Студопедия — Chapter 5
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Chapter 5






Seven Months Later

“I’m so proud of you Lionel. You were perfect. It was just the way we practiced.” Lily drew the shy four-year-old into her arms and hugged him.

Then she turned to her best friend, Sandy Henke, at the courthouse today in her role as Lionel’s social worker. “I think Judge Evans will come back with what we want. This kind of stuff really gets to him.” What they had asked for was the boy’s removal from a drug-infested and violent home. Lionel’s grandmother had petitioned for custody, fearing he would suffer irreparable harm under her daughter’s care.

“You did a great job, Lily. I’m in that courtroom for these hearings all the time, and I’m telling you, nobody goes into there better prepared than you. That’s why ol’ Rusty is putty in your hands.”

Lily chuckled. “At least he’s finally forgiven me for that bad check.” Sandy’s praise always meant a lot to her, especially in professional circles, where Sandy often introduced her to colleagues as a powerful ally for families in trouble. Lily hoped her late mentor, Katharine Fortier, could hear that from wherever she was. That’s what she had always aspired to be, and seeing her work recognized by people she respected was far better than the money she might have earned for the partners of a fancy law firm.

She steered the boy to his grandmother’s side. “You two should get some lunch at the café downstairs. We need to be back here by one. I think we’ll get a decision then.” She turned back to Sandy. “I’ve got to make a couple of calls. Any chance I could talk you into grabbing me a tuna sandwich and a bottle of water? I’ll head outside to one of those benches.” She indicated the exit.

“Sure, I’ll be right there.” Sandy and her clients turned for the stairs, leaving Lily standing near the wall as dozens of people milled about in the hallway.

Lily set her heavy briefcase on the floor and stooped to find her cell phone. She hated the unwritten rules of decorum that said she couldn’t hike up her skirt and sit cross-legged on the floor. It would make things so much easier.

Finally she found her phone and pressed the buttons to retrieve her messages. Standing again, her attention was drawn to a woman moving among the crowd of people in the corridor. It had been seven months since the earthquake, and still, whenever she noticed tall women with long dark hair, it triggered her memory of the remarkable woman she had met on that fateful day. She studied each of them, hoping one day to see that kind face she remembered.

As the first message began to play, her eyes followed the figure, now walking in her direction, her face obscured by the people in the crowded hallway. Suddenly, the crowd parted and they were standing face to face, the unforgettable sapphire eyes staring back at her in surprise. It was Anna.

Both women stood frozen for a long moment as the recognition settled. Absently pocketing her cell phone, Lily was the first to find her voice. “Anna?”

“Lily?” Her face lit up with a broad grin.

They rushed the final few steps to come together in a joyous hug, neither saying a word. Lily found herself suddenly awash in memories of their ordeal. She relished the sensation of holding Anna close, amazed the moment was actually happening. She finally pulled back to take in Anna’s smiling face, but wouldn’t relinquish her grip. Tears of joy welled up in her eyes. “I’d almost given up hope of ever seeing you again.”

Anna’s eyes were shining too. “I waited for you to call. When you didn’t, I figured you just wanted to put it all behind you.”

Lily’s heart broke to hear the hurt in Anna’s words. “No, I would have called you. I tried, but I didn’t know how.”

Anna shook her head. “I put my number in your pocket when they were taking you away. Don’t you remember?”

A vague memory of Anna leaning over her stretcher flashed in her head. She covered her open mouth. “Oh, my gosh. Now that I hear you say it, I do remember... at least vaguely. I was so out of it by then. And then when they asked me at the hospital if I wanted my clothes, I said no.”

“No wonder... all that ketchup.”

Lily laughed with surprise. “I can’t believe you remember that.”

“I remember everything.”

Still gripping Anna in an embrace, Lily went on to explain how she had tried in vain to track her through the Red Cross and the hospital. “You never told me your last name. And the only Anna they had from the mall was some seventy-year-old they rescued on the first day. I know because I called her and talked to her for an hour.”

“My full name is Christianna. That’s probably why you couldn’t find me.” Anna then recounted her own frustrations about trying to learn what she could. “They said you were going to St. George Hospital. I called them the next day and they had no record of a Lily or a Lilian, or even a Lilliputian.”

