Glimmers

by Barbara Brooke

  “Julian,” he says, his eyes still twinkling at the sight of Hailey.

  “Julian, do you not agree perhaps another venue would have been more appropriate for you to declare your undying love to my daughter?” inquires my mother, raising her eyebrows.

  “You’re right, of course,” he says. “I guess I panicked. When I met Paige the other night, she invited me to come and set things right. I felt I had to be here, or I’d lose Hailey forever.”

  Hailey and my mother look horrified, and my mom questions, “I see, and Paige, exactly why, may I ask, would you invite Hailey’s lover to her bridal shower?”

  Yikes, it sounds so horrible when put like that.

  I rub the sides of my head and hope to disappear from this awful scene. When I return my attention to my mom, I see she is still waiting for my response.

  “I guess . . . I panicked, too?” I’m biting my lip and trying to avoid the intense glare I’m receiving from Hailey. “Look, Hailey and I had a falling out. I said some things I wish I hadn’t. I was only trying to help. I realize I shouldn’t have asked for him to show up here tonight.” Quickly, I shift my gaze toward Julian, who appears hurt. “Julian, I am so sorry. We should have arranged a better place for you and Hailey to reconcile. I really wanted to help you guys work things out. And you,” I look at my sister, “weren’t making things any easier by not accepting my calls.” When I am finished, I sit back against the couch, hoping my interrogation is over.

  “I see,” says my mother, running her hand along her cheek. “Paige, I’d like to have a word in private.”

  “Great! I’ll just head off into the bedroom. Take all the time you need out here,” I say in delight, leaping from the couch and then boogying out of the room.

  “Paige, not so fast, I would like a word with you,” Mom explains, and my smile falters. She points a long finger toward the star crossed lovers, still sitting on the couch. “You two stay put. This is far from over. If I were you, I’d take the next few minutes and work out what you plan to do. And Julian, you may want to fix that button.”

  How embarrassing for them. I muffle a chuckle, as I am lead into my bedroom by my mother. I feel a lot like I did as a child after being caught doing something wrong. I’m an adult, and I shouldn’t be scolded by my mother. Just when I get the nerve to leave the room, however, she nudges me in the direction of the bed. I am forced to sit, and she promptly joins me.

  “Paige, what is happening with you? Do you want to talk about it?” Mom asks and reaches for my hand.

  I look up and am surprised by her all-knowing expression. “What do you mean?”

  “It’s not like you, becoming wrapped up with such ridiculous nonsense. And lately, you’ve been different, somehow.”

  My mom couldn't know what is happening to me. That would be impossible.

  “Paige, look at me,” she says before I can answer. She lifts my face and holds it tenderly in her soft powdery hand. “I have a feeling I’ll understand. In fact, maybe I can help shed a little light on your new talent.” She places emphasis on the word talent, and I feel my body stiffen. Did Elliott or my sister say something?

  I’m completely caught off guard and am dumbstruck on how to respond. Finally, after staring at her with my mouth wide open, I speak, “I’m not sure you would understand, Mom.”

  “Try me.”

  I take in a deep breath and then pour out my heart, “Okay, a few days ago, I’m standing in my kitchen and suddenly, it isn't my kitchen. I am looking in the mirror, but it's not my reflection I see. For months, I'm living Delilah’s life and suddenly, ZAP! I'm back in my body and only half an hour passed.” I pause, waiting for my mother’s reaction.

  “I see, but what does this have to do with Hailey?” she asks.

  “Well, the day I went to pick up Hailey’s wedding ring, I tried it on for size. But, when I looked down, I didn't see my hands, I saw Hailey’s! But more importantly, I saw Julian. I saw Julian through Hailey's eyes, and I could actually feel her love for him!” I shake my head in dismay. “What was I to do?”

  “What did you do?” Mom asks softly.

