Glimmers (27 page)

Julian and Hailey are half dressed, positioned awkwardly on Elliott’s desk. Worst of all, their limbs are an entangled mess! Quickly, I haul my mother from the room. I slam the door shut, and we hurry down the hall. When we reach the kitchen, I think I can breathe, again.

Neither my mother nor I speak. All I can do is to stare at her. Finally, after a minute of stunned silence, my mother begins trembling. She’s going into shock!

“Mom!” I yell. “Mom, are you all right?”

Surprisingly, a smile appears on her face and she snorts with laughter! I guess she’ll be okay, after all. I join her and laugh hysterically.

My mom catches her breath and shrills, “Did you see the looks on their faces? Hailey’s eyes were about to pop from their sockets!”

“Did you catch the looks on
our
faces?” I return, while still giggling.

Elliott enters the kitchen and sees us in a fit of laughter.

“What’d I miss?” He grins, and I motion for him to come closer.

“Let’s just say, I’ll never be able to work on a puzzle in your office again,” I offer, still cringing at the vision of Hailey and Julian just as intertwined.

Elliott doesn’t appear amused. In fact, he looks disgusted, rightfully so.

“Elliott darling, do be a dear and announce there is going to be a surprise bachelor party, and then usher everyone out of here,” my mother says and calmly pats him on the back. “Go now and have fun!”

Elliott and I look at each other in complete disbelief. He shrugs his shoulders and leaves the kitchen. From the dining room, I can hear the guys ramble and plan. Derek declares something about how he can’t leave without saying goodbye to Hailey. It is at this point, I believe the guys must have picked him up and hauled him out. Thank goodness for Elliott. He is doing exactly as my mother instructed and has the room cleared of the men in a matter of minutes.

“I must say, I’m impressed with Elliott this evening,” I say more to myself, than my mother.

I look at my mother and notice she’s frantically calculating something in her mind. “We’ve taken care of most of the party, but there are still some people in the family room. We must figure out how to politely ask the rest to leave.”

Just then, Hailey’s assistant Stacey enters the kitchen looking confused.

“Hey! I just arrived and everyone is leaving! What’d I miss?” Stacey asks, and my mother and I look at each other.

I know what to say. “Actually Stacey, I need your help. Hailey is suddenly not feeling so great. She's probably not in the best
position
to entertain guests right now. I’m not sure if what she has is contagious. I really hope it’s not,” I say and peer over at my mother with a grin, but she doesn’t seem to find what I said funny.

Mom quickly interjects, “Would you be a dear and ask everyone to leave? Paige and I have our hands full at the moment.”

“Of course I will! I can’t believe Hailey’s sick, and Derek just runs off to some bachelor party!” Stacey exclaims.

“It’s just that . . . um, Hailey didn’t want anyone to know, including Derek,” I say. “She didn’t want to ruin anyone’s good time tonight. In fact, it was her idea to send Derek off to his bachelor party. You understand, right?”

“Okay, well, I’ll go in there and make up some excuse to have everyone leave. Let her know I was here, and I hope she feels better soon,” Stacey offers and leaves the room.

I can hear Stacey, as she ushers the rest of our guests out the door. I look at my mother, and wonder if she is feeling the same cocktail of emotions I am.

“I can’t believe the lies I’ve had to tell, just to cover up for Hailey!” I say in irritation.

“It’s for the best, I’m afraid. We wouldn’t want everyone to know what Hailey is doing. She’s in enough of a mess as it is,” Mom says.

“What are we going to do, now?”

“
You’re
not going to do a thing. Let
me
take care of your
sister
,” she says with a frightening smile.

After everyone is gone, my mom grabs me by the hand and has me bring two chairs to the end of the hallway. We sit and watch the office door. There’s a loud bang and some rants of profanity coming from the room. At last, an embarrassed looking Hailey and Julian open the door.

“I think we need to talk,” my mother informs them.

