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Helen turned the radio back on and hummed along with the music.
Chapter 9
Helen’s sense of direction wasmuch better than her own. Annie squinted at the map on her legs, looked up to peer out the window at passing street signs. But Helen seemed to need only her intuition and turned confidently onto Lori’s street.
“I think… What number was it?”
“It’s108,” Annie said and pointed. “There.”
Helen turned the Jeep around in an empty driveway and parked in front of the house. It was built up against the side of a hill, giving it a feeling of seclusion. Two cars were parked on the steeply sloped driveway—a small sedan like Annie’s and a pickup truck. Wooden stairs led up to a wide porch and the front door. Lori was a high-end lawyer while Louis worked in construction, which—by the size of their midcentury dream home and the expensive-looking neighborhood—was booming.
“Jesus.” Annie peered up at the house. “This really puts a garage-slash-apartment into perspective.”
“Stop it,” Helen said, killing the engine and unbuckling her seatbelt. “There’s nothing wrong with a more compact life.”
Annie burst out laughing. “Keep it up. Lori loves funny women.”
It was much cooler than in LA, breezier too, and Annie zipped up her sweatshirt before shouldering her bag and walking up the driveway to the porch. White, fluffy clouds moved through a clear blue sky.
“Are you nervous?” Annie asked before she rang the bell.
“No,” Helen said. “My friends’ parents always love me.”
Annie snorted, then pushed the button, causing a cacophony on the other side of the door, though they couldn’t see anythingthrough the frosted glass panels. A dog was barking. Someone was yelling. Then there was a loud bang. Finally, she heard footsteps, and the door flew open to reveal a small girl with shiny blonde hair.
“It’s Annie and her friend! They’re here!” she shrieked.
“Lindsay, you’re supposed to wait for a grown-up!” The voice was Lori’s younger sister, Kelly. “Sorry. Come in! Come in! Annie and…Annie’s friend!”
“This is Helen,” Annie said. She walked in and hugged Kelly, touched the top of Lindsay’s head, and looked around the foyer of the beautiful house. Helen stepped in after her and shook Kelly’s hand.
Louis descended down the ornate wooden staircase wearing jeans and a cable-knit sweater. He looked like he had walked off the page of a catalog. He embraced Annie, shook Helen’s hand, and then picked up Lindsay. “Lori’s upstairs giving the baby a bath. We had a diaper malfunction.”
“She pooped everywhere!” Lindsay said.
Louis chuckled. “She did indeed. Thank you, sweetie.”
“Daddy,” Lindsay said, “Annie didn’t bring a boy.”
Kelly snickered.
Ignoring Lindsay’s comment, Louis turned to Helen. “Welcome to our home! Do you have bags? Can I help you?”
“Kelly can get them,” Lori called from the top of the stairs. They all looked up just as she paused on the landing next to a stained-glass window. The golden light illuminated her and the baby in her arms like some sort of tall, thin Madonna figure. Her blonde hair was cut into a sleek bob. Annie fought the urge to touch her own frizzy mop.
Annie hurried up the stairs two at a time, impatient to hug her friend. She wrapped her arms around her, mindful of the baby, realizing all at once how starved for a familiar face she was. Helen had been a good friend, under the circumstances, but Loriknew Annie better than anyone else outside of her immediate family. Annie had truly missed her.
“I thought you were bringing a boyfriend,” Lori whispered in her ear.
“I never said boy,” Annie whispered back.
“Kelly is in the second spare room. Where are we going to put her?”
“We can share. Lou said it was okay. I didn’t know Kelly would be here.”
“Of course it’s okay.”
“Ladies?” Louis called.
