Chasing the Sunset, page 3
She embraced Gabe warmly. “Gabe! You made it. I was beginning to worry.”
“Yes, Aunt Rae. This is Lucy. She gave me a ride, so I told her she could stay here tonight. Lucy, this is my Aunt Rae.”
“Well, of course she can stay. Hope he wasn’t too much trouble.” Rae grabbed Lucy’s arm lovingly, smiling from ear to ear and winking at her.
“Not at all,” Lucy said. Rae radiated love. It overwhelmed Lucy. Colt had deadened her nerves and now she had goosebumps as Rae’s warmth brought them back to life like candles burning with a small flame.
“You look exhausted. Let me show you to your room.”
If Lucy had Rae’s waking energy, she wouldn’t need to stay the night. She could drive on for hours. Since she didn’t, she followed Rae with Gabe as she climbed the stairs from the foyer. They took a right at the top of the stairs, passed a couple of doors, and took another turn. Rae opened a door and climbed another smaller set of stairs. These were much plainer than the foyer or hallway they’d just passed through. At the very top of the stairs was a single door. Rae pulled a key out of her pocket and opened it.
Lucy wondered if Rae always kept keys on her or if it was a master. Maybe she was so tired she hadn’t noticed her grab it before they’d headed up.
“Here we are. This is your room. We call it The Tower. There are clean towels on the dresser, and oh, here’s your key.” It was an actual key, not one of those fancy card systems. Lucy looked at the trinkets attached to it—a large keychain with the words “Rae’s B&B” and another colorful charm with a quote from Alice in Wonderland. “I knew who I was this morning, but I’ve changed a few times since then.” Reading it stirred something deep inside her.
Lucy looked around the room. It was a gorgeous bohemian paradise. Because The Tower was the highest room in the house, the ceiling slanted—covered by wooden slats painted white and in the middle was a large skylight. Lucy looked through it and saw the moon and stars. She imagined the sun would gently wake her up in the morning. The walls were white and adorned with a few soothing pictures and tapestries. There was a light with a large shade and tassels hanging over the bed and potted succulents on each of the two nightstands, which, just like the bed, were a lightly stained wood. The bed linens were shades of light brown and white. A shaggy white faux fur blanket lay at the foot, finishing out the look.
Lucy had wanted to design her and Colt’s room just like this, but he wouldn’t let her. “That look is for rich wannabe hippies,” he’d scoffed. They went for the more practical and unpretentious interiors from the Walmart she’d visited earlier in the evening. She was so busy soaking everything in she jumped a little when Gabe looked at her and said, “Thank you so much again for the ride. I hope you have a great night’s sleep.”
Lucy looked at the young man, who was still a stranger to her, but also felt like a close friend. “You’re most welcome.”
Gabe and Rae turned around and shut the door and went quietly down the stairs.
When they reached the bottom and were out of earshot of Lucy, Rae smiled at Gabe. “Well, well, well, your first vision quest! This IS exciting. I am so proud of you for getting her here.”
Gabe glanced behind him to make sure Lucy hadn’t heard. He looked back toward his aunt and said in a hushed tone, “She wouldn’t have come unless she was ready.”
3
The First Step
Just as Lucy expected, she woke up with the sun as its beams radiated from the ceiling. The pleasant smell of bacon and coffee and the sounds of laughter filled the air. Torn between hiding in bed and not facing the realities of the choice she made last night, her rumbling belly won out and forced her up. The cold hardwood floors on her feet sent shivers through her body as she headed to her suitcase to grab clothes. Before she opened it, she noticed the clean towels sitting on the dresser. A shower was too intoxicating to pass up, despite her hunger.
The warm water on her body was a welcome friend, caressing her softly. For such an old house, it had surprisingly much better water pressure than hers. She wanted to get a plumber to check it out, but Colt said it was a waste of money. This rain style shower was like one she’d seen once in a movie and fantasized about having. It also had a detachable hose she could switch on to get her “tits, pits, and bits” extra clean.
