Chapter 50
FIFTY
“There’s no crying in pageants.”
—excerpt from the unpublished memoir,
Darling, I Must Say by Gloria Hayes
The day-long pageant practice on the Saturday before the pageant was about as fun as it sounds.
I brought, among other things, my thrift store dress, the tennis skirt Yessica talked me into wearing for the sportswear portion of the contest, and the “pageant approved” high heels.
“You look like someone peed in your coffee this morning,” Yessica said when she found me sitting in the auditorium where’d we been corralled for some kind of guest speaker.
“A lovely visual,” I said. “How long do we have to be here again?”
“Three o’clock.” I groaned and she nodded in sympathy. “One more week and it will all be over.”
The speaker was a news anchor from KKRE in Houston named Phoebe Mayfield who’d been in the Miss Texas pageant once.
While she talked, I pulled out my phone and went back to trying to track down Gloria’s Warren.
Last night, after coming to a dead end, I paid to join one of those family tree websites and had a lead on someone who might be one of his grandkids.
I’d sent a message and was waiting for a response. But so far, nothing.
I really wanted to find out what happened to Warren for Gloria.
She wasn’t letting me do much else for her; at least I could do this.
Yesterday when I stopped by to see her, I learned that she would be moving to the third floor this weekend.
I wasn’t stupid. I knew what this all meant and yet, I couldn’t allow myself to believe it.
After Phoebe spoke, we split into our age categories and did a walkthrough, including the two dance numbers, outfit changes, and music cues. I was so out of my element, it was laughable.
It had become apparent early in the dance practices that I was a disaster.
Thankfully, they’d worked out a routine which required as little movement as possible from me.
As long as I didn’t screw up entering and exiting the stage, I’d survive.
Even if it was while wearing the most uncomfortable heels ever.
And then there was my talent. Abe had faithfully been practicing with me, but I was under no impression that I was, you know, good at it.
There was also the problem of not actually having sung the song totally on my own yet.
Oh, I tried, but I never got through the first verse without losing the melody or the key or sounding like a wounded dog.
After our lunch break, it was back to the auditorium for another group meeting which, we learned, was being led by none other than Ali. It seemed boring enough. She waited until we’d all quieted down and took to the stage.
“As mayor of the best town in Texas, I wanted to take this opportunity to thank each of you for all the time and effort you’ve put into the pageant and the Founders Day Festival.”
She was in her element talking about Two Harts, but it was when she started to ramble on about why we celebrated Founders Day that things took a turn.
Because that’s when Mae showed up. The door to the auditorium flew open so hard it bounced off the wall, and my sister stalked down the long aisle to the stage.
If anyone had been sleeping before, they were awake now.
A low murmur rolled through the audience, but Ali kept talking as though she didn’t see the angry redhead coming her way.
“You have gone way too far.”
Ali stopped and smiled down from the stage at Mae. “Oh, I didn’t see you there. I’m kind of in the middle of something.”
“You saw me. But I can get a lot closer, if you want.” Without waiting for a reply, Mae stomped up the stage steps and over to Ali.
“Please, no,” I whispered, sliding lower in my seat.
“What’s going on?” Yessica whispered.
“That tall one is my sister. I think they’re about to…”
“You put my house up for sale,” Mae said. “Do you know how many people showed up this morning for the open house?”
“Oh, dang,” Yessica said.
“I’m sorry,” Ali said with exaggerated sweetness. “Did I get the date wrong?”
Mae growled. Literally. If I were Ali, I’d start running. “I cannot believe you did that. Lulu woke up sick in the middle of the night and I’m exhausted and spent two hours having to turn people away from my house. You are an ass.”
Several people gasped.
“There are kids in here, Mae. You should really watch your mouth.” She frowned. “Is Lulu okay?”
“Oh, no. You don’t get to be a concerned friend and my archenemy at the same time.” She loomed over Ali. “Here’s what you’re going to do. You’re going to apologize to my sister for what you said about her.”
Ali crossed her arms. “And if I don’t?”
“Then I’m going to tell everyone in this room exactly who Alicia Knight is.”
Yessica grabbed by arm. “Alicia Knight, the author? The one who writes the pirate romances. I love her books.”
On stage, Ali gasped and even from the back of the auditorium, I saw her face pale. “You wouldn’t.”
“Try me.”
The yelling started in earnest then, the two of them shouting over each other while an entire auditorium of people watched on in curious horror.
