Chapter Nine
Kelly
February
She was nervous about meeting up with Faith for the “make amends” lunch, even more than she’d thought she’d be.
Looking at her closet, Kelly tried on and rejected three outfits before finally settling on a favorite pair of dark-washed jeans, a red sweater, nice leather boots, and a gold necklace Joel had given her that she felt almost provided her protection as if he were there.
There was a reason for the red sweater. Joel had read an article about the power of colors.
He told her red was for strength and power, that’s why Tiger Woods would wear it in the final round of golf tournaments.
Now Kelly hoped she projected strength and something along the lines of I am a professional, confident woman who doesn’t need you in my life but I’m also a good enough person to meet you for lunch.
Faith suggested a fancy restaurant downtown. It was not Kelly’s kind of place—she would have preferred a simple café, a diner even—but she reluctantly agreed. Kelly figured Faith was paying anyway, so why not try a higher-end locale?
As she kissed Joel goodbye, he squeezed her shoulder.
“Go get ’em, lady in red. Strong, confident, you got this, just like Tiger in his heyday.”
“I just hope I survive intact,” she said with a laugh.
The bustling restaurant was more or less what Kelly had expected from a spot in this trendy neighborhood: tall windows, a waterfall wall, fake foliage, high-end light fixtures, and waiters scurrying about in crisp white linens.
She spotted Faith right away, seated in a corner scrolling her phone. Faith was wearing red too, a loose top, with red lipstick. Kelly wondered if this was going to be a red power showdown.
Taking a deep breath, Kelly walked over.
Faith looked older, of course—it had been so many years since they had seen each other in person—but she looked good too.
Her hair had gotten much longer and was a darker hue; she must have dyed it.
It was styled perfectly, and her makeup was immaculately applied.
She had always been pretty, although Kelly noticed that Faith’s eyes seemed bluer than she remembered them. Faith used to wear glasses too.
“Kell, oh my goodness, it’s been forever…”
“Hi, Faith…”
Faith stood up. They shared an awkward slight hug, barely tapping each other’s shoulders.
Kelly took off her coat and hung it and her purse on the back of her chair. She sat down and took a long, deep breath before speaking, trying to steady her nerves. Here we go, she thought.
“It sure has been a long time,” Kelly said as an opener, then waited a beat to see if Faith would take the baton in the conversation. When Faith didn’t, Kelly tried to fill the void.
“So … how are you doing?”
“Oh, I’m OK, I’m OK, you know, just soooo insanely busy with work. The news never stops as they say, nor does the weather!”
Faith laughed, but Kelly could manage only a slight smile. Tension rippled between them. There was too much history to just be breezy.
“And how are things going in your life?” Faith asked, but before Kelly could answer the waiter came over with menus and he poured them each ice water.
“Why don’t we just figure out what we want and then we’ll chat?” Faith suggested.
Kelly nodded and they both studied their menus.
The place was outrageously expensive. Who would pay thirty-five dollars for a simple salad?
Kelly glanced around and noticed that the portions at other diners’ tables weren’t even that big.
She had a feeling she might still be hungry after leaving this place.
Faith was intently studying the menu. People around them were chatting away, but the air between Kelly and Faith was silent and felt heavy. Kelly pretended to keep looking at the menu even though she had already decided what she wanted. The waiter returned.
“May I take your order, ladies?”
“Yes, I’ll have the beet salad and a diet Sprite, please,” said Faith.
The waiter nodded and looked at Kelly.
“I think I’ll try your lobster bisque with a side salad. That comes with a roll, right?” Kelly wanted to maximize her food. Kelly added an iced tea, and the waiter took their menus. With no physical barriers between them now and nothing to do, Faith and Kelly looked at each other awkwardly.
“So … you were asking about me?” Kelly said as an opener.
Faith nodded. “Well, I met a guy and we’re living together, Joel is his name.
He’s great. I mentioned in my email my new high school, I’m still teaching Spanish.
Joel works from home. We’re looking to get a dog.
You know, just normal life stuff. You seem to be doing well at Channel 9. ”
“I am, thank you, it’s such a joy to work there—absolutely terrific people, I’m so lucky—and Detroit has been so good welcoming me back home. What does your new man do? You said he works from home?”