“Stop it already with the short jokes. I didn’t go to St. George. I went to Valley.”

“I don’t believe it,” Sandy said as she joined them. “Is this who I think it is?”

Still beaming, Lily reached out and pulled her friend closer. “Sandy, I’d like to officially introduce you to Anna the Amazon. Anna, this is one of my dearest friends, Sandy Henke. Sandy’s a social worker and we’re here today to argue a custody case.”

Anna finally broke their embrace to hold out her hand. “Hi, Sandy. I’m Anna Ru—” She stopped mid-word. “Kaklis. Anna Kaklis. Pleased to meet you.”

Kaklis. Lily said the name in her head a half dozen times. She loved the sound of it. Strong. Distinctive.

“It’s great to finally meet you too. Lily’s been talking about you for months, and she described you perfectly. I think I would have known you anywhere.”

Lily felt a blush creeping up her neck. How many times had she used the word gorgeous to describe the woman she saw when they brought her out on the stretcher? Anna was certainly that today, dressed smartly in a tailored navy suit, the cropped jacket accentuating her trim waist. A strand of ivory pearls with matching earrings finished the look. Stunning was more appropriate, she thought.

“I’m surprised she even remembered what I looked like, especially with all those other people around. Besides, we only saw each other for a minute after we came out of the mall, and she was kind of on the edge there.”

Lily doubted she would ever forget what Anna looked like. “You made quite an impression, saving my life and all.”

“Look who’s talking.”

“So what brings you to the courthouse?” Lily wouldn’t have cared if she was on trial as a mass murderer. Anna would always be her hero.

“I came for my divorce hearing,” Anna stated, drawing a deep breath as if waiting for judgment.

Lily could only stare back in astonishment, compassion welling inside her. Her instinct was to pull Anna into another hug, but Anna had withdrawn.

Sandy broke the extended silence. “Listen, I’m going to head outside and look for a bench. Come out whenever you’re ready, Lily.” Turning to Anna, she added, “It was very nice to meet you.”

“Same here, Sandy. The pleasure was mine.” Anna held her hand out again to Sandy, who took it in hers. “I hope to see you again.”

Lily watched her friend leave and turned again to face Anna. She remembered how troubled Anna had been when they were trapped, how determined she was to work through her marital problems, and how she had vowed to stop beating up both her husband and herself. What could have gone wrong? Taking Anna’s hands, she tried to find the right words to lend her support. “I’m so sorry things didn’t work out.”

“Who says they didn’t?” Anna straightened to her full height and smiled. “I’ve always believed things happen as they should. This is better for everyone.”

Lily admired her determination, but she knew from working with troubled families that divorce was a painful process for everyone. “I’m still sorry you had to go through this, but I hope you’re feeling okay about it.”

“I am. Better than okay.”

Lily couldn’t imagine what kind of fool would let a woman like Anna get away.

“I have an idea.” Anna squeezed her hands. “I’m joining my sister and her husband tonight for dinner to sort of... well, to celebrate a fresh start. How about coming with us? I really want them to meet you.”

“I’d love to,” Lily answered, without a trace of hesitation. She would have said yes to anything Anna asked.

“That’s wonderful. They can finally put a face on the woman I’ve been talking about since February.”

Lily seriously doubted Anna had talked about her as much as she had talked about Anna. Sandy and her partner Suzanne had heard every detail of their underground adventure several times, as had her mother. The people at the law clinic were subjected to the story only twice, and practically everyone else she had talked to since the earthquake had heard of how she had beaten the odds—thanks to the mysterious Anna.

She noticed more details as Anna reached into her purse and retrieved a business card and a pen. She was the picture of elegance. The purse was Italian, probably costing more than what she paid in rent every month, and her watch was probably worth more than the entire contents of Lily’s jewelry box. Her makeup was subtle, and her nails were short, but manicured and polished. From the looks of the things, selling cars was a lucrative business.

“Here’s my number. Don’t lose it this time,” Anna said teasingly, as she scribbled on the back. “My cell phone’s on the back. That’s usually the best way to reach me.”

Lily reached into her own briefcase and passed Anna a card, also scribbling her home number. “So what are the plans for dinner?”

