Georgia.
~*~
Lindsay stared in dismay at the hole in the guest room wall, which was now almost as big as a barn door. “Oh no!” she said, bringing her fingers to her lips. “Cici, what happened? Can you fix it?”
Cici, who was tearing at another square of lathing with her crowbar, looked up and pushed back her glasses, looking both surprised and disappointed. “I thought you were cutting back the tomato vines.”
The visit from Kevin had been a fun diversion from the routine and the ladies had enjoyed it, but the dust of his departure had barely settled on the drive before they were all back at their chores. With the schedule they had to keep, there was no time for idleness.
“I was.” Lindsay took a hesitant step into the room, looking around at the rubble. Broken strips of lath and chunks of plaster littered the plastic-covered floor, wallpaper hung in huge sagging strips from all the walls, and a fine coat of white dust covered everything, including Cici. “I heard the noise and came to see what was wrong.”
“Oh. Well, it can’t be helped now I guess.” Cici gave an apologetic shrug, and then grinned. “I wanted to get more done before I showed you, but what do you think?”
Lindsay’s consternation grew as she looked from the floor to the wall to Cici. “Think?”
“It’s going to be your new suite,” Cici explained. “Yours and Dominic’s. You see, these two rooms used to be one great big room—Miss Emily’s room when she was married—with the two windows overlooking the garden and the marble fireplace … didn’t you ever wonder why it was off-center? Look, the floorboards are even flowing the same way, and if I’m careful all I’ll have to do is touch up the finish underneath this frame. The bathroom is twice as big as the one in your room, and it even has a shower! You’re always having to use the guest bath to wash your hair. All we have to do is knock down this wall and the room will be just like it used to be, and big enough for two people. It’s our wedding gift to you,” she added, a little breathlessly. “Mine and Bridget’s.”
Lindsay’s lips parted but for a moment she didn’t seem to know what to say. She turned in a half circle. She looked at Cici. “But … we have a wedding in a matter of weeks! And trim to paint and chandeliers to wash and—and a wedding to plan!”
“We’ll have this done long before the wedding,” Cici assured her. “Seriously, a matter of days.”
“But …” It was almost possible to see the thoughts flickering and wrestling for attention behind Lindsay’s eyes. “Give up my room? I like my room. I worked hard on it.”
“But it’s your room,” Cici replied patiently. “Don’t you think you should have a room that’s yours and Dominic’s? You know, to start your new life together?”
“Wow.” Lindsay let this sink in for a moment. “A new life.” She brought herself back to the problem at hand with a visible effort. “But—all this work! Cici, I can’t let you and Bridget do this! You’re doing so much already!”
Cici waved it away. “Look what you did for Bridget when you turned your art studio into The Tasting Table. Look what you did for me when I broke my collarbone. Look what Dominic did for all of us. This is nothing.”
Hesitantly, Lindsay bent down and peered through the opening into the other room. “It sure looks like a lot.”
“It’s simple. I’ve done all this just since Kevin left. Here.” She handed the crowbar to Lindsay. “You try. It’s kind of fun.”
Lindsay took the tool, glanced at Cici dubiously, and took a halfhearted swing at the wall. The plaster gave a satisfying crack and a few pieces crumbled to the floor.
“Like this.” Cici corrected her grip and suggested, “Try pulling instead of hitting. And stand back if you don’t want to get hit by falling plaster.”
~*~
Lindsay stared in dismay at the hole in the guest room wall, which was now almost as big as a barn door. “Oh no!” she said, bringing her fingers to her lips. “Cici, what happened? Can you fix it?”
Cici, who was tearing at another square of lathing with her crowbar, looked up and pushed back her glasses, looking both surprised and disappointed. “I thought you were cutting back the tomato vines.”
The visit from Kevin had been a fun diversion from the routine and the ladies had enjoyed it, but the dust of his departure had barely settled on the drive before they were all back at their chores. With the schedule they had to keep, there was no time for idleness.
“I was.” Lindsay took a hesitant step into the room, looking around at the rubble. Broken strips of lath and chunks of plaster littered the plastic-covered floor, wallpaper hung in huge sagging strips from all the walls, and a fine coat of white dust covered everything, including Cici. “I heard the noise and came to see what was wrong.”
“Oh. Well, it can’t be helped now I guess.” Cici gave an apologetic shrug, and then grinned. “I wanted to get more done before I showed you, but what do you think?”
Lindsay’s consternation grew as she looked from the floor to the wall to Cici. “Think?”
“It’s going to be your new suite,” Cici explained. “Yours and Dominic’s. You see, these two rooms used to be one great big room—Miss Emily’s room when she was married—with the two windows overlooking the garden and the marble fireplace … didn’t you ever wonder why it was off-center? Look, the floorboards are even flowing the same way, and if I’m careful all I’ll have to do is touch up the finish underneath this frame. The bathroom is twice as big as the one in your room, and it even has a shower! You’re always having to use the guest bath to wash your hair. All we have to do is knock down this wall and the room will be just like it used to be, and big enough for two people. It’s our wedding gift to you,” she added, a little breathlessly. “Mine and Bridget’s.”
Lindsay’s lips parted but for a moment she didn’t seem to know what to say. She turned in a half circle. She looked at Cici. “But … we have a wedding in a matter of weeks! And trim to paint and chandeliers to wash and—and a wedding to plan!”
“We’ll have this done long before the wedding,” Cici assured her. “Seriously, a matter of days.”
“But …” It was almost possible to see the thoughts flickering and wrestling for attention behind Lindsay’s eyes. “Give up my room? I like my room. I worked hard on it.”
“But it’s your room,” Cici replied patiently. “Don’t you think you should have a room that’s yours and Dominic’s? You know, to start your new life together?”
“Wow.” Lindsay let this sink in for a moment. “A new life.” She brought herself back to the problem at hand with a visible effort. “But—all this work! Cici, I can’t let you and Bridget do this! You’re doing so much already!”
Cici waved it away. “Look what you did for Bridget when you turned your art studio into The Tasting Table. Look what you did for me when I broke my collarbone. Look what Dominic did for all of us. This is nothing.”
Hesitantly, Lindsay bent down and peered through the opening into the other room. “It sure looks like a lot.”
“It’s simple. I’ve done all this just since Kevin left. Here.” She handed the crowbar to Lindsay. “You try. It’s kind of fun.”
Lindsay took the tool, glanced at Cici dubiously, and took a halfhearted swing at the wall. The plaster gave a satisfying crack and a few pieces crumbled to the floor.
“Like this.” Cici corrected her grip and suggested, “Try pulling instead of hitting. And stand back if you don’t want to get hit by falling plaster.”
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