“Alicia Knight lives here in Two Harts?” Yessica asked.
“I have no idea,” I said.
“I cannot believe we were best friends,” Ali shouted. “You’re an awful human being.”
The rest of the room was silent as they watched the scene unfold. And maybe that was the reason I heard it so clearly.
“I hate you,” Mae said, and then she did something so unexpected, so out of character… she burst into tears.
I jumped up from my seat and yelled, “Stop it. Right now. Just stop.” I flew down the aisle. “Off the stage right this second.” The two of them stared at me in disbelief. “Now. Off.”
When they didn’t move, I stomped up on stage, grabbed each of them by an arm and pulled them with me out the backstage exit and down a hallway.
“I cannot believe you two.” I tried the first door we came across. Locked. “Grown women.” Another locked door. “Best friends. Do you even remember why this started?” The third one opened to an empty classroom. “Sit. Both of you.”
They sat, refusing to look at each other.
“What is going on with you two? This cannot all be over Abe and me.”
Mae flinched. Her face was red and splotchy from crying. “There is no Abe and you, right?”
I slammed a box of tissues on her desk. “I don’t know. See, my sister has decided I am a complete moron who can’t make a single decision on my own, so she has insisted on getting all up in my business.”
Ali harrumphed.
I turned on my heels. “Oh, don’t get self-righteous, because you aren’t much better.
Do you know how hard Abe is trying? Do you even realize how kind and smart and patient he is?
He’s finally got his family back and you two are both making him and me choose between keeping the peace with our psycho families or maybe, possibly, figuring out how we feel about each other. ”
I was on a roll now.
“And another thing, Mae. No, I am not going to school in Austin.” I turned to Ali. “And don’t think you’re off the hook. You don’t get to share very personal information like that. This was mine to tell.”
“I’m sorry,” Ali said in a small voice.
“I’m not forgiving you yet. Try again later.”
I walked over to Mae. “I hate big cities and big crowds, and I don’t want to be a therapist. I would be terrible at it. You would know that if you ever just listened to me. You don’t listen, you tell me what the right answer is and that’s it.”
To my horror, she started to cry again.
With a sigh, I knelt in front of her desk.
“I love you, Mae. You are one of the most important people in my life. I know how much you sacrificed for me, for Mom, but you can’t control everything. That’s not how life works. I have to figure some things out on my own. I’m going to make mistakes and you’re going to have to let me.”
Mae sniffled, her blue eyes watery and red. “I’ve been so worried about you. You haven’t been acting like yourself at all.”
“You mean I haven’t been acting like a loner with no life?”
“You have a life.”
“I don’t but that’s what I’m trying to tell you. I’m trying to get one. I have no idea what it will look like. But whatever it is, I need for you to accept it.” I pressed my forehead to hers. “You have to trust me.”
“I’m so sorry. I’m an absolute wreck with the move and I miss Chris so much but don’t tell him that, it will go straight to his head.” She took a shuddering breath. “And I’m pregnant.”
“What?” I gasped.
“You’re what?” Ali rushed over.
“It was a surprise. The timing is awful. The baby won’t even be born a Texan.”
“Oh, honey, it’s okay. We won’t hold that against the kid.” Ali put her arms around Mae. “I’ll visit when they baby comes. I know your mom and Iris will.”
“Chris doesn’t even know yet,” she said, her voice muffled. “I was going to tell him when he came back to help with the move.”
“I won’t tell a soul,” Ali said, her voice rough with emotion. “I’m sorry for the things I said. I don’t know what I’m going to do when you leave. I think it’s been getting to me and I guess I haven’t been handling it well.”
“Okay, then, maybe I should just duck out and let you two talk through this,” I said slowly.
“Wait, Iris.” Mae stood. “I’m sorry. I’ll try to be less… me.”
“No, don’t do that. I just want you to let me be more… me.” I met her gaze. “That means I’m going to make some decisions you aren’t going to like.”
“Right.” She sniffled. “Can I still give you my opinion?”
“Not unless I ask.”
She blew out a breath. “I’ll probably screw up and tell you anyway.”
“I wouldn’t expect anything less from you.”
“Come give me a hug.”
“You look weird crying,” I said as I let her pull me in, remembering all the times when I was little and she was the one who held me when I fell, wiped away my tears, or rubbed my back when I was sick. “I love you.”
“I love you, too,” she whispered in my ear.