“We have eight o’clock reservations at Empyre’s in Beverly Hills. It’s a Greek place, one of my favorite restaurants. I’ll call and change it to four. If you want, we can pick you up.”

“No, that’s okay. It would probably be easier if I met you there.”

“Are you sure?”

Lily nodded. Something told her Anna would be unimpressed by her small apartment in Sun Valley.

“The reservation is under Philips. That’s my brother-in-law.”

“Okay, then I’ll see you at eight.” She looked at Anna again, and without a trace of awkwardness, took her again in a mighty hug. “I’ve got to go. I’m supposed to be back in court soon, and I need to eat first or I’ll get cranky and say something that gets me fined. That happens more than I like to admit.”

Anna smiled back. “I can’t believe we’ve finally found each other. You can’t hide from me again. Remember, I told you we were going to be great friends.”

 

Still smiling from her serendipitous encounter, Anna walked from the courthouse to the parking lot. She wasn’t entirely surprised to find Scott leaning against the hood of her car.

“Anna.” His hands buried in his pockets, he appeared nervous about seeing her.

“I looked for you afterward.”

“I had to go over some things with my lawyer... namely, his bill.”

Anna chuckled. Their divorce had been relatively straightforward, since most of the settlement questions were covered by a prenuptial. Thank goodness she had listened to Walter Mumford, her father’s longtime attorney and friend.

“I didn’t know when we might see each other again, and I wanted to say... I don’t know. What is it civilized people say? Thanks for the memories?” His eyes misted with tears.

“Scott...” She wrapped her arms around his shoulders. Her anger about his indiscretion had passed as she lay recovering after the earthquake. But it was in the hospital she resolved to acknowledge her own mistake in choosing a partner. It wasn’t that Scott had been unfaithful. It was the discovery that her feelings for him weren’t strong enough to weather this troubled time.

“I’m so sorry for everything.”

“You’re forgiven. I swear.” She wanted him to be happy, not to live his life shrouded in guilt about one mistake. “You have a beautiful son, and he deserves to have you around.”

Shamelessly, Scott sobbed once against her shoulder and hugged her hard. “I’ll always love you, Anna.”

“I’ll love you too.”

After a few more seconds, they broke apart and he kissed her softly on the cheek. Then he was gone.

 

“I don’t have anything to wear to a place like that!” Lily shrieked. “I’m going to make such a fool of myself. ‘I’d like you to meet my friend Lily from Hooterville.’”

She had visited Empyre’s Web site and explored the menu. Entrees started at forty bucks, and there was that condescending footnote, Proper attire required.

Sandy had accompanied her back to her downtown office for moral support. “You know, you’re from San Jose, not Hooterville, and you’re getting yourself worked up over nothing. It’s just dinner with a friend. It’s not like it’s a date or anything.” She cocked her head slightly. “Is it?”

“Of course not!” Lily plopped down in her leather armchair and sighed. “I just want to make a good impression.” She fingered the embossed business card. “Anna Kaklis. Vice-President, Premier Motors.” She was starting to get a grip on who Anna was. “All this time I thought she just sold cars. Hell, her family probably owns the place. BMWs, for crying out loud.”

Lily wasn’t a stranger to people with money. After all, she had grown up in Silicon Valley, where even teenagers drove expensive foreign cars. As the daughter of a schoolteacher, it was just another thing that had separated her from her peers. Still, she wouldn’t have traded her comfortable life with her mom for all the money in the world.

Like other attorneys, she had opportunities for monetary success. But she had never been interested in that.

So why was she feeling so inadequate all of a sudden? “I’d like to think we could be friends some day. Really good friends. But I’m not sure we have all that much in common.” Lily’s friends didn’t drive luxury cars. They were social workers, nurses and other young lawyers like herself.

“Look, it’s just dinner, right?”

Lily nodded.

“So why don’t you go out and splurge a little on a new dress? It’s not like you’re going to break the bank. It’s just one dress. You can wear it the next time you go to a wedding reception. I say go for it.”

Lily voiced her doubt, but she had already decided Sandy was right. She really wanted to look good tonight. “Come with me to Bloomingdale’s so I don’t buy anything ridiculous.”

