moisture. Opening the vanity drawer, I pulled out Gram's mauve lipstick and lightly covered my lips. Once again, thoughts of good enough filled my head.
I quietly opened the bathroom door, not wanting to wake Meg. She was still
sleeping as I left the room and headed towards the kitchen. There was a soft light
above the table. Gram was sitting in her light blue housecoat, writing in her lavender journal. In front of her was a steaming cup of coffee.
“Join me. I'm just finishing this.” Gram patted the chair next to her and closed her writings.
Sitting down, I looked into her light brown eyes. They were filled with
worry. “What do you think she will do now that we sent her away?” I
questioned.
Closing her eyes, she replied, “I'm not sure. I really am not sure what she has
planned, but we'll be ok.”
Not wanting to cause her any more worries, I stood up, kissed her on the top
of her head, and replied, “You're right. We'll be fine. Now, I'm going to my room. I want to clean it before Meg wakes up.”
I picked up the red mug my grandmother made for herself and took a big
gulp of the warm liquid. Gram's coffee consisted of a strong black brew with generous sprinkles of cinnamon and sugar, and an even more generous splash of
cream. The sweet concoction made me smile.
“This was for me, right?” I coyly asked, giving her my best aren't I cute impersonation. “When I'm done upstairs, we'll talk about your choice in
underwear for me.”
She took the half-full cup back from me. “You're lucky I love you. It isn't everyone I share my morning coffee with. Now, grab yourself a piece of the apple bread before you head up to your room. Coffee alone does not make a breakfast.”
Doing as I was told, I grabbed a big slice from the platter in the middle of the
table and, this time, I kissed my Gram on her cheek. Her soft skin felt like silk.
“I love you, too,” I called back to her as I headed up the ladder.
Chapter
Eight
With my apple bread in hand, I, once again, climbed the ladder. I
greedily took large bites while I made my ascent. Each portion had
caramelized apples, and raisins swirled into it. As I popped the last
morsel into my mouth, I stopped to stare at the sixth rung from the
top. Running my fingers over the name Eliza, I frantically scratched my nails across the engraving. I tried to erase it completely, but my efforts were in vain.
My short nails did nothing to the hard wood.
My quick breakfast felt like a rock in my stomach. An urge to scream while
destroying everything my mother ever touched overcame me. “Air, I ask your
blessing of peace,” I pleaded. “Please, blow away the anger I'm carrying.”
A small burst of wind twisted around me, and I could hear soft twinkling
laughter as it encircled me. The warm breeze lifted my damp braid and then dropped it.
“Bright blessings, Air,” I thanked the element.
I began to feel calmer, so I continued my climb. I looked forward to not thinking about Eliza. Hope-filled, I had a way to eliminate the anger and sorrow
that consumed me. With the help of Air, I would be stronger, and I could be in
control of my emotions.
The burst of Air made one last spin around me before it trailed down the ladder. Surprise filled me that the element had not only responded to me but stayed to make sure I was ok.
I found a bucket of cleaning supplies at the entrance to the loft. Gram must have put it up here for me. Looking at the mess I had made of our room, I was