  “Well, I confronted Hailey about it. Of course, she just denied everything, which made me really angry. We exchanged some rather heated words, and Hailey left. But then, I had a third vision. After you gave Emma's dresser to me, I flashed into her life.” I shift my position, beginning to relax a bit. “By the way, did you know Emma was practically engaged to another man before meeting our great-grandfather?” My mother’s expression is difficult to read. She is sitting very still, so I continue, “Anyway, after watching Emma find her true love, I just knew I had to help Hailey, and that's when I went to see Julian.”

  After a few seconds of silence, my mother finally speaks, “Since the moment you were born, I wondered if this day would come, and how I would explain your talent to you…I’m still not sure what to say, but you are not going crazy. The things you have seen are real. They are memories of events that have truly taken place. In fact, your experience is not unique. A long line of women in our family have been blessed with a natural gift to see the lives of others. I wish I had been one of them.”

  “I don’t understand. You knew this about me?”

  “Not necessarily, no. I suspected, but I didn’t know. I wondered when, as a child, you would tell me all about your imaginary friends. They changed from month to month. Do you recall your imaginary friend, Mr. Willis? He was your favorite. You began talking about him just after you discovered his set of gardening tools in the shed. It always struck me as funny how accurate you were in your description of the man, although you had never met him. After all, he passed away shortly after you were born. Nice old man.”

  “I do remember him!” I exclaim excitedly. “I thought I had made him up! I can’t believe he was actually real . . . and you haven’t told me he existed before now.”

  “What do you suppose I should have said? I wasn’t certain you had inherited the gift. As far as I knew, you could have learned about Mr. Willis through a conversation you overheard between your father and me,” my mother replies. “I decided to simply watch you. It was perfectly normal for a child of your age to have imaginary friends. You stopped talking about them when you were about nine years old, and I simply assumed perhaps your ‘friends’ were just imaginary and not real.”

  “I see,” I say, still absorbing her words.

  “Anyway, the gift bounces around the family, with no real rhyme or reason. What I do know is that my mother could do the same. She felt sorry for me that I had not been granted the same gift and she shared with me all of her fantastic tales. Most of them were extraordinary. I remember listening to her, as she described other people’s lives.” My mom looks at me and asks, “Is there anything else you'd like to know?”

  “What causes the visions? Why am I starting to have them now? Will they stop coming eventually? Yeah, I guess I have a lot of questions for you.”

  “You call them ‘visions.’ That’s cute. My mother called them ‘glimmers.’ She used to describe how everything became so sharp, the air would glimmer.” Mom stares toward nowhere in particular. “Well, to answer your questions. They generally begin when you hold or wear something that was once important to someone else—an item that still carries ‘emotional glimmer.’ You were born with this talent, and I’m not sure why it has resurfaced now. My mother started when she was sixteen. The visions came and went for her, usually when she least expected it. Don’t let it worry you, though, my mother lived a normal life and so will you. In fact, she said that eventually she enjoyed those moments. She loved seeing life from someone else’s perspective.”

  “I understand that. After I got over the shock, I discovered they were kind of fun. Only, to be perfectly honest, I’d rather not see what is happening in Hailey’s life, at least not first hand,” I say, and we both laugh.

  “I’ll tell you what, let me go and deal with Romeo and Juliet. You and I can discuss this more tomorrow.”

>   I smile at her comment and hesitate before asking, “So, just to be clear, I don’t have to go out there with you?”

  “No, you’ve had enough to deal with tonight,” Mom says before standing and kissing my forehead. “Sleep tight.”

  “Thanks Mom. And you know what, I like the name ‘glimmers.’ I think I’ll use that,” I say with a smile still plastered on my face. “Goodnight.”

  “Goodnight, dear,” she says, leaving the room. Before the door shuts behind her, I hear her lecture begin for my sister and Julian. “Now, as for the two of you . . .” and the door shuts mid-sentence. Darn, what was she about to say?

  I debate about whether or not I should listen. Right now, I’d love to see the looks on their faces. That’s probably not such a great idea, though. Instead, I’ll take a hot bath and fall into bed.

