She promised to rejoin the crochet group soon.
THE SAYING THAT THE SHOW MUST GO ON WAS true. Despite all the upheaval, CeeCee got her contract, and the Making Amends film crew did their setup at the bookstore on the appointed day. The director wanted the store to appear real, so Bob was at his station in the café and Adele, Sheila, Dinah and I were gathered around the event table with our crochet work out. William aka Koo Koo was in the children’s area showing off his book to a couple of kids Adele had rounded up. Even Rayaad was at the cashier station. Mrs. Shedd had gotten her hair done and was hanging by the front counter as taping began and CeeCee started to read from the teleprompter.
“We’re here at Shedd & Royal Books and More in Tarzana, California, to let you the audience be the witness to the righting of an old wrong.”
They stopped taping and the director said a photo essay of the subject’s story would be inserted for the real show.
“And now we have the resolution. The moment we’ve all been waiting for,” CeeCee read when the taping resumed.
Everyone in the bookstore looked around as music came up. With a theatrical flourish, the front door of the bookstore was opened by two men in tuxedos, and a red carpet was rolled out.
A man walked in and glanced around. His silver hair accentuated his tan face. His features had the character that only comes from having lived an interesting life. The tuxedo was no doubt provided by the show, but he appeared at home in it. But who was he?
Mrs. Shedd gasped and leaned against the counter, appearing almost faint.
“Joshua Royal is co-owner of the bookstore with Pamela Shedd,” CeeCee read. “He was single, she was a widow and their business relationship became personal. But Joshua had places to go and adventures to have and left without a word. But all the while he was working on the freighter, as a cook in Antarctica, in the monastery in Tibet and the ride operator at Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen, he never forgot Pamela or stopped thinking that someday he’d come back.”
The music swelled. Mr. Royal took long strides toward Mrs. Shedd and à la An Officer and a Gentleman scooped her up in his arms and amidst all of our cheering, carried her out. Only Adele looked disappointed.
It was past midnight by the time everything was packed up and I went home to a quiet house. Tomorrow a crew would come to put the bookstore back in order.
As usual the dogs ran out when I opened the door. The photo was still sitting on the kitchen table. I had found it slipped under the door a few days earlier. It was of Barry and a young woman who resembled him around the eyes. On the back he’d written simply, Thank you.
Cosmo and Blondie ran around the yard a few times and rushed back inside. The dog situation had stayed as is, though now that Jeffrey was back, he’d come by several times. He would always deliver a message from his father that he sent his best.
I’d heard from Mason a few times, reminding me that I owed him another chance and that his girlfriend-and-family rule wasn’t written in stone. So far I’d been putting him off. The problem wasn’t him. It was me. What did I really want? Was I after pleasant companionship without real involvement. Or did I want something with all the complications that went with intertwined lives?
The night sky was heavy with clouds. The weather guys had predicted rain, and in the typical Southern California style of feast or famine in the precipitation department a heavy steady rain began to fall.
I curled up in my own bed with Cosmo snuggled next to me. Blondie as always took her chair.
A noise in the corner disturbed me. At first it was a drip, but it quickly turned into a steady gush, like water being poured from a pitcher. I realized the old leak in the roof over the bedroom was back.
I picked up the phone and hesitated. I knew he would come, but did I want what came with him?
Filet Bookmark
EASY TO MAKE
Attach thread to hook with a slipknot and chain 15.
Row 1: Double crochet in the fourth chain from hook, double crochet in the next 2 chains, chain 2 and skip the next 2 chains, double crochet in the next 4 chains; chain 2 and skip the next 2 chains and double crochet in the last chain. (4 blocks made: 2 are solid and 2 are empty.) Row 2: Chain 3 (counts as double crochet), turn work, double crochet in the next 3 stitches, chain 2 and skip the next 2 stitches, double crochet in the next 4 stitches, chain 2 and skip the next 2 stitches, double crochet in the last stitch.
Repeat Row 2 twenty-eight times. Do not finish off.
BORDER
Round 1: Chain 1, do not turn work, make a row of single crochets around with 3 single crochets in each corner. Join with a slip stitch to the first single crochet.
Round 2: Chain 1 and make a single crochet in the same stitch, chain 1, *single crochet in the next single crochet, chain 1*. Repeat from * to * around. Join with a slip stitch to first single crochet, finish off.
BLOCKING
Dip in liquid starch and squeeze out excess. Shape on a piece of cardboard covered with a sheet of waxed paper. Hold in place with rustproof pushpins. Let dry.
Chart for Filet Bookmark
Cuddle Blanket
EASY TO MAKE
Attach color A with a slipknot to size P hook and chain 54.
Foundation row: Single crochet across. (53 single crochets made.)
Row 1: Chain 1, turn and single crochet across.
Row 2: Chain 3 (counts as double crochet), turn and double crochet across.
Row 3: Chain 1, turn and single crochet across.
Row 4: Chain 3 (counts as double crochet), turn and double crochet across.
Row 5: Chain 1, turn and single crochet across.
Row 6: Chain 3 (counts as double crochet), turn and double crochet across.
Row 7: Chain 1, turn and single crochet across; fasten off. Attach color B to last stitch of row 7. Repeat rows 1 through 7 with color B; fasten off.
Attach color A to last stitch of row 7. Repeat rows 1 through 7 with color A.
Attach color B to last stitch of row 7. Repeat rows 1 through 7; fasten off.
Attach color A to last stitch of row 7. Repeat rows 1 through 7; fasten off.
Attach color B to last stitch of row 7. Repeat rows 1 through 7; fasten off.
Attach color A to last stitch of row 7. Repeat rows 1 through 7; Repeat row 1 and fasten off.
The blanket will begin and end with color A. There will be 3 stripes of color B and 4 stripes of color A.
BORDER
Round 1: Change to size N hook and attach color B with right side facing, single crochet around the body, increasing at the corners; join to first single crochet with a slip stitch. Turn.
Round 2: Chain 3 (counts as double crochet), skip first single crochet, double crochet in each single crochet around increasing at corners; join with a slip stitch to the top of the chain 3. Do not turn.
Round 3: Chain 1, single crochet in each stitch around, increasing at corners; join to chain 1 with a slip stitch and fasten off. Finish off by weaving in yarn tails.
California Noodle Pudding
SERVES 12
16 ounces wide egg noodles,
cooked and drained
4 ounces of butter, cut in
small pieces