Holly and Ivy by Fern Michaels (30)

Ivy added a touch of cherry-red lipstick and made a face in the mirror. Surely, there was an expiration date on lipstick. Ivy looked at her reflection. The color was fine, just old. She took the jar of Vaseline she used for chapped lips and dabbed a bit in the center of her mouth. Closing her lips to spread the shine, she had a sudden flash of Elizabeth watching her while she put her makeup on. Sad, but in a new way, a way she had yet to decipher, there were no tears, no closing down the memory. Instead, she allowed herself to remember how she had dabbed pink lipstick on Elizabeth’s little rosebud-shaped mouth, then dusted her nose with face powder. Her daughter loved it when they “played makeup,” and so had she. She held back a sob, and her throat tightened. Taking a deep breath, she released it, slowly allowing herself to relax, allowing the memory to unfold without a physical reaction. She closed her eyes and remembered.

 

“How’s come I can’t go with you and Daddy?” Elizabeth asked. “I want to dress up, too.”

“But when is someday?”

She laughed at her three-year-old daughter. “It will be here sooner than you think,” Ivy explained. And it would. There would be school proms, dates, and, most likely, a wedding day. All in good time, Ivy thought as she reached for her tube of soft pink lipstick.

 

Had she known that would’ve been her only opportunity to instruct her daughter on how to use makeup, she would have gladly stayed home and continued the lesson.

Ivy glanced at the clock on her bedside table. If she did not get a move on, she would be late, and she had always detested tardiness in any form.

Now would be a good time to return to her habit of days long past. Pushing all negative thoughts aside, she went through her sweaters until she found one that was halfway decent. A red cashmere, with long sleeves and a turtleneck. She pulled it over her head, then looked in the mirror again. Satisfied that her outfit was presentable, she brushed her hair, letting it fall across her shoulders and down her back. She needed a trim and a color, but for now, this was it. Satisfied, she slipped into her black suede boots and went downstairs. With a quick glance around to make sure she had not left on any lights or appliances, which should not be running, she found her keys and headed out the back door.

Butterflies danced in her stomach, a feeling she had not experienced in so long that it surprised her. She chuckled. “This is not a date,” she said aloud as she pulled onto the main road. And it isn’t, is it? Dates did not bring their children along. Or maybe they did?

It had been a very, very long time, and she would be the first one to admit, she had no clue what one considered acceptable in today’s world. It did not matter, she thought. For whatever reason, she was having pizza with a man and his daughter, a little girl whom she just happened to think was adorable.

* * *

Ten minutes later, she was searching the parking lot for a spot. She had not actually dined inside Ollie’s since . . . ever!

As many pizzas as she had ordered throughout the years, she had never been inside. Amazing, she decided, after locating a parking slot between two large trucks. Turning off the ignition, she closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths. This was her day of new beginnings. She wanted to live; she needed to find a new normal in her life and forget her old ways. If having pizza on a chilly autumn Saturday night with a man and his daughter was to be a part of her new normal, then it was time to accept these facts and do her best to live in the moment.

She tossed her keys in her purse and headed for the entrance. As soon as she stepped inside, the scent of fresh-baked bread, garlic, and something else she could not put a name to teased her senses. It was warm, maybe a bit too warm, she thought as she searched the tables for Daniel and Holly. Chatter from the diners, clinks of flatware, and an occasional burst of laughter livened up Ollie’s more than she had expected. Actually, she was not sure what she had expected, and reminded herself, again, that this was a new start for her.

“Ivy!” came a voice from her left. “Over here.”

She turned and saw Daniel and Holly seated beside an older couple on a long bench against the window. She gave a quick wave of acknowledgment and headed their way.

“I didn’t know Ollie’s drew in such a crowd,” she said to Daniel and Holly. Daniel stood up and pointed to his empty seat. “Please have a seat. They said it would be a few minutes.”

Ivy sat next to Holly. “Thanks. I love your boots,” Ivy said. And she did.

“Me too. Dad gave them to me for Christmas last year,” Holly said, stretching her black-tighted legs out so Ivy could get a full view of her boots.

“Well, all I can say is that’s a very cool gift, and I love the color.” She patted the little girl’s back. She was thin, but not so much that it alarmed her. Most likely, she was going to be tall, just like her father.

“Me too, but pink and purple are my faves. Not sure if they make pink or purple boots, but how cool would that be if they did?” Holly asked.

Daniel shook his head. “She likes boots. What can I say?”

Ivy nodded. “Of course she does. What girl doesn’t?” Small talk, but Ivy did not feel quite as awkward as she had at The Blackberry Café. Hard to believe that had only been a few hours ago. Which explained the reason why she was not that hungry.

“So what are your favorite toppings?” Holly asked.

“Good question.” She thought for a few seconds, and replied, “I like everything, minus anchovies, which I do like in a Caesar salad.... So whatever you choose, I’ll love.”

“As long as there are no anchovies?” Daniel added.

She felt a wash of color rise to her cheeks. Glad the place was a bit on the dim side, she nodded. “What about you?” she asked.

“Same. I like anything.”

