off and placed her shoes near the door.
Her mother took her coat and hung it in a small closet next to the front door.When her mother turned back to her, Felicity realized she needed to say something.But what?
Gulp.She said the first thing that came to mind.“Nice place.”
Her mother didn’t smile back.“I knew this conversation needed to happen but…” She lifted her arm and looked at her watch.Then she met Felicity’s gaze.“Why don’t I make us some coffee?”
Without waiting for Felicity’s response, her mother headed for the kitchen.Felicity followed her.She took a seat at the small island while her mother filled the water reservoir tank for the one-cup coffeemaker.
Once her mother had a red mug in place for the coffee, she turned to Felicity.“First, I’m sorry.I know I should have spoken to you before I did all of this.”Her hands waved around at the apartment.“But you were busy, and we hadn’t spoken much lately.I convinced myself that you wouldn’t care if I sold the house.”Unshed tears glistened in her mother’s eyes.“I knew it wasn’t the truth.And I’m so sorry.”
Felicity opened her mouth to say something, but no words came out.She wasn’t sure what to say first.She had so many questions—so many accusations that she knew wouldn’t help the situation.She silently pressed her lips together.
“There’s your old twin bed in the spare room.”She got Felicity’s coffee and added creamer and two packs of sweetener just like Felicity liked it.Her mother slid it across the counter.“I have to head to the hospital now.”
“But we need to talk,” Felicity pleaded.“I need to understand why you sold our home.”
Unshed tears rushed to her eyes.“I’m so sorry.I would call off, but we’re shorthanded with the flu going around.”
There was a tense silence as Felicity digested the news that she wasn’t going to get the answers to her questions—at least not right now.Part of her wanted to turn around and return to New York, but she’d already moved out of her apartment, so she had nowhere to return to.
Her mother opened a kitchen drawer and pulled out a key.She slid it across the countertop.“It’s a spare key so you can…well, you know, make yourself at home.Help yourself to anything in the kitchen.I’m afraid there’s not much, but I’ll go to the store tomorrow.”
Her mother walked around the island and stopped near Felicity.She looked as though she were unsure what to say next.Then she reached out an arm and wrapped it over Felicity’s shoulders.“I’m so glad you’re here.We’ll talk.I promise.”She leaned over and kissed her cheek.“I missed you.”
Then her mother was gone.Felicity sat at the counter and stared straight ahead as she tried to make sense of everything that had happened since she’d returned to Kringle Falls.Her mother seemed so nervous.Maybe that was her own fault for not saying much.She was struggling to make sense of everything.And she didn’t want to say the wrong thing.
She sat there unmoving for so long that when she took a drink of her coffee it was now lukewarm.It was just so much to take in.It wasn’t every day that one’s childhood home was sold in secret.She supposed the saying, you can never go home again, fit this particular situation.It left an ache in her chest.
She could never again go down to the basement where her father had his workshop.Sometimes when she closed her eyes, she could imagine herself back there and remember the smell of the wood shavings.And now his workshop was all gone.The grief washed over her.It was like losing her father all over again.
Felicity made her way back down the little hallway.There was one bathroom and two bedrooms.One was a nice size.Her mother’s things were on the dresser.Felicity turned to the “guest room,” which was across the hall.It was much smaller.Not that it mattered.It was plenty of room for as long as she would be there—because she was going to find a new job.
She noticed the white chest of drawers from her childhood bedroom.On the top of the dresser was the old lamp that used to be next to her bed.And then she spotted a framed picture.She drew closer to it.
It was from her college graduation.She was standing with her father.She picked it up to give it a closer look.Her father had been a tall handsome man.He’d been taken from them much too soon.The ache in her heart started again as she returned the picture to its spot on the chest.
She thought about unpacking.There was a closet with a sliding door where she could hang some stuff up, but she would have time for that later.She’d missed lunch.Maybe she’d have an early dinner.
She went to the kitchen.She opened the fridge and found that her mother hadn’t been exaggerating when she’d told her there wasn’t much inside.There were a few slices of bread, some margarine, a couple jars of jelly, and some juices.There wasn’t much else.
After closing the door, she headed for the closet by the front door.It was time to head to the Kringle Cup Café.She’d been missing their lattes, and they had some good salads and sandwiches.
And maybe she’d run into Justin again…
She halted the thought.What was wrong with her?It wasn’t like she was hung up on him or anything.Besides, he was probably home with his wife.The thought left a sour feeling in the pit of her stomach.
Chapter Five
