Chapter 6
"Stop," Sophia called out. "I found her. She's out here on the porch, and we're lucky she didn't stumble into the hot tub."
Amanda ran out and hugged Miss Lillian. "You scared me. Don't leave your room without telling someone where you're going. Don't you know how much I love you? Another loss in my life would be devastating."
"I'm sorry, dear. Gerald was calling me, and I wasn't sure where he was. I came out here, and we sat for a bit, looking at the stars. He's lonely without me, and I'm going to give in to his demands soon and join him. Don't cry. I'm very happy; I’ve never been happier."
The scene with the two of them brought tears to Sophia's eyes.
Amanda would have to learn about a whole new kind of loss.
She recalled the death of her great-grandmother, Nelly, and how hard that was for her.
Nelly was more than ready to join loved ones in the afterlife, but at eleven, Sophia could not make sense of it.
Amanda was nineteen, and losing Miss Lillian would be just as tough for her. Their bond was strong and had happened quickly. The good thing was that Miss Lillian was in excellent health for her age, though biology always won out. Someday she would peacefully slip away.
Miss Lillian was ready to take her journey to heaven when the time came. It was good for Amanda to see the beauty in that.
She gently escorted Miss Lillian back to bed.
Sophia looked at the same stars where Gerald had come to find his wife and call her to heaven.
Vince was up there somewhere, but he was nowhere near ready to call her home.
She knew Vince well, and he was looking down on Sophia, yawning.
She had gotten through the pain and grieving, so it was time for her to turn the page.
“Yoo-hoo,” Lottie called from the screen door. “I come bearing gifts.”
"I'm not one to turn down a gift. Come in. Amanda is walking the dogs, and Miss Lillian is taking her morning nap. Smells great. What do you have underneath that foil cover?"
"I made blueberry scones. I'm no Betty Crocker, but I can whip up a batch of these sweeties that are so good with coffee. You wouldn't have any of that around, would you?" Lottie asked.
"You just invited yourself over for coffee, and I love it," Sofia said. "Let's sit outside and take advantage of the cool morning breeze. Go make yourself comfortable, and I'll bring coffee and a couple of plates."
Slow summer mornings were Sophia's idea of bliss, and it was nice having someone to talk to rather than read bad news in the paper.
She hadn't expected to meet so many new people while staying at Aunt Janet's.
It was a welcome surprise, and Sophia was warming up to the idea of working down Janet's list. Her conversation with Chaz didn't end in romance, but it was still a success.
She was most proud of having dialed the phone in the first place.
It showed that Sophia was getting her groove back.
“You have some tea to spill,” Lottie said. She took her first sip of steaming hot coffee.
"Oh, you must have heard Amanda and me when we thought we lost Miss Lillian. We were loud, but she was safe. Sorry about that," Sophia said. "We were both terrified that something bad had happened to that sweet old woman.”
"Loud doesn't bother me one bit. I lived in DC for fifteen years, and not the nice parts. I got used to it and had a hard time adjusting to the sound of birds in the morning. The tea I'm interested in involves Chaz Livingston."
“I just spoke with him, and he doesn’t seem like the type to put everything out there for public consumption,” Sophia said.
"Relax, it wasn't Chaz who I heard it from, but his girlfriend, Eva," Lottie said.
"Was she pissed?" Sophia asked. "I backed off as soon as I found out he had a girlfriend. He told me about Eva within the first two minutes of our conversation, so neither of us was in the wrong."
"No need to be defensive. You broke the dam in their relationship, allowing Chaz and Eva to open up their dialogue.
Eva is so grateful that you talked to him because their communication improved exponentially overnight.
He was afraid of overwhelming her with his intense love, and she feared he didn't love her enough.
His behavior changed so much that Eva grilled him about it, and he told her about you. "
"I love that. He's such a good guy, and I'm happy I could help."
“She hopes to see you this week when the gals get together for some birdwatching out by the rock,” Lottie said.
“I thought climbing the rock was prohibited,” Sophia said.
"It is, but there's a trail at the base. Bring your binoculars if you go because there's a lot to see."
“One of my regrets in life is that I never learned to identify local birds and the ones I find on vacation. I have a bevy of feeders in my yard at home and a pollinator garden that attracts hummingbirds,” Sophia said.
"Duh, what's holding you back now?" Lottie said. "I transformed my entire life when I moved here to Morro Bay."
“I enjoy being a professor,” Sophia said.
"I'm not saying you should quit your job and go back to school for ornithology.
Pick it up as a hobby. You have to start living your life with no regrets.
The forties are a good time in your life to recalibrate things, and that doesn't require anything drastic as I did.
