Today's Reading
CHAPTER TWO
"She's here!" Evie announced. Nell and Evie entered the house arm in arm, and Hazel rose from a balding, brown corduroy armchair as if lifted by Evie's exuberance.
"You made it."
"I did." Nell set her suitcase on the old wooden floor with its familiar patterns of nicks and scratches, and her mother ventured close enough for Nell to offer the traditional hug that always felt one-sided to her, that had prompted a very young Evie to confide, "Mama's hugs hurt my feelings."
"You look wonderful, Mom."
"Doesn't she? I painted her nails while we waited for you." Evie reached for Hazel's hand and held it up for Nell's approval. "And that dress is an early birthday present. We bought it at Hatley's yesterday."
This was a lot to take in. Hazel with painted nails and frosted hair, wearing a dress and hose and taupe ballet flats rather than a housecoat and mangy scuffs, her at-home uniform. Not to mention all this shopping with Evie. Nell thought about her own birthday gift sitting on the back seat of the Chrysler, the annual box of crossword puzzle books and new pencils that had always been well received by the old Hazel.
"Well." Nell was at a loss for words. "It's nice...the dress. And your hair... I like it."
"It was time for a change," Hazel said, and Nell wanted to ask what had brought that on, but she only said again, "You look wonderful."
"'Wonderful' is a stretch. I'm definitely older than the last time you came home."
There it was.
"It's hard to get away, Mom. You know my job is to stay in a house."
"She's here now." Evie led them to the kitchen. "Did you eat on the way? I could heat you up something."
"And I was here for Thanksgiving," Nell said.
"I remember." Hazel flicked a stray crumb off the table with a shiny pink fingernail.
"Something to eat?" Evie pulled open the fridge door.
"I could eat. I made it most of the way on Dr Pepper and peanuts." Nell sat down at the oak trestle table that had been in the house as long as the three of them had.
"Anything for you, Mama?" Evie carelessly swept back the curls that had fallen into her face with a graceful motion Nell had seen a thousand times.
"I don't eat this late," Hazel said, and Nell caught the quick glance sent her way, feeling every one of the twenty pounds she'd been meaning to lose for the last twenty years.
"You go ahead. I'll be right back." Hazel started down the hall toward her bedroom, a trace of change even in her stride.
Evie set a plate of fried chicken and a bowl of potato salad in front of Nell and slid into the chair next to her.
"Thanks." Nell squeezed Evie's hand, and Evie leaned against her and said, "I'm so glad you're here."
"Me too."
Evie lowered her voice. "See what I mean about Mama?"
"I do. I mean, it's just her starting to get out a little and a new haircut, though. I don't want to make too much of it."
"It's more than that. At first, I was afraid there might be something wrong with her. Something with her health she wasn't telling us. But she seems fine. Then yesterday, my neighbor said she sang a solo at that church last Sunday. Said she has a gift."
Nell spooned potato salad onto her plate. "Maybe there's a man involved?" Not that she believed that. Hazel hadn't shown interest in a man since, well, not ever that Nell had noticed.
"I don't think so. But I'm paying attention."
"We could just ask her about it." Like other people would.
"No. I'm afraid she'll stop going out if I bring it up. We've been talking more, doing things together. She's opening up some. I want to keep that going."
This excerpt ends on page 20 of the paperback edition.
Monday we begin the book June in the Garden by Eleanor Wilde.
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