It was the sun shining directly in her face that woke Mary Elizabeth the next morning. Squinting, she raised a hand to shield her eyes and looked at the time. Ten a.m. Boy, it felt like she'd just closed her eyes. More sleep sounded like a good idea, but she had too much to do. She got out of bed, and began making plans for the day.
A trip to the grocery store to stock her kitchen was first on her agenda. Then, the apartment needed cleaning from top to bottom. She also needed to see what was available in the way of paint and supplies around town. She was glad Hugh gave her permission to fix the place up any way she liked.
There was nothing she wanted to eat in the kitchen. She picked up her purse and headed to the diner. The heavenly aroma of cooking food hit her nostrils as soon as she opened the door, making her stomach rumble. She sat at the counter and studied the menu to see what her choices were.
"What can I get for you?” There was a different waitress on duty this morning.
"A ham and cheese omelet with toast on the side. A cup of coffee to drink."
The waitress's name was Anne. After placing her order in the window, she came back and poured Mary Elizabeth's coffee. “You must be the new tenant Hugh told me about. You're the friend of Alex's mate, Kiesha?"
"Yes, that's me. I arrived last night."
"That's what Hugh said. Well, welcome to Refuge. There's not much to it, but the folks here are friendly. You need anything, you let me know, ya hear? I can give you directions and help you find your way around until you get settled."
"Thanks. I appreciate the offer. I need to buy groceries and paint. I saw the grocery store on the way in. Is there anyone around here that sells paint?"
"The hardware store closed down a few years back, but there's a Home Depot about forty-five minutes away in the next town over. You might want to get your groceries there, too. The store here is fine for some things, but for a major stocking job like what you're needing, I would do my shopping at one of the stores there. Bigger selection, greater variety and better prices. I can give you directions on how to get there so that you don't get lost."
"Thank you. I appreciate the help and the advice."
"Oops, got to go. There's your food. I'll have the directions wrote down for you before you go.” She walked off to see about her other customers.
Anne was really nice, a true example of small town friendliness. She was an older woman, in her late forties maybe? Her ash blonde hair was liberally streaked with gray. She had a kind face, and the lines around her mouth and eyes suggested that she spent a lot of time smiling. There was a motherly look about her, and her manner enforced Mary Elizabeth's opinion that this woman was the nurturing type. She was looking forward to getting to know her better.
Polishing off her plate, she allowed herself one more cup of coffee before going to the register to pay. Anne handed her the directions as promised. Mary Elizabeth gave her a hefty tip then collected her truck and went to do her shopping.
Chapter Three
The week flew by pretty fast. She saw little of her landlord or anyone else as she spent her days unpacking and decorating, turning her apartment into a comfortable home. When she wasn't painting or shopping, she was sleeping. She got plenty of rest and felt much better.
On her second day in Refuge, she reluctantly called home to let her parents know she arrived safely. Her reward for being considerate was another thirty-minute lecture from her mother on what a big disappointment she was as a daughter and how Babs would have never gone off and left right when she was needed most. Her dad earned her undying gratitude when he got her mother off of the phone.
A couple of days later, Charles called. Mary Elizabeth was covered in paint at the time. “Hello?"
"How's the new job?"
She sat down on the floor. “I haven't started yet. Kiesha is giving me time to settle first."
"You know, I never realized how big a part of my life you were until you left. I miss you. I wish you'd come home."
"Charles, I just arrived. It's only been a few days since I left. Besides, it's not like we spent a lot of time together before Babs died.” After her death, Charles was constantly at her apartment. Mary Elizabeth understood how difficult things were for him and hadn't complained. He was a welcome addition when he chipped in and helped her prepare to move.
"But I knew you were there, and now you're not. Why didn't you call and tell me you were okay?” He sounded hurt.
"I honestly didn't think of it. I called and spoke with mother. Didn't she tell you?"
"Yes, that's how I got this number. But it should have come from you. Don't I mean anything to you?"
"Ummm..."
"I'm still family, aren't I? Even more than that, I thought we were friends."
Damn, now she felt guilty. “You're right. I should have called. It didn't cross my mind that you would worry. I'm sorry."
"I forgive you. Have you given any more thought to what I said?"
"About...?"
"About us. I told you, that wasn't the alcohol speaking. Lately, I've been giving it a lot of thought."
"Charles, we can't recreate the past. You're my brother-in-law and my friend. Let's leave it at that."
"You give it some thought. I know you're busy, so I'll go and let you get back to what you were doing."
"Charles ... Charles!” He hung up. She didn't understand this need of his to revisit the past. When the split first happened, she was so hurt, she would have been happy to hear that he'd made a mistake, but that was almost eight years ago. It was too late to change things now.
She hadn't told her mother about the incident with Charles. She would just accuse Mary Elizabeth of being jealous, a scheming seductress out to steal Babs’ life now that she was gone. She hoped Charles didn't go to her mother with this nonsense.
It was funny really. While she'd never been jealous of Babs a day in her life, at times she'd wondered if her twin could say the same. Babs had convinced people that Mary Elizabeth couldn't bear to be separated from her. In truth, it had been just the opposite. Babs needed Mary Elizabeth because she made Babs shine. She'd refused to enhance her own natural beauty because it intimidated Babs and left her feeling insecure. Babs needed to be the focus of attention and, with the exception of their mother, Mary Elizabeth could have cared less who noticed her.
Growing up, their mother focused so much attention on Babs’ looks that her life had revolved around her image. Babs needed to believe in her beauty because she was convinced it was all she had. Her mother had taught Babs to use her beauty to get what she wanted in life, and Babs had learned her lessons well. That's how she nabbed Charles.
After the fiasco with Charles, Mary Elizabeth turned her attention to earning her degree and becoming financially stable. She was saving money to purchase her own home. She'd been saving for her dream house since high school. One day, she would have it. It would be hers, on her land, built to her specifications. She had enough money now to purchase the land and put a good down payment on the house. She was looking for property when the call came about Babs.
Now that she was in Refuge? Well, time would tell. Life was short and she wasn't getting any younger. One day, she'd have children and give them all the attention, love and acceptance she never received as a child, with or without a husband. There were a lot of children in this world that needed a loving home. She was more than willing to adopt and remove some poor child from the system.
Enough introspecting. She'd been cooped up in this apartment long enough. It was time to get out and meet some of the locals. She'd start by eating dinner at the diner. From there, she'd find out what Refuge had to offer in the way of entertainment. If nothing else, there had to be a local watering hole. She didn't drink, but even the bar scene would be better than spending another night at home.