Starting Now (Blossom Street #9)(39)

“Does your grandmother ever take you to the doctor?” she asked.

Ava looked up as though the question surprised her. “I went to the dentist earlier this summer.”

“What about a physical? Don’t you get one every year for school?” Oh dear, this was going badly.

Ava shook her head. “Not really. You do if you’re playing sports, so Jackson has an appointment, but I don’t. I’m not any good at sports. I like to sing. I was in the choir at school and sang a solo once. Do … do you sing?”

Libby shook her head and then remembered how much she enjoyed singing to the babies, but that was different. “I didn’t have many interests in school. I always had my face in a book, studying.”

“Did you get good grades?”

Libby nodded. “My mother wanted me to graduate at the top of my class. She convinced me I was the smartest girl in school. She said that because she knew she wouldn’t be around to see me grow up and graduate from high school and college. She said it every day because she wanted me to believe it, too. Sometimes she would close her eyes when she talked about me going to college.”

Ava cocked her head to one side. “Why did she do that?”

“I asked her that, too, and she said she was using her imagination to see me excelling in everything I tackled.”

“Did you?” Ava asked.

Libby blinked until she realized what the thirteen-year-old was asking. “Yes. I wanted to get good grades for my mother.” Libby rarely spoke of her mother to anyone. Those last few months with her mother, before she went into hospice, had been special. The memories had lingered in Libby’s mind through the years.

“Did you have a boyfriend?” Ava asked.

“No … not until college.”

“College?” Ava repeated, as though she was shocked Libby had waited so long.

Casey returned and her eyes instantly went to Libby, who quickly looked away. She hadn’t gotten very far into the conversation and now that Casey was back everything would change.

“Where’d you go?” Ava asked her friend.

“I ran over to see Alix at The French Cafe.”

“Oh … damn … darn it.” Ava exhaled and thrust her knitting at Libby. “I dropped a stitch.”

“I’ll get it for you.” Libby reached for her notions bag and brought out her crochet hook. Once she’d snagged the rebel stitch she handed the dishcloth back to Ava and showed her how to weave it back into place and slip it onto the knitting needle.

Casey continued chattering away. “Alix is the one I was telling you about who bakes those yummy buttery croissants.”

“Lydia bought me one this morning,” Ava explained.

“Alix and my mom are good friends,” Casey went on. “Mom taught her how to knit, too. Before she got married she went to cooking school and then she started working at The French Cafe.”

Libby had tasted those incredible croissants herself and they were every bit as good as Casey claimed. She had to avoid them altogether or her workout sessions at the gym would be for naught.

Looking up from her knitting, Libby discovered that Ava was watching her. Immediately the girl’s gaze dropped as though she was embarrassed.

“I was thinking of getting some lunch. Do you girls want to join me?” Libby asked.

“Casey and I already have plans,” Lydia said as she approached the table.

“We do?” Casey looked surprised.

“Would you like to come with me?” Libby asked Ava, realizing Lydia had given her an opening for the two to spend time together.

Ava hesitated and looked to Casey as if she needed her friend’s approval.

“It’s all right with me if you want to have lunch with Libby,” Casey said, although she didn’t look all that pleased about it.

“Okay,” Ava said softly, glancing up at Libby and offering her a shy smile.

“Where are we going?” Casey asked her mother as Lydia drew her daughter away from the table.

“I thought we’d meet Margaret,” said Lydia.

“Can we have Chinese food?” Casey asked hopefully, then looking over at Ava, she added, “It’s my favorite.”

“I’ll call Margaret and suggest that she meet us at China West.”

Casey’s face lit up with a huge smile. “Great!”

“What kind of food do you like?” Libby asked Ava as she started picking up her things.

Ava shrugged.

“There’s a really good soup and salad place a couple of blocks from here.” What Libby liked best was the outdoor dining. They would have some privacy … she hoped.

“That sounds okay. I like soup.”

“So do I.” Most people thought of it as a winter lunch but Libby could easily eat soup every day.

Ava and Libby left the shop together. While heading toward the cafe, Libby did all the talking. Drawing Ava into the conversation was difficult. When they reached the small restaurant, she chose an isolated table and hoped it would stay that way.

The waitress arrived with filled water glasses and two menus tucked under her arm. “The soup special today is butternut bisque.”

“They have a wonderful crab salad if that interests you,” Libby suggested to Ava.

Ava studied the menu as if Libby was going to give her a test on its contents. “I like tuna fish.”