She lightly touches her cheeks, and now they are covered with flour too.
“I was just telling Ella how it would be lovely if the two of you could come down here for the summer. Jerry and Christie and the kids usually go hiking and we go with them sometimes. If you came, we could make a big family trip out of it,” Matthew says.
I watch him while he uses the coffee machine.
“Yeah, wouldn’t that be nice? I don’t think we have any plans for the summer,” Ella says, throwing me a confrontational look over her shoulder. I glare at her but smile at Sally and Matthew, who look like they’re expecting an answer from me.
“Good. That’s settled then. We should tell Jerry; he’ll be thrilled,” Matthew says excitedly.
I sit down at the kitchen table with the coffee mug he’s handed me. From this angle, I have a good view of Ella’s butt while she works. It shakes and jiggles and makes my cock come alive again. I have to remind myself to behave.
“There’s a local farmer’s market today. Your uncle and I usually wander over on Sunday afternoons; we thought maybe you would like to go. There will be people there who knew your dad and would love to see you,” Sally continues.
“Sure,” I say even though I’m not really interested in meeting other people.
I thought coming here to Bridgesville would somehow give me answers, maybe some closure. But I don’t yet feel particularly closer to my parents. I don’t even know what to think about the theory that my mother may still be alive. The idea that she willingly gave me up to the system sounds more like a bitter betrayal than the loss of her life.
I’m glad that Ella is here and I can usually distract myself from disturbing thoughts by just staring at her. If it weren’t for her, I would be totally losing my mind right now.
“I’m going to go get changed,” Ella says while Sally pops the baking tray in the hot oven.
When Ella brushes past me, she touches my shoulder slightly. I look up at her, and I know she’s thinking about that kiss too. I can’t wait for tonight. By this point, it’s an open understanding between us, even though we haven’t exactly spoken about it in words. We are just going to behave like every couple crazy about each other does. At least while we’re here, we don’t have to worry about the real world and the rules of dating and being in a relationship.
Ella seems to be on the same page, and I applaud her maturity.
“She’s a good one,” Matthew says, breaking me out of my thoughts. I realize I’ve been staring after her, even though she’s not in the room right now. Sally comes over, rubbing her hands on her apron.
“Yeah, she’s something special,” I reply and take a big sip of my hot coffee.
I don’t know what I feel for Ella. Lust is definitely on top of that list. I haven’t even started to examine the rest. Maybe I won’t need to once we leave this place.
“You know your dad loved your mom like this. With great passion and romance. I can see you get it from him,” Matthew continues.
I have to clench my jaw. It’s difficult hearing these little nuggets of information about my father. I can’t help but be filled with a sudden sense of loss.
“And what about my mom?” I ask. This time, it is Sally who sighs. She’s standing behind me and puts her hands on my shoulders as if to console me.
“She was crazy about Dan, honey. We knew she would lose her mind if something happened to him. Which was why we were so worried about her. We didn’t know how she was coping.”
“Maybe she did die,” I say. “What about her family? Parents? Siblings? Cousins?”
“Annie had nobody in the world except Dan,” Matthew says. “There was no way for us to get in contact with her if she didn’t want to be found.”
“I’m going to make sure the hospital gives me some answers,” I say.
“Yes, dear, we all hope you can get to the bottom of this. For all our sakes,” Sally says.
14
Ella
The farmer’s market in Bridgesville is a happy, lively place where everyone knows one another. The weather is pleasant today, a little warm even, so I decide to wear a long skirt and a peasant top to go with it. I have bangles on my wrists and large hoop earrings