Chapter Thirteen
Alicia
My fingers moved what seemed like dozens of music books, the multiple spines bumping under my fingers in the quaint Mayfield library. I had to find the perfect piece, something I remembered playing as if it were yesterday. Spotting it, I forced it out and the weathered cover blasted so many memories back to me. I’d taken a myriad of piano classes over my life, both myself and my brothers did. Something about the music senior people in my life enjoyed hearing and I hadn’t gotten it at that time, not amongst the dozens upon dozens of classes and recitals I’d been a part of.
But after yesterday, I was starting to understand it.
I felt it too. I felt so much and after getting up this morning I had to seek out the competition piece that resonated with so many when I played it as a teen. I’d traveled to New York City and everything back then, invited to play with the orchestra there during their annual concert. Every year they allowed a gifted student to be featured along with their talented musicians, and though I never thought myself as gifted, I had been pretty good at one time. I won that year and got to play in Central Park, my entire family present.
I remembered the event as if it were yesterday now, but the notes themselves a little fuzzy hence my trip to the Mayfield Community Library. I wanted a book that had the classics, many of them and easy to be enjoyed. I had people that enjoyed them.
My mind spinning and still a bit confused, I fell into the influx of it. I honestly didn’t know what was going on between Gray and me, why I touched him or why he kissed me, but whatever it was I found myself hard pressed to want to stop. I just knew the link, the link between all of us was the music and I wanted to play more, connect us more and make everyone happy.
I wanted to be happy too.
Smiling, I pushed the book under my arm, ready for checkout and so distracted I ran into someone, stumbling back with an “Oops” between the pair of us. With the sudden impact, I’d been surprised neither one of us managed to drop our stuff but we’d been okay. We held on. Even still, I felt bad and asked her if she was okay. To my surprise, she said my name.
“Uh, yes,” I said not knowing this woman. I’d ventured to pretty much all the major stops in Mayfield in my time here but managed to miss her, and even though the woman was average in dress and demeanor, I felt like I’d remember her. Her dress quaint and her hair pinned, she gave the illusion of someone older or just maybe more distinguished and her smile on me definitely made me want to smile back. Some people just had that, a pleasantness about them.
Laughing a little, she pushed her hand back to her auburn-colored hair.
“I’m sorry, small town,” she said, the many books in her arms jumping with more laughter. “I’m Jolene, Jolene Berry. I teach elementary in town and I guess we all know you’re here. We all knew Jo well and loved her.”
This had been the second person in town beyond Ava to say such a thing, and though Gray hadn’t said anything similar, I didn’t have to be an investigative reporter to know what type of influence my aunt had on both himself and his daughter. It seemed four individuals had both loved and respected her and I had a feeling the numbers went well beyond that if actually looked into.
I gave this woman my hand, my smile genuine.
“Nice to meet you,” I said. “And yes, I’m Alicia.”
“I didn’t mean to bombard you,” she went on, her hand going back to the bundle of books pressed to her abdomen. Her arms were nearly jam-packed with books and I wasn’t surprised. She did say she was a teacher.
She grinned. “I was hoping to come across you. I’ve heard such wonderful things.”
I wondered at first from whom, but like both she and Ava said this was a small town. I was sure everyone here knew about the long-lost niece who’d literally found her way back to Kansas.
“Well, thank you,” I told her. “I’m glad I got to be here despite the circumstances.”
The fact I was here in my aunt’s place wasn’t lost on me and that showed across the weight of Jolene Berry’s freckled cheekbones.
She nodded. “We do miss her. She was a wonderful woman.”
Something could be said about the jealousy I had for the people here. They got to know the woman who left so much for me. I now only got to experience her through others eyes and her personal possessions.
“That’s what I hear,” I told her, my sigh evident. “I was really young the last time I’d seen her.”
Jolene acknowledged that, lifting and lowering her head.
“I hear you’re fixing up her house,” she said, the light returning to her eyes. She tilted her head. “Again, small—”
“Town,” we said together, laughing at that. I pushed my hand through my hair. “Yeah, doing some revisions and prepping it and the property up for sale. I’ll probably be here a few months.”
Thanks to Gray things had been moving along, but I did still have a lot of time to root here. In the beginning that might have been a bad thing.
So much has changed.
I was still trying to figure it all out, my feelings and where I was going with them. The good thing in all this was at least I had some time, and because I did, I was going to allow myself to sort them out. I must have been smiling because Jolene’s widened and like she knew, the next words out of her mouth were about Gray.
“I hear he’s been heading your project,” she told me, again not surprising me by her candor or knowledge. She hugged her books. “I hope you’re getting what you need from him. From what I hear, he does very good work.”
Because I could attest for that, I told her so, smiling. Gray really did know his way around a tool, a project. He had my full trust and more, so much more.
“And I’m sure you’ve—” Jolene started, pulling me out of my thoughts. Her lips closed and judging by the sudden change of her expression I ventured she was unsure about her next words. She wasn’t smiling anymore and her books suddenly lowered.
Her head tilted.
“I’m sure you’ve met his daughter,” she started, the words moving out slowly. Again, as if unsure. Her lips parted. “Laura. I used to teach her though our sessions concluded not long ago. Since I have the time, I tutor out of my home during the summers. Laura was one of my students. Gray’s decided to do homeschooling with her during the school year so I guess I’m curious about how she’s been.”
I wasn’t surprised Gray would be homeschooling his daughter. Her obvious special needs wouldn’t allow her to be around many people no matter how sad that would be for her. I was sure that was incredibly lonely for her.
My smile fell like Jolene’s had.
“I have met her and she seems well. I’m actually picking this up for her.”
Her gaze traveled to the music book in my hands and as she looked clearly curious, I thought to explain more.
“I’ve been playing piano for her,” I said. “She’s over while Gray works and seems to like it while she sits with me. Up until this point, I’d been playing mostly from mem—”
“I’m sorry. You said she sits with you,” she said, getting closer.
I moved my head. “Uh, yeah, but not all the time.”
“But she does that,” Jolene went on, a wonder in her voice I thought I understood. She’d interacted with Laura just as I had and one thing I was sure we both knew was that she didn’t trust many people. It’d been something I was hoping to change with her by playing.
“She does,” I said happy for the fact. Like I knew, she didn’t trust easy.
Jolene stared off.
“And Gray, he doesn’t mind it?” she questioned, her gaze returning to me. “He doesn’t mind you playing and sitting with her?”
Her words saddened me.
“He doesn’t,” I told her and something about what I said changed everything and I felt that.
Especially with her smile.
Jolene proved to be such a nice person and pleasant like I originally believed about her. Before we parted, she made sure to let me in on all the community events, even going one further and inviting me to service on Sundays with the rest of the town, which I considered taking her up on. Before we left each other, me to continue on to check out and she her browsing, she did say something and it’d been something I hadn’t expected.
“You should ask Gray about enrolling Laura in school,” she said, kinda timid when she said it. “At least to take a tour. We can do specialized classes for her, small or even individualized. Laura’s smart, Alicia. So very smart and I’ve seen it. I saw it every week I worked with her.”
I believed that, that she was smart but I didn’t think that was the issue, nor the reason why Gray was keeping Laura out of school.
I shrugged my bag up. “I’m not sure I should get involved and even still, Laura… she doesn’t seem to do too well around many others.”
In fact, not well at all and being around Laura herself I thought she’d know that.
She came closer. “I know she’d do well with others.”
“How do you know?” I asked and to that, she simply smiled.
“Because I’ve seen it.”