Waves surged over Mer’s head. The sea god’s wrath raged fierce and powerful. She spat a mouthful of brine and dived down, attempting to move below the surge. Another swell grasped her, dragging her toward the surface. A strange current refused her entrance to her ocean home.
A jagged lightning bolt ripped across the blackened sky. It blinded Mer and she blinked back spots before her eyes.
She was rising higher and higher. The wave crested and dropped below her. She gasped as she hung in the air before plummeting like a boulder into the cement-like water.
Pain radiated from her body. Fear gripped her throat and she tightened her fingers around the pearl necklace. Her theft started this roaring tempest, yet she still was reluctant to release her prize.
Her world tumbled around her, and she angled her tail to stop it. The mermaid thought she would lose her kelp dinner, if this kept up. She slowed and broke through the surface once more.
“Mine.” His voice carried within a thunderclap, and she shuddered, her ears ringing from the sound.
The ocean receded around her, as if a thirsty whale satiated itself with it. She twisted and gasped at the tsunami lifting to greet her.
“No.”
Mer had nowhere to outrun the monster.
Water crashed into her like a battleship. She swirled and twisted amongst the foam. Her body scrunched up, attempting to be smaller. A plastic bag tangled in her hair. Her arms scraped against coral. Her mind screamed when she could not. Over, under. Around and around.
Smack!
Mer slammed against sand.
She didn’t move, could barely breathe as the ocean tugged on her. The necklace yanked from her fingers. Magic burned along her magnificent tail, splitting it down the middle. She cried out in grief, anger as air rushed into lungs instead of gills.
Soft rain tickled her bruised flesh. Waves gently lapped on her feet where her tailfin once was. The sky grew lighter, a paler gray with a glimmer of blue peeking from the clouds.
“Mine.” The sea god whispered in a final thunder rumble.
***
Sun burned her sensitive flesh. She curled upon the hot, dry sand. A whimper pushed from her lips, causing tears to squeeze from her tightly closed eyelids. Why wouldn’t she die upon this sandy beach? She craved death like a fish craves water, and she did need water too. Even the waves wouldn’t reach her newly formed toes.
Something poked her shoulder. It felt hard, remind her of driftwood. She became aware of others around her, and she held a breath in her new lungs. Fear closed in on her like a net, ensnaring her from moving or escaping its clutches.
“Is she alive?” A voice questioned, dry, soft, and older woman’s tone.
She felt him kneel beside her. His energy radiated towards her like sea lava. It burned as much as the sand. His hand grasped her shoulders, turning her over. She moaned and fluttered her eyelids.
“Quick, she’s alive.”
Arms dug under the sand beneath her, lifting her in the air. She wanted to see who her savior was, but sand particles crusted her lids together, preventing her from opening them more than a tiny bit.
When they lay her down, something soft cushioned her. Gentle water trickled over her face, dribbled into her mouth. It was surprisingly sweet. She opened her eyes, taking a few moments before she could see in the shaded light.
An older woman with hair whiter than a seashell crouched over her and dabbed the water upon her skin. Wrinkles crinkled around her blue eyes. She reminded her of her father’s grandmother.
The man loomed beside her. Golden hair flowed to his shoulders. His skin gleamed like the sun-kissed sand she previously rested upon. She noticed his honey-colored eyes. He seemed familiar to someone she once knew. Her mind wouldn’t give up the name, though.
The sea god, the necklace, and the tempest memories slammed into her, and she gasped for breath as she sat up.
“Who are you? Where am I?” She scooted away from them, wondering if they were truly friend or foe.
“I am Aqualine.” The woman touched Mer’s foot. “I was once like you many years ago. How did you anger the sea god?”
Mer pulled her legs away. Legs, such strange things. She’d seen them from sailors lost at sea, but she didn’t like them one bit.
“And you?”
“I am Kale and you are on the cursed isle.”
She shuddered at his words about this island. Then his name and appearance shocked her. “You’re the sea god’s son . . . his lost one.”
“My father knows where I am, since he put him here. I’m afraid I’m not as lost as you think. What did you do to piss him off?” He crossed his arms.
“And your name, dear,” the old woman asked.
“I’m Mer, and I . . . um, took a necklace, the pearl one. I thought he wouldn’t notice.” She felt a sheepish smile curl her lips. Her cheeks grew hot, but she didn’t know if it was from embarrassment or the sunburn. “So how do we get off this isle?”
They laughed.
“You don’t,” Kale said. “Trust me, we’ve tried. Father won’t tolerate betrayal of any kind. You’re stuck here forever.”
Forever. The word struck her in the heart like a harpoon. Tingles flowed over her skin and tears pricked her eyes. She pulled herself up by a palm tree. Her legs shook, barely able to keep herself standing. The ocean waves splashed against the beach, although she couldn’t see it from the foliage. She ached for the water.
“I can’t stay here.”
“I’m sorry, Mer. It’s not easy, but it gets better.” Kale reached toward her, but she dodged his arm.
Her feet tumbled her forward as she staggered through the plants to the beach. The sun was lower on the horizon. More gentle on her skin and eyes than before. She collapsed into the water. Her legs and arms moved awkwardly like a fish on dry land. She pushed herself farther in. The ocean welcomed her, dragging her into its warm, wet embrace.