Several hours and nine hundred dollars later, she was slipping on the brand new black heels that matched her new black purse, that matched the simple black, sleeveless, shimmery dress that she wore under the lightweight black shawl. She withdrew from a box under her bed the small diamond earrings she had received from Katharine’s estate upon her death.

She smiled wryly at the image that stared back from the full-length mirror in her walk-in closet, thinking she had never looked better. Anna probably wouldn’t even notice. Or if she did, it would be because no one wore sequins with a shawl or closed-toed shoes. People like Anna got dressed without having to obsess about every single item.

On the way to the restaurant, she could hardly keep from laughing at the stark contrast between the way she looked tonight and the hunk of junk she was driving. When she spotted the parking valet at the restaurant, she decided to park the battered SUV in a public garage and walk the remaining two blocks.

It was two minutes after eight when she entered the restaurant. An attendant traded a small blue claim check for her wrap, and the maitre d’ directed her to the bar where her companions were already waiting. Suddenly very nervous, she checked her reflection one last time in the foyer’s mirror. Taking a deep breath, she gathered her confidence and walked tentatively through the entry. Sandy was right. This wasn’t a date.

Sitting in a round booth against the far wall, Anna was impossible to miss. Lily had expected her to be beautiful in her evening attire, but she was dazzled by the sight. Anna was stunning in a deep burgundy strapless cocktail dress, the lines of her collarbone prominent against the creamy white skin. She had swept her thick black hair into a French twist, and her ears sparkled with diamonds that made Lily’s earrings look like tiny chips.

The grain of confidence she had felt only moments earlier dissipated as she made her way to the table. The redheaded woman at the table—Anna’s sister, she guessed—was striking as well.

“Sorry I’m a little late.” Lily cringed as Anna stood and eyed her head to toe.

“I’m so glad you could come. I love that dress.”

She loves the dress. Lily played those words twice in her head to be sure she heard right. That meant she didn’t look like an idiot after all. At least her dress had passed muster. “Thank you. I’m glad I could make it too. I appreciate the invitation.”

Anna held out an arm to draw her closer, and wrapped it around her shoulder. Turning to the others, she made the introductions. “Kim, Hal, I’d like for you to meet my dear friend, Lily Stewart. Lily, this is my sister Kim Philips, and her boring husband, Hal.”

Hal stood to take Lily’s outstretched hand, shooting an accusatory glare at Anna before breaking into a broad grin. “Nice to finally meet you, Lily. Anna’s been talking about you ever since the earthquake.”

Lily was thrilled to hear that, but doubted Anna’s chatter had been anything like her own. She had talked non-stop about the woman from the earthquake to anyone who would listen.

“Indeed she has,” Kim joined in. The attractive redhead surprised everyone by standing and drawing Lily into a fierce hug. “Thank you for saving my sister,” she whispered, her voice filled with emotion.

Lily was almost overcome by the message, especially when she pulled back and noticed tears brimming in Kim’s hazel eyes. “I can see I’m going to have to set the record straight on who saved whom. Your sister was the hero that day.”

“Ha! I’d still be stuck under that bookcase if it weren’t for you.”

Lily gently jabbed Anna in the side. “That wasn’t heroic. I knew I needed you for tall-person things.”

“Didn’t I tell you guys she called me Amazon the whole time?”

“And she called me Pygmy.” Lily then turned to Kim, dropping the playful tone. “The real heroic part was Anna going for help when I got asthma and couldn’t breathe. She could barely walk because of her leg, but she went anyway. I have no doubt I would have died if she hadn’t hurried.”

Anna chimed in. “Notice how she glossed over that bookcase bit? What she didn’t tell you is the aftershocks were bringing the walls down on us, but she risked her life to stay behind and pull me out.”

“You two are like the mutual admiration society,” Hal said.

“I admire her more,” Lily said matter-of-factly.

“No, I admire her more,” Anna answered.

“Do not.”

“Do too.”

The maitre d’ appeared and escorted them to their table in the dining room. Lily worked hard on her poker face as she opened the menu, deciding immediately her entire food budget for the week was going toward this meal. Following Anna’s lead, she ordered the swordfish and a small Greek salad.

