favor of redis-tribution.”
“You got that right—Hemma Rosling, it’s really you! Hey, girl, congratulations!”
Liddy watched Ellie throw her arms around a slender, dark-haired woman who had to be of Middle Eastern descent. Another woman, with pale skin and lively green eyes Liddy found slightly mesmerizing, watched indulgently.
Hemma returned Ellie’s hearty hug. “Thanks, El. I’m still stunned. Going back and forth between giddy and sad. Amy is coping better than I am.” She separated from Ellie and took the green-eyed woman’s hand.
“You’re doing fine, honey.” Amy patted Hemma’s arm.
“I’m so pleased for you. What an opportunity.” Ellie stepped back to include Liddy in the conversation. “Hemma just got a tenured professorship in Hawaii.”
“Congratulations,” Liddy said politely.
Hemma held out one hand. “We haven’t met.”
“Liddy Peel.” She shook hands with Hemma and then Amy, both of whom repeated their names with a firm grip. How very coupled, Liddy thought, to have the same last name.
“Liddy?” Ellie cocked her head to one side. “Marian had it wrong. How amusing.”
Liddy shrugged. She realized she was getting a bit old to have a love-hate relationship with her name, but there it was. She was certain Ellie wouldn’t care for being introduced as Effie.
“What brings you to Iowa City, Liddy?” Amy regarded her intently.
She found herself explaining about the research job and giving every detail she knew, which wasn’t much, about the eccentric Dana Moon. The conversation lasted until the band packed up, and Liddy was surprised to realize it was nearly dark. She had thought the days would be endless in Iowa City.
“What’s the occasion?” She gestured at the departing band.
“Occasion?” Amy gave her a puzzled look.
“For the live music.”
“Every Friday night during the summer,” Amy said. “It’s usually very good, too. The Ped Mall’s the place.”
“The occasion is that the students are gone,” Hemma added with a smile.
Liddy winced. “Ouch, I was a student until a month ago.”
“Sorry.” Hemma was still smiling. “Now you’re a grownup.”
“Ouch again. I’m not sure I want to be.”
“That’ll pass.” Hemma touched Liddy’s arm briefly then turned to Ellie. “Was Marian at the Java House?”
“Yeah. Speaking of devastation.”
Liddy watched Hemma’s eyes fill with tears. Amy’s green eyes glittered as well.
Hemma shrugged helplessly. “I know. We’re so close. I almost turned it down, but what kind of professional would I be to turn down the chance of a lifetime because I love my next-door neighbor to pieces?”
Liddy felt a couple of dots connect in the back of her head. The conversation she’d overheard at Wal-Mart, Marian’s tears ...
Hemma and Amy were the reason why. They both certainly seemed like nice women, the kind of professors she would have liked to have had more of in her college career.
“Human,” Ellie said. “You’d be human. But I understand. And certainly Marian does.”
“Maybe she’ll get out more,” Hemma offered. “I’ve often thought if not for us sucking up her social time she’d find someone to make her happy. She deserves it.”
“I was just telling Liddy that,” Ellie volunteered.
Now three pairs of eyes turned to her speculatively. Goaded, Liddy said firmly, “I’m not in the market.” Hemma sighed.
“Amy! Say it isn’t so!” A group of women who seemed to know Amy from the university descended on them, and they had all heard the news.
Liddy was politely trying to follow the conversation when out of the corner of her eye she saw the unusual motion of someone backing away. She focused over Hemma’s shoulder to see Marian turning to walk quickly away from the gathering.
“I really do have to get going,” Liddy said to Ellie, who was engrossed in an increasingly flirtatious conversation with a woman who taught composition.
Ellie nodded pleasantly without
“You got that right—Hemma Rosling, it’s really you! Hey, girl, congratulations!”
Liddy watched Ellie throw her arms around a slender, dark-haired woman who had to be of Middle Eastern descent. Another woman, with pale skin and lively green eyes Liddy found slightly mesmerizing, watched indulgently.
Hemma returned Ellie’s hearty hug. “Thanks, El. I’m still stunned. Going back and forth between giddy and sad. Amy is coping better than I am.” She separated from Ellie and took the green-eyed woman’s hand.
“You’re doing fine, honey.” Amy patted Hemma’s arm.
“I’m so pleased for you. What an opportunity.” Ellie stepped back to include Liddy in the conversation. “Hemma just got a tenured professorship in Hawaii.”
“Congratulations,” Liddy said politely.
Hemma held out one hand. “We haven’t met.”
“Liddy Peel.” She shook hands with Hemma and then Amy, both of whom repeated their names with a firm grip. How very coupled, Liddy thought, to have the same last name.
“Liddy?” Ellie cocked her head to one side. “Marian had it wrong. How amusing.”
Liddy shrugged. She realized she was getting a bit old to have a love-hate relationship with her name, but there it was. She was certain Ellie wouldn’t care for being introduced as Effie.
“What brings you to Iowa City, Liddy?” Amy regarded her intently.
She found herself explaining about the research job and giving every detail she knew, which wasn’t much, about the eccentric Dana Moon. The conversation lasted until the band packed up, and Liddy was surprised to realize it was nearly dark. She had thought the days would be endless in Iowa City.
“What’s the occasion?” She gestured at the departing band.
“Occasion?” Amy gave her a puzzled look.
“For the live music.”
“Every Friday night during the summer,” Amy said. “It’s usually very good, too. The Ped Mall’s the place.”
“The occasion is that the students are gone,” Hemma added with a smile.
Liddy winced. “Ouch, I was a student until a month ago.”
“Sorry.” Hemma was still smiling. “Now you’re a grownup.”
“Ouch again. I’m not sure I want to be.”
“That’ll pass.” Hemma touched Liddy’s arm briefly then turned to Ellie. “Was Marian at the Java House?”
“Yeah. Speaking of devastation.”
Liddy watched Hemma’s eyes fill with tears. Amy’s green eyes glittered as well.
Hemma shrugged helplessly. “I know. We’re so close. I almost turned it down, but what kind of professional would I be to turn down the chance of a lifetime because I love my next-door neighbor to pieces?”
Liddy felt a couple of dots connect in the back of her head. The conversation she’d overheard at Wal-Mart, Marian’s tears ...
Hemma and Amy were the reason why. They both certainly seemed like nice women, the kind of professors she would have liked to have had more of in her college career.
“Human,” Ellie said. “You’d be human. But I understand. And certainly Marian does.”
“Maybe she’ll get out more,” Hemma offered. “I’ve often thought if not for us sucking up her social time she’d find someone to make her happy. She deserves it.”
“I was just telling Liddy that,” Ellie volunteered.
Now three pairs of eyes turned to her speculatively. Goaded, Liddy said firmly, “I’m not in the market.” Hemma sighed.
“Amy! Say it isn’t so!” A group of women who seemed to know Amy from the university descended on them, and they had all heard the news.
Liddy was politely trying to follow the conversation when out of the corner of her eye she saw the unusual motion of someone backing away. She focused over Hemma’s shoulder to see Marian turning to walk quickly away from the gathering.
“I really do have to get going,” Liddy said to Ellie, who was engrossed in an increasingly flirtatious conversation with a woman who taught composition.
Ellie nodded pleasantly without
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