The shower wasn’t all relaxing. It also started her mind racing, as showers tend to do. What would she do next? Should she go back? This had definitely been a pleasant break from reality, but if she didn’t go back, she was homeless. Colt was going to be furious. If he somehow found her in this luxury, she wouldn’t hear the end of it. She decided to just take it “bird by bird,” one step at a time—finish the shower, get dressed, eat breakfast, and then she could do the next thing. No harm in waiting until she had a full belly to decide how to handle the mess she put herself in.
The urge to turn on her phone and Google what to do when running away from home weighed heavy, but she resisted. She wasn’t ready to be tracked. Not without a plan.
She opened the bag she’d packed months ago and put on a pair of jeans and a white T-shirt. Did they use to be this loose?
Catching her reflection in the full-length mirror in the corner, she examined herself. The bags under her eyes and pale skin she’d noticed last night were still there, but she must have lost at least ten if not fifteen pounds in recent months. Last she checked, she was 145, but she hadn’t stood on a scale for a year. She hadn’t really had much of an appetite lately, but she also hadn’t focused on herself at all as of late. All her energy went into taking care of Colt.
Her ensemble and appearance were less than desirable. Knowing she didn’t want to wear the same thing as last night, she scrunched her face in disappointment, exhaled, and made her way downstairs.
The aroma of breakfast became more heavenly when her foot hit the first step. She closed her eyes to take in the scent of coffee—it was a siren call, beckoning her onward. In the darkness, she stumbled over something furry, catching herself before falling. The furry resident was a tabby cat. It rubbed against her legs and when Lucy peered closer, she read its name tag hanging off its blue collar. “Penelope.” Bending down to pick her up, she said, “Hello Penelope, you’re just the cutest!” Penelope purred. It made Lucy miss Garfield.
Lucy gently placed the cat on the floor, and Penelope promptly ran away chasing after a nonexistent creature. Lucy continued downstairs and when she reached the dining room, Gabe greeted her with a warm smile.
“Good morning Lucy, I hope you slept well.”
“Yes, I did, better than I have in a long time.”
“I bet. You nearly slept the morning away.”
“Oh no, what time is it?” Lucy realized she hadn’t even looked.
“Ten thirty.”
Worry replaced Lucy’s tranquility. “Is there any breakfast left? What time is checkout?” Was she going to make a plan and face reality without a full belly?
“No worries. Aunt Rae always makes more than enough every morning and there’s no rush to checkout. Follow me.”
Lucy shook off her fear for the moment and followed Gabe to a dining table. There were three other guests sitting at the table who appeared to be finishing their breakfast. A smiling young Asian woman probably around Lucy’s age in her thirties; an older Black man with gray in his hair and a purple and green golf shirt; and a white man who looked like a politician in a suit, who looked to be in his mid-fifties.
Gabe pulled out a chair for her next to the woman. Right when Lucy sat down, her stomach grumbled loud enough for everyone at the table to hear.
“You’ve come to the right place,” the woman said. “The food here is exquisite. I’m Daisy. What’s your name?”
“Lucy.”
“This is Gerald,” Daisy said, gesturing to the politician, “and Reggie.”
Reggie waved and smiled and opened his mouth as if he were about to speak when Gerald interjected, “She’s not lying about the food. It’s probably one of the biggest things that has kept me here. Try the grits. Have you had grits? I had my doubts. I’m from New York and had never had them, but O-M-G, they’re A-Mazing. Gabe, what are you waiting for? Get Lucy a plate!”
Gabe smiled with tight lips and drew a deep breath. His exasperation with Gerald made her like him even more. He turned his head toward her. “Lucy, how would you like your eggs?”
“Oh, sunny side up.” Lucy spoke softly to counter Gerald’s energy and to add calm back into her morning.
“Got it.” Gabe turned toward what Lucy assumed was the kitchen.
Reggie cleared his throat, but before he could speak, Gerald got his words out first again. “Lucy, so where are you from? What brings you here?” Daisy shot him a look as if this was an inappropriate question.
