and say hi. Mimi talked to her this morning and told her about Andrea. Connie hadn’t heard a thing, naturally. The wildfire has dominated the news. Connie looked dazed and didn’t say a word, just stared out the window. She was acting real subdued when she first came in this morning and didn’t talk much. Now, she’s barely saying a word at all. Just to the customers.”
“She’s probably still trying to adjust to everything that’s happened. Saturday was beyond traumatic. Yelling and accusations. You’re lucky you didn’t have to witness it like we did. And the wildfire on top of everything. Chaos in the midst of chaos.” She rolled her eyes. “I’ll go over now and give her a hug. That’s all I could do on Saturday. Hug her and tell Connie that she had friends there. Meanwhile, keep us updated on wildfire news. You’re closer to the front lines than any of us.”
“Will do,” Burt said, walking away just as Jennifer brought Kelly her breakfast.
• • •
Kelly headed for the hallway leading into the knitting shop, hoping to find a quiet moment with Connie. She turned the corner into what Kelly called the Loom Room because it was dominated by a large loom. Weavers called it the Mother Loom. There they created beautiful scarves, table runners, and all manner of finely woven fiber wonders. Kelly often marveled at the beauty of the woven stitches.
Connie was on the other side of the room replacing several cones of fine fibers and threads that filled the shelves lining two walls. She glanced toward Kelly then looked away, mumbling, “Hi, Kelly.”
Kelly walked over and placed an arm around Connie’s shoulders, giving her a hug. “How’re you doing, Connie?” she asked softly. Connie gave a little shrug in reply, without words. “We’re here for you, Connie. You know that.”
Connie’s lower lip curled and her face started to flush, then she nodded. Kelly didn’t want to make Connie cry, so she gave her another hug then walked into the adjoining central yarn room. She spotted Mimi in the main room, pattern folders spread on the table around her.
“Hey, there,” Kelly said in a lower voice. “I just saw Connie and gave her a hug. Told her we were here for her, you know. She looked like she was about to tear up so I just gave her another hug and left her alone.” Kelly pulled out a chair across the table from Mimi.
“That’s all we can do, Kelly,” Mimi said with a sigh. “She was acting so subdued and not talking to anyone when she came in, I assumed she’d already heard about Andrea.” Mimi glanced over her shoulder, then said in a lower voice, “But when I mentioned what a shock it was to hear about Andrea’s death, Connie just stared at me wide-eyed. Like she was dazed or something. All she said was
‘How?’
I told her Andrea must have fallen down the outside steps because she was found lying on the ground. That’s all I knew. I swear Connie turned white as a sheet. She just sat at the winding table and stared out the windows for a long time.” Mimi shook her head, her face revealing her concern. “I left her alone with her thoughts. Thank goodness some customers came in and she started to answer their questions. I was beginning to worry.”
“Sounds like Connie is kind of suffering from the shock of everything that happened this weekend. All the trauma. Yelling and stuff. Believe me, Mimi, you and Burt were lucky you weren’t around to see it. It would have upset you too much.”
Mimi closed her eyes. “You’re right. It sounded awful just hearing you tell me about it on the phone.”
Cassie rounded the corner from the workroom with several plastic-encased patterns in her hands. “I found the patterns you were looking for, Mimi. Hey, Kelly.”
“Hey, Cassie. Are you going to softball today? I’ll be leaving in about an hour.” Kelly checked her watch.
“Sure thing. I’ve got my stuff in my backpack in the workroom.”
“Good deal.” She pushed
“She’s probably still trying to adjust to everything that’s happened. Saturday was beyond traumatic. Yelling and accusations. You’re lucky you didn’t have to witness it like we did. And the wildfire on top of everything. Chaos in the midst of chaos.” She rolled her eyes. “I’ll go over now and give her a hug. That’s all I could do on Saturday. Hug her and tell Connie that she had friends there. Meanwhile, keep us updated on wildfire news. You’re closer to the front lines than any of us.”
“Will do,” Burt said, walking away just as Jennifer brought Kelly her breakfast.
• • •
Kelly headed for the hallway leading into the knitting shop, hoping to find a quiet moment with Connie. She turned the corner into what Kelly called the Loom Room because it was dominated by a large loom. Weavers called it the Mother Loom. There they created beautiful scarves, table runners, and all manner of finely woven fiber wonders. Kelly often marveled at the beauty of the woven stitches.
Connie was on the other side of the room replacing several cones of fine fibers and threads that filled the shelves lining two walls. She glanced toward Kelly then looked away, mumbling, “Hi, Kelly.”
Kelly walked over and placed an arm around Connie’s shoulders, giving her a hug. “How’re you doing, Connie?” she asked softly. Connie gave a little shrug in reply, without words. “We’re here for you, Connie. You know that.”
Connie’s lower lip curled and her face started to flush, then she nodded. Kelly didn’t want to make Connie cry, so she gave her another hug then walked into the adjoining central yarn room. She spotted Mimi in the main room, pattern folders spread on the table around her.
“Hey, there,” Kelly said in a lower voice. “I just saw Connie and gave her a hug. Told her we were here for her, you know. She looked like she was about to tear up so I just gave her another hug and left her alone.” Kelly pulled out a chair across the table from Mimi.
“That’s all we can do, Kelly,” Mimi said with a sigh. “She was acting so subdued and not talking to anyone when she came in, I assumed she’d already heard about Andrea.” Mimi glanced over her shoulder, then said in a lower voice, “But when I mentioned what a shock it was to hear about Andrea’s death, Connie just stared at me wide-eyed. Like she was dazed or something. All she said was
‘How?’
I told her Andrea must have fallen down the outside steps because she was found lying on the ground. That’s all I knew. I swear Connie turned white as a sheet. She just sat at the winding table and stared out the windows for a long time.” Mimi shook her head, her face revealing her concern. “I left her alone with her thoughts. Thank goodness some customers came in and she started to answer their questions. I was beginning to worry.”
“Sounds like Connie is kind of suffering from the shock of everything that happened this weekend. All the trauma. Yelling and stuff. Believe me, Mimi, you and Burt were lucky you weren’t around to see it. It would have upset you too much.”
Mimi closed her eyes. “You’re right. It sounded awful just hearing you tell me about it on the phone.”
Cassie rounded the corner from the workroom with several plastic-encased patterns in her hands. “I found the patterns you were looking for, Mimi. Hey, Kelly.”
“Hey, Cassie. Are you going to softball today? I’ll be leaving in about an hour.” Kelly checked her watch.
“Sure thing. I’ve got my stuff in my backpack in the workroom.”
“Good deal.” She pushed
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