“Mer!”
“Stop!”
She heard their cries, but then she dunked her head into the sea. The salt stung her eyes. Air left her lungs. She sucked in water. Freedom drained from her with each lap of water. She was drowning, dying.
She’d never be a mermaid again.
A wave lifted her, tossing her away from it. Hands grasped her. Her head broke the waves, and she coughed up water.
Sand greeted her, and she looked up into Kale’s eyes.
“Are you crazy?”
She smiled weakly before she turned her head to the side and threw up more ocean water. The sand felt nice this time. Cooler, gentler. She didn’t want to die by the sea’s hand. She wanted to live, but could she live like a human? She didn’t know.
The sea god had banished and deserted them to this island.
William O’Connor yanked too hard on the fishing pole. The line snapped, and the fish swam away with it down the bubbling stream. Petulant anger caused him to throw the pole into the surrounding woods. He mumbled curses, since it was the third time this week the line had broken.
“Tom O’Grady, the old cheat! Sold me bad line,” he said under his breath while kicking rocks into the water.
Plunk, plunk.
When he was about to turn around to find his fishing pole, he paused. A rainbow glimmered farther downstream. Ripe reds, vibrant oranges, and brilliant blues lured him. Forgetting the pole, he jogged along the bank.
Unlike most rainbows, this one didn’t skirt away from him. The colors swirled closer, but then he skidded to a stop behind a tree.
“When Irish eyes are a’smilin’ down on me,” a tiny little man dressed in red sang.
William clutched his chest to still his pounding heart. He spied a leprechaun, one of the wee folk. Blinking several times, he noticed that the sprite was still there. He quietly danced a little jig with a grin stretching across his face.
“I dance and sing so merrily.” The leprechaun twirled on his pot of gold.
He rubbed his hands upon his brown trousers and wiggled his fingers. William O’Connor was going to catch him a leprechaun, he thought. Crouching down, he crept through the forest. Birds twittered and flitted through the air. The leprechaun continued his song.
“And when I see a bonnie lass,” he sang.
William stood behind him, waited a second, and then pounced.
“Ack!” The leprechaun shouted and struggled, but William kept his hold on the little man.
“I’ve got you now, I did,” he said, tightening his hold on the wiggling fellow.
The leprechaun put up a fight until he went limp. “I suppose you want your three wishes, right, lad?”
“Aye, I do.” Three wishes, wow! He didn’t know what to ask for, but he made no move to let go of the leprechaun. They were tricky buggers, and he didn’t want to miss out on his only change for wealth and happiness.
“What do you want? Your first wish?” The leprechaun made no move to leave.
William pursed his lips and stared around the forest while in deep thought. His gaze fell upon the gleaming gold coins within the leprechaun’s pot. “Why, I’d be taking your pot o’ gold as me first wish.”
“Granted,” the leprechaun said, “Your second then?”
A gleeful grin plastered itself to his face. A whole pot of gold, and it was all his.
“Your second wish? I don’t have all day.” The leprechaun crossed his arms and glared up at him.
William knew he could buy a lot with that gold. So what else did he want? A vision of loveliness floated through his mind. Elizabeth O’Leary. He sighed as he thought of her. Her clear blue eyes and flowing red-gold hair. It shone so pretty in the sunshine. “I’d like Elizabeth O’Leary’s hand in marriage.”
“Granted.” Boredom filled the leprechaun’s tone. “What is your final wish? You’d best make it a good one.”
The young man considered his choices. He had gold and the fairest lass in the land. What more could a man want? He peered down at the wee man in his arms. “You know, leprechaun, I’d very much like to have your powers.”
“Really now? This is your final wish.” A gleam appeared in his beady eyes.
“Aye, I would.”
“Granted.”
A crackle of thunder split the air. The rainbow vanished along with the leprechaun. William O’Connor perched upon his pot of gold. He now wore a red suit and was no bigger than a small child. In his lap sat Elizabeth O’Leary’s left hand, a Claddagh ring attached to her ring finger.
Buttercup hasn’t started meowing yet. That means I’m still close to home. She hates to go to far.
Leaves crunch beneath my feet and her paws. I look up. The sky is starting to show through the orange and yellow leaves. I had to put on a long-sleeved shirt today.
The quarry can’t be too far. Buttercup hates the quarry. I’m going there anyway. She may or may not follow.
Second grade started this year. I have a hard time with my spelling words. Written words don’t spell anything like they sound. I wish I could stay home every day and play in the woods.
The trails are hard to find. It’s getting darker out and I should probably go home, but instead I go a little farther. Buttercup is at my heels.
There’s a clearing up ahead. The grass has turned dry and whitish. We head that way. The quarry must be around here somewhere. How could I forget how to get there? I blame it on the change in colors here in the woods. Everything looks different and I haven’t been here in the fall yet.
We sit on some rocks in the clearing. Buttercup crawls into my lap and rams her head into my chest and chin. She’s happy we’re taking a break.
I look up into the trees. One tree is the same orange as Buttercup. I try to show it to her but she just wants to be petted.
