Winter In August by Mia Villano Page A

even write that. I held on to the hope she would keep to her word and come back to check on me. I sat there stunned.
    The small lime green kitchen became silent with the sound of the shore lapping behind us. The lemon cake was left uneaten on the china plates as the coffee in our cups became cold. I had so much to ask her. I had so much to say. Clearly, Annie was devastated, but so was I and my father when my mom left us. How would I tell my dad this? Should I tell him? Did he already know? He had to have known. My head was reeling with what ifs. Shit. I shouldn’t have come here, but while I was here I needed to find out as much as I could. I decided to stay a while and get some more information from this woman that knew more about my mom than I did.
    Annie lit another cigarette and offered one to me. I shook my head no.
    “Do you have any whiskey?”
    She stood shaking her finger at me. “I do as a matter of fact. Whiskey was all your mom wanted. I have bottles of all different brands. I haven’t been able to throw them away.” Annie stood and left her cigarette burning in the ashtray.
    “How do you want it?” she asked me as she opened a cupboard full of all types of whiskey. Annie turned around to glance at me.
    “Let me guess, straight? That’s how she drank hers.”
    “Yes, that’s how I like mine.” There was so much to ask and not enough time to get to everything. Annie handed me the whiskey in a glass, the bottle, and sat back across from me.
    “Where is she now?” I asked, taking a huge gulp, my voice weak and shaky from crying.
    “With a man. She left me for a man who promised her the moon. Your mom loved expensive things and money. I couldn’t give her material things. All I could give her was love, and it’s not enough for Danni. He was a good looking older man with tons of money and he wanted your mom. She agreed to go with him, and I haven’t seen her since. No phone call, no letter, nothing. She packed one day while I wasn’t home and left.” Sounded familiar.
    “How do you know where she’s at?” I asked. I poured another small amount in the glass and drank down the amber liquid.
    “The man she’s with stopped in here one weekend and told me she was fine. He said they were trying to make their relationship work, and he offered me money to not contact her. I didn’t want his money, but I had no intentions of contacting her. If she left me, she could stay away. I wasn’t going to beg her to come back to me.”
    “Is she still with this guy?”
    “As far as I know. I’m not sure. Knowing your mom, she could have left him. I haven’t tried to find out. I had to move on. I know all these pictures of her doesn’t resemble someone moving on, but I can’t put them away yet. I know she isn’t coming back to me but I like to have the memories of her around me. I won’t love anyone like I loved her.” Tears trailed down her tanned face and she wiped them away with the back of her hand.
    My eyes diverted to the window. The sky was darkening outside with an impending storm on the horizon. I stood and walked around the bright little kitchen. The towels hung on the same rooster hook, there as always a candle burning on the stove, and the kitchen window had the same stained glass sun catcher hanging off the hook.
    “I need to get some air.”
    Annie smiled at me and lit another cigarette.
    I went out through the back door leaving Annie to sit there in her sadness. Feeling sorry for her was difficult when she was why I didn’t have my mom. She should feel the hurt of missing her. I had missed her for nearly twenty years.
    The beach was deserted and I sat in the sand. The wind was picking up and I watched the sky flash with the storm approaching. I thought about my mom and all the pain she caused leaving people behind. She must be heartless. Was I like her? Why did I keep pushing people away? I was using men like she used people. She became tired of someone and walked away. I was doing the