Bamboo & Lace

by Lori Wick

  Lily followed him and smiled as she waved him off. She stood until the car was out of sight, even moving to gain a last glimpse of his bumper as the car slipped around the curve and was gone.

  The sun beating down on her was hot, but Lily felt chilled to the bone. She crossed her arms over her chest and glanced around. She felt as though she was just emerging from a strange dream.

  From the window next to the front door, the Kapaias stood and watched her. Bailey felt as though her heart were melting inside of her.

  "Maybe she should have gone home, Gabe."

  "Maybe" was all he could say, feeling as hurt by the scene as his sister.

  It was obvious to all of them that she was in agony. They watched as she looked around a bit, not spotting them because of

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  the sun in her face, and then sat on the bottom step, just staring in the direction Jeff had exited.

  "Well, when she does come in," Ashton put in, "she really shouldn't find us standing here gawking at her."

  "That's true," Evan agreed, but it took a few more minutes before they all went on their way. Each one wanted to do something but wasn't sure what.

  Evan looked at the pain in his wife's face and could only shake his head. When he had said Lily would be no trouble, he hadn't counted on emotional toil. He couldn't help but wonder what they were all in for in the weeks to follow.

  Lily rushed up the porch steps and to the front door where she paused in indecision, her heart beating rapidly. She didn't know what had come over her to be so rude as to sit outside all that time. She had no idea how long she had been out there, but such manners were inexcusable.

  Not wanting to knock or be presumptuous about walking in, Lily opted to slip in quietly to cause as little disruption as possible. From the front door she couldn't see anyone. She moved forward out of the shadows to see that the adults who had been sitting in a circle were all gone.

  "Do you like Winnie the Pooh videos?"

  Lily's head turned to the sound of Peter's voice. He was sitting over by the television.

  "I don't know. I've never watched Winnie the Pooh videos."

  Peter waved her over with one hand, and Lily went.

  "You can sit here," he told her.

  "That's mine," Celia informed Lily in a nearly intelligible three-year-old way.

  "No, it's not, CeCe. She's having a grumpy day," Peter explained to Lily, who sat down on the far right cushion on the sofa, the seat Peter had indicated. Peter sat to the far left, and Celia was between them.

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  Celia gave Lily one impersonal, cross look, brow lowered and disgruntled, before popping her thumb into her mouth and going back to the video. Peter had gone back to it too. Lily watched the antics of the animated characters as well, but her eyes often strayed to the children. They were beautiful. They had inherited their mothers black hair and eyes. Their skin looked so soft that Lily wanted to touch them.

  Lily hadn't been sitting with them for more than five minutes when Celia suddenly shifted and crawled into her lap. Lily took it in stride, figuring she had been mistaken for the little girl's mother, but Celia looked up into her face before putting the thumb back into her mouth and leaning against her. She was looking drowsy and relaxed as a cat when Bailey joined them.

  "Well, Celia didn't take much time."

  "She was grumpy," Peter informed his mother absently.

  "We'll talk about it later. Lily, I wanted to let you know how things work."

  "Okay."

  Bailey was having to ignore the change in her guest. With only the children and her present, Lily was looking up in complete normalcy.

  "We eat breakfast and dinner together. Breakfast is about 7:15 and dinner is 6:00. For lunch we fend for ourselves, and if you miss breakfast or dinner, you also fend for yourself. We each clean our own rooms, but I have help with the kitchen and here in the big room. We also see to our own laundry. Does that all make sense?"

  "Yes, thank you. Will I have some jobs to do in the house?" "Well, nothing specific, but if you want to help at meals, that would be great." I'll plan on that."

  "Thank you. Did you get settled in?" "Not yet. Peter asked me to join him." Bailey smiled at her, and Lily smiled back. She was nothing like Bailey imagined. Jeff had told them how highly educated she

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  was, but there was nothing "bookish" about her. She was soft and unassuming, and her hold on Celia, who had fallen asleep, was very gentle.