The sky is orange too. I need to get home, but I don’t know the way. I’m worried. I don’t want to be out here in the dark.
I stand up and look all around. I don’t remember which way we came in. Buttercup looks up at me and meows.
"Do you know the way home?"
"Meow." She looks off.
Tears fill my eyes. I shouldn’t have come out here without permissions. I only wanted to see the quarry and think about spelling words.
"Meow."
I look down at her through my blurry eyes. Her orange tail it straight up, and she’s heading to the trees. She looks back at me. I take a step forward.
She keeps walking and goes into the dying brush. I step into it and wipe leaves off my pants. She keeps going, looking back every few minutes. I follow. I am totally lost until I see a shape through the dying trees. Is that my house?
Buttercup sits down, looks up at me. "Meow!" I go ahead of her and sure enough, there’s my house. Mom is in the backyard sweeping leaves off the patio.
"Hi, Sweetie." She smiles after calling out to me. "Did you go out there by yourself?"
I walk to her. She isn’t mad. Why isn’t she mad? I’m not supposed to go wandering in the woods. I start to cry again.
"What’s wrong?" she says, putting down her broom and wrapping her arms around me. A cool breeze picks up and swirls some of her leaf pile around.
"I was lost."
"You made it home fine."
"Buttercup showed me the way home."
"You’re safe now."
"You’re not mad?"
"What would I be mad about?" She wipes my tears.
"I’m not allowed to go into the woods alone this late."
She squats in front of me and looks me in the eyes. "I think it’s about time you learned the trails. This is the perfect time of year. Tomorrow when you come home from school we’ll go to the quarry and I’ll teach you how to follow trails."
Julie tossed her purse on the table and kicked off her shoes. A silly grin was plastered upon her face, and she was humming "Don't Stop Believin'."
"How was the date?" Sara asked as she leaned against the kitchen's door frame.
"It was pretty good," she whispered, not wanting her daughters to overhear she had a good time.
"It must have been. It's after midnight." Sara tapped the face of her watch.
"I didn't know I had a curfew, mom." The sarcasm oozed from Julie's lips, and the two sisters laughed.
"You two can come on out, as well." Julie called, and her two daughters entered the room from the hallway.
"How was it?" Izzy blurted out, bouncing from foot to foot. Cat just looked at her.
"It went better than I thought. Charles was a lot of fun, and we're going to catch a movie next week." Happiness lit up her children's faces, and she pointed her finger at each of them. "Don't think you are getting away with what you did. It was wrong impersonating me, and you are both grounded for the rest of the weekend. No TV, no computer, no phone, no nothing."
"Aw, mom. That's not fair! We only did it because we love you." Cat crossed her arms and frowned.
"It's not fair!" Izzy stamped her foot.
"I know you had my best interests at heart, but it's still not right." She went over to them and hugged them. They were a bit reluctant at first, but they finally hugged her back. "Since you two are up, would you mind showing me this website?"
"I thought you said no computer," Cat commented.
"True, but perhaps we could bend the rules a bit." Julie wrapped an arm around each daughter. "I might like to see what other options are out there." She laughed. "But, I'm changing the password. I don't want you two on that site again. Promise me that, and I'll forgive you."
"We promise," Izzy and Cat agreed.
"Good. So, what's the website?" She opened the laptop and pulled up Internet Explorer.
"CupidsArrowsAgain.net," Izzy, Cat, and Sara stated together, letting Julie know they were all in on it.
Julie sat stiffly in the chair. A towel hung over the knee-length black party dress while her daughters applied make-up and did her hair. "I don't know why you decided to give me this makeover, girls. Don't get me wrong. I appreciate it, but here I'm getting all dressed up without anywhere to go."
The girls exchanged knowing glances, and Izzy giggled while she curled a piece of her mom's hair.
"We just wanted to do something nice for you and have a real bonding experience," Cat said while she applied soft brown eye shadow to her mom's eyelids. "Hold still."
"Okay." Julie smiled slightly. Her eyes sparkled in amusement while she tried to relax yet hold still.
Cat and Izzy worked quickly, each one occasionally glancing at the clock as it ticked away the minutes. "Are we ready?" Cat asked Izzy.
"We're ready." Izzy agreed while fluffing her mom's hair that now fell in soft curls to her bottom of her shoulder blades.
"Ta da! What do you think?" Cat handed her mom a mirror.
Julie studied her appearance. The girls had done a wonderful job. They covered the dark circles under her eyes. Her lips appeared plump. She looked a good five years younger. "It's beautiful. Thank you, sweethearts." She leaned in to give each of them a kiss on the cheek and hug.
"Don't mess up your lipstick, mom!" Cat warned.
"Oh, sure. Of course." Julie stood up and slipped her feet into some black flats.
"Izzy, get mom's jewelry while I'll get the other thing." Cat glanced over to the dresser where the dangling pearl earrings were and the heart-shaped gold locket sat.
"Sure!" Izzy ran over and began to help her mom with the earrings and necklace.
Cat left for a moment before returning with a couple sheets of paper. "Mom, we have a surprise for you."
"You're going on a date!" Izzy blurted out.