When the waiter left, Kim folded her arms on the table and faced Anna. “So tell us how things went in court.”

“Court.” Anna sighed. “Well, I’m now officially divorced, so I guess it worked out the way it was supposed to.”

“Did you see Scott?”

Anna nodded. “He was there. He waited for me at my car and we had a pretty good cry. I saved mine for the ride home, though.”

Lily’s heart went out at the sadness in Anna’s voice. This was harder on her than she was letting on.

“I wish you would have let me kick his ass,” Hal said.

Anna leaned over to explain. “My brother-in-law is very protective of me. So don’t try anything.”

Lily started to laugh, until it occurred to her to wonder what Anna thought she might try. Was she worried that—

“In other words, you can’t be mean to me, especially not today.” Anna said hurriedly, picking up her glass. “How about a toast? To a really nice guy... whom I never should have married in the first place.”

Their glasses clinked and they took a sip of wine in unison.

“My turn,” Kim said, shifting to aim her glass at Anna’s. “To Anna, for knowing when to look forward instead of back.”

Anna gave her sister an unmistakable look of love. “Thank you,” she said quietly, touching her sister’s glass and pressing against it for a long moment. Then tears trickled down her cheeks and she pushed them away. “Excuse me for a minute.”

Lily wanted to follow, but Kim laid a hand on her arm. “She’ll be okay.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, she doesn’t want anyone to see her like this. She wants us all to think she’s made of stone.”

“She must be hurting a lot.” Lily remembered how difficult it had been for Anna to talk about her marital problems. “It’s nice of you guys to bring her out tonight for a celebration.”

“Oh, this was Anna’s idea,” Hal said, looking at Kim as if for permission to continue. “But if you ask me, I think she just made up the celebration part because she didn’t want to be alone.”

“That’s part of it,” Kim said. “I think she really wanted this to be a celebration. She just feels guilty about it.”

“Then I’m glad we’re all here,” Lily said.

“She’s very glad you’re here,” Kim replied. “You should have heard how excited she was this afternoon. Honestly, she’s been going nuts trying to find you for months.”

“I’ve been doing the same thing.” Lily related her version of events, all the while anxious about Anna’s return. If Kim didn’t soon go see about her sister, she would.

 

“You idiot,” Anna mumbled into the mirror, shaking out the contents of her purse on the counter. She had dabbed a tissue around her eyes, smearing so much mascara that she now needed a touchup.

Why on earth was she crying over Scott? It wasn’t as if her heart were broken. She was getting exactly what she wanted with this divorce, a chance to undo a humiliating mistake. They had to be sympathy tears, she decided. She hated how much this was hurting Scott, but there wasn’t anything she could do to take that away. That die was cast before they were ever married, by him and his old girlfriend.

She also hated losing control of her emotions in front of Lily, especially on their first real chance to see each other since the earthquake. She should be celebrating their friendship, not wallowing in misery about something that was over.

She brushed her eyelashes one last time and freshened her lipstick before heading back to the dining room. As she approached their table, Lily looked up and smiled, and Anna felt a surge of excitement. How lucky she was to have Lily back in her life.

“Sorry. Did I miss anything?”

Hal jumped up to help Anna with her chair. “Lily was telling us about her work at the law clinic.”

“I want to hear too. Start over.” In truth, Anna already knew a good bit about the Braxton Street Legal Aid Clinic, because she had followed the URL on Lily’s business card to the Web site. She was ten times more impressed than if her job had been with one of the high-powered downtown firms.

Lily talked about her job through dinner, and when a tuxedoed waiter began clearing their plates, she excused herself to the ladies’ room.

“She’s very nice, Anna,” Kim gushed.

“Didn’t I tell you? There’s just something about her that... I don’t know, shines. I know that sounds stupid, but she’s an amazing person.”

“She certainly doesn’t look like any lesbian I know,” Hal said, prompting his wife to smack him on the arm.

“I can’t believe you just said that.”

“Said what? She’s cute.”

“Like lesbians can’t be cute?”

“You know what I mean.”

“No, I don’t.”