“Yes, he’s in tech for a bio company. They never returned after the pandemic and he loves being home. That’s why we think we can get a dog.”
“I’m jealous! We worked from home for a bit in Covid, even had the green screen for weather set up in our places, but of course we’ve all been back full-time for a long time now. Does he get to set his own schedule or is he, like, on conference calls all day?”
“Kind of a mix of both. Conference calls every Tuesday and Thursday morning, I think. He’s mostly on his own for the rest of his work.”
“How wonderful, how lucky he is,” Faith said. “I’m so glad you found someone, Kell. I’m still looking. Perennial bachelorette, I guess. Maybe I should go on a reality show!” She laughed again and Kelly went for a mild chuckle this time.
The conversation continued in a stilted way.
Faith didn’t ask more about Kelly’s new job or anything else about Kelly’s life, instead launching into a story about her latest vacation with her sister and how she had decorated her apartment at the Three Diamonds. Kelly found herself just nodding along.
As their food arrived, Kelly kept waiting for the main event, the big talk. Finally, near the end of her beet salad, Faith carefully set her fork down.
“So Kell, I told you I wanted to apologize and I do. I’ve just been thinking a lot about what I did and it wasn’t fair. I had some demons in my life back then but I’ve worked really hard. I hope you’ll forgive me.”
Kelly sighed, looking across at Faith. While Faith was glamorous in a well-put-together way, there was a vulnerability, almost childlike, in her eyes. She was giving Kelly a pleading look. It made Kelly feel for her, but she couldn’t forget the past either. It was there, smoldering.
“I appreciate that and you inviting me to lunch,” Kelly said slowly, thinking hard about what to say.
She wanted to be kind, but before she could stop herself, years of resentment and anger came tumbling out across the table.
“I’m not going to lie. It was hard. It hurt.
Stealing cash and items from all of us in the dorms when we were out of the room.
Pawning Zoe’s jewelry and using our credit cards to buy yourself clothes, lying about it until you got caught …
Then years later calling me when you were in Peoria and saying your identity was stolen and you couldn’t access your credit cards until they were replaced and you were going to be kicked out of your apartment if I didn’t float you some money, that I was your only hope, that your sister had medical bills to pay. And when I did lend you the money…”
Faith looked down and started twisting her hands in her lap.
Kelly felt a pang. Maybe she had gone too far.
Maybe she didn’t need to say the rest, how Faith had started ghosting her when she asked, then pleaded for her money, how she finally had to track down Faith’s mom and tell her the whole story and the mom sent Kelly the money and said she would get repaid from Faith.
It still made Kelly so angry to think of being taken advantage of like that.
She doubted Faith even really had her identity stolen.
“I’m sorry,” Faith said softly. “I was in a bad place. This is really hard to say … but … I was diagnosed … as a shopaholic. My therapist said it’s like an alcoholic, a disease, something you can’t control. But I’m good now. That’s why I brought you a present.”
She reached into a large purse slung over the back of her chair and brought out a white box about three inches high and eight inches long.
“I made this for you.”
Kelly took the box. She had absolutely no clue what could be inside. Gingerly she began to lift the lid, and something sparkly caught her eye.
“It’s a jewelry box!” Faith called out, ruining any surprise. “I went to a place where you can design your own with beads and jewels and crystals and things. Isn’t it pretty?”
Lifting the lid all the way, Kelly saw that it was, in a gaudy sort of way. There were buttons and beads in every color glued all over it, giving it a circus feel. A tiny mirror was wedged in between the many other things on the top. Any empty space was filled with glitter or feathers.
“Well, thank you. That’s very kind of you,” said Kelly, immediately wondering what to do with this thing. It was not her style at all. Maybe she could give it to the neighbor girl. It felt juvenile.
“I was thinking of that rare, expensive jewelry you got from your mom and grandma,” said Faith.
“I know how much that all meant to you after they … you know. I’m so glad I never touched that stuff in the dorms. What I did to Zoe.
I won’t ever live that down. Kell, I will have that shame with me, honestly, forever.
But this is my way of starting to make amends.
I’ve reached out to Zoe for lunch too but she lives in Iowa so it might be a while.
You still have that special jewelry, right? ”
“Yes, of course. It means the world to me.”