To be honest, I’m surprised they were brave enough to come out and face her. I probably would have hidden under the desk or snuck out the window. Oh well, not my problem anymore, I’m thinking, as I begin to strut away from the awkward scene, but suddenly, my mother stops me in my place.

“And just where do you think
you’re
heading off to?” she asks me, and I’m frozen to the spot.

I shrug my shoulders and look down. I peer over at my mother and mumble, “I just thought I’d give you some privacy.”

“I don’t think so. Now, I want you all to take a seat,” instructs my mother.

In a matter of seconds, Mom has Hailey, Julian, and me lined up in a row. My mother paces the floor, with her hands grasped behind her back. I am reminded of a drill sergeant I saw on TV, only the one standing before me is much scarier.

Nervously, I pick at my nails. I glance over at Hailey’s hands and see she is doing the same. I can’t believe after all these years my mother still has the same effect on us. As much as we love her, and as old as we are, she can strike fear into our hearts like a viper.

I hear my mother’s steps come to a halt and assume she is glaring angrily down at us. “The way you three have acted tonight is despicable! I am shocked by the adolescent behavior! What do you,” she directs her booming voice toward Hailey, “have to say for yourself?”

“I’m sorry,” mutters Hailey, swiftly looking back down towards her lap and proceeding to chew on the side of her nail.

“Hailey, that’s pretty pathetic,” my mother sighs and turns to Julian. “What about you? What in the world were you thinking, coming here tonight? Were you trying to completely destroy my daughter’s reputation?”

“No ma’am,” he pauses and glances at Hailey. “The truth is . . . I love your daughter, and I can’t sit back and watch her marry another man.” He looks at Hailey, and she appears to soften at his gaze.

“That’s a very romantic notion. Funny thing, Hailey has failed to ever mention you to me. What was your name, again?” my mother asks, and I try to refrain from giggling.

“Julian,” he says, his eyes still twinkling at the sight of Hailey.

“Julian, do you not agree perhaps another venue would have been more appropriate for you to declare your undying love to my daughter?” inquires my mother, raising her eyebrows.

“You’re right, of course,” he says. “I guess I panicked. When I met Paige the other night, she invited me to come and set things right. I felt I had to be here, or I’d lose Hailey forever.”

Hailey and my mother look horrified, and my mom questions, “I see, and Paige, exactly why, may I ask, would you invite Hailey’s lover to her bridal shower?”

Yikes, it sounds so horrible when put like that.

I rub the sides of my head and hope to disappear from this awful scene. When I return my attention to my mom, I see she is still waiting for my response.

“I guess . . . I panicked, too?” I’m biting my lip and trying to avoid the intense glare I’m receiving from Hailey. “Look, Hailey and I had a falling out. I said some things I wish I hadn’t. I was only trying to help. I realize I shouldn’t have asked for
him
to show up here tonight.” Quickly, I shift my gaze toward Julian, who appears hurt. “Julian, I am so sorry. We should have arranged a better place for you and Hailey to reconcile. I really wanted to help you guys work things out. And you,” I look at my sister, “weren’t making things any easier by not accepting my calls.” When I am finished, I sit back against the couch, hoping my interrogation is over.

“I see,” says my mother, running her hand along her cheek. “Paige, I’d like to have a word in private.”

“Great! I’ll just head off into the bedroom. Take all the time you need out here,” I say in delight, leaping from the couch and then boogying out of the room.

“Paige, not so fast, I would like a word with
you
,” Mom explains, and my smile falters. She points a long finger toward the star crossed lovers, still sitting on the couch. “You two stay put. This is far from over. If I were you, I’d take the next few minutes and work out what you plan to do.
And
Julian, you may want to fix that button.”

How embarrassing for them. I muffle a chuckle, as I am lead into my bedroom by my mother. I feel a lot like I did as a child after being caught doing something wrong. I’m an adult, and I shouldn’t be scolded by my mother. Just when I get the nerve to leave the room, however, she nudges me in the direction of the bed. I am forced to sit, and she promptly joins me.

