it’s my fault. I should have never pried into your personal life at a time like this.”
“You’re a good person, Isla. Once Willow is back home, we’ll have you and your family over for dinner.”
“I’d like that very much.”
Isla finished cutting in silence. Razor cutting took extra time and care, and she was eager to prove that she was a better stylist than Felicia’s “girl” down in Portland. She whipped out the blow-dryer and ran her fingers through Felicia’s damp strands as the hot air created the desired effect. After the final touches, she handed the mirror to Felicia and hoped she liked the haircut. The woman gazed at herself for over a minute, scrutinizing, holding the mirror up at different angles, before sighing.
“Maybe a bit too short on the bangs, but otherwise it looks okay.”
Okay? She had put her heart and soul into this cut and knew it looked fantastic. Better than fantastic. Fabulous. And all Felicia could say in response was that it looked okay?
She took off the striped cape and folded it up before stashing it back in her bag. All her other tools had been neatly put away.
“God, that haircut wiped me out.”
Isla stood there, waiting for her money.
“Would you be a dear and sweep up all that hair for me?” Felicia said. “The broom and dustpan are in the closet.”
“Sure.” She grabbed them and quickly swept up the hair and discarded it in the trash.
“Do you take cards?” Felicia asked.
“Cards?” How was she supposed to process a credit card here? “I’m not able to do that, Felicia.”
“Gil handles all our checks, and it seems I’m completely out of cash.”
“Don’t worry about it, then,” Isla said, biting her tongue. “You can pay me at the salon the next time you come in.”
“Oh.” Felicia looked confused. “Okay.”
Isla thanked her and walked toward the front door. As she opened it, she heard footsteps coming up behind her. She turned and saw Felicia running toward her. Felicia embraced her, rested her newly coiffed head on Isla’s shoulder, and sobbed uncontrollably.
“You think I’m a bad person, don’t you? I just know you do.”
“No, Felicia, I don’t at all think that.”
“Have you ever loved someone so bad that it physically hurts?”
“Yes.”
“Well, that’s how this feels to me. It hurts, Isla. Really bad.”
“I understand, Felicia. I’m a mother, too.”
“I try to be a good wife and mother—and friend. I really do.”
“I’m sure you are.”
“I’m afraid I can’t even live up to my own expectations.”
Felicia pushed away from her and then strode back toward the kitchen. With the door half open, Isla watched her with curiosity. She felt sorry for the woman and hoped she’d soon be reunited with her daughter. Maybe they could all be friends someday, when this ordeal had passed and both girls had recovered from their trauma. Was she a bad person to think this way? When the woman’s daughter was still missing and possibly dead? She chided herself. And yet she couldn’t help thinking that she’d like to become friends with this mysterious woman. An accomplished actor, mother, and wife who’d, for whatever reason, disappeared from the bright lights of stardom and fame and ended up in her little town.
KATIE
THE FIRST NIGHT ALCOHOL TOUCHED MY LIPS, I CRIED. I DON’T KNOW why. Happiness? Hormones? Because of the discovery of my newfound social life? I found myself straddling two different worlds. Added to that, the alcohol had a weird effect on me. It made me sad. And then it made me happy, especially when that cute boy sat next to me on the couch. The fire in the massive stone fireplace blazed brightly and warmed the skin on my forearms.
It felt nice to take a break from school and the daily grind of rehearsals, as well as the ongoing stress of my home life. There was Raisin’s fluctuating blood sugars, the constant lack of money, the continuous tension between my parents, and then dealing with my grandfather’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis. I discovered that alcohol loosened me up and made me less uptight around people. I talked more and didn’t feel nervous. I reveled in its powers of escapism, as well as its ability to make me feel like I belonged somewhere, with kids that understood and liked me. I told myself it would be a one-shot deal on account of the upcoming softball season, which would be starting in a few weeks.
It surprised me that I didn’t flinch when that cute boy put his arm around me. After all, I