she wrapped her small arms around Gigi and hugged the ever-loving daylights out of her. “I thought I’d never see you again, my sweet girl. Thank you for coming back.”
Gigi stood there in shock as the woman held on for dear life. She and her mother had been friends with Liza, and Gigi had loved her as a child, but she’d had no idea the woman had missed her that much. If she’d known, she'd have made an effort to come see her sooner.
“It’s really good to see you, Liza,” Gigi said into her curly gray hair as she hugged the older woman back. “I missed you.”
Liza let out a sound that resembled a choked sob, but when she finally let go of Gigi, her eyes were clear without a single tear in sight. There was joy in her dark eyes and a smile claiming her thin lips. “Come inside. We’ll have tea.”
Sebastian followed them into the tidy house, and when Liza instructed them to sit on the loveseat in her living room, they did as they were told.
“I’ll be right back,” she said, shuffling into her kitchen. When she reemerged a few minutes later, she had a lemonade pitcher on a tray and three saucers, but no cups or glasses. She frowned down at her tray and then scowled. “How are we going to eat scones, if I didn’t even bring them with me?”
Gigi stood. “Let me go get them. Why don’t you sit down and talk to Sebastian for a minute? Get reacquainted.”
When Liza turned to him and introduced herself for a second time, Gigi’s heart sank. The woman had known who she was, but there were a lot of incidents of forgetting stuff already. It was a bummer for their investigation, but more than that, Gigi was worried about her and needed to find out if anyone was watching over her.
After grabbing three glasses and conducting a futile search for scones, she settled on a package of cookies and returned to the living room, where Sebastian was telling her all about Gigi’s house in Premonition Pointe.
Gigi grinned at them, filled the glasses with lemonade, and then passed out the cookies.
“Oh, these are my favorite,” Liza said. “How did you know?”
“Lucky guess,” Gigi said and sat next to her.
It didn’t take long for Liza to start talking about Carolyn. She repeated a bunch of photoshoot stories that Carolyn must’ve told her years ago as if they were current. Gigi had heard all of them a hundred times before. It sort of unnerved her that Liza thought her mother was just on assignment, but she didn’t bother to correct her. Why would she? Liza didn’t need to relive the pain of her mother’s disappearance.
Sebastian was a good sport and asked her all kinds of questions to keep Liza going. That seemed like a good plan until Liza suddenly started talking about Gigi’s father.
Gigi stiffened, a reaction she always had when someone brought up her sperm donor.
“You know, I really do think your dad might be back to stay this time,” Liza said, beaming at her.
“Back to stay?” Gigi forced out through the tightness in her chest. “What do you mean?” As far as Gigi knew, her father had never lived in Bellside, nor had he ever visited her.
“He was here to talk to her. Seemed real interested in a reconciliation, but you know Carolyn. She threw him out. I suppose she wants to make him work for it.” Liza glanced around the room. “Have you seen my cigarettes?”
“You’re smoking again?” Gigi asked, just so she wouldn’t have to process what Liza had said about her father.
“I never stopped,” Liza said, reaching into an oversize pocket in her sweater and producing a pack of menthol lights.
Gigi knew that wasn’t correct either. She’d lived next door when Liza had suddenly quit, and when Gigi left town, it had been six months since Liza’s last cigarette.
Liza lit up one of her cigarettes and then sat there and smoked it like it was the most precious thing she’d ever tasted. Maybe it was. Gigi wouldn’t know, having never taken up smoking.
“Liza,” Gigi said.
“Yes, dear?” She took another long drag of the cigarette and started coughing before she blew it out.
“Easy,” Gigi soothed. “It’s probably better if you savor it for a while.”
“You’re right,” Liza agreed. “I wish I had one of those cigarette holders they used in the movies. Not only would I look hot, but I’d be the talk of the town