“Paige, what is happening with you? Do you want to talk about it?” Mom asks and reaches for my hand.

I look up and am surprised by her all-knowing expression. “What do you mean?”

“It’s not like you, becoming wrapped up with such ridiculous nonsense. And lately, you’ve been different, somehow.”

My mom
couldn't
know what is happening to me. That would be impossible.

“Paige, look at me,” she says before I can answer. She lifts my face and holds it tenderly in her soft powdery hand. “I have a feeling I’ll understand. In fact, maybe I can help shed a little light on your new
talent
.” She places emphasis on the word talent, and I feel my body stiffen. Did Elliott or my sister say something?

I’m completely caught off guard and am dumbstruck on how to respond. Finally, after staring at her with my mouth wide open, I speak, “I’m not sure you would understand, Mom.”

“Try me.”

I take in a deep breath and then pour out my heart, “Okay, a few days ago, I’m standing in my kitchen and suddenly, it isn't
my
kitchen. I am looking in the mirror, but it's not
my
reflection I see. For months, I'm living Delilah’s life and suddenly,
ZAP!
I'm back in my body and only half an hour passed.” I pause, waiting for my mother’s reaction.

“I see, but what does this have to do with Hailey?” she asks.

“Well, the day I went to pick up Hailey’s wedding ring, I tried it on for size. But, when I looked down, I didn't see
my
hands, I saw Hailey’s! But more importantly, I saw Julian. I saw Julian through Hailey's eyes, and I could actually feel her love for him!” I shake my head in dismay. “What was I to do?”

“What
did
you do?” Mom asks softly.

“Well, I confronted Hailey about it. Of course, she just denied everything, which made me really angry. We exchanged some rather heated words, and Hailey left. But then, I had a third vision. After you gave Emma's dresser to me, I flashed into her life.” I shift my position, beginning to relax a bit. “By the way, did you know Emma was practically engaged to another man before meeting our great-grandfather?” My mother’s expression is difficult to read. She is sitting very still, so I continue, “Anyway, after watching Emma find her
true
love, I just knew I had to help Hailey, and that's when I went to see Julian.”

After a few seconds of silence, my mother finally speaks, “Since the moment you were born, I wondered if this day would come, and how I would explain your talent to you…I’m still not sure what to say, but you are not going crazy. The things you have seen are real. They are memories of events that have truly taken place. In fact, your experience is not unique. A long line of women in our family have been blessed with a natural gift to see the lives of others. I wish I had been one of them.”

“I don’t understand. You knew this about me?”

“Not necessarily, no. I suspected, but I didn’t know. I wondered when, as a child, you would tell me all about your imaginary friends. They changed from month to month. Do you recall your imaginary friend, Mr. Willis? He was your favorite. You began talking about him just after you discovered his set of gardening tools in the shed. It always struck me as funny how accurate you were in your description of the man, although you had never met him. After all, he passed away shortly after you were born. Nice old man.”

“I do remember him!” I exclaim excitedly. “I thought I had made him up! I can’t believe he was actually real . . . and you haven’t told me he existed before now.”

“What do you suppose I should have said? I wasn’t certain you had inherited the gift. As far as I knew, you could have learned about Mr. Willis through a conversation you overheard between your father and me,” my mother replies. “I decided to simply watch you. It was perfectly normal for a child of your age to have imaginary friends. You stopped talking about them when you were about nine years old, and I simply assumed perhaps your ‘friends’
were
just imaginary and not real.”

“I see,” I say, still absorbing her words.

“Anyway, the gift bounces around the family, with no real rhyme or reason. What I do know is that
my
mother could do the same. She felt sorry for me that I had not been granted the same gift and she shared with me all of her fantastic tales. Most of them were extraordinary. I remember listening to her, as she described other people’s lives.” My mom looks at me and asks, “Is there anything else you'd like to know?”