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“I don’t really know him that well,” Tess admitted as she swirled the wine in her glass. “But I get the sense that he has a lot of inner strength.”
“Inner strength, good. He’s going to need that.” Everly gave Alanna a glance. “A lot of inner strength. Also, can we return to the butt question?”
Willow giggled.
“Uh, H-E-LLO, I’m standing right here.” Alanna waved her free hand. “We went on one date. We’re going on another one, but that’s it. No more.” From within Alanna’s tasteful black Gucci handbag, her phone dinged with a new text message. All the women stared at her.
Tess finally broke the silence. “He is hot…” She tilted her head in thought. “…but kind of in an understated way. Like when there’s a nerd in a movie, but they’re just a hot person wearing glasses with slightly scruffy hair. That kind of hot.”
“Ooooh, Hollywood nerd hot. Niiiice!” Everly said. “Do you have any pictures of him, Alanna?”
“And are you going to answer that text?” Layla asked, her expression the paragon of innocence.
“STOP!” Alanna hollered in a tone that could make PR interns shit their pants. “We’re not talking about this anymore!”
The room fell quiet. What the hell was wrong with her? Why was her stomach churning, her blood boiling? Sully was great… more than great, but it didn’t matter what she felt inside. She wasn’t some idiotic romance heroine who would give up everything she’d ever wanted for a boy.
At that moment, a small cat cautiously entered the room. The creature was beautiful, its coat a dusky silver banded by slightly darker shades of gray. The cat gazed around the room with luminous blue eyes and seemed to shrink from the attention.
“Spirit,” Tess said, keeping her voice soft. She reached out a hand. After a short pause, the cat crept toward her.
“Are you two getting along better?” Layla asked in a hushed tone. It was as if all the women could sense the kitten was at the edge of her comfort level.
Tess nodded. Spirit moved under her hand, and Tess began to stroke the small head and body. A wide, warm smile lit up Tess’s face. The expression washed away the exhaustion that seemed to linger over the small woman like her own personal storm cloud. That smile transformed Tess. She was beautiful, Alanna realized with a start. Startingly gorgeous, actually, with gentle hazel eyes, lush lips, and a soft glow on the apples of both cheeks.
“She’s not as scared of me anymore,” Tess whispered. “I’ve been talking to her and petting her during feeding time. Oh, and playing with her. She loves the feather toy you recommended,” she said to Everly.
“That’s wonderful,” Layla gushed, her eyes sparkling with joy. “I knew the two of you just needed to spend some time together.”
“Yeah,” Tess breathed. Spirit turned her head, offering a cheek for Tess to scratch. “I guess I just hadn’t been paying attention to Spirit. I was kind of lost for a while. Still am, if I’m being honest, but, I don’t know…” Tess paused, and the kitten head-butted her hand, demanding more pets. “She’s helped me feel less lonely.”
Lightning flashed through the window, the light so bright Alanna nearly choked on her wine. A second later, thunder cracked across the sky, making the house shake. Like a bullet, Spirit shot from beneath Tess’s hand. The small kitten bolted toward the bookshelf and leapt onto one of the shelves.
“NO!” Tess screeched, lurching to her feet.
The terrified kitten skittered across the shelf, knocking over several of the intricate model airplanes. One bobbled on the lip of the shelf. Alanna watched, as if in slow motion, as the plane tipped over the edge and hit the floor, its wing snapping off.
“NOOOOOO!” Tess moaned. She fell to her knees in front of the bookshelf, scooping up the fallen model. The kitten leapt off the shelf and scrambled out of the room, her tail fluffed and fur stiff along her back.
Tess rocked back and forth, clutching the plane to her chest.
Alanna stood frozen, unsure of what to do. Willow seemed absolutely terrified. The young woman had plastered herself against the wall again.
“Tess, honey, it’s okay,” Layla said, moving toward the stricken woman.
Tears streamed from Tess’s eyes. In a moment, Layla was at her side, an arm wrapping around Tess. She looked at the airplane in Tess’s shaking hands.
“Is it special?” she asked.
“My husband made it,” Tess whispered.
Husband? That was news to Alanna. There was definitely no presence of a man in this house. Divorce? But Tess didn’t seem bitter. She seemed sad. No, not sad. Heartbroken…Aw, shit.
“Bacterial pneumonia,” Tess murmured to the silent room. “It’s rare, but it happens. The bacteria moves from the lungs into the heart. It can take down anyone, even the healthiest man in the world.” Carefully, she placed the broken airplane model back on the shelf. It tilted toward its heavier side, one little wheel sticking incongruously in the air.
“I was in my residency. Working 12-hour days. Sometimes I slept over at the hospital. I knew Jay was sick, but he told me it wasn’t a big deal. Just a little bit of the flu.” With shaking hands, Tess began setting the other model airplanes back on their stands. “If I’d been paying attention. If I’d made him come to the hospital. If I’d—”
“No,” Layla said. “Tess, don’t do this to yourself.”
