It gives me hope and courage, but what do you think?”
“I think Filly has the ability to read people,” Sophie answered. “Kind of like a sixth sense. I don’t know if palms really figure into it all that much, but what she said about our hands sure made me feel better.”
“I’m going to believe that she’s got the gift of seeing beyond today because I want to,” Emma said. “I want to get past all that stuff I’ve buried and move on with life. Now, enough of this, let’s get you packed up. What time will Teddy be here tomorrow?”
“Right after breakfast,” Sophie answered.
Emma stood up and touched her milk glass to Sophie’s. “To a bright future for both of us, just like Filly said.”
“To us!” Sophie said.
Chapter Eleven
Sophie was up at the crack of dawn, made coffee, and took a cup to the front porch. Teddy wouldn’t arrive for at least a couple of hours, but she was too excited to sleep. Tonight she would fall asleep in his arms, and tomorrow morning they would have breakfast together. That was, if he wasn’t breaking up with her. He had never given her a reason to even think that was the case, but if he did, she wasn’t sure she could handle it. He’d been her rock as well as her manager for years. She didn’t want to lose him in either way.
“Good morning,” Emma said behind her.
“What are you doing up at this time of day?” Sophie moved over to give Emma room to sit beside her.
“Wanted to watch the sunrise this morning. I’m glad I get to see it with you. I had another dream last night.” Emma eased down on the porch so that she wouldn’t spill a drop of the full mug of coffee in her hands.
“Why didn’t you wake me?” Sophie asked.
“I stood up to my mother in the dream,” Emma said. “I told her that this is my life, and I’ll live it however I please. She started to tell me how foolish I was and said I was too delicate to know how to run my own business.”
“What happened?” Sophie was having even more second thoughts about leaving Emma alone.
“I said I might fall,” Emma said, then grew serious. “But if I did, I’d get up with the help of all my new friends, pull the cactus needles out of my ass, and try again. Then I picked up my suitcase and carried it out of the house. I told Jeffrey to take me to the bus station, and he nodded. That’s when I woke up. What do you think it means?”
“I’ll go back to one of the therapists’ lines and ask, ‘How did it make you feel?’”
Emma blew on the top of her coffee and then took a sip. “Free at last. Kind of like the words of that song say: ‘Free at last, thank God Almighty, I’m free at last.’”
“Well,” Sophie said, “I think the suitcase symbolizes the baggage that you’re carrying with you, and the fact that you’re willing to take it with you and own it as yours is a good sign. You aren’t hiding anything anymore, and you don’t care what Victoria thinks.”
“That’s easy to say when I’ve got this perfect hiding place away from her right now.” Emma sighed. “But when the time comes that I have to face her in person, will I cave in, or will I be able to tell her to go to hell?”
“You’re gaining more and more independence every day, Em, but when that time comes, I’ll be standing right behind you. Victoria has lost her power. Just remember that,” Sophie told her.
“I hope you’re right,” Emma said and then pointed at the eastern sky. “Look at that gorgeous sunrise. This is going to be a good day. I haven’t had this feeling since we were kids and it was the day for Rebel to come clean our house. That always meant she would bring you with her, and I couldn’t hardly sleep the night before.”
“Then you’re not going to miss me?” Sophie teased.
“Not in the least,” Emma told her, “and if you believe that, I’ve got some oceanfront property in New Mexico that I’d like to sell you.”
“We’ve made some good memories,” Sophie said.
“But none of them are as good as what we’re making these days.” Emma grinned. “We shouldn’t be talking. We should be painting that gorgeous sunrise. I’ve never seen so many brilliant colors. How many have you painted?”