Page 21 of Paper Ghosts

Tasha turned in her seat and saw a man and a little girl walking down the sidewalk. They were both blond and well dressed, each holding ice cream that was most certainly from Mother Hen’s Frozen Tea, because the waffle cones had little C-shaped handles that made them look like teacups. Tasha had only been to Mother Hen’s once, but she would always remember that day. The ice cream had tasted like strawberry tea and honey, and her mother had been in one of her hyper moods. Tasha had wanted to tell the woman with long salt-and-pepper hair behind the counter that it was okay, that her mother was just like this. But the woman probably already knew. Everyone knew what Pam Keller was like. She wasn’t a bad person, just completely tone deaf to her own behavior and how she was perceived. To really know her, you had to be patient with her, which few people were.

“I heard his wife died. Let’s say hello,” Pam said, making a sudden U-turn to park on the opposite side of the street, causing the car behind them to blare its horn. The man and the little girl stopped and turned at the sound.

Tasha’s mother had always had a wild fascination with the Westers. She adored the fact that her ex-husband had a connection to them. His aunt Jani had been part of Willamena Wester’s inner circle in high school. Pam had tried to get him to tell her everything he knew about the Westers, thinking he had some inside intel, but he didn’t. He’d never even met his aunt Jani, who had moved away years ago. But Pam would remark every time they passed the Wester House, We’re practically related!

Even Tasha knew they weren’t. Still, she was excited as she got out of the car with her mother. They almost never got out to walk around. They always drove. In fact, driving through this neighborhood, the oldest in town, was something Pam did nearly every day now, daydreaming about living in the big houses. This neighborhood even felt different. There was a curious element of the unseen, like if money could haunt you, it would haunt you here, where the air was as soft and cottony as a veil.

“Tug?” Pam said as they approached. She smoothed her bangs down so that they touched her eyelashes, a stim when she was nervous. “I’m sure you don’t remember me. Pam Honeycutt? Pam Keller now, but I’m divorced. I married Richard Keller. His aunt was like a sister to your mother, back in the day. We’re practically related!”

The handsome man smiled, a smile that reached his eyes. “I do remember you, Pam. It’s nice to see you again.”

“I heard about your wife,” Pam said. “Someone on our class page mentioned it. Are you just visiting? You haven’t been back since high school.”

“I’ve actually moved back in with my mother.”

“How exciting for you!” Tasha winced, sure this wasn’t the most appropriate response. But she knew her mother was referring to living in this neighborhood, not the loss that brought him back. “Is this your daughter?” She reached over to put an arm around Tasha, pulling her to her side as if for reassurance. “This is mine.”

“Yes. This is Bailey.”

Tasha pointed to the cone Bailey was holding. “I like that ice cream place.”

Bailey immediately extended the cone to Tasha. Tasha hesitated. The people around her usually weren’t big on sharing. She finally leaned in and took a small bite. It was strawberry tea and honey, just like Tasha had that one time, and the absolute incandescence of liking the same thing as this new girl suddenly lit her up inside.

“No one will mistake her for anything other than a Wester, that’s for sure. You’re all so beautiful. I had a little crush on you in high school.” Pam laughed and patted her bangs again. “Is that bad to say?”

“Of course not, Pam.”

“If you ever need anything, just let me know. I’m not currently working.” It was the currently that caught Tasha’s attention. She’d never known her mother to have a job outside the home. She’d never known her mother to look for a job, either, even after the divorce and Tasha’s father moved away. “Do you need help around the Wester House? You could hire me.”

“You know my mother never lets anyone inside,” he said gently.

Bailey pointed down the street and said to Tasha, “That’s my house, but I can’t have anyone over to play.” Then she indicated the green house next to it. “I like that one more.”

Pam said, “She’s welcome at my house anytime.”

“I’m going to keep an eye on her for a while, Pam. It’s a tough transition.”

“Oh, I understand. I don’t know what I would have done without Tasha after the divorce. She’s my best friend.”

Tug hesitated. “I meant it’s a tough transition for her.”

“We could meet in the center park, then. Give the girls a play date? Tomorrow? Please don’t say no.”

Tug nodded. “All right.”

“Good! Good. See you then.”

Tasha couldn’t believe she was actually going to the park to play tomorrow instead of driving around all day or, worse, staying in the dark house watching cartoons on mute because her mother was in one of her blue moods.

They watched in silence as Tug and Bailey walked up the steps to the Wester House. These people, she suddenly understood, were here to change their lives.

She took a big, deep breath through her nose.

“What do you smell?” Pam asked.

Instead of saying nothing this time, Tasha said, “It’s something sweet. Like a bakery.”

“That, my darling,” Pam said, “is what happiness smells like.”