“Kind of a mix of both. Conference calls every Tuesday and Thursday morning, I think. He’s mostly on his own for the rest of his work.”
“How wonderful, how lucky he is,” Faith said. “I’m so glad you found someone, Kell. I’m still looking. Perennial bachelorette, I guess. Maybe I should go on a reality show!” She laughed again and Kelly went for a mild chuckle this time.
The conversation continued in a stilted way. Faith didn’t ask more about Kelly’s new job or anything else about Kelly’s life, instead launching into a story about her latest vacation with her sister and how she had decorated her apartment at the Three Diamonds. Kelly found herself just nodding along.
As their food arrived, Kelly kept waiting for the main event, the big talk. Finally, near the end of her beet salad, Faith carefully set her fork down.
“So Kell, I told you I wanted to apologize and I do. I’ve just been thinking a lot about what I did and it wasn’t fair. I had some demons in my life back then but I’ve worked really hard. I hope you’ll forgive me.”
Kelly sighed, looking across at Faith. While Faith was glamorous in a well-put-together way, there was a vulnerability, almost childlike, in her eyes. She was giving Kelly a pleading look. It made Kelly feel for her, but she couldn’t forget the past either. It was there, smoldering.
“I appreciate that and you inviting me to lunch,” Kelly said slowly, thinking hard about what to say. She wanted to be kind, but before she could stop herself, years of resentment and anger came tumbling out across the table. “I’m not going to lie. It was hard. It hurt. Stealing cash and items from all of us in the dorms when we were out of the room. Pawning Zoe’s jewelry and using our credit cards to buy yourself clothes, lying about it until you got caught… Then years later calling me when you were in Peoria and saying your identity was stolen and you couldn’t access your credit cards until they were replaced and you were going to be kicked out of your apartment if I didn’t float you some money, that I was your only hope, that your sister had medical bills to pay. And when I did lend you the money…”
Faith looked down and started twisting her hands in her lap. Kelly felt a pang. Maybe she had gone too far. Maybe she didn’t need to say the rest, how Faith had started ghosting her when she asked, then pleaded for her money, how she finally had to track down Faith’s mom and tell her the whole story and the mom sent Kelly the money and said she would get repaid from Faith. It still made Kelly so angry to think of being taken advantage of like that. She doubted Faith even really had her identity stolen.
“I’m sorry,” Faith said softly. “I was in a bad place. This is reallyhard to say… but… I was diagnosed… as a shopaholic. My therapist said it’s like an alcoholic, a disease, something you can’t control. But I’m good now. That’s why I brought you a present.”
She reached into a large purse slung over the back of her chair and brought out a white box about three inches high and eight inches long.
“I made this for you.”
Kelly took the box. She had absolutely no clue what could be inside. Gingerly she began to lift the lid, and something sparkly caught her eye.
“It’s a jewelry box!” Faith called out, ruining any surprise. “I went to a place where you can design your own with beads and jewels and crystals and things. Isn’t it pretty?”
Lifting the lid all the way, Kelly saw that it was, in a gaudy sort of way. There were buttons and beads in every color glued all over it, giving it a circus feel. A tiny mirror was wedged in between the many other things on the top. Any empty space was filled with glitter or feathers.
“Well, thank you. That’s very kind of you,” said Kelly, immediately wondering what to do with this thing. It was not her style at all. Maybe she could give it to the neighbor girl. It felt juvenile.
“I was thinking of that rare, expensive jewelry you got from your mom and grandma,” said Faith. “I know how much that all meant to you after they… you know. I’m so glad I never touched that stuff in the dorms. What I did to Zoe. I won’t ever live that down. Kell, I will have that shame with me, honestly, forever. But this is my way of starting to make amends. I’ve reached out to Zoe for lunch too but she lives in Iowa so it might be a while. You still have that special jewelry, right?”
“Yes, of course. It means the world to me.”
“And do you have the right kind of jewelry box for it? Because that’s why I thought of this. Precious jewels need a precious holder.”
Kelly opened her mouth to answer, but before she could, a couple stopped right at their table, looking sheepish.
“Excuse me, we hate to bother you, but are you Faith Richards from Channel 9? We couldn’t help but notice you from across the room.”
Faith turned to them with a full-wattage smile.
“I am. Thank you so much for stopping to say hello. I love meeting viewers. This is my friend, Kelly.”
“Hello,” the woman said, but neither she nor the guy gave more than a micro-glance to Kelly. They were staring at Faith.
“We can’t believe it’s you,” said the man. “We watch you every night. You do such a great job, we’re just huuuuge fans.”
“Thank you. That means a lot to me. I work really hard on my forecasts,” Faith said. “You can join the Fair-Weather Friends Fan Club if you’re not already in it.”
“Oh, we’re in it. We love your videos,” said the man. “Sue here actually starts her day with them.”
“I have three pairs of your weather earrings, I just adore them! You are so fun, the best weather girl ever!” gushed the woman.
“Well, I love weather and I love earrings so it’s a match made in the cumulus clouds,” Faith said with a smile, and the couple roared with laughter and told her how funny she was on top of everything else.
“Thank you for stopping by,” Faith said. Kelly could sense that she was trying to shake them. The couple seemed to sense it too.
“We didn’t mean to interrupt but we just had to say hello. Wait until we tell all of our friends and the whole neighborhoodabout this! They’ll just die!” The woman giggled. “Can we get a picture with you before we leave?”
