Chapter Twenty-Seven
After Terence left, she called the theater and asked if Ebony could get transportation to and from rehearsals with one of
the staff until she was fully healed. They couldn’t guarantee it, so Avila called Samantha and asked her the same. Samantha
agreed. Thank goodness.
Avila was concerned that Ebony would ask questions about why Terence hadn’t picked her up from rehearsal as he had promised.
Avila made a quick excuse, hoping that Ebony wouldn’t probe further. Thank goodness that she didn’t.
That evening, Avila couldn’t sleep. She had been restless all night. She tossed and turned, unable to get even a light sleep.
She glanced at the clock by her bedside. It read six in the morning. Her thoughts went back to the night before. The kiss.
She allowed her mind to entertain the feelings Terence had ignited in her. She let them linger for just a moment before she
chased him away.
It was over now. The glare of the sun through her curtains annoyed her. How dare the day be sunny and bright? It should be
raining. The sky should be heavy and dark with angry clouds. This was no time for self-pity. She had work to do.
The sooner she got done, the sooner she could move on and focus on Ebony’s upcoming performances. That thought alone roused her from the comfort of the bed. She just needed to focus on her daughter.
Avila showered and checked her ankle. The swelling had gone down considerably. It hurt only when she put weight on it. She
wrapped it and popped two aspirin. She didn’t feel like eating, but she had two slices of toast anyway. Then she set out a
sandwich on the table on the front porch for lunch, since the kitchen floor would be off-limits until it dried.
Terence had already taped off the woodwork, so she hobbled on her crutches to the porch, where he’d put the supplies. It shouldn’t
be too hard to roll on the finish, even with her bum ankle.
She opened the windows before she started. The curtains lay still against the warm morning, and she quickly realized the varnish
was going to stink to high heaven. She wondered for the first time if they would be able to sleep in the house with the fumes.
She turned on the bathroom fan and hoped for the best.
Saving the worry for later, she poured the liquid varnish into the clean pan and set to work. The varnish spread easily, but
her good leg got fatigued from supporting her weight. The kitchen took longer than she anticipated to varnish, but when she
was done, she set the brush in the pan and stood back.
Next, she began moving the living room furniture into the bedrooms. It was a tedious process as she was using only the strength
of one leg. She placed each piece on a rug and pushed, to avoid scraping the floors. The sofa and chair barely fit through
the doorway, and by the time the room was empty, her ankles were sore.
When she finished moving the furniture, she checked her injured ankle. It was swollen again, and she knew being on her feet all day wasn’t a good idea, but she didn’t have a choice.
Avila began varnishing in the corner of the living room, leaving an unvarnished path from the front door to the bedrooms and
bathroom. She’d have to wait until the next day to move the bedroom furniture into the living room. Ebony would be here to
help, but even so, the beds would have to be taken apart and reassembled. Why hadn’t she thought about that?
Avila had hoped the work would keep her mind off Terence and the loneliness that hurt her the moment he left.
It would be better when she was in New Jersey. She would forget this town. Sure, Terence had said that he might move up to
Jersey, but that wasn’t set in stone yet. Also, there would be a lot of steps that he’d have to take to make that move, and
it could take a long time for him to secure another teaching position. So she had time to herself. Avila could return to life
as usual, for now.
The look in his eyes after she told him her decision flashed in her mind. He was really hurt, and she could tell that his
love for her had completely dissipated.
That bothered her, but she couldn’t figure out why. Wasn’t that what she had wanted? Wasn’t that her purpose in telling him
her decision?
Avila knew that he was thinking about the past by the look on his face. He was a solid guy. Trustworthy. Fair. Committed.
She was lucky to know him, actually. What had she done ?
The sound of footsteps startled her. She glanced behind her and saw Ebony. She set the brush down and opened the door.
“Morning, honey.” She gestured to the floor. “Watch the floor. It’s wet over here.”
Ebony wrinkled up her nose. “It stinks in here.”
“I have the windows open, but it’s not doing much good.”
Ebony waved her hand under her nose. “I’m going outside.”
“Change first,” Avila said.
Ebony disappeared into the bedroom. A few minutes later, she appeared in the doorway, wearing her khaki shorts and red T-shirt.
The sun had made her skin a burnished brown, and she looked beautiful.
“Ready for another day?” Avila asked.
“Yeah. Rehearsals went well yesterday. I have some things that I need to practice for tonight’s rehearsal.” She yawned. “I’m
tired though.”
“It was probably the late night.” Avila remembered the times when she used to rehearse for the upcoming play during high school.
When she came home, she’d always been beat.
“I guess hanging out in the house is out of the question.” Ebony stared at the TV, which was pushed into the corner of the
room.
“For now.” Avila put the brush down. “When this dries, I’ll need your help moving the bedroom furniture so I can get to do
those floors.” Even with two people, they’d have to take the drawers out of the dresser and chest to lift them.
Ebony plopped on her bed and stretched out. “We can’t move this heavy stuff.”
“Sure we can.”
“What about your ankle?”
“It hasn’t stopped me so far.” Avila gestured to the furniture she moved into the bedroom.
“Just ask Terence to do it.” Ebony clasped her hands and closed her eyes.
She really had to tell Ebony something. She’d notice his absence sooner or later. Avila leaned against the door frame. “He’s busy. He might not be here for a while.”
Ebony turned her head toward Avila. “Why not?”
How much should she say? As little as possible, if you’re smart. “He has a job, honey. We can’t just expect him to drop his life and come to our rescue. Besides, we can do this. The two
of us—What do you say?” She injected some enthusiasm in her voice, as if it were some wild adventure and not boring house
maintenance.
Avila knew Ebony wasn’t buying it when she sat up slowly and dangled her feet over the edge of the bed. “Terence said he took
a vacation to help us.”
Avila hadn’t counted on that. She guessed Terence and Ebony had talked plenty while they worked together. “Things changed.
His plans changed, so now it’s just us. Don’t worry, we can do it.”
Ebony tilted her head. “Something happened while I was gone, didn’t it?”
The girl was far too perceptive for a twelve-year-old. Avila really should’ve known. But this was grown-up stuff and none
of Ebony’s business. Avila crossed her arms and spoke firmly. “We’ll be finishing up the house alone, Ebony. That’s all you
need to know.”
“What did you do?” Her daughter’s voice was accusing.
“This is none of your business. And you better not use that tone with me.”
“You chased him away, didn’t you?” Tears welled up in her eyes. “Why? He’s our friend.”
Avila stared at Ebony, her thoughts whirling. Her daughter had grown attached to him. Avila couldn’t expect anything less. Was Ebony starting to imagine life with Terence in a more permanent sense? Was Ebony expecting that they would be together?
Avila remembered the way they danced together a couple days ago and realized Terence had slipped into Ebony’s affections the
same way he had slipped into hers. Avila’s heart fell.
“Terence called me ‘princess’ too.” Ebony swiped at the corners of her eyes. “He’s a friend to us.”
If only it were so simple. “That was sweet of him. But there are more things that make a friendship than simply calling each
other by nicknames.”
Ebony looked at Avila as if she was out of her mind. “You don’t understand, do you? He wants to be here for us. And you did
something to push him away. That’s not fair to me.”
Her words struck Avila. “I do understand.”
Ebony just shook her head. “You ruined it for all of us.”
If Avila had hoped for an apology, she was disappointed. Instead, Ebony glared at her.
Avila’s head pounded, and she rubbed her temples. This was going to be very, very tough.