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Her phone rang all day.
And she ignored it all day.
It wasn’t that Clara hadn’t tried to write an appropriate, non-emotional, perfectly professional statement regarding Tula’s surprise wedding, but each time she reread the statement, her disappointment and anger resonated in the tone or the choice of words.
So far, she had:The Perky Pink Wedding Company would like to extend their sympathy. No. It wasn’t the right word.Their surprise at the wedding that didn’t happen. No.Their disappointment at being kept in the dark. Definitely not.
Each attempt at a statement went off the rails one way or the other. Maybe she just needed a break. A little distance from the office and all of the constant reminders of the star-studded wedding that wouldn’t be—the plans that would be tossed—as well as her friends’ disappointment over losing such a big account.
Yes, leaving the office was the right answer. And on the way home, she’d pick up a gallon of salted caramel pretzel ice cream. She would smother her disappointment in its creamy sweetness.
As she climbed into her car, her phone vibrated. She wasn’t going to answer it. There was no one she wanted to speak to—especially Andrew. That proverbial ship had sailed. Or perhaps it had sunk. Yes, sunk sounded more apropos.
Still, not many people had her cell number. Her business cards all listed the office number. By the time she reached for the phone, it had stopped ringing. She pulled up the missed calls. There were repeated attempts by Andrew, but the last incoming call was from Mabel. She didn’t call Clara very often. It must be something important.
“Hello.”
“Clara, I know you’re busy, and I wouldn’t bother if it wasn’t important. It’s about the chapel. We need to talk as soon as possible.”
“I’ll be right there.”
Clara inwardly groaned. More bad news. Mabel probably sold the chapel. Clara’s heavy heart sank down to her pink heels.
Her grandmother used to tell her that when things got tough to look for the silver lining. Clara was trying, but she just wasn’t seeing it.
It was best to get this over with as quickly as possible. And so she headed for the beach. The closer she got to the little chapel, the sadder she got. Her eyes grew misty, causing her to blink repeatedly. She told herself it was the thought of the little chapel being replaced with some modern condos, and it had nothing to do with being betrayed by Andrew. Nothing at all.
When she pulled into the empty parking lot, Mabel was exiting the chapel. Her face was drawn, and her eyes shined as though they held unshed tears.
It was true. The chapel was sold.
A lump formed in her throat. The back of her eyes stung with unshed tears.
Pull yourself together. You knew this was going to happen.
Clara blinked and then checked her makeup in the mirror. She applied some fresh lip gloss to her pale lips. She knew this decision was hard on Mabel. She wasn’t going to add to the woman’s grief over parting with something that meant so much to her and her family.
She got out of the car and started toward Mabel with a smile plastered on her face. “Hi.”
“I hope I didn’t pull you away from anything important.”
“Nothing that can’t wait.”
Mabel gave her a watery smile and then dabbed the corners of her eyes. “Let’s walk to the house.”
Clara’s concerns about her mounting problems slipped to the back of her mind as she grew concerned about Mabel’s emotional state. “Are you okay?”
Mabel waved off her concern. “I’m fine. I was just having a quick word with my Tom. He said he’d always watch over me, and I believe him. I got a little worked up when I told him about selling the chapel.”
Clara’s heart went out to the woman. “You know you don’t have to part with it. If you need money, I can help you figure out something else.”
Mabel shook her head. “It isn’t that. My Tom took care of me real well.”
“If it’s the chapel’s upkeep, we can hire someone to do the work.”
“It’s partly that and the fact I’m not getting any younger. I need to do this so I know it’s all taken care of, and I no longer have to worry about the chapel’s future.” Mabel stepped onto the porch and instead of going inside, she moved to the porch swing. She patted the cushion next to her. “Join me.”
Clara sat down, and then Mabel started to rock it. “I just love this view. Nothing could beat it.”
