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At the reminder of the words she spat at him, she wondered if he even wanted to ever see her again. Today was a new day to put faults behind and make amends. First thing first, she would call Adell and apologize. As soon as she found a moment’s break during the day, she did just that.
“Hello? Cameron residence.”
“Adell, it's me Laura.” She plunged on, in fear the woman would hang up. “I want to apologize for last night. I was way out of line and I shouldn't have said what I said.”
“Laura, I'm glad you called.” She sounded earnest. “We need to talk but I'm afraid right now is not a good time. I’m hosting a Christmas Eve party on Friday night for a few close business acquaintances of Norton's. Come and I'll find some time we can escape somewhere private and have a talk.”
Christmas Eve? Already? She could hardly believe it had snuck up on her so quickly. She had been so busy with reopening the shelter, she hadn’t even had the time to wallow in self-pity at the prospect of spending it alone.
“Yes, that sounds fine.” She stopped and bit her lip. “Will-will Dexter—?” Knowing she had to apologize did not make interacting with the man any better. She would pay her apologies, then hopefully, stay out of his life for good.
“No,” she quickly assured her. “He never makes an appearance at Christmas functions.”
“All right then, I'll see you Friday night.”
They bid farewell and hung up. Laura felt slightly better having talked to her older friend, but she could hardly wait till Friday night. She would feel a lot better.
* * *
She wore the only dressy outfit she owned to the party; the red jump suit would have to make do for another evening. Thankfully, her mother's jewelry had not been damaged in the fire, allowing Laura to wear her most treasured piece. An eighteen-inch gold necklace formed into rows of miniature hearts and matching earrings.
Nervously, she twisted her hair into a sophisticated braid against the back of her head then applied a bit of makeup. She wasn't sure why she felt any anxiety. Adell was an understanding and caring individual. Her heart was too forgiving to hold any grudges. Being honest with herself, Laura realized the gnawing at her stomach was due to her shameful behavior from the other night. She was almost too mortified to show her face in the woman's presence.
As she hurried through the front sitting room, her eyes fell on a tiny cottage perched on her fireplace mantel. Stopping, she smiled to herself as she took the piece into her hands. It arrived earlier that day via courier. Wrapped simply in beige courier paper within a huge manila envelope, she found the small parcel engulfed in bubble protection. After unwrapping it, she gasped in delight to find a hand-made sculptured cottage. She was instantly reminded of the cottage she shared her first experience in love-making, then swiftly brushed the memory aside. She would not allow herself to think about that night. His rejection still stung.
A closer examination of the miniature cottage, determined it was actually a beautiful replica of an English cottage, hand-painted in fine detail. The rooftop was covered in a blanket of white snow, and a tiny pine wreath on the front entrance gave it a distinctive Christmas look.
It reminded Laura of the cottages her mother had collected over the years, and which had been mercilessly destroyed in the fire. The reflection brought a tug to her heart and with remorse she brushed the memory aside. Looking at the tiny cottage again, she knew instantly it came from Adell. The woman's recollection of her trip to England came back to Laura.
She ought to give the gift back. It didn't feel right. The woman was always so giving, and Laura could never give back. Someday, she vowed she would repay this woman, bit by bit. Apologizing to Dexter O'Reilly would make Adell happy. She sighed, if repayment meant Laura had to belittle herself, then so be it.
However, she couldn't quench the tiny fear gripping her heart. It seemed the more she extended her heart, the more he broke it. She should remain firm and hold steadfast to her decision to keep him out of her life. She couldn't afford to be hurt anymore. And once she paid this debt to Adell, she would do exactly that.
As she slipped into her tweed coat, the telephone shrieked from within the kitchen. The last few days had been busy contacting the shelters from where her teens were temporarily dwelling. The phone had rung off the hook all day long and Laura considered ignoring it so she would not miss her bus to Adell’s. At the last minute, she made a dash for the kitchen and the phone.
“Hello?”
“Miss Witherow?” An unfamiliar voice greeted her on the other line. “This is Mr. Jenkins returning your call. I’m sorry to have taken so long.”
She scratched her memory trying to recall the name. Recollection came instantly. She had been attempting to set up an appointment with the insurance broker to purchase house insurance. That was one mistake she vowed she would never make again. “Yes, I left some details with your assistant. Did you receive them?”
“Hmm.” She could tell by the sound of his voice that he was overlooking the information as they spoke. “It seems we have all we require. Now, Miss Witherow, bearing in mind the unfortunate circumstances after the fire, I highly recommend you have the premiums paid from a pre-authorized payment account. It will be one less bill to forget about.”
This last sentence she was glad he was unable to see the mortification blush her cheeks. It was a lack of funds rather than memory which caused her to miss the premium payment. However, he had a valid point. “Certainly, I will drop off a void check tomorrow.”
“Well then, that is all we need. I’ll get the forms submitted and a detailed contract will be mailed to you outlining the coverage and the premiums as they were before.”
Laura paused. “As before?”
“Yes, there may be a slight difference to reflect the annual increase, but, otherwise, you shall be right back on schedule.”
Laura frowned, perplexed. “I don’t understand. Wouldn’t my premiums have gone up in price? I fully expected them too.”
“Why would that be?” He sounded nonplussed.
“Because of the claim on the fire damage and the cost of renovation.”
There was a moment’s pause before Mr. Jenkins said, “Miss Witherow, you do recall we declined your claim due to the unpaid premiums.”
