“Listen, I gotta go. I need to get to the office to get some documents before heading to meet a client.”
Rory looked over at the glowing green numbers on the clock that sat atop the bedside table. It read 4:55 AM.
“I’ll call you when I get in later.”
“Okay,” she responded slowly. “Talk to you later.”
“Rory?”
“Yeah?”
“I love you.”
Her heart ceased to beat for a millisecond before assuming its regular pattern. “Bye, James.”
After disconnecting the call, she leaned back against the headboard with her eyes closed. She still couldn’t believe Andrea had gone behind her back. Unable to close her eyes, she flung the comforter off her feet and went to her closet. She removed a pair of sweatpants and a hoodie. When she finished dressing in them, she put her hair up in a high bun and slipped on her sneakers. Making her way to the foyer, she went over to the thermostat and adjusted the temperature before heading for the door.
The moment she stepped out onto the porch, the cold autumn air blasted her, the icy chill already stinging her cheeks. She was sure they were the color of fresh, ripe tomatoes. Reaching for one end of the plaid woolen scarf around her neck, she wound it around the lower half of her face.
Descending the three wide front steps, she began a quick trot and transitioned into a jog down the path. The sky was a mixture of magenta, orange, and blue painted clouds, heralding the arrival of dawn.
Rory loved the feel of her feet hitting the cobbled stone path as she ran between the flowers and shrubs forming barriers on either side. The sound of her own breath elevating and collapsing her chest was the only sound keeping her company. Five minutes into her run, she passed the restaurant. The neon welcome sign flashed in the window.
A smile widened Rory’s lips when she noticed Chef Daniel and her aunt Jo with their arms thrown around each other as they lightly swayed in the open space between a few tables to what she could only assume was music they were playing. She guessed she wasn’t the only one that had an early start to the day. A couple of minutes later, she was running past the inn. She could see the light streaming out from a few of the guest rooms. When she made it to the turn that led off the property, she decided to retrace her steps back to the main house, but instead of heading inside, she made her way down to the harbor. As she looked out across the horizon, the orange streaks in the sky brightened to a light golden hue as the sun began to make its appearance. Her conversation with James flashed through her thoughts and left her feeling colder than the wind running across her exposed skin. With a long, heavy sigh, she turned toward the house.
The aroma of cinnamon hit her nostrils when she opened the back door, assuaging her senses and causing her mouth to salivate. Walking through the kitchen door, she found her mother by the island, cutting out cookie dough.
“Hi, sweetie,” Andrea looked up to greet her before turning her attention back to the dough.
“Hey,” she returned, non-committal.
“How was your run?”
“Fine.” Rory swiped an apple from the fruit bowl and sauntered toward the sink. Turning on the tap, she allowed the cold water to run over the fruit, cleaning it. She turned around, her eyes connected with her mother, who stood staring intently at her. She raised a brow in question.
“Is everything okay?” Andrea asked, her voice filled with concern.
“Yeah. it is.” Rory answered in a clipped tone.
“Are you sure?” her mother carefully asked.
“Yes, mother. Everything is fine,” she repeated with finality. With that, she walked toward the kitchen exit before stopping in the entrance way abruptly. Andrea walked to the other side of the island, watching her daughter with perplexity.
“You know what, Mom?” she asked, turning around to face her mother. “Everything is not fine,” she blew up, throwing her hands in the air.
Andrea’s brows rose in a slow arch of confusion.
“How could you call James behind my back like that?”
Andrea’s eyes widened. Recovering from her stupor, she took a step toward her daughter. “Rory I—”
“I told you that everything was fine. James and I are fine, but still, you had to call him. That is not cool, Mom! My word should be enough for you to stay out of my personal life. I won’t let you control this narrative like you did with my father.” By this time, angry tears were rolling down her cheeks.
“Rory, that wasn’t what I was trying to do,” Andrea tried to explain. “It’s just that you looked so miserable, and what you told me about James’ mother, I just felt like there was something going on…something that you’re not telling me, and I just wanted to help.”
Rory fixed her mother an angry stare. “When I need your help, I will ask for it. In the meantime, stay out of my personal life.” Rory stormed out of the kitchen, but instead of heading upstairs, she headed for the back porch and made her way back to the harbor.
As she stared out at the blue-green waters reflecting the risen golden sun, she recalled how she spoke to her mom. She released her tight grip around her chest, allowing her arms to fall to her sides, her shoulders sagging as guilt set in and her tears flowed.