“Originally I’m from North Carolina, but I live in Booneville, Mississippi now. And you said you’re from New York? How long have you been visiting here?” Lucy asked, side-stepping the second question.
“Oh. I’m on day twenty, so I’m halfway through. I still haven’t found my way. Yesterday I tried my hand at making a mosaic. That was a disaster, but I guess it was better than when I went to the Open Mic. I did that first and nearly shat myself. It was so embarrassing.”
Lucy was so confused. Why was this guy doing all this artsy stuff? Almost seemingly against his will. Day twenty! Must be nice to have that much vacation. “What do you do in New York?” Lucy inquired, enabling his talkativeness.
“I’m a hedge fund manager.”
Now that fit. He must be going through some kind of mid-life crisis, she thought. She was getting hangry. Gerald’s presence felt like nails on a chalkboard in the middle of pure bliss. Attempting to shift the focus away from Gerald, Lucy turned her attention to Reggie so he could get a word in. “Reggie, what about you? Where are you from? What do you think is a must-do or must-see in Nashville?”
“I’m from New Orleans. Not sure what’s a must-do, because I don’t know you all that well, but for me, I love the Bluebird Cafe. My wife and I went there for our twentieth wedding anniversary to see our daughter sing. I’ve never seen either of them happier.” He smiled and closed his eyes. “I can smell her perfume just thinking about it.” He opened his eyes and his smile seemed to turn to heartbreak in a flash.
The conversation paused when Gabe came in with a smorgasbord of southern breakfast staples and coffee. Her plate had eggs, biscuits, hash browns, bacon, and, of course, the grits that Gerald raved about. The coffee smelled otherworldly and had notes of hazelnut.
It was the perfect breakfast, just what she would’ve ordered if she could’ve had anything. The food put her in a trance. She barely noticed when thunder rolled loudly.
As she continued to devour her meal, the others talked about how it was going to rain and debated which was better: umbrellas or rain jackets. Although their chatter was background noise, it occurred to Lucy that she had neither. As she ate the last bite, she knew she was going to need to stick to the decision she made earlier in the shower. Decide what to do next.
The answer became obvious. Get some cash. She looked down at her hands and looked at her wedding ring. Could she pawn it? It wasn’t a real diamond but she was pretty sure it was gold. That should get her a place in The Tower for at least a week, an umbrella (the clearly superior option), and some clothes perhaps. Next, she needed to let someone know she was okay. She’d ask Gabe if she could use his phone to call Anna. One step at a time.
When she looked up after settling on this plan, she was shocked to see only Gabe sitting across from her. She’d been so deep in her thoughts she hadn’t realized the others had left.
“Gabe, I didn’t realize you were there.” She contemplated telling Gabe about her predicament. He’d been so kind. Before she could get the words out, Gabe spoke.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to sneak up on you. I was just going to ask you if you had plans today.”
“No, not yet, I was just trying to figure that out,” Lucy said. She held herself back from adding, “I was just trying to make a plan for the rest of my life.”
Gabe smiled and with shoulders shrugged, said, “Would you like to see some of my art?”
“Sure, that sounds nice. Is it in a gallery?”
“No. More like a studio. It’s here, so it isn’t far.” Gabe smiled and then pulled out the painting from his bag she’d seen the night before. “I’m going to frame this one today to hang. Do you like it?”
Lucy stared at a painting of herself chasing the sunset. Hairs were standing at attention on her arm. It was definitely her and her vision—the stream by her house in the foreground was uncanny. She wasn’t being narcissistic, or at least she didn’t think so. Could she be seeing things?
Shaking the thought from her mind, she smiled at Gabe and said, “Could we swing by a pawn shop first?”
“Of course,” Gabe said. “I know just the one. Follow me.”
It was pouring, but Gabe lent Lucy the most beautiful umbrella. The inside looked like it was hand-painted in gold with notes of turquoise. The top was a turquoise gradient, and the handle looked to be made of pure gold. She felt like a wealthy Italian heiress carrying it. It was just like one she imagined in a book she loved and made her so happy. She almost forgot about the thunderstorm, but once they got to the car, she had to put the umbrella away. As she did, she realized the guests who claimed raincoats were better had a point. She got soaked anyway as she ungracefully slipped into her seat, but it was rare for Lucy to feel as fancy as she did with that umbrella. It’s worth getting wet, she thought.