Anna would have jumped on him too, but Kim was doing an adequate job on her own. It wasn’t unusual for them to gang up on Hal when they were together, to tease him about his conservative demeanor or how he loved his boat more than his wife. Always good-natured, he took it in stride. Anna thought him the perfect foil for her sister’s vivacious personality, and she loved him like a brother.

“Just because people can make you as an accountant from across the room doesn’t mean everyone else should fit a stereotype,” Kim continued.

Hal tossed his hands up in surrender. “Sorry. I obviously misspoke.”

Anna didn’t know many lesbians, but the ones she knew looked pretty much like everyone else. She didn’t recall seeing any dressed as elegantly as Lily was tonight, but that didn’t mean they didn’t. “Where do you see all these lesbians, Hal?”

He shrugged. “There was a group at Berkeley... they didn’t shave their legs.”

Kim sighed indulgently and looked at Anna. “I can’t take him anywhere.”

“You need to get out more, Hal. Those stereotypes don’t work anymore.”

“Stereotypes?” Lily suddenly returned to her seat.

“Yeah, it happens to me all the time at work,” Anna said quickly, hoping Lily hadn’t heard too much. “I was just telling them about an incident on the lot yesterday. The sales staff came in at seven for training on next year’s features. Right before we opened at eight, this guy drove up in a Mitsubishi Eclipse, Special Edition and started looking at the 535i with the Sport Package.” She realized too late that she probably sounded like a nerd talking about cars in such detail to people not in the business. “I walked out and asked if he had any questions, and he said ‘No, I’ve been doing my research. I already know probably as much as you do about this car.’” She deepened her voice and bobbed her head back and forth as she mocked him.

“Right, like he knows more than my sister with the mechanical engineering degree,” Kim interjected.

“So then he said he wanted to make an offer on the car, and asked me to go get the manager. I explained to him that the manager was in a meeting, and I could handle the transaction. But no, he insisted, so I dragged Brad—he’s our sales manager— out of the meeting to talk to him. They hammered out a price, but Brad said he needed the owner’s okay—which wasn’t true, but Brad wanted to jerk his chain—so he paged me to his office to look over the deal. You should have seen the look on that man’s face when I walked back in.”

“So what did you do?” Lily asked, her eyes wide.

“Oh, I approved it. Brad doesn’t give cars away. And when this guy came back to pick up his new car, I met him again and gave him the overview. I told him everything he never wanted to know about twin turbo technology and piezo fuel injection, and all he could do was nod and say, ‘uh-huh.’”

“I bet that was priceless.”

“Happens all the time.”

“Because it’s a stereotype that women don’t know anything about cars,” Lily said.

“Right.”

The waiter returned at that moment to offer coffee and dessert. He was back soon with baklava and espresso.

“So what part of town do you live in, Lily?” Kim asked.

“Sun Valley.”

“Do you have a house? A condo?”

“Uh-oh, Kim’s putting on her real estate hat,” Hal said.

“I am not. I just wanted to know.”

“Actually, I live in an apartment. It’s in a prime location, I’m told, convenient to public transportation. I learned after moving in that it means it’s directly underneath the flight path for Burbank.”

Anna smiled, remembering how Lily had kept her sense of humor when they were trapped in the mall.

“I’ve been saving for a down payment on a house, but every time I get ready to look, the prices jump again.”

“Well, at the risk of being accused of doing business at dinner”—she shot a sidelong glance at her husband—“give me a call if you want some help finding what you want. I sometimes get a heads-up on new listings before they go on the market.” She fished a business card from her purse and passed it across the table. “And I have hundreds of friends all over LA who can help out as well.”

“Wow, thanks. I will. Hal, I don’t suppose you have any ideas for making my modest savings account explode into a fortune in a few short weeks, do you?”

“I wish.” Hal reached over and covered his wife’s hand with his. “I hate to be a party pooper, but I’m about ready to call it a night.”

“He has a date with his beloved boat in the morning,” Kim whispered conspiratorially.

Anna wasn’t ready for the evening to end, but she had to admit she was physically tired. She had been working long hours lately to get her mind off her personal problems, and today in particular had been especially stressful.

“Did our waiter bring the check?” Hal asked.