"Izzy!" Cat whispered harshly. She gave her mom a half-smile. "Don't freak out, mom. We set you up on a date with a really great guy. His name is Charles, and he's an English teacher at Riverwood Community College. He got you tickets to see the mystery dinner theatre at Cedar's Bar & Grill." She held out the pages. "The first one is directions to Cedar's. The second page is a picture of Charles. He's really nice. He's a widower, too."
Julie's lips parted into a perfect 'o.' "What have you done, girls?" Her hands trembled slightly while she took the white computer paper from her older daughter. She barely glanced at them. "I can't go on a date with someone I don't know. How did you meet this man?"
Izzy stood beside her mom, taking her hand in hers. "We met him online. You should go, mom. It's okay. Aunt Sara is coming over to watch us."
"Online? How? What?" Julie blinked, unable to grasp the surprise. This had to be some horrible joke, right?
Cat closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. "We signed you up for a dating site called CupidsArrowsAgain.net. We've been getting on it as you and searching for a good guy for you to date. We found Charles. He's great, mom. You would really like him. He likes reading mysteries and classic rock. He has a daughter, too. She's seventeen."
Julie sank back into the wooden chair. "Catherine Anne, what have you done?" Her tone was deathly quiet and soft. "Not only did you act like me, but you have some man believing that I'm going to have dinner with him tonight. Do you have his phone number? You are going to call him and explain why I'm not coming."
"I do not have his number," Cat mumbled, not looking at her mother. "You have to go and tell him. Please, just go on the date. Please." Her head shot up. Tears formed in her blue eyes. "Mom, please. You haven't been on a date since dad died. You work all the time. We love you, mom, but you have to get out there again. You need to be happy, too."
Julie saw the diamond-like tears in her daughter's eyes. Her youngest daughter held her hand. She never once thought her daughters would go to such lengths for her, yet she was reluctant to go on a date. "I don't think I'm ready."
"It's been ten years." Cat's lip quivered. "It's just a date." She laughed, but it sounded sad. "We're not asking for you to marry him. Just go out on a date." She looked at the clock. "He's waiting for you, mom. Are you gonna leave him waiting?"
"Do you want me to go, too, Izzy?"
Izzy nodded, giving her mom a tight hug that cut off her breathing for a couple seconds. "I do, mommy. Charles is really nice. You'd like him. He never once asked your bra size or showed pictures of his…his thing." She whispered "thing" like it was a secretive dirty word.
Julie gazed at the directions and picture. Charles appeared like a nice-looking man, but for all she knew, he could be a sociopath. Yet, she was meeting him at a public place. She would run in, tell him the truth, and get out of there. Standing up, she glared at both her daughters. "We'll discuss this when I get back."
"You're going!" Cat and Izzy exclaimed in unison.
"Only to tell him what you two did." Her voice was firm and unyielding. The doorbell rang. "That's Aunt Sara. I want you two to go to your room and think about what you did." The two girls didn't move at first. "Go!" They scurried off. Julie sighed and glanced into the mirror. At least she would look pretty when she turned him down.
She entered the restaurant. The scent of cooked meat and bread permeated the area. Wooden benches lined the entrance and two couples were waiting to be seated. Julie peered into the dining room. At the front, a curtain hid a stage. The tables were scattered around the rest of the large room. Her eyes searched for the man in the picture. The sooner she spotted him, the sooner she could leave.
"Julie?" A male voice drifted behind her above the din of the dinner conversations and low rock music playing on the speakers.
She turned, spotted him. "Charles?"
He gave her a lopsided smile, a mixture of nervousness and excitement. He patted his hands on his dark gray trousers, and she noticed that he must have come from the restroom. Offering a hand, he smiled again. "Yes, I'm Charles." He laughed. "I was afraid you wouldn't come."
Julie took his hand, giving it a light shake. "Well, I-"
"If you would come with me, we already have a table. It's right near the front, so we can watch the show." Charles spread his arm, motioning for her to walk beside him.
"Charles, I-I need to talk to you." Julie froze in place.
His smile faltered, and his arm dropped to his side. He adjusted his glasses. "Is something wrong?"
"No…I mean yes, somewhat." Julie wrung her hands. "This is a mistake."
"A mistake?" His face contorted. He wasn't angry, but the hurt read plainly to Julie. "If there was something I did wrong, then please let me know."
"No, that's not it. It's just that." She hesitated. "I found out about you this evening. My daughters thought they were trying to be helpful when they signed me up for that dating site, even though I didn't know anything about it. I'm so sorry." The words came out in a rush, as if she would lose her nerve, if she didn't speak them so quickly.
Charles stood there for a moment, processing the information. "You didn't know about me? You mean to tell me that you've never talked to me before?"
"That's right. I'm really sorry about this." Her cheeks felt hot and turned red from embarrassment. She was going to kill her daughters when she came home. "I'm sure you are a nice guy, but I don't know you. You don't know me. My daughters weren't really trying to trick you. They're good girls, but they didn't know what they were doing." She grabbed her purse, digging for her wallet. "I'd be willing to pay for the ticket, since you already bought them."
He stared at her for a moment. His shoulders drooped. "No, no. I don't want you to have to pay for the ticket." He swallowed hard, glancing between her and the dining room. "Was there anything on the profile true?"
