bet.”
After Janya put her gifts away, she and Tracy walked over to the soon-to-be-occupied cottage. Tracy had been in that morning to air it out and hadn’t locked up. She threw the door open, and Janya went in first.
“Go see what I did to the old study this week,” she told Janya. “Lizzie’s new bedroom.”
“Come and show me.”
They went together. The former laundry room adjoined the only bathroom, a pink-and-gray affair that had been all the rage in the 1950s. Unfortunately, Lizzie would have to squeeze through a doorway beside the shower whenever she entered or exited, unless she crawled through the window. The room was so tiny Tracy had been afraid she couldn’t fit a bed along the longest wall, but she had found a daybed and new mattress that fit exactly, both on sale at a discount store going out of business.
She’d been under no obligation to provide the little girl with a bed, but something had told her weeks might pass before Dana found the money to buy one. Besides, brightening Dana’s and Lizzie’s lives was good karma. And working on the room had given her something to do other than think about Marsh at home, cooking one of his fabulous dinners.
For Sylvia.
“Oh, you painted it.” Janya sent Tracy a big smile. The room was now flooded with sunshine, the pale buttery kind that comes from a paint can.
“Olivia told me Lizzie’s favorite color is yellow. And the walls were so shabby, the room needed a new coat of paint anyway. I had some extra time one evening.” Tracy had also clipped coupons and bought sunflower sheets and a matching comforter. The entire renovation had cost very little.
“She will love it.”
“Well, it’s not an ideal situation. She’s going to have to develop some patience coming and going, that’s for sure. But I’m pretty sure it’s a big step up from that awful motel.”
“And I have just the right print for that wall,” said another voice.
The two women turned to find Wanda behind them in the bathroom doorway.
Wanda flapped her fingers in a wave. “It’s a big old shaggysheepdog rolling around in a flower-filled meadow—with some sunflowers, even. Goes with the theme. I bought the frame for something else and the print was already in it. Do you want it?”
Wanda’s taste was questionable, but Tracy figured this might be enough of an exception to put on the wall. “Let’s give it a try.”
“Got some sheer green curtains to put over the window, too. Used to hang in our guest bedroom back in Miami.”
“And I have a carved table we can put beside the bed,” Janya said. “Very lightweight. I will bring it. And a little pink lamp I bought at a garage sale and have no place for.”
By the time they finished moving everything in, the room looked surprisingly inviting. Tracy was sure Lizzie would be pleased.
“It seems odd, don’t you think, that they have no furniture of their own?” she said. “I mean, even I had a few little things with me when I came from California. In a sports car, no less.”
“You want the truth?” Wanda lowered her voice. “I think maybe they’ve been homeless, or just about, a time or two. Dana hasn’t said so, exactly, but we all know what the economy’s like, and how hard it is to find a job. From what I can tell, they’ve moved a lot, and they don’t seem to have much in the way of savings. I’m betting they’ve left a lot of stuff along the way.”
Tracy knew how many people were suffering. In fact, she had worried she might not find renters at all. So once she’d seen that Dana liked the cottage, she had waived the security deposit. She had wanted Dana and Lizzie to have the house. Olivia was so excited about having her friend just down the road. And Dana? Well, Dana just seemed to need it.
They were interrupted by somebody knocking on the frontdoor. The women went into the living room, and Tracy found Alice and Olivia waiting outside.
“She’ll need groceries,” Alice said. “I
After Janya put her gifts away, she and Tracy walked over to the soon-to-be-occupied cottage. Tracy had been in that morning to air it out and hadn’t locked up. She threw the door open, and Janya went in first.
“Go see what I did to the old study this week,” she told Janya. “Lizzie’s new bedroom.”
“Come and show me.”
They went together. The former laundry room adjoined the only bathroom, a pink-and-gray affair that had been all the rage in the 1950s. Unfortunately, Lizzie would have to squeeze through a doorway beside the shower whenever she entered or exited, unless she crawled through the window. The room was so tiny Tracy had been afraid she couldn’t fit a bed along the longest wall, but she had found a daybed and new mattress that fit exactly, both on sale at a discount store going out of business.
She’d been under no obligation to provide the little girl with a bed, but something had told her weeks might pass before Dana found the money to buy one. Besides, brightening Dana’s and Lizzie’s lives was good karma. And working on the room had given her something to do other than think about Marsh at home, cooking one of his fabulous dinners.
For Sylvia.
“Oh, you painted it.” Janya sent Tracy a big smile. The room was now flooded with sunshine, the pale buttery kind that comes from a paint can.
“Olivia told me Lizzie’s favorite color is yellow. And the walls were so shabby, the room needed a new coat of paint anyway. I had some extra time one evening.” Tracy had also clipped coupons and bought sunflower sheets and a matching comforter. The entire renovation had cost very little.
“She will love it.”
“Well, it’s not an ideal situation. She’s going to have to develop some patience coming and going, that’s for sure. But I’m pretty sure it’s a big step up from that awful motel.”
“And I have just the right print for that wall,” said another voice.
The two women turned to find Wanda behind them in the bathroom doorway.
Wanda flapped her fingers in a wave. “It’s a big old shaggysheepdog rolling around in a flower-filled meadow—with some sunflowers, even. Goes with the theme. I bought the frame for something else and the print was already in it. Do you want it?”
Wanda’s taste was questionable, but Tracy figured this might be enough of an exception to put on the wall. “Let’s give it a try.”
“Got some sheer green curtains to put over the window, too. Used to hang in our guest bedroom back in Miami.”
“And I have a carved table we can put beside the bed,” Janya said. “Very lightweight. I will bring it. And a little pink lamp I bought at a garage sale and have no place for.”
By the time they finished moving everything in, the room looked surprisingly inviting. Tracy was sure Lizzie would be pleased.
“It seems odd, don’t you think, that they have no furniture of their own?” she said. “I mean, even I had a few little things with me when I came from California. In a sports car, no less.”
“You want the truth?” Wanda lowered her voice. “I think maybe they’ve been homeless, or just about, a time or two. Dana hasn’t said so, exactly, but we all know what the economy’s like, and how hard it is to find a job. From what I can tell, they’ve moved a lot, and they don’t seem to have much in the way of savings. I’m betting they’ve left a lot of stuff along the way.”
Tracy knew how many people were suffering. In fact, she had worried she might not find renters at all. So once she’d seen that Dana liked the cottage, she had waived the security deposit. She had wanted Dana and Lizzie to have the house. Olivia was so excited about having her friend just down the road. And Dana? Well, Dana just seemed to need it.
They were interrupted by somebody knocking on the frontdoor. The women went into the living room, and Tracy found Alice and Olivia waiting outside.
“She’ll need groceries,” Alice said. “I
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