Chapter 3
Two days into her week off, Mitch had already finished her grocery shopping, laundry, and cleared the grass and small shrubs around her cabin. Since becoming a wildland firefighter, she could only look at grasses, shrubs, and trees as one thing: fuel.
Now, she was at her neighbor Beth's, clearing the area around her house as well.
"Mitch!" Beth called.
Mitch turned around leaning her forearm on top of the handle of her metal rake. "What's up?" she asked as she swiped at her forehead with her other gloved hand.
"Just got word that May Lassiter is in assisted living after having been in the hospital," she said as she came down her back porch stairs with a Tupperware dish filled with something that smelled amazing.
Mitch frowned. "Assisted living? I just saw her two weeks ago serving drinks," she said, recalling the few beers she’d had at Bender’s with Fish and his wife Lacy.
"I guess she took a real turn for the worse with her diabetes. Had her foot amputated.” Beth paused, her eyes growing watery before she looked up at Mitch with a small smile. “Lilly got into town yesterday.”
Mitch nodded, not trusting her voice at that last bit of news. She hadn't seen Lilly in over two years.
"Anyway, I’m going to go visit May and take her this. You want to come?"
Mitch stared at her, her brain taking a few seconds to catch up to what Beth just asked. "Um, I'll finish here and get cleaned up first. Can you text me the visiting hours so I can get there before they end?"
"Of course. I know Lilly is staying at May's house for the time being," she offered before giving the firefighter a warm smile and going back to the house.
Mitch watched her go and leaned on her rake until she heard Beth’s old GMC truck start up and then turned back to her task.
She tried to still her mind and memories while she worked away at clearing the grass and wild brush, but her brain had other ideas. It drifted to the last time she'd seen Lilly, purely by accident two years ago at the liquor store by Lilly's family's bar.
She'd looked good, but then again, Lilly always looked good. She said she’d only been in town a few days and that she got roped into running an errand for Mark. She'd invited Mitch to come see her at the bar that night, but Mitch had been wary. She shook her head as she remembered the hours she had spent going back and forth. Did Lilly really want to see her or was the invite just a polite gesture? Did she really want to go and chance opening old wounds? By the time she had gathered enough courage to go to the bar, Lilly had already left.
Before she knew it, Mitch had chewed up a twenty foot by five-foot line around the back of Beth's property. Her t-shirt and hat were soaked through with sweat. "Ellie, come on, girl," Mitch called as she picked up her tools and made the short trek back to her cabin.
She took a quick shower and made herself a late lunch. By the time she was washing her plate and cup, a text from Beth came in saying visiting hours were open another two hours. She set the phone down and looked out her window. Lilly would inevitably be there and that meant she’d most likely be spending more than a handful of seconds with her. She couldn’t decide if she was more scared or more excited. She shook her head. Ten years is way too long to still be hung up on a woman who tore your heart out, Mitchell.
Mitch pulled up to Sunnyside and grabbed the vase of flowers. She looked down at her shirt to make sure she didn't have anything on it and ran her fingers through her hair. She knew it wasn't for May she was doing it for, so she stopped, rolling her eyes at herself. If she saw her, she saw her. People ran into their exes all the time. Get your shit together, Mitchell.
"Hi, I'm here to visit May Lassiter?" Mitch said and gave the woman, Maria, a polite smile.
"She's very popular today," Maria chuckled as she looked at a chart. "Let me see if she's up to another visitor, if that's all right? What's your name, honey?"
"Of course. My name is Mitch... Michelle Mitchell," she said, stepping back from the counter as the woman picked up the phone.
Maria was quiet for a moment after asking how May was and then giving her name, saying she was here for a visit. Then Maria hung the phone up and smiled. "She's with her niece but she said to come on down. It's the last door on the right," Maria said.
"Thanks," Mitch said and after drawing in a deep breath, started walking down the hallway.
"Honey, are these flowers for her?" Maria called to her.
Mitch turned around. "Oh, yes, I forgot I put them up there," she said with a sheepish smile. She took the vase with both hands and shook her head at herself as she walked down the hallway.
Lilly had just conceded a rousing game of Old Maid when her aunt's phone rang.
"Hello, Maria...Yes, I'm doing well, thank you. I'm spanking my niece at every card game!”
Lilly smiled at her aunt’s good cheer, even if it was at her own expense.
"Another visitor?" May asked and then a wide smile spread across her face. "Oh, bless her heart! Send her down." May said and set the receiver back down. "It's Mitch," her aunt said, looking like the cat that ate the canary.
"Oh, really?" Lilly said as casually as she could. Inside, her heart began beating rapidly.
Lilly's aunt always had a soft spot for her ex-girlfriend, starting way back when Lilly had brought her around their first year of high school. Her aunt had also played an important role in the early stages of their relationship.
Lilly let her mind wander as a memory came to her unbidden. She and Mitch had been caught making out in her room and in a rage, Mitch’s parents had kicked her out.
"I'll do the talking, okay?" Lilly said as she grabbed Mitch's hand. Mitch's eyes were red and puffy, and she readjusted the grip on her duffle bag.
"Okay," Mitch said with a sniff.
Lilly knocked on the door and stepped back a bit as May opened the door slowly.
"Lilly, everything alright?" Her aunt asked worriedly. Lilly hadn't realized how late it was.
"Uh, um..." she stuttered, unsure how to answer the question. May opened the door all the way and ushered them in.
"Come sit down," May said kindly and they both collapsed on the small couch, hands still linked.
Aunt May sat opposite them in her rocking chair and looked at them with a worried, expectant frown.
"Mitch got kicked out of her house tonight," Lilly said at the end of a large exhale.
"Oh, no, Honey," May said, her eyes wide and sympathetic.
"We were in her room and her mom walked in..." Lilly started to explain, but May just held a hand up as she closed her eyes in comprehension.
"I understand," she said, and Lilly sighed, relieved she didn't have to explain.
"You can stay here, Mitch. You are always welcome, sweetheart. Always."
She was brought out of the memory when she heard May call for Mitch to come in after a soft knock. Lilly stood, smoothing out her sweatpants and worn t-shirt, tucking a few strands of stray hair behind her ears.
The door opened slowly, and Mitch caught eyes with her first and gave her a warm smile. “Hi, Lilly.”