  "Do you want me to take her?"

  "Only if you want to."

  "She might wake if I do."

  Lily smiled to reassure her, but at that moment, Ashton could be heard coming their way. Bailey watched as Lily's eyes dropped, her face losing all expression.

  "Hey, buddy," Ashton said to Peter as he dropped onto the other sofa. "How much longer on your tape?"

  "It's almost done."

  "Okay, I'll just wait to see the game."

  "Football?"

  "Yeah."

  "You can see it now. That's okay. I'll finish the tape later." "You'd better go ahead and finish now, Pete, because the game will probably go until it's time to leave for church." "That's okay."

  Peter got down, popped the tape out, and gave the remote control to his uncle. His mother had been on the floor next to him, but she now moved to his seat and cuddled him close when he came back.

  "Thanks, buddy," Ashton said to him, and Peter smiled when he winked.

  Ashton glanced at Lily then and found her eyes down. "Have you watched much football, Lily?" "No, I haven't."

  Bailey stared at her again. Lily's voice had sounded completely normal, not embarrassed or subservient, but she had not looked at Ashton. Bailey was thoroughly captivated.

  And Lily stayed that way. With the sound of the game moving through the house, Gabe and Evan were not long in joining them, and although questions were directed to Lily, she kept her eyes down.

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  "So you don't have television in Kashien, Lily?" Evan finally asked her.

  "We have television in the larger cities, but not in the village where I live."

  "Look at me, Lily," Evan ordered, and lily obeyed.

  "So how much television have you seen?"

  "Well, we go to Capital City every few years, and sometimes I'll see it in a hotel."

  She lowered her eyes again, but Gabe went next.

  "And since you've been here? Have you and Jeff watched much?"

  "Mostly the news in the evening." "Look at me, Lily."

  It was Evan again. He seemed the most comfortable telling her. Bailey thought Lily might be blushing just a little, but again her voice was normal when she answered his question.

  Is it really that easy for her? Bailey found herself asking. Evan tells Lily to look up, and she does it?

  Bailey was bothered by it so much that she planned to tell Evan that he was putting Lily on the spot. The older woman glanced again at their guest, and that's when she saw a small drop of moisture at Lily's temple. The air-conditioning was on. No one else was hot, but then no one else had a three-year-old in her lap.

  "Here, Lily, let me take her. I can see she's out cold." "Oh, thank you."

  They made the transfer easily, but Bailey was not done. "Why don't you head up and unpack, Lily?" "You don't mind?" "Not at all."

  "What time do you want me ready for church?" "We leave about 5:30."

  lily nodded, excused herself, and came around the end of the sofa to move toward the stairs.

  "Tell her it's casual, Bailey," Gabe put in quietly.

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  "Hey, Lily."

  The other woman stopped and looked at her briefly.

  "We just go in shorts on Sunday nights. Its very casual."

  "Oh, all right. Thank you, Mrs. Markham."

  Lily went on her way, and Bailey turned back, her eyes going to the window. The spectacular view, however, was somewhat lost on her. She could feel her husbands gaze on her, Gabe's too, but she couldn't
bring herself to look at them.

  How could Jeff leave her here like this, Lord? I know the alternative is sending her all the way hack to Kashien, but she doesn't fit in here. How painful is this going to be? And is it worth it for a few weeks with her brother in November?

  Because Bailey asked the questions in her heart, no one answered. She was left to think it through on her own and to wonder what their newest houseguest was thinking and doing right then.

  Lily was so tense that her skin hurt. Trying not to think about having to be at the resort for the next eight weeks, she put her clothing away and then put the suitcase and garment bag on the top shelf of the closet. A stack of her books sat on the bed, and Lily knew if she let herself look at them, she would cry. They reminded her too much of home; they even smelled like home.