Kim leaned over and whispered loud enough for everyone to hear. “Yes, but Anna slipped him her credit card when he brought the dessert. Didn’t you see that?”

“Apparently not.”

“I didn’t see it either,” Lily said. “Thank you so much.”

“You’re so welcome,” Anna answered. This was her celebration, and she didn’t mind footing the bill.

While the women waited for their wraps, Hal exited to order their car. Anna helped Lily with her shawl, wishing they could talk longer. She thought about suggesting a drink, but she really was tired, and besides, she had ridden to the restaurant with Hal and Kim.

“Lily, you should give Hal your valet ticket too,” Kim said. “He’ll get your car while we wait.”

“Mine’s in the garage around the corner. There was a line for the valet, and I was worried about being late, so I just parked it myself.”

“How would you feel about dropping me at home?” Anna asked suddenly. “I live pretty close. That way, you won’t have to walk to the garage by yourself.”

Lily seemed to hesitate, but answered, “Sure, I’d be happy to.”

“If it’s any trouble—”

“Not at all. I was just thinking about the mess in my car.”

“Still leaving burgers on the front seat?”

“Oh, you’re funny, Amazon.” They said goodnight to Kim and Hal, and began the short walk to the garage. Lily gestured toward Anna’s leg. “So is that limp a souvenir from the earthquake?”

“Yeah, I had a little crack in my femur. Can you believe that?”

“You’re kidding. Well, I guess I’m not really surprised since it was so swollen.”

“It’s all right now. It just gets stiff when I sit for a long time. The doctor says it’ll be fine eventually.”

“You never let on that it hurt that much.”

“You didn’t strike me as the sympathetic sort.”

“Now that hurts.” Lily smiled, letting Anna know she wasn’t serious. “You know, it’s really amazing when you think about it... what we lived through.”

“It is. I think about it a lot. I even had nightmares for a while.”

“Me too.”

“But I’m not the only one with a souvenir.” Anna reached out and gently traced the small red scar above Lily’s left eye. “I couldn’t believe it when we came out of that hole and you were covered with all that blood.”

“Some of it was ketchup, remember?”

Anna laughed. “All in all, we were both pretty lucky, I’d say.”

“Definitely... and meeting you in there was the lucky part.”

“I know exactly what you mean.” It was gratifying for Anna to learn they felt the same way, especially after thinking for so long their shared experience hadn’t made much of a lasting impression on Lily. “I hope we don’t lose touch again.”

“I don’t intend to.”

They climbed the stairs to the second floor of the garage, where Anna looked at the row of cars, wondering which one might be Lily’s. As a car dealer, she had always felt she could tell a lot about people by what sort of car they drove.

Lily pulled her car keys from her purse and clicked the key fob, causing the lights to flash on a RAV4 that had seen better days. “You know, when I was in the hospital after the earthquake, one of my comforts was when they told me the parking garage had collapsed. I was looking forward to collecting the insurance money and getting a new car.”

Anna watched in amusement as Lily opened the driver’s door and stretched across the front seat to roll down the passenger window.

“But as luck would have it, mine was the only car in the whole garage that came out without a single scratch that wasn’t there to begin with.”

Lily then walked around the car and reached through the window, giving the door handle a hard yank as she leaned back. Anna stepped up into the passenger seat, and Lily slammed the door.

“Well, at the risk of sounding a lot like my sister, I sell cars.”

“You two are quite the tag-team. Are there others I should watch out for?”

“No, just the two of us. Kim’s my stepsister actually. My mom died of breast cancer when I was ten, and my dad married her mom four years later. Kim’s only a year younger, so we got to be friends right away. I can’t imagine being closer to anyone.”

“I can tell you’re close to each other. And Hal is such a good sport to put up with you two.”

“He is. My sister really lucked out.” Despite Lily’s arrival to liven up the evening, Anna’s thoughts kept drifting back to Scott. Most of her close friends and associates knew by now that she and Scott were splitting up, but word of their divorce would likely prompt a fresh spate of fishing expeditions for details, which Anna had shared only with Kim, Hal and Lily. While she appreciated the calls and cards from well-meaning friends, each message was a humbling reminder of her failure. Finding Lily again was just the antidote she needed to remember that some things in her life had gone right.

 







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