pouring in the city.”
“That’s all right; I called you—”
“I figured you would; I left my phone at home, totally forgot it.”
That’s my Daphne. “No worries, just glad you’re okay. Is this—” Rachel waved a hand to the weather—“normal for June?”
They settled into the cab. “Yeah, it can rain pretty much any time of the year here, but we get tons of storms in the summer. This is pretty tame compared to what some of them are like. And of course the tornados keep things interesting too; those pretty much just come in the summer, though.”
“I didn’t realize you got tornadoes here. I’ve always imagined them sweeping through little farming communities in Kansas and Iowa.”
Daphne just laughed. “Don’t worry, they mostly hit in the ’burbs.” She grinned. “Rethinking things?”
Rachel chuckled. “Earthquakes can hit anytime; at least there’s a tornado season . How about you—are you rethinking things?”
“What, about you living with me? No way!” She squeezed Rachel’s arm as the cab took a sharp right onto a freeway entrance ramp. “I’m totally psyched. Your room is all scrubbed and ready for you, and I even cleaned the bathroom in your honor.”
“Wow, that’s some serious sacrifice. I owe you one.”
“Nonsense; anything for my little Raquel .” Her expression sobered. “So how was leaving?”
Rachel sagged into her seat, letting out a deep sigh. “I won’t lie—it was hard. Well, part of it was, anyway. Mom and I had a huge fight when I went to say good-bye last night.”
“You and Karen fought? That’s, what, your first ever?”
Rachel chuckled. “Well, of this magnitude, yes. Though I don’t think I’ve ever called her deluded or accused her of living a lie, either.”
“Ouch.”
“Yeah. Not my finest moment.”
“But kind of true, all the same ...”
“Yeah … I guess. Difficult to say, though.”
Daphne wrapped a comforting arm around Rachel’s shoulder. “I know. It’s hard to admit, especially out loud, that you don’t totally believe the things you used to anymore. Trust me, in a year you’ll be a new woman. No, wait, correction: You are a new woman; in a year you’ll be comfortable being a new woman.”
That made her laugh. “That sounds about right.” Rachel bit her lip, eyes cast out the window as she formulated her next sentence. “Hey, the other night, when I called …”
Daphne frowned. “When did you call?”
“Friday night.”
Daphne shook her head. “I don’t remember you calling.”
“Well, you were sort of … weird on the phone. I was telling you about how I was having a moment of panic, and you—”
“Ohhhh. I remember now.” She grasped Rachel’s knee, shaking her head. “I’m so sorry. When you called, I was hanging out with a friend from work.…” She gave Rachel a sheepish look. “We were smoking. I was a little—” She whistled and flourished her hand around.
“You were high?”
Daphne laughed. “As the stars in the sky. Anyway, sorry . I feel terrible that I was not in the right frame of mind to be of more help.”
Rachel wasn’t sure how to respond. “Oh—um, it’s all right. So ... how long until we get to the apartment?”
“Another twenty minutes or so. What’s the plan for tonight?”
Rachel glanced out the window at the freeway view. “Not a mosey around the neighborhood, I’m guessing. Any suggestions for dinner?”
“I bought fixings for fettuccine Alfredo.”
“My favorite,” Rachel said, offering Daphne a knowing smile.
“Yeah, dummy, that was the point.” Daphne slugged her in the arm with a wink. “I have to work tomorrow, so no late night for me. But I can help you unpack or draw up a map of the area or help you look for jobs. There’s a mini-mart around the corner—we can pick up a paper if you want the classifieds.”
They spent the rest of the ride brainstorming the plans for Rachel’s first day. By the time they reached the apartment the rain
“That’s all right; I called you—”
“I figured you would; I left my phone at home, totally forgot it.”
That’s my Daphne. “No worries, just glad you’re okay. Is this—” Rachel waved a hand to the weather—“normal for June?”
They settled into the cab. “Yeah, it can rain pretty much any time of the year here, but we get tons of storms in the summer. This is pretty tame compared to what some of them are like. And of course the tornados keep things interesting too; those pretty much just come in the summer, though.”
“I didn’t realize you got tornadoes here. I’ve always imagined them sweeping through little farming communities in Kansas and Iowa.”
Daphne just laughed. “Don’t worry, they mostly hit in the ’burbs.” She grinned. “Rethinking things?”
Rachel chuckled. “Earthquakes can hit anytime; at least there’s a tornado season . How about you—are you rethinking things?”
“What, about you living with me? No way!” She squeezed Rachel’s arm as the cab took a sharp right onto a freeway entrance ramp. “I’m totally psyched. Your room is all scrubbed and ready for you, and I even cleaned the bathroom in your honor.”
“Wow, that’s some serious sacrifice. I owe you one.”
“Nonsense; anything for my little Raquel .” Her expression sobered. “So how was leaving?”
Rachel sagged into her seat, letting out a deep sigh. “I won’t lie—it was hard. Well, part of it was, anyway. Mom and I had a huge fight when I went to say good-bye last night.”
“You and Karen fought? That’s, what, your first ever?”
Rachel chuckled. “Well, of this magnitude, yes. Though I don’t think I’ve ever called her deluded or accused her of living a lie, either.”
“Ouch.”
“Yeah. Not my finest moment.”
“But kind of true, all the same ...”
“Yeah … I guess. Difficult to say, though.”
Daphne wrapped a comforting arm around Rachel’s shoulder. “I know. It’s hard to admit, especially out loud, that you don’t totally believe the things you used to anymore. Trust me, in a year you’ll be a new woman. No, wait, correction: You are a new woman; in a year you’ll be comfortable being a new woman.”
That made her laugh. “That sounds about right.” Rachel bit her lip, eyes cast out the window as she formulated her next sentence. “Hey, the other night, when I called …”
Daphne frowned. “When did you call?”
“Friday night.”
Daphne shook her head. “I don’t remember you calling.”
“Well, you were sort of … weird on the phone. I was telling you about how I was having a moment of panic, and you—”
“Ohhhh. I remember now.” She grasped Rachel’s knee, shaking her head. “I’m so sorry. When you called, I was hanging out with a friend from work.…” She gave Rachel a sheepish look. “We were smoking. I was a little—” She whistled and flourished her hand around.
“You were high?”
Daphne laughed. “As the stars in the sky. Anyway, sorry . I feel terrible that I was not in the right frame of mind to be of more help.”
Rachel wasn’t sure how to respond. “Oh—um, it’s all right. So ... how long until we get to the apartment?”
“Another twenty minutes or so. What’s the plan for tonight?”
Rachel glanced out the window at the freeway view. “Not a mosey around the neighborhood, I’m guessing. Any suggestions for dinner?”
“I bought fixings for fettuccine Alfredo.”
“My favorite,” Rachel said, offering Daphne a knowing smile.
“Yeah, dummy, that was the point.” Daphne slugged her in the arm with a wink. “I have to work tomorrow, so no late night for me. But I can help you unpack or draw up a map of the area or help you look for jobs. There’s a mini-mart around the corner—we can pick up a paper if you want the classifieds.”
They spent the rest of the ride brainstorming the plans for Rachel’s first day. By the time they reached the apartment the rain
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