Lorna turned to go up the aisle toward the small office near the front of the theater. It would be a miracle if she weren’t limping for the next three days. She pushed through the curtains and emerged in the lobby, only to stop and rub her sore knee.
The physical pain in her leg was less than the sharpness she felt in her chest at the mention of Glenn. Anger was preferable to shame, and she had a lot to be angry about. Although she had been thinking about him, she hadn’t been expecting someone else to mention him. In Vermont, she’d been used to the local gossip, but here people didn’t know her. That was part of the appeal of her new home. In Freewild Cove she had been invisible.
Until today.
If this woman knew about her marriage, it was only a matter of time before the story spread.
“Hey, wait.” The woman appeared through the curtains on the other side of the concession stand. “I’m sorry. My mother always told me I needed to stop speaking before I think.”
“It’s fine,” Lorna lied. What else could she say? Standing up for herself in this situation had not gone well in the past. She’d been mocked mercilessly on radio and talk shows. Even the people who had meant well couldn’t understand how she was duped for twenty years. Her intelligence had been called into question. One talk show host even proposed the only reason she’d missed her husband’s secret life was because she had been addicted to painkillers and alcohol.
It wasn’t true. If anything Lorna drank more wine after his death, and never every day or in a way she’d consider a problem.
Lorna turned to go to her office.
“No, it’s not fine.” The woman hurried after her. “Please, let me try this again.”
Lorna was forced to stop when the woman blocked her path.
“Hi. I’m Vivien Stone. I already know you’re Lorna. I heard your story and had the strongest urge to introduce myself and I don’t know why I thought…” Vivien gave her a weak smile. “I’m an asshole.”
“It’s fine. Really.” Lorna made a move to walk past her.
“What if I promise this is the stupidest thing I’ll ever do over the course of our friendship?” Vivien insisted.
Friendship? Lorna wasn’t sure how to answer, so she instead tried to dismiss her. “It’s nice to meet you, Vivien. I’m sorry I can’t talk now. I have to get back to work. You’re welcome to stay and watch the end of your kid’s rehearsal.”
“I don’t have kids. I was looking for Heather but she wasn’t in her office. But you go. We’ll talk later. In fact, you should come out with us tonight for drinks. Heather and I have a standing reservation every Friday at the Blues House Tavern when I’m in town. Just us women, music, drinking, maybe even a little hexing.” Vivien held up her hand and slowly backed away. “Don’t say no. Just think about it. Tonight at eight o’clock. You don’t even have to talk. You can listen to me badmouth my ex-husband. He’s a lawyer and not the good kind, so you know I’ll have endless complaints to fill the silence.”
Lorna found herself giving a bemused smile, unsure what to make of Vivien Stone. She wasn’t one for getting vibes off people, but she got a good one from this woman.
Vivien pushed through the front door. She chose the only one with a digital bell and it dinged to mark her exit. She passed by the large front windows before disappearing down the sidewalk. The woman was odd, to be sure, but also strangely likable despite her rough introduction.
Excited voices came from the theater, punctuated by stampeding feet. Two dozen pink mice filtered into the lobby. Several broke away for the restroom while the majority made a line at the concession stand. Lorna’s eyes went to the girl who reminded her of Jennifer. Her ears were gone and a loop of her hair had pulled out of a pigtail. She shook the nostalgia away as she went behind the counter to take their orders. Though she was the manager in title, Lorna was the only person working in the small, hometown theater so it also meant she was cashier, cleaner, and whatever else the owner needed her to be.
“I’m sorry. We only serve humans here,” Lorna told the girls with a smile. They giggled, bouncing with enough energy to make anyone jealous. “I only see mice.”
Several of the girls swiped their ears from their heads. Not much care was taken with the headpieces and their twenty-something dance instructors probably wouldn’t be too happy about it.
“Popcorn with lots of butter!”
“Hotdog, please.”
“Can I have popcorn?”
“I don’t know, can you?” a friend challenged.
“May I have popcorn,” the mouse corrected her order.
“Cotton candy!”
The orders came out in a rush, and Lorna hurried to fulfill their haphazard requests.
“Who’s going to pay for all this? You?” Lorna asked a mouse with curly brunette hair. Since arrangements for snacks had been paid for in advance, there was no actual bill.
“Not me, Mrs. Addams,” the girl answered.
“How about you, little mouse?”
The redhead giggled and shook her head as she took a cotton candy. “Mice don’t have money. They have cheese.”
“Then that will be five pieces of cheese, please,” Lorna said.
“You’re really good with them.” Heather’s voice came from beside her. With all the commotion, Lorna hadn’t seen her approach.
Not only did Heather own the building, which made her Lorna’s landlord and employer, but she also owned several properties around town. Heather seemed to be in a constant state of motion, moving from task to task, to job, to task, crossing them off a list on the small notebook she kept shoved in the back pocket of her blue jeans.
To the mice, Heather said, “Good afternoon, girls. Are you ready for the show this weekend?”
Heather received an array of shouted answers.
The dance instructors called for order as they lined the girls next to the window to watch for their parents.
“Do you miss having kids that age?” Heather asked, staring at the children. Her long brown hair was pulled partially up and left to fall down her back. Though pretty, the waves looked as if they’d naturally dried. Her down to earth nature was a stark contrast to Vivien’s carefully planned appearance. Lorna would not have automatically guessed the women were friends.
“In theory, for like a second,” Lorna said. “Then I remember what it was like, the constant running around, pickups and drop-offs, birthday parties, school functions. I have two boys and a girl. They were always doing something and never at the same time or place. I don’t miss that kind of busy. All I wanted to do back then was light candles, run a hot bath, and read while being left alone. Then again, now I can do that every evening and I hardly ever bother.”
Some of the parents started to arrive and children ran out to meet them.
“How about you? Do you want kids?” Lorna asked.
Heather stiffened, pausing on her way to pick a piece of rogue popcorn off the floor. Sad brown eyes glanced up and then away. The moment was short-lived, but Lorna detected Heather’s pain.
“Did I say something wrong?” she asked.
“I had a son. We lost him when he was seven.” Heather picked up the popcorn piece and threw it in the trash can. Before Lorna could think of the right thing to say, she added, “It’s okay. You couldn’t have known. It was almost ten years ago.”