It Happened One Night(5)
Author: Melinda Curtis

 

“We…” Mom drew a shaky breath. “We split up.”

 

Nora’s stomach clenched. “Mom, don’t do this to Sonny.” Nora had grown up not knowing her father because he hadn’t wanted to know her. That had left a void, for sure. She’d been hoping her younger brother would have the luxury of being raised by both parents in one home.

 

Her mother had been married five times and she’d just turned fifty. Hildy Flowers, aging actress and mother, found it hard to be without a significant other or a strong support system, which mainly consisted of Nora now that Nana was gone. Nora didn’t want to go through another of her mother’s messy divorces or to feign happiness through another whirlwind courtship and ill-chosen marriage. Her mother’s last wedding had been bad enough. Not because of the extravagance of the ceremony or the beauty of the Hamptons, but because Nora had met someone and…

 

“I know we had a child together but...” There were tears in her mother’s eyes. “You know how important my career is to me.”

 

Nora knew. Being an on-screen scream queen in the Carver Clowns slasher movie franchise meant everything to Hildy Flowers – the cult following, the walk-on parts in popular sitcoms, the footnotes in popular culture references, including a Jeopardy question.

 

Growing up the daughter and mirror image of a beautiful, brash scream queen had been difficult, especially during her teens and twenties when Mom had landed roles in the Carver Clowns movies. So-called friends had suddenly expected Nora to scream on demand. Boys in high school had expected Nora to be as easy with her virtue as her mother was on-screen. In college, her fellow students tried to make her into a celebrity. To them, it had been a triumph if she appeared at a party or accepted a date. And then there had been the haters, mostly those from monied social circles, who’d thought lesser of Nora because her mother was something of a celebrity trainwreck. And last but not least, there were fans and paparazzi, who had taken Nora’s picture on more than one occasion.

 

It got to the point that Nora had buttoned up her blouses and kept to herself, sometimes going as far as wearing a hat and sunglasses to conceal her identity.

 

“Nana always wished I’d give up the movies for Broadway where all the real actresses were.” Mom scrubbed her face. “Looking at her things… It reminds me how I always felt I wasn’t good enough for her.” Her voice thinned and grew shaky. “It’s the way Armand makes me feel when he tells me to stop acting, as if he’d love me better if I let that part of me go.”

 

“I’m sure that’s not true.” Nora hugged her mother. “When I look at all you’ve achieved, it’s awe-inspiring.” It had taken years for Nora to set aside her vulnerabilities and acknowledge that. Her mother was as good as the Kardashians at self-promotion. If only she was as good at nurturing relationships. “How long are you staying?”

 

With any luck, Armand would come to collect her tomorrow.

 

“We’re staying forever.” That rang with alarming finality.

 

Used to living alone now, Nora felt a sliver of discomfort. “Mom, you know Armand loves you. He wants to take care of you and Sonny. You can’t just walk out on him.”

 

“Yes, but who am I if I’m not Hildy Flowers.” Mom’s voice cracked. She rested her head on Nora’s shoulder. “I’m not doing this only for me. Someday, you and Sonny will inherit everything I’ve built. You’ll be able to live in a bigger, better apartment. Someday, you’ll be thankful for all the choices I made and continue to make. I’m placing my legacy in your hands.”

 

I don’t want any of it.

 

Nora wanted to say the words out loud. But she’d learned long ago that her mother only heard what she wanted to hear. So, she sighed and stroked her mother’s hair, and wondered why she was always the mature one in their mother-daughter relationship.

 

*

 

 

 

“You’re not going to meet your client for the first time dressed like that,” Mom said as she shuffled out of Nora’s bedroom the next morning, heading directly for the coffeemaker. “Nora, you never want to dress down for a job, especially the first day.”

 

Despite having bedhead, Mom looked stunning, whereas Nora, who’d spent the night on a blow-up mattress, looked like she hadn’t slept a wink.

 

“I need bolstering right now, not criticism.” Nora was nervous. Success meant more work. More work meant less worry about paying the rent. She wore plain black leggings and a black blouse she’d buttoned all the way to the top. She’d pulled her blond hair into a slick ponytail and slid on a pair of overly-large, reading glasses.

 

“You’re only twenty-nine. When did you start needing glasses?” Mom tried to reach for them.

 

Nora darted out of reach. “These are for show. I want people to take me seriously.”

 

The sounds of a waking New York City reached them. A car honked. A pigeon cooed on the fire escape. In the distance, a police siren came to life.

 

Mom crossed her arms over her ample chest. “Have I taught you nothing about the power of appearances? You’re beautiful, Nora. Don’t hide it. Be yourself.”

 

Nora rolled her eyes, which made the world pitch from behind the perspective of her lenses. “Do you know what beautiful people in the health industry get?”

 

Her mother arched her delicately shaped brows. “All the jobs?”

 

As if. “All the skepticism, Mom. People respect the glasses.”

 

“People respect the work.” Her mother yawned, turning to the coffeemaker. “At least, unbutton that top button. You look like a repressed waitress.”

 

“I am repressed.” And if she didn’t make more money soon, she’d be waitressing to make ends meet.

 

Mom whirled back to face her, suddenly wide awake. “You don’t really think that you’re repressed.”

 

Yes, I do.

 

But that discussion was a dead end. Mom would just try to convince her otherwise.

 

“I’m nervous, Mom. I… Ignore me.” Nora grabbed her tote and headed for the door. “Wish me luck.”

 

“Good luck with the granny and her little grandson.”

 

Nora hurried downstairs. She had everything planned out. What to buy – fresh fruit, nuts, organic grains, trail mix. She stopped at her favorite local market, the one that opened early. Then she swung by an organic coffee shop for a skinny latte and a bottle of kombucha. Finally, she headed for The Ercoli.