Fortunate Harbor by Emilie Richards Page A

have…” She was carrying two brown bags, and she held them out to finish her sentence without words.
    Olivia held out a plate wrapped in aluminum foil. “And I made brownies.”
    “Well, if this isn’t a party,” Wanda said, taking a grocery bag from Alice’s arms, as Tracy took the brownies. “Come on inside, ladies.”
    Tracy put her arm around Olivia’s shoulders. She was more than fond of the girl. Olivia had gone through difficult times, first losing her mother, who had drowned, then her father, who was now in jail. But Olivia was still a sweet, thoughtful kid who worried about others. She was growing taller by the moment, and her brown hair was growing out after a short cut she’d hated. Now, due to some careful trimming under Tracy’s expert supervision, it fell silky and smooth to her collar. Olivia showed all the signs of being a beautiful young woman someday. Tracy just hoped she would get through adolescence trouble free—or close enough.
    “You’re excited about having Lizzie here?” Tracy asked.
    “It’s gonna be great.”
    “I don’t know…. Didn’t I hear something about you having a whole lot of homework, with the year winding down?”
    “We’ll do it together.” Olivia poked Tracy in the side. “You know it’ll get done.”
    Tracy hugged her, then let her go. “Go see what we did to Lizzie’s new room and tell me you approve.”
    While Olivia inspected, Tracy joined the other women, who were checking out the kitchen. “Everything’s pretty muchfinished,” Tracy said. “I just thought I’d give the cabinet shelves another quick wipe and some shelf paper.” She brandished a roll lying on the kitchen counter. She was not a shelf paper kind of woman, but the old shelves needed something bright.
    “You clean the fridge out good?” Wanda asked.
    “I tossed out everything the last tenants left there. You want to wipe it down for me?”
    “Not a problem.”
    Alice had already busied herself sweeping the floor. Alice could find enough dirt in a sterile operating room to fill a dustpan. A good mopping would come next. Tracy knew the way the older woman worked.
    Olivia ran in and told the women she was going home to go through her books and games so she could give some to Lizzie for her new room. The announcement was quickly followed by the slam of the front door.
    Without being asked, Janya began removing the few dishes in the cabinets. “I think Herb would be glad Dana and Lizzie were moving in. I will ask Dana if she wants some of his plants to put near the windows. I have many.”
    Herb, who had died the past summer, had nurtured a full-fledged garden in pots. After his death, Janya had appointed herself to watch over them. She had been certain his heirs would claim them, but in the end, she’d inherited them for herself. Now she spread them around when she could. Tracy thought the generosity was an unconscious memorial to the old man, a way of keeping something he had enjoyed alive.
    Wanda finished filling the sink with soapy water and found a sponge. “I know she’ll want plants. Dana told me she likes to dig in the dirt. I think she was hoping she’d get a discount on the rent for doing some gardening around here.”
    “I gave her the best break I could.” Tracy dipped a cloth in the soapy water and hoisted herself to the counter to begin wiping shelves. “But she knows she’s welcome to do any gardening she wants.” She didn’t add that Dana had made it clear she would do some landscaping just as a thank-you. For Tracy, getting a reputation as a do-gooder was too strange to contemplate.
    “So,” Wanda said, head now in the refrigerator, “tell us about getting pregnant, Janya.”
    Janya sounded disgruntled. “I should not have said anything.”
    “Sure you should have. Who else would you talk to about this? You’ve been to the doctor to see what’s what?”
    Janya looked as if she was contemplating a change of subject, although she had to know that would be