"I haven't seen my profile." She shrugged. "What sorts of things were on it?"
"You like classic rock and mysteries. You enjoy dancing, although you haven't danced in years. You work two jobs to support your children, and you are a widow." He smiled faintly. "There is more."
"It's all true." She found herself beginning to smile. What was she doing? She didn't know him. Searching her memory, Julie latched on what little information she had to go on. "So, you really a widower English teacher?"
"Yes, I've been teaching at Riverwood Community College for several years." He glanced over to their table. "Listen, I know we should probably just call the entire thing a bust, but we are here. There is dinner and a murder mystery waiting for us. We can get to know each other."
She considered it. Charles appeared like a perfectly nice man. She found him attractive. He didn't get angry with her, although he had ever right to be furious. "Well, if you want." She grinned. "I've actually always wanted to go to one of these things."
Julie laughed and sipped on her second glass of red wine. "So, you really had a student turn in a paper with the sentence "Charles Dickens sucks."?"
Charles chuckled. "Yep. The student claims he couldn't get through the first page of the book."
"Well, I have to admit I'm not his biggest fan."
"Neither am I."
The two laughed. The mystery dinner theatre was over. The murder solved. Only a few patrons remained.
A waiter came over. "We'll be closing in thirty minutes. If there is anything else you want, then you need to order it now."
The two looked at each other. "Care for some coffee?"
"Sure," Julie said.
"We'll have two coffees," Charles ordered.
She drained the last of the wine and patted her lips with the cloth napkin. "I had a great time, actually."
"Me too." Charles adjusted his glasses. "I'm really glad we did this, even if it was under false pretenses."
"I agree." Julie hadn't had fun like this in years. The conversation had started out awkwardly at first, but soon, she felt like she had known Charles forever. "How long since you last dated?"
"It's been over six years since I went out on a date, but it was with my wife." His expression grew somber. "Mary died of breast cancer after a two-year battle."
Julie reached over, impulsively taking his warm, rough hand in hers. "I'm so sorry."
"Thank you. It's been a while." He ran his thumb over hers. "How did your husband die?"
"Car accident." Julie breathed in deeply while the waiter produced the two coffees. "I had forgotten to get milk at the store. Cat was sick with strep, and Izzy was crying with an ear infection. I was at my wit's end and called Mark at work to pick up milk." She removed her hand from his and took the hot coffee mug in them. "He never came home." She breathed in the rich aroma and held the bitter-sweet coffee on her tongue before swallowing it.
The silence became palpable between them while the restaurant announced that they were closing in ten minutes. Someone turned up the rock music, and both recognized the song as Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'."
"I can't believe how popular this song is now because of Glee," Charles said.
"Hey, I love Journey. They're awesome." Julie began to hum along.
"I love Journey, too." He laughed. "But, don't let my daughter find out. She'll think I'm even lamer than usual."
"Same with my kids." Julie grinned.
"Would you like to go out again sometime, Julie? Maybe see a movie or something?" He looked hopeful, despite the start of the night.
Julie hesitated. She had never planned to stay. She didn't want to date again, but she did find she wasn't so lonely and stressed while being with Charles. Maybe this dating thing wasn't so bad. "I'd like that."
Cat and Izzy sat side by side upon the twin bed. The glow of the silver Dell laptop illuminated their faces. A knock startled the girls, and Cat quickly shut the laptop. "You girls okay in there?" Aunt Sarah's voice rang out.
"We're fine. Working on homework," Cat called out, elbowing Izzy when she began to giggle.
"That's good. Let me know if you need anything." The sounds of her footsteps drifted down the hallway.
"You have to be quiet, Izzy." Cat opened the laptop back up, and the dating site's screen appeared. CupidsArrowsAgain.net was a dating site for divorced or widowed people who found themselves thrust back into the dating scene after a number of years away from it. The fourteen-year-old quickly typed in the user name lonely_librarian1114 and the password, logging into her mother's account.
A picture of Julie filled the top left corner of the screen. Her mousy brown hair was pulled back into a messy bun with wisps of hair floating around the sides of her heart-shaped face. The blue blouse brought out her dark sky blue eyes. Her small nose tilted slightly upward. Rose lips formed a Mona Lisa smile, full of mystery. She held a James Patterson book in her hand, the title obstructed by her hand. The circulation desk cut out the rest of her body from view in the photograph.
"I want to see who has written back, Cat." Izzy snatched at the laptop, wanting to scroll down the website beyond their mom's information.
"Hold on a sec." Cat wrenched it from her sister's hands. Scrolling past the general information, she found what they were looking for. "There are four new messages."
Before she could click on the first one, adonis69 IMed them.
Adonis69: Hey there, sweetheart! What's up?
Lonely_librarian1114: Hey. Nothing much. U?
Adonis69: Just looking at your beautiful picture.
Lonely_librarian1114: Aw! Thanks.
Adonis69: So, what are you? B, C cup?
"He sent mom a message, too." Izzy pointed to the screen, smearing fingerprints on it.