The hostess called, “Greenwood, party of three,” and they all followed her to a booth at the back of the restaurant, near the kitchen door. In the old days, Ivy would have asked for a booth away from the kitchen, but now decided it was a good idea to have a bit of traffic coming and going. The last thing she needed was a cozy little corner. Though one could not get too cozy with a little girl in the picture. Why she was having these thoughts completely perplexed her.

Daniel and Holly sat on the side nearest to the kitchen, and Ivy faced them. A low-hanging light above their table reflected the golds and deep browns in Daniel’s hair. Sarah was right. He was good-looking in the extreme. She took a deep breath, then picked up the menu, hoping to hide the blush staining her cheeks. A warm glow flowed through her. Right at this very moment, she was content. No past. No future. Just the moment.

An older woman, tall and thin, with steel-gray hair styled in a pageboy, came to the table. “Hey, Daniel. Holly. What’s the occasion? I have not seen you two twice in one week since I do not know when.” She looked at Ivy while she said this.

“Luck,” Holly offered, and they all laughed.

“You want a few minutes to look at the menu tonight, or will it be the usual?” the woman asked.

“Give us a few minutes, Geraldine,” Daniel said, adding, “Since we have a guest tonight.”

“Sure thing, you just wave your hand when you’re ready to order. You want a draft beer now, while you look over the menu?”

“Not tonight, we’ll each have a Sprite. Ivy?”

“Sprite is fine for me, too.”

When she had poured her alcohol down the drain, she was sure she would have some kind of craving. Luckily, she had not, nor had she missed it. In fact, the thought of it made her sick. To think that she had spent all these years in a drunken stupor amazed her. Unsure if her health had been affected, she made a mental note to go see her doctor for a full checkup. Her father, as always, had been right. She was still young, and she did have a future. Though she seriously doubted she would ever have more children, she did want to live out the rest of her days clearheaded, without the lingering aftereffects of alcohol.

“Then three Sprites it is,” Geraldine said.

“She’s the owner,” Daniel explained. “Ollie’s wife.”

Ivy nodded. “I’ve never been here, can you believe it? I have ordered delivery from them numerous times over the years, but tonight’s my first visit.” She needed Daniel to know this for some reason that she herself was not even sure of. Maybe she wanted him to know she had no memories of being here with anyone from her past?

“Wow, that’s really super weird, Ivy. Everyone who lives in Pine City has been to Ollie’s,” Holly informed her.

“Well, I agree that it’s high time I had the pleasure, and, voilà, here I am,” Ivy said. “I know they have the best pizza ever.”

Geraldine brought three tall glasses of ice with three cold cans of Sprite. “Y’all ready to order?”

“Ivy? You choose,” Daniel said.

“Let’s have what Holly usually has. I’d like to be surprised.”

“Good choice,” Geraldine said. “The kid’s got good taste.”

“Thanks,” Ivy said. She pulled the metal top of the can back. A slight fizzing sound bubbled up; then ice crackled as she filled the glass with soda.

“So what’s your job, Ivy, or do you even have one? I am going to be a singer, but I guess you already know that,” Holly said, her words bursting with enthusiasm.

Leave it to a child to cut through the flesh and go straight for the bone, Ivy thought. She would have asked the same question at her age. “That’s a good question. I went to college, Duke, where I majored in business. I worked for my father until a few years ago.” Was that even an answer? She did not think so, but it was all she was willing to share at this point. She could not speak about the plane crash, especially now that she knew that Daniel had lost his wife in the very crash that took her family from her. Though she knew she was being unrealistic, she felt responsible for his loss. Silly, but true.

“Holly, I think Ivy would rather talk about something besides work. Am I right?” Daniel asked her.

“No, it’s fine. Really.” She was not being 100 percent truthful. It was not fine. She cleared her throat. “I worked for an airline many years ago.” There. It was out in the open.

“Cool,” Holly said, then apparently remembered what her dad told her earlier about her mother. “I mean, not cool. You know cool, like you could travel, cool,” Holly said, trying to dig herself out of the verbal hole, but the more she said, the deeper she fell into the darkness of her words.

Ivy knew it was up to her to make this right. Honesty was always the best policy. “I did not travel much. And it was a cool job for a while. I enjoyed my work, loved the freedom I had, and bringing home a paycheck was nice, too.” Lame as ever, but she had never rehearsed how she would explain her circumstances to a stranger if asked. She did not want to burden Holly with any more thoughts of sadness.

In order to change the subject, she asked, “So tell me about this annual Christmas musical? How in the world did you get involved in such a big project?” During lunch, Sarah had explained to her just how big a deal The Upside’s Christmas musical was.

Holly looked at her dad. “I don’t think I’m going to be allowed to sing this year.”

Ivy raised her brow, trying to hide her confusion from Holly. “Why is that?” she asked. Was there more to this father-and-daughter team that she did not know? Were they ill? She hoped not. She could not handle another tragedy happening to those she cared about. Though it had only been a day, Ivy felt as though Daniel and his daughter were in her life for a reason.

Maybe Holly getting lost was meant to be?