rinse a plate. “Actually, we
all tend to treat her that way.”
Julie sounded a little sad.
Anna looked at her wondering what was on her mind. “What do you mean?”
Startled, Julie threw her a
glance. “Well, Tori is unique. She is very unconventional and maybe,
just a little crazy, at least to our way of thinking. We are a pretty
conservative group. Steven and Andrew can be patronizing. They
don’t mean to be but Steven pulled Tori out of so many scraps when she was
young that it is hard for him to change. I just never realized that we
all treated her like that until recently.”
“What made you realize it?”
“Nick,” Julie said with a
laugh. “He was always defending her. So quietly that I didn’t
realized it at first. Then one day he said something and I questioned
him. He told me we all treated Victoria like she was some mischievous schoolgirl
when in reality she was a very successful businesswoman. It was quite a
shock to realize he was right. I felt awful.”
“Julie,” Anna said, “why are you
telling me this?”
Julie stopped washing the dishes
and turned to look at her. Anna had never seen her so serious.
“Tori is my best friend. She is coming home in a few days and I don’t want
anything to hurt her. I think sometimes Steven’s attitude does.
Will you talk to him?”
Anna immediately shook her
head. “No way, Julie. If there is a problem between Steven and his
sister, I don’t want to be in the middle of it. Steve loves her a lot.”
“I know,” Julie replied. “So
do I. You’re right. We shouldn’t interfere. It’s just that
recently I have sensed a restlessness in Tori and I’m not sure she is happy
which feels weird as she is the happiest person I know. I guess I want to
make everything alright for her.”
“You’re a good friend, Julie, but
they will work it out. Just wait and see.”
Julie nodded and then asked, “Anna,
do you want to go with me to pick her up at the airport?”
“Me?” Anna squeaked. She knew
Victoria was flying in on the day of the party. She didn’t want to come
earlier because she was afraid her parents would find out and it would ruin the
surprise.
“Sure. We could leave early
and have lunch in Dallas before going to the airport. That way you
wouldn’t have to drive your car here. The fewer cars we have to hide that
night, the better. Of course, you may not want to leave work
early.” Julie paused a minute while Anna was trying to make sense of the
conversation. It appeared that Julie thought Anna was going to attend the
Carson’s anniversary party. Almost half the town had been invited.
Victoria was planning a family dinner with just the Carsons and Moores and then
later the rest of the guests would arrive. Anna had not planned on being
one of them.
“I know,” Julie continued, “we can
pick you up from your office on our way back to town. How does that sound?”
“Julie, I’m not going to the
party.”
Her friend stopped and looked at
her. “Of course, you are.”
“No, I’m not. I don’t even
know the Carsons.”
“Oh,” Julie said with a flick of
her hand, “that doesn’t matter. Believe me, Anna, everyone expects you to
be there.”
“Where?”
Anna turned to see Steven standing
in the doorway. He had obviously just returned and heard the last of
Julie’s sentence.
“At your parents’ party,” Julie
told him. She gave the counter one last swipe with the dishrag and walked
over to the door. “Tell her, Steve. She thinks she isn’t coming.”
With that statement, Julie left the
room and Anna faced Steven alone. She wasn’t sure what to say. She
had never expected to attend the party. It had never even crossed her
mind but by the look on Steven’s face, it had apparently crossed his.
Anna put the last of the leftover salad into the refrigerator and turned back
to Steven.
“I don’t know your
all tend to treat her that way.”
Julie sounded a little sad.
Anna looked at her wondering what was on her mind. “What do you mean?”
Startled, Julie threw her a
glance. “Well, Tori is unique. She is very unconventional and maybe,
just a little crazy, at least to our way of thinking. We are a pretty
conservative group. Steven and Andrew can be patronizing. They
don’t mean to be but Steven pulled Tori out of so many scraps when she was
young that it is hard for him to change. I just never realized that we
all treated her like that until recently.”
“What made you realize it?”
“Nick,” Julie said with a
laugh. “He was always defending her. So quietly that I didn’t
realized it at first. Then one day he said something and I questioned
him. He told me we all treated Victoria like she was some mischievous schoolgirl
when in reality she was a very successful businesswoman. It was quite a
shock to realize he was right. I felt awful.”
“Julie,” Anna said, “why are you
telling me this?”
Julie stopped washing the dishes
and turned to look at her. Anna had never seen her so serious.
“Tori is my best friend. She is coming home in a few days and I don’t want
anything to hurt her. I think sometimes Steven’s attitude does.
Will you talk to him?”
Anna immediately shook her
head. “No way, Julie. If there is a problem between Steven and his
sister, I don’t want to be in the middle of it. Steve loves her a lot.”
“I know,” Julie replied. “So
do I. You’re right. We shouldn’t interfere. It’s just that
recently I have sensed a restlessness in Tori and I’m not sure she is happy
which feels weird as she is the happiest person I know. I guess I want to
make everything alright for her.”
“You’re a good friend, Julie, but
they will work it out. Just wait and see.”
Julie nodded and then asked, “Anna,
do you want to go with me to pick her up at the airport?”
“Me?” Anna squeaked. She knew
Victoria was flying in on the day of the party. She didn’t want to come
earlier because she was afraid her parents would find out and it would ruin the
surprise.
“Sure. We could leave early
and have lunch in Dallas before going to the airport. That way you
wouldn’t have to drive your car here. The fewer cars we have to hide that
night, the better. Of course, you may not want to leave work
early.” Julie paused a minute while Anna was trying to make sense of the
conversation. It appeared that Julie thought Anna was going to attend the
Carson’s anniversary party. Almost half the town had been invited.
Victoria was planning a family dinner with just the Carsons and Moores and then
later the rest of the guests would arrive. Anna had not planned on being
one of them.
“I know,” Julie continued, “we can
pick you up from your office on our way back to town. How does that sound?”
“Julie, I’m not going to the
party.”
Her friend stopped and looked at
her. “Of course, you are.”
“No, I’m not. I don’t even
know the Carsons.”
“Oh,” Julie said with a flick of
her hand, “that doesn’t matter. Believe me, Anna, everyone expects you to
be there.”
“Where?”
Anna turned to see Steven standing
in the doorway. He had obviously just returned and heard the last of
Julie’s sentence.
“At your parents’ party,” Julie
told him. She gave the counter one last swipe with the dishrag and walked
over to the door. “Tell her, Steve. She thinks she isn’t coming.”
With that statement, Julie left the
room and Anna faced Steven alone. She wasn’t sure what to say. She
had never expected to attend the party. It had never even crossed her
mind but by the look on Steven’s face, it had apparently crossed his.
Anna put the last of the leftover salad into the refrigerator and turned back
to Steven.
“I don’t know your
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