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"The bigger the better," Sheila said with a smile. "Would you like some hot chocolate and a slice of apple pie? I just took them out of the oven and was about to take a break."
"I don't want to put you to any trouble."
"You would be doing me a favor." The woman winked light blue eyes. "Come on into the kitchen. " She bustled away, forcing Remi to follow suit. "We made several changes to the place. The kitchen was too small and closed in for one."
Remi stepped into a room bursting with sunlight. Even though the outside was cloudy and winter gray, inside the kitchen was like a beacon.
The tiles were a sunny yellow with patches of roses scattered at the top and bottom. They had added an island, the smooth yellow and white tiles covering the surface, with a dusting of flour no doubt from the baking.
"Sit anywhere," Sheila invited as she took out large cups from the cupboard. Several pies were cooling on the rack and Remi felt saliva pooling inside her mouth.
"You came here to revisit your old home?"
"I shouldn't have." She accepted the steaming cup of hot chocolate with thanks.
"I read about your ordeal." Sheila handed her a thick slice of pie. "Ever since you hooked up with that gorgeous man, the papers have been printing stories. They even came around here to take pictures."
"I am sorry for that." Remi had tried to ignore the stories of her past, but her anger had surfaced, until Wade's PR department had made a statement.
"The kids and my Andrew were psyched. They felt as if they were celebrities." The woman took a seat across from her. "You have never been back before?"
"No." She shook her head and took a sip of the beverage, her eyes widening. "This is damn good."
Sheila laughed in delight. "I do this for a living. I own a cafe in town." She handed Remi several napkins. "There must be a particular reason why you are here?"
"Yes." Remi shrugged. "I want to remind myself that I am no longer chained to the past."
The woman reached out to place a hand over hers lightly and Remi had to force herself not to pull away. She was not used to physical contact and it had taken her a long time to have Wade touching her in public.
"I read what happened to you and your brother and was so angry, I had to put it aside. No child should have to exist in a space where the people who are supposed to take care of them, turned out to be the ones hurting them."
"Thanks." Remi felt a little uncomfortable talking to a practical stranger about what went on in this house.
Sheila gave her a considerate look as she sipped hot chocolate. "We added an extra bedroom. One for our son. You shared the room with your brother?"
"Yes." She could feel a headache coming on and realized belatedly that this was a mistake. She had left the staff at the hotel where they were supposed to be dealing with the ballroom.
"We painted out the drab gray color, but left the carving of you and your brother's initials over the dresser."
She gave the woman a surprised look. "Why?"
Sheila shrugged as she sliced into the pie. "My husband and I agreed that it was symbolic. If that is not something you like-"
"It's your house."
"And your memories. I thought it was sweet. So did my Andrew. And a little heartbreaking."
"More than a little," she muttered, feeling the tension inside her chest uncoiling.
"Would you like to go up and take a look at the room?"
She started to shake her head and then decided what the hell!
"If you don't mind."
"I offered, didn't I?" Sheila said briskly. "You finish that pie and go on up. I have to put the dough in the oven. I am making raisin bread." She winked at Remi. "My mother in law's favorite. Go on up."
Remi finished the pie and slid off the stool. She was familiar with the layout of the place and made her way up the winding staircase and turned left. The wallpaper in the passage had been exchanged for a more cheerful one of shell pink with tiny little rosebuds.