"Get your fingers off, Iz." Cat started to click on the message until she noticed the picture attachment. "Maybe we better not." She deleted the message unread. "We're not going through that again."
"I know! Perv!" Izzy shuddered at the thoughts of photograph they accidentally saw.
"Definite creeper." Cat clicked on a message from hotrod010.
From hotrod010
To lonely_librarian1114
Re: Hi!
Hey, baby! How you doing? How about you and me get together sometime? I have something large that you can check out. Call me 555-2637.
Mick
Cat moved the mouse over and checked on Mick's profile. She winced and quickly blocked him.
"We're never gonna find a date for mom," Izzy lamented.
"There has to be someone good here." Cat mumbled 'creeper' again as she read the next message from a copper_phil.
From copper_phil
To lonely_librarian1114
Re: Hello, gorgeous!
Hi! I just wanted to check you out. LOL! Get it! Check you out! You seem lovely, doll. IM me. I can be a Romeo to your Julie. ;)
Phil
The teenager checked out Phil's profile. He didn't seem half-bad, but she thought his sense of humor sucked.
"I don't think he's mom's type, Cat."
"Yeah." Cat didn't block him, but she didn't send him a message back. "Last one for today." She clicked on the message from a professor_charles.
From professor_charles
To lonely_librarian1114
Re: Hello. It's nice to meet you.
Dear Julie,
My name is Charles. I'm 42 and a widower of six years. I noticed that you have two daughters from your profile. My daughter Anna is seventeen-years-old and a senior in high school. As for myself, I am a Literature professor at Riverside Community College, and I taught high school English until my daughter started high school. She didn't want old dad teaching her, I suppose.
I've never done a dating service like this before, but my daughter suggested that it was time to get out there and have some fun. From your profile, I found that we have similar interests, even classic rock and reading mysteries (I couldn't help but notice that you were holding James Patterson's 3rd Degree).
I would like to get to know you better. Maybe we could have dinner sometime. There is a mystery dinner theatre group performing next weekend at Cedar's Bar & Grill. I can get tickets, if you would like to come.
I hope to speak with you soon.
Charles
Cat clicked on professor_charles profile. His profile picture looked nice. He was a middle-aged man with thinning sandy-blond hair. He wore wire rimmed glasses. His eyes appeared hazel. He wore a green polo shirt with khakis, and he leaned casually against a tree in some park. Izzy and she scanned through his profile, noticing he appeared nearly perfect for their mom.
"I like him," Izzy said.
"Me too. Let's send him a message back." Cat opened the message again and clicked on "reply," thinking hard on how to respond like their mom.
From lonely_librarian1114
To professor_charles
Re: Re: Hello. It's nice to meet you.
Charles,
Thank you for writing to me. I don't typically look for dates on websites, but my daughters thought it was time to put myself out there again, too. My daughter Catherine, Cat for short, is fourteen, and she is a freshman in high school. My other daughter Isabella, Izzy for short, is eleven, and she is in the sixth grade.
I've been a widow for ten years now. I work two jobs to support my children, and I don't know how I would do it without my sister, who helps watch the kids.
I would absolutely love to see a mystery dinner theatre performance. I've never been to one before, but it would be a blast. Let me check my schedule, and I'll see if we can set a date.
Talk to you later.
Julie
Cat sent the message. "Now, we just wait and see."
"And check out mom's schedule," Izzy added.
"Definitely! This will be so cool." Cat logged off of the dating site and shut down the computer as they heard a car door slam shut outside. "Mom's home. Let's see if we can get her on that date." The two bumped knuckles and grinned at each other at their perfect plan.
The minute hand ticked, pointing straight down at the six. A half hour left of today's first job, Julie thought while the phone rang. She picked up the cool black receiver. "Thank you for calling Main Library. This is Julie. How may I help you?" Her voice sounded chipper despite the dark splotches under her eyes.
"Just give me a moment, and I'll renew your books." Her fingers flew over the keyboard, tap, tap, tapping away as she typed in the patron's name. "They're due in four weeks on June 2nd. Is there anything else I can do for you?" "No? Thank you. Goodbye."
She had just set the phone down when it rang again. A sigh left her lips, but Mary grabbed the phone this time, repeating the familiar lines that Julie had spoken before.
Julie tucked a light brown wisp behind her ear and glanced down at the computer's clock. Just three minutes had ticked by while she spoke to the patron on the phone.
An older couple in their seventies walked up to the circulation desk. Each one carried four DVDs and four VHSs. "Good afternoon," Julie spoke with a smile. "How may I help you?"
"We'd like to check these out," the man grumbled, setting down the movies. The tower tilted, and they scattered upon the tan counter. He didn't bother to right them while he fished into his wallet and pulled out the dark blue library card. "Here." He thrust the card at her.
The woman placed her movies on the counter as well, but they fared better. She put her library card, an older brown one, on top of the movies. "We'd like to check out all of these."
"Sure thing. Just give me a moment." Julie scanned the man's card first in the library system. "Sir, are you aware that you have an $8 fine?"
"What? That can't be!" He pointed a thick, wrinkled finger at her. "Check again."
Julie moved the mouse over, clicking on the details of the fine. "You had some movies that were renewed a day late. They were due on Friday, and you didn't renew them until Saturday morning, Mr. Johnson."