  ~ * * * ~

  Elliott drags into the bedroom around 3:00 in the morning. I guess he and the boys took Derek to an Irish pub in Winter Park. They spent the evening playing darts and drinking Black & Tans. Actually, it sounds like they had a great time.

  I promise him the situation with my sister is under control, and my drill sergeant mother is on the case. I give him the play-by-play account on the lecture she gave us. I also tell him about what I learned from her about my little “condition.” All in all, he seems to handle this information rather well.

  ~ * * * ~

  As I awaken the next day, I snuggle closer to Elliott and discover I have a whole new appreciation for him. I stare at his sleeping face, when suddenly, his chest starts heaving erratically.

  “She called them Romeo and Juliet?” he says, while laughing. “I would have loved to have heard her lay into them.”

  “Me too, I almost listened through the door!” I say embarrassedly.

  “Do you have any idea how it went?”

  “No, but I’m dying to find out. Let’s go track down my mother and make her talk!” I leap out of bed and hurry to my closet. Just then, I realize Elliott is still under the covers and doesn’t appear eager to move. I look at him curiously and ask, “Aren’t you coming with me?”

  “I’m thinking . . . no,” he says and rubs his hand over my side of the bed. “Actually, I’m thinking, it’s still early. We should stay here. The kids are at the neighbors’ house, and I believe you owe me for my many acts of heroism, last night.” He grins widely and slinks further under the sheets.

  “Oh really,” I say, making my way to his side of the bed. “And what exactly do you have in mind?”

  When I’m close to the edge, he grabs my wrist and pulls me towards him. I land with a thud on his chest and begin to laugh.

  “I guess you just answered that question,” I tease, playfully landing kisses on his face.

  ~ * * * ~

  An hour passes before we decide to emerge from the room. My anxiousness amplifies, as I hear hushed talking come from the next room. When I open the door, I see my mother is on the phone. I overhear her say goodbye with words of love, before hanging up.

  “Mom, I have to know. What did you say to Hailey and Julian?” I eagerly wait for a response and plop down on the high back chair, leaning my elbows on the countertop.

  “Paige, must you be involved in every aspect of your sister’s life?” My mother looks up at me and shakes her head.

  I sit back a little in surprise and say, “So you’re not going to tell me? Come on, how did it end? What are they going to do?”

  “They have a lot to think about and discuss with each other. I have serious doubts about the wedding with Derek ever taking place,” Mom says, stopping long enough to stir cream into her coffee cup. “It’s probably a good idea to hold onto the gifts. Perhaps you can put them in the office,” she says, lifting one eyebrow.

  We are laughing hysterically, as Elliott walks into the room.

  “It seems there’s a lot of humor in this house these days,” he says, planting a kiss on my cheek. He stops by the coffee pot and puts his arm around my mother’s shoulders. “Nicely handled, Sarge.” He flashes a smile and pours his coffee.

  “Whatever do you mean?” she says, fluttering her eyelashes innocently.

  “I just hope this whole mess will be resolved soon, the sooner the better. I have to face Derek at work on Monday,” Elliott says while sitting in the chair beside me. He places his hand on my knee and the other grasps his drink.

  “Like I said, I am confident this will be resolved rather quickly,” my mother reassures us.

  Twenty

  “Paige, hurry up; your sister’s here waiting for us!” Elliott yells from the living room.

  “I’ll be right there! I just have to finish getting ready!” I run my hands through my hair and straighten my new dress. I still can’t believe I managed to not only design, but sew my very own dress. It actually looks pretty darn good, if I do say so myself. It’s tan with black embroidered designs dancing about the bottom. The top is styled with an empire waist and the fabric drapes nicely to just above my knees.

  “Come on, Paige. We’re going to be late. Wow, you look fantastic!” says Hailey, her head peeking through my bedroom door. “And I love your hair!”

  “Thanks! I owe it all to Marcus! You were right about him—he is amazing!” I exclaim, spraying my hair in a light mist.

  “I wonder if I should have seen him earlier today. He could have helped me with this heaping mess on top of my head.” She motions to her beautiful hair with a look of disgust.