You should pick up a hobby, create a bucket list, and bring a man into your life," Lottie said.
She sounded like a preacher on Sunday morning.
"I tried the man thing last night, and I gained yet another friend. Don't get me wrong, I'd never complain about having too many friends. If I do, I give you permission to stuff a sock in my mouth."
"Hey, I wasn't meaning to snoop, although maybe I was.
I saw a photograph sitting on the desk of three hunks in what looks like a tropical beach location.
I recognize one of them as Kenny, your brother, and I know that from all the media coverage he received.
The other one is your late husband, whom I've seen in photographs before.
Who's the third one who looks like the actor Owen Wilson but more handsome? "
Sophia tittered. "He gets that a lot, especially when he lets his hair get shaggy like it is in the photo.
It's Arch Owings, and he was Vince's law partner.
He doesn't look like a prototypical corporate lawyer, which he uses to his advantage.
He's always underestimated, and that's a huge mistake.
I've seen him when a case has gone to trial, and the nice-guy persona disappears. He's all business, and he’s won every time I’ve seen him in action. "
“Is he single?” Lottie asked.
"Why? Are you interested?"
"Yes, I love that he looks like he enjoys having fun but has a killer instinct when necessary. If I have a type, then he's it. Does he live in San Francisco?"
"Nope, just up the road near San Luis Obispo. He could have moved, but I don't think he has. My Christmas cards make it to him."
“That’s close,” Lottie commented.
"I think he's single and has a son, Marcus, in law school. He absolutely hates being set up, so I'm afraid you're out of luck. I doubt he'll visit this summer because we don't keep in touch beyond Facebook. He was Vince's best friend, so I know him pretty well," Sophia said.
“Does it bother you that I asked to be set up?”
“Absolutely not. Arch was like a brother, and we fell out of touch because the pain of losing Vince was too intense. It wasn’t something we talked about, but it was clear what we were both feeling.
I took one look at Arch and thought of Vince.
I'm sure it would be different now because enough time has passed. "
“I’m getting a vibe from you that maybe Arch is off-limits,” Lottie said.
Sophia laughed. “No, no. I’d be happy for him if he settled down with the right woman. It’s silly to talk about, since Arch isn’t planning a trip here. He lives less than forty-five minutes from Morro Bay, but I haven’t heard from him in months.”
“The two of you have never been anything more than friends?” Lottie asked.
A disgusted look came over Sophia’s face. “Are you asking if I cheated on Vince with Arch?”
"No, I'd never think you would do that. I was talking about after he died," Lottie said.
“The answer is still no. As I said, I haven’t seen him much in recent years. If anything changes, I’ll let you know.”
“I’m sorry if I pried into your personal life. It’s something I’m trying to get better about,” Lottie said.
"Don't worry. I've encountered plenty of inquiring minds throughout the years. You're nice, and I feel that if I told you to mind your own business, you would.”
“I knew I liked you from the minute I met you. I can be a lot, and I like people who are willing to push back on me. It teaches me that there are boundaries I shouldn’t cross,” Lottie said.
Sophia heard the dragging of Miss Lillian’s walker as she made her way towards the porch. It had become the place Sophia spent the most time.
“A nap is a wonderful thing. I close my eyes, and my dreams are always waiting for me where I left them,” she said. “You must be Sophia’s friend.”
Lottie knew the drill, and she didn’t miss a beat. “Yes, I’m a friend of Janet’s, too, and I live next door. You’re looking bright-eyed after your rest, and I love your lavender hair.”
Lillian touched her hair, and it was clear that her memory came rushing back. The twinkle returned to her eyes, and a smile appeared. “Thank you. I was encouraged by my good friend Amanda. Where is Amanda?”
The dogs barreled inside and rushed to their outside water bowls.
Amanda wore no makeup. It was rare for her to step outside the house without maroon lipstick and thick eyeliner.
Sophia thought she looked beautiful but didn’t comment for fear she would be reminded to paint it on.
In the past days, she made subtle changes to her beauty regimen, and the old Amanda was slowly emerging.
“Here I am! Just in time to fix you some lunch. Sit with the ladies, and I’ll get us some nice cool water. You should take your afternoon pills, so I’ll grab those, too.”
“I have to run. I’m meeting someone at the house in about ten minutes,” Lottie said as she dashed for the door.
They all waved farewell.
“I’m hungry, too. Let's all go in and have something to eat,” Sofia said.
She was going to clean up but looked at the pile of papers on her desk and decided against it. The desk was shielded from the wind, and no one would mind. If it bothered Amanda or Miss Lillian, she’d do something about it.