Mrs. Johnson's lips frowned, producing deep wrinkles like valleys in her flesh. "We renewed them on Friday morning. Check my account."
"Okay, I will." Julie picked up the woman's card and scanned it into a new screen. The same message of fines popped up. "You have $8 in fines as well, Mrs. Johnson. Would you like to pay the fine now or later?"
Mrs. Johnson huffed and blew air from her nose. "We called and renewed our movies before they were due. You've made a mistake."
Julie held in the sigh, threatening to escape her lips. After a few more movements on the computer screen, she pulled up the patron's bill records. Forgiven, forgiven, waived, forgiven, waived, forgiven. The list went on and on several more lines. Every fine they had ever accrued was forgiven or waived. "Ma'am, we've forgiven many of your fines. The computer says we renewed your movies on Saturday at 11:39 AM. They were due on Friday. It's a dollar per day for movies."
"We called on Friday. Someone must have forgotten and renewed our movies on Saturday," the man spat out, causing spittle to fly and strike the glossy plastic on the DVD case.
"I'm sorry, Sir, but it is highly unlikely that happened. We are a busy library. When a patron calls, we handle their questions and renewals right away." At that moment, the phone rang again, but thankfully their page Alice answered it this time. "If you would like to speak to the manager, I can call her in."
"We'd like to do that," both said at the same time.
"Very well. Just one moment." Julie turned but paused when Alice hung up the phone. "Alice, can you go ahead and pull the Johnsons' DVDs."
"Sure thing, Julie." The sixteen-year-old girl snatched up the eight DVDs and began finding the discs for them.
"Thanks." Julie left the circulation desk and went into the back room. She edged around carts filled with books and desks where they catalogued and processed the various books, movies, audio books, etc. that came through the library. "Heather, I need some help. A couple out there has some overdue fines, and they wish to speak to you about them. According to the computer, someone renewed the movies on Saturday morning, even though they were due on Friday. Someone also forgave or waived their previous fines."
"I'll go out there, Julie." Heather stood up, smoothing down her purple blouse. Her heels clicked upon the tiles as she walked over to where the older couple stood. "Hello, I'm Heather Smith, the branch manager. How may I help you?"
"That girl there told us that we had $8 in fines a piece. I know we renewed our movies on Friday when they were due." Mrs. Johnson's red manicured finger pointed directly at Julie, who stood behind of Heather.
"Well, let me see here." Heather's own manicured nails flew along the keyboard. "Yes, I see the fines here. Unfortunately, our computer does say the movies were renewed late. Is it possible that you could have renewed them on Saturday morning instead of Friday?" Her pretty blue eyes stared down at Mr. and Mrs. Johnson.
Under the penetrating gaze, Mrs. Johnson grew flustered. "Well, I suppose it is possible. We just don't have that type of money to be paying. Can't you forgive the fine?"
Heather searched just as Julie has for the patron's bill record. "Mrs. Johnson, this library has forgiven every fine you've had. I'm sorry, but you'll have to pay your fines. It'll be $16 total, if you wish to pay today."
The couple looked at each other, conferring without words. The woman finally opened her purse and pulled out a leather wallet. "Fine. We'll pay." She pulled out a crisp $100 bill. "Do you have enough change?" She slammed the Ben Franklin upon the counter.
"I'm sure we do." Heather picked it up and handed it to Julie to change. "Let me get your receipts and check out your movies for you."
Julie stared at the hundred dollar bill for a moment before heading around a desk and keying in her number to unlock the cash register. She rang up the $16 fine and set the bill in a lone spot. The library rarely saw cash over $20. The assistant librarian pulled out four one dollar bills, two twenties, three tens, and two fives, basically clearing out the cash register.
Clutching the bills in her hands, she went over to where Heather finished checking them out. "Here is your change. Would you like some bags to carry those movies?"
"Yes," Mr. Johnson answered.
Julie bent over and reached into the plastic bin contained an assortment of grocery and Walmart bags. She awkwardly stuffed the movies into the bags and offered them to the two patrons. "Have a nice day," she said in a pleasant, chipper tone.
The man mumbled something, and the woman didn't even acknowledge her as they left.
***
By the time Julie finished helping a few more patrons, it was after five o'clock. She tied her sneaker lace, pulled her hair back in a clip, and shrugged into her bookstore polo shirt. Snatching her scuffed up black leather purse from the file cabinet, she rummaged around until she found her cell phone. After she pressed two on the speed dial, the assistant librarian stepped out of the back door and darted to her ten-year-old blue Saab.
"Hello?"
"Hello, sweetie! It's mom. I'm running a little late. Is Aunt Sara there?" Julie's keys clattered to the pavement, and she reached down to pick them up. After a moment of searching, she found her car key and opened the door.
"Yes, mom. Aunt Sara's here. She's getting ready to take us to McDonalds for dinner before she drops me off at soccer practice and Izzy at piano." The fourteen-year-old answered.
"That's great, Cat. Don't forget to do your homework when you get home. I want you both in bed by ten." After a couple tries, the old Saab's engine turned over. "I'll be home after 11. Don't wait up for me."