  “Are you kidding me? You look gorgeous!” I say, rushing over to her. “And I love your little black dress. You know what, you are literally glowing.”

  “I suppose it’s because a huge burden has been lifted from my soul. I can finally sleep at night. Paige, I can’t believe I waited so long to choose between Derek and Julian. I should have known what was ‘sensible,’ a long time ago.”

  “Well, I know you made the right choice,” I say, and we stare at each other with large smiles.

  “What are we waiting for? Let’s go!” she says, pushing me out the door.

  Elliott and the sitter, Jenny, are standing in the family room. He is giving Jenny instructions on how to use the television remote.

  “Hi!” I say cheerfully. “Honestly, Jenny, it took me days to fully understand how to use that remote control correctly.”

  “Hopefully, I won’t have to call you later for remote trouble-shooting,” she says and peers up smiling. “You look amazing! Where did you get that dress?”

  “Thanks. I made it,” I reply.

  “You made that dress? You actually sewed it together?” Hailey asks, looking startled.

  “Yes, I did,” I say nonchalantly. Why is Hailey looking at me so oddly?

  “Since when have you ever sewn anything?” Hailey asks.

  “Since Mom taught me how,” I say smugly.

  “She taught you how when you were ten. You haven’t sewn a thing since,” counters Hailey.

  “Sure I have. In fact, I made those pillows,” I say, pointing towards the couch.

  “Pillows are a little different than designing a dress,” says Hailey, tugging at my hemline. “This isn’t going to unravel later is it?”

  “No, I think it’ll be fine.”

  “Well, I’m impressed. Not only does it look fantastic, it may actually stay together. I want one too. Only, can you make it in violet?” she says, still admiring my work.

  “I suppose so,” I say. “So you really like it?”

  “Yes, you have some serious talent!” Hailey exclaims.

  “Thanks.”

  “Mommy, I want you to make a fairy dress for me, with wings and a wand!” Elle exclaims, appearing out of nowhere.

  Liam is quick to chime, “Yeah Mom, could you make an alien costume for me? I want it to have big bulging eyes and lots of green slim!”

  “Sure guys,” I say, brushing my fingers through Liam’s soft golden strands of hair. “Are you ready for these little characters tonight?” I say to Jenny.

  “
I think I can handle them,” Jenny says, nudging Elle affectionately. Elle smiles adoringly up at her.

  “We’re going to watch the new fairy princess movie, right Jenny!” Elle exclaims.

  “No, we’re watching the new movie with those robotic aliens!” Liam counters.

  “All right, it looks like we’re having a movie marathon. How about if I get the popcorn ready,” I hear Jenny say, as I begin to make my exit.

  Hailey and I walk outside. Elliott is standing by the driver’s side of the car with his hands rhythmically tapping the roof.

  Hailey says quietly into my ear, “He appears to be more anxious about this than I am.”

  “I know; I think he is,” I observe.

  Hailey and I both enter the back seat.

  “What am I, your chauffer tonight?” Elliott asks, sitting behind the wheel.

  “That would be great! Thanks, you’re the best!” I say and pat him lightly on the shoulder.

  He shakes his head and starts the car.

  “So are you nervous?” I ask Hailey.

  “Yes. This is a huge event! I just hope everything goes well,” she says, her knees shaking.

  “After all of your hard work, I know everything will be perfect. It has to be,” I offer.

  We continue our drive down the highway towards the downtown area. It is a gorgeous May evening. The sun is setting brilliantly in the west, and there is a crescent moon overhead. For the first time in months, I feel like everything is right with our world.

  I stare out my car window and sigh. Suddenly, I feel a nudge on my side. I look over toward Hailey and realize she is anxiously shifting around on her side of the seat.

  “Are you going to be all right?” I ask.

  “I guess so. I just wish he could have ridden with us. He’s good at calming my nerves,” says Hailey.

  “You’ll see him soon enough, don’t worry,” I offer.