Gabe, once again in the navigator’s seat, directed her through the neighborhood of the B&B and toward the pawn shop. He clearly knew the area like the back of his hand. The pawn shop looked ordinary enough. It was in a strip mall next to a nail salon, grocery store, hobby store, and a Mexican restaurant. When Gabe opened the door for Lucy, fear paralyzed her from stepping one foot into the store.
The fear was like what she felt as she was leaving Mississippi last night and glancing in the rearview mirror to see if they were being followed. If Colt yelled at her for letting Garfield out, what would he do if she pawned or sold her wedding ring? Leaving behind the symbol of her and Colt’s love for one another wasn’t just about the money. She was making a choice to leave him behind and move on.
“What are you doing out there? Come in, come in, why don’t you? You’re going to get all the merchandise wet,” a small woman said as she approached Gabe and Lucy, ushering them inside.
She looked Lucy up and down. “You’re here to pawn your wedding ring, am I right?”
“Well, I … ” Lucy stammered, having trouble finding the words.
“I’m right.” The woman smirked. She grabbed Lucy’s hand and pulled her quickly through the store toward the cash register. “I can always tell when a woman is thinking about parting with a promise. There’s no mistaking it and no shame in it. No shame in it at all. You can be proud you made this decision.”
Lucy touched her face, trying to feel the expression the peculiar-looking lady was talking about. She was a tiny old woman, about 4’10”, with long white hair. She was wearing a green dress that looked like it was from a renaissance festival. Lucy tried to calm her nerves and was actually relieved that she didn’t have to say anything to initiate the transaction.
The store breezed by as the woman pulled her through it, and she examined it as best she could along the way. The store itself was dimly lit and besides the “normal” items you’d expect to find in a pawn shop like TVs and jewelry, there were exotic trinkets and even a large, medieval knight’s suit of armor. A musty smell wafted toward her from the old books in the rear of the store.
As they reached the counter, an enormous door opened in the back, and out came a tall man with thick white hair in a black-collared shirt and black pants. His face was long and stern as his eyes darted toward Lucy and the tiny woman. The man approached, and he revealed a surprising warmth, smiling and saying, “Welcome to the Last Chance Pawn Shop! Is Alice helping you?”
“Well…uh, she was just,” said Lucy hesitantly, shifting her gaze toward Alice.
“I’m helping her, run along you’re not needed here. This is a matter of a sensitive nature.” She lifted Lucy’s hand that she was still holding, tilting the ring in the man’s direction.
“Okay then.” The man nodded and then spotted Gabe behind them. “Gabe!” he exclaimed enthusiastically.
He sauntered toward him, and they hugged. Alice brought Lucy’s attention back, and with shaking hands, Lucy asked, “How much do you think I could get for this?”
“Let me take a closer look. Can you take it off?”
Lucy didn’t have to tug too hard. It had been on pretty much constantly for the last ten years, but the weight she lost recently had made it almost fall off.
Alice examined the ring carefully and went behind the counter to get one of those microscope things that jewelers have. “Do you want to pawn it or sell it?”
This made Lucy’s head spin and her heart race. If she sold it, she feared Colt would ask her for the money when he found her. “Well, I’m not sure. What’s the difference again?”
“Eh Gabe,” Alice shouted across the shop, “she on a quest?”
Gabe nodded yes while shooting daggers with his eyes at Alice and made a “cut-it-out” motion across his neck. Her hand flew to her mouth, looking at Lucy like she’d told a child that Santa wasn’t real. Regaining her composure quickly, she said, “I’d say pawn it, dear, just to be safe. I’ll give you $750 for it now and then write you up a standard forty day contract.”
“What did you mean by a quest?” Lucy inquired with her head tilted and brow furrowed in utter confusion.