  Simply keeping her mind on the business at hand, Lily put them on top of the dresser, not even bothering to straighten them. She had passed a bathroom down the hall and now left her room to use it, her movements wooden and stiff.

  She had meant what she said to Jeff. She would not shame him. If she had to pretend to be happy for the next eight weeks so that his friends would not have a poor impression of her, that's what she was prepared to do.

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  Evan and Bailey had a minivan. Prior to going to church, Lily had never ridden in one. She thought it smelled nice inside and found the seat comfortable. And there was so much room!

  Lily set her Bible on the seat beside her they were done at church and headed home now and was glad that once again no one said anything about moving the children to the very last seat so she could sit further up. She didn't want the children to be inconvenienced by her visit either.

  Once the children were seat-belted inside, Evan shut the door, and Lily wondered again why Gabe and Ashton would take a separate vehicle. Had she but known it, they usually did ride with the rest of the family on Sunday nights. Gabe was nearly 6'1" and about 200 pounds. Ashton was slightly larger. If they had known Lily better, it wouldn't have been much of an issue, but as it was, the rear seat was more comfortable if Lily or the two men were on their own.

  They had barely left the church parking lot when Lily found herself in a conversation with the Lord nearly identical to the one she had had that morning. As with that morning, she had heard little of the message because her brother had been on her mind again. She confessed this and then had a little pep talk with herself.

  You wanted to be a part of this family and not just survive, and that means you're going to have to make an effort That decided, Lily told herself to do just what Bailey had told her: fend for herself if she missed a meal. It was already 7:45, and she could tell that the dinner hour had come and gone.

  Unlike the ride away from the house at 5:30, Evan took the van all the way to the garage, which gave Lily a chance to see a little more of the resort. She spotted a swimming pool and some tennis courts in the distance. She thought she might even have seen one of the guest cottages that Jeff had told her about.

  She followed the family back to the house, going in by way of one of the sliding doors that looked out over the ocean. After

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  taking her Bible to her room, she made herself find Bailey. That proved to be easy she was still in the living room.

  "Mrs. Markham?"

  "Why don't you call me Bailey?"

  "Oh, all right. Would it be okay if I fixed a little something to eat?"

  "Absolutely. We all snacked, but that must have been when you went up to unpack, so go make the kitchen your own." "Thank you."

  Lily went toward the only logical door, and when she got close enough to see through the round window on that door, she realized she had indeed found the kitchen. The sun was headed toward the horizon and filling the room with light, so Lily didn't bother to look for a light switch. It was a wonderful kitchen, all decorated in navy blue and yellow, and large enough to work in comfortably. There were many feet of countertop.

  The counter space was Lily's downfall, or rather the contents of the counters. She didn't know that many appliances existed. Starting with what appeared to be a small grinder, Lily began to investigate. She lifted the lid and smelled coffee.

  "I wonder why Jeff doesn't grind his own beans," she whispered absently. "It smells so good."

  With the lid back in place, she hit the button and started at how fast the little blade turned. She monkeyed with the grinder for a time and then moved to the coffeepot itself. It was similar to but not exactly like Jeff's, and Lily gave it a good going over.

  She had just gotten to a machine that she suspected made a loaf of bread when the kitchen door opened. Lily dropped her eyes and turned from the counter.

  "Is everything all right, Lily?" Bailey asked.

  Lily looked up with eagerness that was not feigned.

  "May I ask you a question, Bailey?"

  "Certainly."

  "Does this machine make loaves of bread?" "Yes, it does."

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  "How?"

  Out of habit, Bailey hit the switch which turned on the overhead fluorescent lights, came over to the counter, and showed Lily every aspect of the machine.

  "And these little bars turn and do the kneading too, not just the mixing?"

  "Yes."

  Lily's intelligent green eyes came back to her. "But how does the bread rise?"

  Bailey took the pan out and showed her the heating element.

  "The coils warm things up enough to cause the bread to rise, and then they get very hot to bake it."

  "How long does it take?"

