214 Palmer Street(29)
“She’s doing well, thank you.” We faced each other for a moment, sizing each other up. Maggie Scott had always seemed old to me, so she hadn’t changed much at all.
“Where are my manners? Come in, come in.” She held open the door and beckoned for me to enter.
I followed her into the house, taking a seat in her living room. When she offered me a drink, I accepted a glass of water to be polite. “Thank you.” I took the glass and rested it on my knee. “I’m sorry for coming unannounced, but I was in the neighborhood and thought I’d say hello.”
“I’m glad you did. I don’t get many visitors nowadays and it’s good to see a familiar face.” She pushed her glasses up her nose as if to get a better view of me.
“It’s a good thing you were home.”
“Oh, honey, I don’t go much of anywhere lately.” She chuckled. “You know, I always had a soft spot for your family. Your mom was my favorite neighbor. Always with a smile, always lending a hand. I was sorry when she had to sell the house, but of course I understood. It’s a lot of property to keep up. I’ve had to hire a high school boy to mow the lawn and half the time he doesn’t get around to it. Then I have to call and beg him to come do the work. Honestly, kids today don’t have a work ethic.”
“I’ll tell Mom you asked about her. She’s mostly recovered from the stroke, but still has some mobility issues. We live in a condo now.” I took a sip of water. “I was wondering about the house next door.” I gestured in that direction. “Who lives there now?”
“The Adens’ old place? It was bought by the nicest young couple, Josh and Cady Caldwell. No kids yet, just the two of them.”
“I spent so much time in that house in high school. I wonder if they’d let me take a look around. You know, a trip down memory lane?”
“Oh, I’m sure they would, but just between us, they’re out of town.” She leaned in as if sharing a secret. “For a whole month, out on a ship in the middle of the ocean. For his job. He’s some kind of environmental scientist of something. Cady explained it to me.” She put her palm to her forehead. “But I didn’t quite grasp it. Anyway, when they get back I’d be glad to ask for you.”
“So no one is home?”
“Nope!” she said happily. “Completely empty. They asked me to keep an eye on the house. My lawn boy is going to mow the grass in front when he finally comes around to do mine. Their backyard is all torn up so that’s all he’ll need to do.”
“That’s funny. I could have sworn I saw a woman go inside while I was waiting for you to come to the door.”
Her forehead furrowed in thought. “No, that couldn’t be. The house is empty.”
“Huh.” I wiped a droplet of condensation off the side of the glass. “I guess I was mistaken.”
We talked until I’d finished the water. By that time, she’d exhausted the litany of stories about the comings and goings of the residents in the area. On the front porch before I left, she gave me a hug. “Tell your mother I say hello and that I’d love to see her.”
“I will,” I promised. As I walked to my car, I glanced back. She wasn’t looking at me, but had her gaze on the house next door. My comment about seeing a woman go inside had bothered her. I knew she’d keep on top of it.
That night, I had an epiphany. My eyes opened and I was instantly wide awake, with a realization. I suddenly knew, just knew, why Sarah Aden was in that house.
EIGHTEEN
NOW
Sarah spent the day indoors. She had always intended to wait until dark, but now she realized that she also needed to be certain Maggie wouldn’t be around to spy on her. She read Cady’s books, watched her television, and heated up one of her organic meals in the microwave. Sitting at the island at lunch time, eating one of the harvest bowls, she imagined what it would be like to have Cady’s life. Josh, by all accounts, was the perfect husband, thoughtful, kind, full of fun.
For Cady’s thirty-fifth birthday Josh had created a “this is your life” video, showcasing her childhood home, all the schools she’d attended, and clips of friends and family saying how they knew Cady and what she meant to them. Now that was a gift. When he was putting it together, Josh had messaged Sarah, thinking she was Cady’s old friend, and asked if she’d wanted to contribute, but she declined, saying her schedule was too hectic. His reply sounded decidedly disappointed, which gave her a twinge of guilt, but there was no way she could tell him the truth.
Cady had posted the video on Facebook, along with another video of her crying while she watched the first video. Sarah had watched both of them over and over again. Even Maggie had made an appearance in the birthday video, saying that Cady was a wonderful neighbor, and that she enjoyed their talks.
Seeing all of Cady’s friends send virtual love for her birthday made Sarah realize how few true friends she had. None, really, if she were to be honest with herself. She and Kirk were a party of two, so close that no one else had been needed.
After she’d been hospitalized, friends from work had been there for her: cards, flowers, short visits, and phone calls. So much love and attention at once and she wasn’t even in a good place to appreciate the attention. By the time she was feeling better the outpouring had dwindled to texts and messages on social media. And finally, as the weeks went on, complete silence. Nothing at all.