Just Breathe Again - Mia Villano Page 0,4

could play his game longer. That should keep him preoccupied for a while. I’ll call you when I get there,” said Jeannie, hugging her crying daughter.

“Pray to Mary. She will listen. It’s going to be okay.” She was trying to convince herself more than her daughter.

Lydia wiped tears from her eyes with the sleeve of her shirt. “Tell Daddy I love him, Mom.” She didn’t want to let go of her mom as she continued to hang onto her.

“I will, sweetheart. Stay by the phone and remember to pray. I have to go.” Jeannie squeezed her tight and ran out the door and down the driveway in record time.

Pulling onto the busy highway, she picked up her cell phone and called Marsha, her best friend and one person other than Vince she trusted.

~~~~~~

The two of them met when Vince built their house. They were the only other people on the road at the time. Marsha, outgoing and friendly with anyone, had to come over and introduce herself the instant she saw them one afternoon working on their house.

“Hey neighbors,” she yelled, still in the car with her hand waving.

Both Vince and Jeannie were sitting under a tree resting and having something to drink when she arrived. Jeannie, shy and quiet, was in no mood for socializing. She was tired, hot, and in need of a long shower after working on the house all morning.

“What’s this?” she whispered to Vince.

“It’s the neighbor, I think. Smile and be nice,” he whispered back through gritted teeth.

“She looks like something from Woodstock,” Jeannie replied, forcing a fake smile as Marsha approached them.

“Hey, I’m Marsha Felton. My husband John and I are your only neighbors. I’m so happy to see someone else out here, man. We have been here for ten years with no neighbors and I’m ready to go out of my mind with loneliness. Now, I have new friends. I’m so excited.”

Ready to go out of her mind, Jeannie thought, she was already out of her mind. Jeannie took in her outfit, thinking to herself this woman must be mentally disturbed. She had on bell bottom jeans, a peace t-shirt, a bandana tied in her blond hair, and an arm adorned with bracelets. She reeked of patchouli oil and incense.

Reaching his hand out to shake, Marsha was already on the ground kneeling in front of them. “It’s nice to meet you, Marsha. I’m Vince Franklin, and this is Jeannie, my wife,”

“Hi,” whispered Jeannie, afraid to make eye contact with this strange woman.

Marsha didn’t shake Vince’s hand. She reached over and gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek. Before Jeannie could stand up and run, Marsha also embraced her in a bear hug.

“Wow. I’m so excited to have you both here. I want you to come over for dinner tonight. John will be ecstatic to know he has another man to hang around with. I’m making my famous shish kabobs on the grill. What do you say, around six?” asked Marsha.

Jeannie tried to get Vince to read her eyes as she bore into his pleading to get him to make up something.

“Dinner sounds great. We can run home and get cleaned up. What should we bring?”

“Not a damn thing, man. I invited you. I will leave you two alone and go home and get ready. I can’t wait. Jeannie you and I are going to be best buddies. My psychic told me last week, someone was coming in my life. Mamma, he meant you,” she pointed at Jeannie and winked. She walked back to her car which was a yellow vintage VW bug and slid in.

“I can’t wait to show you around here. I will see you cats around six,” she yelled, waving her arm out the window. As she sped off, Janis Joplin blared out the open window.

Jeannie let Vince have it as soon as the car was gone.

“Are you crazy? I don’t want to go over there. She’s nuts. She referred to us as… cats. You can go alone.” She yelled.

“Stop, Jeannie. She’s nice and it’s someone to talk to other than me.” His gaze was calm and cool.

“I don’t need anyone to talk to but you, Vince. I’m too busy trying to make us successful. I don’t have time for peace and love and that hippie shit,” she yelled again.

“You need to lighten up, Jeannie. You’re sounding like your mother, and remember I promised to tell you if you did. She looks like she’s going to be fun