  "About three and a half hours."

  Lily shook her head in wonder, and Bailey started to laugh. "I'm sorry." Lily was immediately apologetic. "No, don't be sorry, Lily. You've just made my day." "How did I do that?"

  "Well, for a little while there, I was worried about you. But if you can get this excited over a bread machine, you're going to do just fine."

  Lily now laughed a little too, hoping as she did that Baileys prediction would turn out to be true.

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  Chapter 5

  "So have you eaten anything?" "Actually, I haven't."

  Taking pity on Lily, Bailey began to make her a sandwich but soon found out she was not easily distracted.

  "Is this some of the bread from the machine?" Lily asked when Bailey set a ham-and-cheese sandwich, chips, and a sliced apple in front of her.

  "That's the stuff."

  Lily examined the bread on her sandwich as though she were conducting an experiment. Bailey watched her, knowing she had to be hungry, and now understanding why the younger woman was so thin.

  Lily, completely unaware of her scrutiny, finally picked up the sandwich and started to eat. "Oh, this is good."

  "Thank you. How about something to drink?"

  "Oh, yes, please. Anything will be fine."

  Bailey, who had taken a place at the small kitchen table with Lily, stood and got her a large glass of milk. She had just set the milk on the table when the door opened. It was Evan.

  "I have a little boy here who wants to bid you ladies good night."

  Peter ran to his mother's arms, and Bailey cuddled him close. "Good night, Mama."

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  "Good night, sweetheart. I love you." "I love you too."

  Lily's eyes were down, so she knew the exact moment that Peter came to her. She smiled into his eyes, and he smiled back. "Good night, Lily."

  "Good night, Peter, and thank you for inviting me to watch Winnie the Pooh videos with you." "We can watch more tomorrow." "I would like that."

  Peter surprised Lily by reaching up to give her a hug too, but she recovered swiftly enough to hug him back and then watched as he went out the door.

  "He's precious," she said to Bailey as soon as they were alone.

  The mother laughed a little and admitted, "I certainly think so.

  "Will Celia not come to say good night?"

  "She's already down. She was grouchy and unthankful tod
ay, and as part of her punishment she was sent to bed early."

  Lily smiled as she remembered the little girl telling her not to sit on the sofa. Sin was never funny, but Celia was so cute that Lily couldn't contain herself.

  "You're laughing at something," Bailey said. She had continued to watch Lily.

  "Celia didn't want me to sit next to her on the sofa today. It's so hard not to smile at her. She's so cute, even when she's cross."

  "Yes, she is," Bailey agreed and then shook her head. "We're trying to break the strong attachment she has to her thumb. We let her suck it if she's sleepy, but not if she's upset with us or crabby about something. You'll see as you get to know her that she knows exactly when she can have her thumb. When she knows she can't have it, and we're in the room, she puts her other hand over her mouth to try to cover up what she's doing. It's hysterical, but we can't laugh at her."

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  Lily laughed at the demonstration Bailey gave. She could just imagine Celia doing that, and Lily was certain the other woman was right: She was going to want to laugh.

  "How are you doing?" Bailey surprised her by suddenly asking.

  "I'm all right, thank you."

  Bailey leaned a little closer. "How are you really doing, Lily?"

  Lily fiddled with one of the chips on her plate and then picked up an apple slice. At last she looked back to Bailey.

  "I told Jefferson I wanted him to be proud of me, but I'm not sure he would be."

  "Why is that?"

  Lily sighed. "I can't bring myself to look up at the men, and I feel lost and alone." Lily's hand came suddenly to her mouth. "What a rude thing to say. You've offered me your home and been hospitable, and then I say that. I'm so sorry."

  Bailey put a hand on Lily's arm.

  "Don't be sorry. Of course you feel lost and alone. For a moment I was so angry at Jeff I couldn't think straight." "You were?"

  "Yes. I just didn't know how he could leave you alone like this. I'm still not sure I understand."