“How did I...” Her eyes traveled down her body to the print clasped in her hand. The painting. Aaron. Sunny. Sunny’s daughter. Her chest shook like it would implode. She felt the uncomfortable tightness in her throat and she knew it was mere minutes before she was wailing at the top of her lungs. Keep it together, she thought.
As much as she wanted to tell Sunny Kepke that her daughter was the home wrecker who stole her husband from her, she knew, looking into Sunny’s bright green eyes – the same eyes, she realized, that has flashed by Elly that fateful day in the stairwell – that she couldn’t. Not at this moment, anyway.
“I’m so sorry. I – I think my blood sugar must have been low.”
“Do you have diabetes?” Sunny asked.
“Um, no. But – maybe?” said Elly, trying desperately to save face and get out of there as quickly as possible.
“I knew it,” breathed Snarky Teenager.
Elly handed the print to her. “I think I should go upstairs and go lay down. I’m feeling pretty woozy.”
Sunny put out a frail arm to help her. “Here, let me help you dear.”
Elly rose shakily to her feet. “No, no, don’t worry about it. I’m fine.” I will never be fine again. “Anthony can help me upstairs and into bed.”
“Are you sure?” Elly refrained herself from yelling, “Your daughter is a WHORE!” and said instead, “Yes, Sunny, thank you so much. I’ve had a long morning.”
Snarky Teenager made a face. “All you did today was eat gelato,” she pointed out. She glanced down at the card. Elly watched her expression go from one of confusion to one of understanding as she read the artist’s name. Her mouth opened slightly and a look of honest, mature empathy crossed her face – a look Elly had never seen before.
“Yes. Let’s get Elly into bed. I can run the store while she rests.”
Elly gave her a grateful look. “Sunny, I’ll call you next week. I’m sorry about this.”
Sunny hugged her tightly, he eyes filled with sympathy. “I hope you feel better. Don’t be embarrassed, dear, I come from a long line of fainters.”
Sunny headed out the front door, and Anthony led Elly upstairs, followed by Snarky Teenager. Anthony let Elly fall onto her couch and grabbed a cold cloth for her head.
“You’re wonderful,” she murmured to him.
Snarky Teenager knelt beside her. “Is that Aaron Schuster, as in your ex-husband?”
Elly’s lip quivered. “Yes. And please, I can’t talk about it now. I really just want to sleep.”
Snarky Teenager her hand tightly. “Okay. I understand.” She paused. “And may I just say, what a douche-bag.”
Elly felt a smile crack her crumbling face. “Thanks. I want to be alone now.”
“Okay.”
Anthony and Snarky Teenager headed downstairs and Elly could hear whispering all the way down the stairs. Cadbury, sensing Elly’s sadness, climbed up onto the couch and lay his heavy head down on her chest. Elly stared at the ceiling. How could this happen? Why would God do this to her? How could Aaron be back in her life without her permission? How did he find her, when she had stayed hidden for so long? Elly’s tears drifted down her cheeks onto the couch, creating a wet spot on the tan fabric. She wanted to hide away, forever. The door to her past had been flung wide open, and everyone in her life was now looking through it, curious and judgmental. She picked up the phone to try and call Kim. It went straight to voicemail.
“Hi! You’ve reached Kim and Sean. We aren’t here right now…well, I mean, it’s a cell phone, so maybe we are, but…” The phone beeped loudly in Elly’s ear. She sniffled.
“Hi Kim, it’s me. I just um, wanted to talk. I know you already saw me today, but -” Her voice caught in her throat. “It’s about Aaron. The shop is probably closing early, but I’ll be here all night. Please call me back.”
Elly hung up the phone and closed her eyes, letting sleep wrap its strong arms around her. She woke up around five in the evening, as the sun was starting to sink in the sky. Elly got up, washed her face and pulled on her pajamas. She grabbed a full bottle of wine and headed down into the now-empty studio.