“Not hesitation. Apprehension, maybe.”
“Why?”
Cindy’s expression turned rueful. “Really? You have to ask? Ava, you’re amazing. You’re glamorous and successful and you have this house. You’re a wonderful friend and so very kind. All those years ago I had a girl-crush on you, and it’s likely Shannon will feel the same way.”
Ava appreciated the compliments, but given her last conversation with Cindy’s daughter doubted there was much crushing going on.
“You don’t have to worry. She loves you with all her heart. No one can take her away from you.”
“I know you’d never do anything to come between us and that I have no reason to worry, but every now and then I feel inadequate.”
“Isn’t that natural for a mother to feel? I know I constantly question myself when it comes to Victoria. I’ve made so manymistakes.” She thought about the pain she’d caused her daughter. “She’s writing a screenplay.”
“She mentioned that. It’s very exciting.”
Ava ignored the twinge of pain. “I’m not to know.”
Cindy frowned. “I don’t understand.”
“She hasn’t mentioned it to me. Not once. Milton read the first draft and said it has potential. She continues to work on it. I know she has a critique group she attends. But we don’t talk about it.” Ava reached for her glass, then put her hand back in her lap. “She doesn’t want me to be a part of her life. It’s like there’s a wall between us.”
“She loves you. I know she does.”
“Maybe, but I doubt she likes me very much.” She forced a smile. “Unlike your daughter, who speaks of you with great affection. I want to say you’re lucky, but I suspect it’s because you’re a much better mother than I am.”
“No. You’re being too harsh. You’re a good mom, and you have a lovely daughter. This is just a rough patch.”
“If it is, then it’s been that way since she was a child.” Ava shook off her feeling of sadness. “All right. Subject change. You’re here to help me with my kitchen.” She motioned to the samples she’d laid out. “My designer gave me three options.” She pointed to the renderings. “These are what the finished kitchen will look like, and you can see the various finishes.”
Cindy got up and walked around the island where she could study everything more closely. She looked up at the kitchen, then back at the notebooks.
“Basically you’re leaving the bones of the kitchen as they are. No moving of the stove or refrigerator.”
“The flow works as it is. I like the storage and the amount of counter space. What I don’t like is how dated it is.” She touched the cool granite. “This hasn’t been in style for nearly a decade. The cabinets are too dark, and I hate the pulls we chose.”
Cindy walked over to the wall of cabinetry and opened adoor. “The wood is good quality.” She walked back to the renderings, then flipped through one of the notebooks to the list of recommended appliances.
“The Wolf range would be a great upgrade,” she murmured. “And I like the Sub Zero refrigerator.” She glanced down. “The flooring looks good, so I wouldn’t change that.”
“I’m glad you said that. I like the flooring and want to keep it.”
Cindy looked at her. “The problem is your designer is suggesting a complete remodel when you just need an update. Why get all new cabinets? If you like the style and the placement of what you already have, then just get them painted.” She put a couple of the painted cabinet samples together.
“Either of these would work. You get new appliances, a bigger farm sink and new countertops. Update the lighting. It’s a whole lot easier than gutting the room.”
Ava brightened. “I never thought of just doing a simple update. That could be done so much more quickly and without as much construction.” She would still have to empty the kitchen, but it would only be for a few weeks rather than a couple of months. Relief made her smile. “Yes, that’s exactly right. Let’s make some notes.”
An hour later nearly all the decisions had been made. Once they’d chosen the paint color, it was easy to coordinate the quartz. Cindy promised to join Ava at the decorating center to help her pick out backsplash tile and the light fixtures. Cindy had convinced her to put in a few more canned lights to eliminate shadows in the kitchen.
“This is such a relief,” Ava said as she started pulling out cheeses and meats, along with fruit for a quick charcuterie board. “I’ve been putting off deciding anything for at least two months now. My decorator will be happy that I’ve finally made a decision.”
Cindy washed her hands, then joined her in putting together the board.
“You’re not normally indecisive, so it must have been that the whole project was stressful,” she said as she began slicing cheese. “I was the same way about the wedding. But once I figured out the venue, I started to get more excited about the other decisions.” She paused. “I told you I booked the venue we saw together.”
“You did.” Ava smiled. “I booked the venue as well. For Milton’s birthday. I’m glad we ran into each other there. I’ve thought about you and Shannon so much over the years.”
“I’ve thought about you, too.” Cindy set sliced strawberries on the board. “Shannon and I went shopping for my wedding dress a few days ago. I’ve found the one, and it’s nothing like I envisioned.” Her smile turned dreamy. “But it’s beautiful, and I feel so special in it.”
