Brenna slept until ten o’clock when the cats began walking up and down her body, maowing with hunger. Stretching, she knocked kitties left and right, feeling every sore muscle in her body. She didn’t know which took a larger toll, painting or sleeping on the floor. While running a bubble bath, she made coffee and ate a banana. Taking her coffee into the steamy bathroom, she eased herself into the deep claw-foot tub. Balancing her library book on a brass tray across the tub, she read until she had run in extra hot water several times to keep it warm.
She and Molly had gone shopping before she left Portland and Brenna had purchased large plush bath towels in shades of forest green and peach. Pulling a green towel off a new brass towel bar, she dried off and put on her flannel robe. Shivering at the cooler kitchen air, she trotted to the stairs to go to her room, stopping to pick up the phone receiver and check for a dial tone. Though she had kept a prepaid cell for work, she preferred landlines at home. She was rewarded by the familiar hum; the phone service was on. Now she could hook up the internet!
She ran upstairs and pulled on a warm sweat suit, then ran back down to the phone, Olivia trailing behind her.
“Let’s see if I can reach Molly before she goes to work, okay? Good Lord, I’m talking to a cat.” Brenna shook her head and picked up the phone from the small table.
The phone rang three times and then the answering machine kicked in. “I can’t come to the phone right now, but if what you have to say is so all-fired important it can’t wait, then leave a message at the beep.” Brenna smiled and spoke into the phone, “Hey, Molly, it’s me! Pick up if you’re there!”
“Hey, how’s it going, stranger?" Molly asked, answering the phone quickly. "Sorry, I was screening calls; the hospital was a zoo last night and no way was I going in early. How are you? I miss you!”
Brenna felt warm inside just hearing her friend’s voice.
“I’m doing fine, painting like a mad woman. I seem to have acquired three cats, but we’re getting along fine. You should see what I found! The owner had left behind a whole service of silver and she said I'm supposed to keep it. It has my initial on it. Weird, huh?”
“Cool is more like it. So you got to meet her?”
“Yes,” Brenna replied, “I found her at the rest home in town. She’s really sweet. I think I’m going to take her some of these flowers today. You wouldn’t believe how this yard is blooming. When are you coming up?”
“How about this weekend? Liz wanted someone to trade with her so I have this one off.”
“Oh, Molly, that would be great. The mattresses come Friday morning so it’s perfect timing.”
“Okay, I’ll see you Friday around one or so. Gotta go to the store before work. I’ll see you soon!” and Molly hung up.
Brenna looked at the cats lolling on the sofa.
“I think I’ll call and see how Helena’s doing today. I could take her some flowers and find out your names at the same time.” They looked back at her placidly and Olivia yawned.
She pulled out her new phone book, smiling at the small, narrow volume, and called the rest home.
“Oh, I’m afraid Helena’s not doing very well today,” the secretary told her. “She’s caught a bit of a cold and illness always seems to make her a little out of touch.”
“Thanks anyway. I’ll check back later.”
Turning back to the cats, she said, “Okay, guys, it’s you and me.” She picked up the large one and flipped him over; a neutered male, thank God. “I’m going to call you Tubby, for obvious reasons…oh, who cares. You all come to 'kitty' anyway."
Later in the afternoon, Brenna scrubbed paint speckles off her face and arms, had lunch and went out to cut some flowers. She had found several large vases under the sink and now chose one for the parlor, and one to take to Helena. She gathered sweeping sprays of lavender lilacs and pink roses into the vases, and inserted some pure white tulips from under the front window for accent.
Putting the cats out under a faintly overcast sky for the afternoon, she drove into town with her window down, enjoying the fresh spring air. Where have I been all my life, she thought? And why wasn’t I here?
She pulled into the rest home lot and carefully carried the large vase inside.
“Oh, those are beautiful! Are those for Helena?” the secretary asked.
“Yes, they’re from her garden. Can I take them to her ?”
“Sure, go ahead. Just don’t be surprised if she doesn’t recognize you today.”
Brenna walked down the hall, waving to Rusty as he called a greeting from his room. “Save that dance for me, dear!” She smiled.
Helena was bundled up in bed with classical music playing quietly in the background.
Brenna sat her flower arrangement on the bedside table. Helena smiled at her vaguely and then regarded the flowers for a moment.
“How beautiful. Are those from Martin?”
Brenna froze for a minute, temporarily speechless, and then responded, “He must have had them sent over. They just arrived.”
“Oh, that was thoughtful. They smell wonderful. Did he say when he could come home? I miss him dreadfully, you know...”
“I’m not sure, Helena. I'll ask if I talk to him, alright?”
But Helena’s attention had already shifted to the window, and Brenna quietly left the room.
She stopped at the office on her way out.
“How long has Helena’s husband, Martin, been dead?” she asked the secretary.
“Oh, about a year now. She came here a few months ago; she was forgetting to eat and her health was failing. So she put the house on the market, but stipulated that it be sold only to the 'right' people. Frankly, I don’t think anyone expected it to sell. It was pretty run-down and there are so many new houses for sale right on the waterfront."