"Okay, mom. We got to go, if we're going to make it to our practices."
"I know. I love you two. Tell Aunt Sara I said thanks."
"We will, mom. Bye!"
"Bye, honey!" Cat had already hung up, though, before her mother's goodbye. Julie sighed and put the car into reverse, pulling out of the library's parking lot. Now, she had to race over to her shift at Bookends, a small bookstore/coffee shop, where she worked from 5:30-11:00.
***
Julie munched on a scone and sipped some cooling coffee while she took her quick break. Her feet were killing her from standing since eight this morning, and she popped two Ibuprofen into her mouth and washed them down with the bitter brew.
She stretched back in the chair, feeling slight pops race down her arched back. The phone rang at the front desk, and she watched in dismay as Mark wasn't there to answer it. She plopped her feet down and managed to pick the phone up before the person hung up. "Thank you for calling Bookends. This is Julie. How may I help you?"
"I'm looking for a book for my wife."
"Oh, what kind of book?" Julie answered.
"Well, it's a book about horses. She's always loved horses, and she mentioned this book the other day. It's her birthday on Saturday, and I'd love to be able to find it for her." The man spoke with a smile in his voice.
"That's wonderful. Do you know the title?"
"No."
"The author?"
"No. I know the book is blue, though."
"The cover is blue?"
"Yes."
"And, it's about horses? Is it nonfiction?"
"Yes."
Julie somehow refrained from smacking herself in the forehead. How in the world was she supposed to find a blue covered book about horses without knowing the title and/or author? "If you'll hold on a minute, I'll search our nonfiction section for a blue book about horses."
"Sure."
She put the caller on hold and left from behind the desk. Glancing over to where she had taken her break, she noticed her half-eaten scone and coffee were gone. Sue must have taken them and tossed them. Great, just great, Julie thought.
She checked the animal section. There were a few horse books, and two had blue covers. She picked them up and carried them back to the front desk. "Hello? I have a couple books here. One is A Horse's Life and the other is Taking Care of Your New Horse."
"Those don't sound like the right book. Thanks anyway." A click and a dial-tone answered Julie.
"Great," Julie muttered under her breath and reshelved the two books.
***
Julie tossed her purse onto the faded tan recliner and plopped down into the matching tan couch. She sank against the plushy cushions. One shoe came off, and then the other sneaker fell to the wooden floor. "Oh," she groaned as she wiggled her toes.
"Hi, mom!" Her older daughter's voice permeated the air, causing her to jump.
"I thought you were in bed." Julie glanced over to the clock that displayed 11:27 in bright red numbers. "You should be in bed."
"We made you dinner!" Eleven-year-old Izzy bounded out from the kitchen. A streak of tomato sauce clung to her cheek. Her golden curls swung like pendulums around her head.
Julie sniffed, detecting the savory scents of tomato sauce and baked garlic bread. Her empty stomach rumbled. It had been a long time since the half-scone. "What possessed you to make me dinner?"
"They wanted to do something special for you," Aunt Sara's voice chimed. "Come and get it while it's hot."
Izzy grabbed her hand and yanked her up to her feet. Cat followed right behind her as she entered the kitchen. The small table held a small salad, a heaping plate of spaghetti, two slices of garlic bread, and a bottle of water. Tears filled Julie's eyes. "Thank you so much." She wrapped an arm around both of her daughters. Julie sank into the chair, uncertain where to start.
"There are some cookies from McDonalds for dessert, too." Cat placed the paper McDonalds' wrapper upon the table.
"Thank you so much," Julie restated. Her daughters were the best. "Now, off to bed, you two. You'll never want to get up."
"Good night, mommy." Izzy kissed her on the cheek.
"Night, mom." Cat gave her a half-grin before ushering her younger sister out of the room.
Sara sat down across from her older sister. "They wanted to do it. I told them that they had to go right to bed afterward."
"Thank you, sis. I'm starving. I was just going to try to find some leftovers to eat." Julie spread Ranch dressing upon the salad and dug her fork into the leafy greens. "Did everything go alright?"
"Yes, they were perfect. Cat helped Izzy with her homework." Sara smiled, although her forehead creased in concern. "You need to stop working so much, Jules. It's killing you."
Julie paused mid-bite. "I have to work, Sara. The girls will be heading to college soon. I want them to be able to go without having to rely on scholarships." She shrugged, chewing the salad carefully. "I have some vacation time coming up. I'll get more rest then. It'll be fine. You'll see."
"Yeah." From Sara's tone, she wasn't convinced. "It's been ten years since Richard died. Have you considered about dating?"
Julie's entire body tensed. "I don't have time to date, Sara." She gave her sister a withering look. "Let's just drop it, okay? I'm too tired to deal with this. I have to be back at Bookends by noon." She dipped the garlic bread into the spaghetti sauce and took a bite. "You'll be able to pick up the girls after dance in the morning, right?"
"I'll be there." Sara stood and kissed her sister on the top of her hair. "Get some sleep. I'll see you tomorrow."
"Bye," Julie said, watching Sara leave. She focused on her late night dinner, but Sara's words rolled around her head like a pinball machine and kept her up long into the night.