“Well, I guess that was lucky for me, huh? Thanks for the information, I’ll see you later,” smiled Brenna.
She drove up to Mel’s Cafe, parking across from the fire station. Wendy was on duty and so was Mel this time. Glancing around, Brenna noticed Adam wasn't in sight. For God's sake, why was she even looking?
“Hi, Brenna, how are you doing? How’s your painting going?” Wendy greeted her enthusiastically. Brenna was surprised to notice how good it felt to be greeted warmly. She must have been feeling more isolated than she realized.
“Renovations are going fine, thanks for asking. How are you?”
“Oh, okay. Glad this shift is almost over. It’s been a busy day. Can I get you something?”
Brenna sat down at the counter and looked over the menu.
“I think I’ll just have a large iced tea, thanks.”
A pleasant looking woman with fading blonde hair pulled back in a hairnet came out of the office and Wendy introduced her as Mel, the owner.
“Well, hi. You must be the new resident I’ve been hearing about. How do you like it here so far?” asked Mel.
“Well, I’m definitely still adjusting. I’ve moved up from Portland and this is a whole different world. I didn’t realize how lonely I was getting until I came in here! I've worked full-time for years and working alone in my house just isn't the same. Luckily, my friend is coming up to visit this weekend,” Brenna told them.
“Male or female?” asked Wendy with a gleam in her eye.
“Wendy, you are incorrigible.” Brenna shook her head.
“Well, it’s just my personal opinion, but don’t you think she and Adam would make a nice couple, Mel?”
“She’s right, you are an incorrigible matchmaker! However,” she said, turning to Brenna, “she has a good track record. She introduced my brother to his wife right here.”
Brenna smiled and changed the subject. “So there’s a fire department in town. Is there a hospital nearby?”
“The closest one is fifteen miles north of here in Port Evan. It’s small, but serves its purpose. If there’s a serious problem, they send critical patients to Portland,” Mel replied.
Yeah, don’t I know it, Br
enna thought grimly.
“Do you know if there’s a plant nursery around here?” she asked them.
“As a matter of fact, my brother Bob and his wife have one north of here. Do you want directions?” Mel asked.
“That would be great. I’ve always lived in apartments so I’ve never gotten to grow any flowers or gardens. I thought I’d plant a rose to commemorate moving in. I just hope it doesn't keel over!”
“Oh, I’m sure you’ll do fine,” Mel smiled. “You just drive two miles north on the highway and turn right on Nursery Road.”
“It doesn’t sound too hard to find.”
“Yes, it’s well marked. They have a sign up, 'The Rose Garden Nursery'.”
“Well, then I guess they probably have what I’m after. Thanks for the help.” Brenna paid for her tea and went out to her Blazer.
The nursery had been easy to locate and Bob had helped Brenna load her selections into her vehicle. She had managed to unload the heavy pots by herself at home, only pricking herself a few times on her 'White Honor' rose bush. Later that evening, she watered the rose bush outside in its pot, leaving the planting for another day. After arranging a ficus in a corner near the fireplace, she hung a Boston fern near the window overlooking her porcelain kitchen sink. She had been interested to learn Boston ferns were introduced as houseplants in 1894, around the same time her house was built. She smiled at the thought... her house. After eight years of saving, she had her own house. Not quite where she thought it would be, but who could predict life’s turns?
Tired after the long day, she decided to turn in a little early and went to the door to call the cats in. There they sat on the stoop; Olivia maowed at her and they trotted into the kitchen. Hmm, she thought, Tubby may be the biggest, but it sure looks like Olivia’s the ring leader. Picking her up, she nuzzled her gray neck and Olivia licked her cheek in return.
After starting a small fire, she crawled into her sleeping bag and read by firelight until she fell asleep, cats curled around her cozily.
The fire crackled louder and louder, and smoke began to fill the air as the fire alarm started its insistent blare. Grabbing the big apron stored in the nursery for purposes such as this, she threw it over her head and began to carefully put bundled-up babies into its five large canvas pockets, disconnecting several IVs and heart monitors as she went. Taking an ambubag in the event that a baby needed resuscitation, she left the nursery and headed for the back stairs, confused babies howling in unison. The smoke was impossible to see through and she crouched as low as possible with her ponytail held over her nose to keep some smoke out. She hurried and hurried...where were the stairs? She should have been there by now! Tears began to roll down her sooty cheeks as the babies, one by one, became quieter until she could only hear the flames. Maybe she had gotten turned around in the smoke. She turned to go the other way, hot smoke searing her lungs, only to see the flames advancing. She sank to the floor holding her quiet babies, the useless ambubag falling from her hand...
Sandpaper was scraping her face...she slowly awoke to find Olivia licking the salty tears from her cheeks. Oh, God, it was just a dream!...just another nightmare. She held Olivia close and began to sob, crying for all her lost babies through the years until she fell into a mercifully dreamless sleep.
Chapter 7