10.
~ Norma had been disappointed that Alex did not appear at lunch. It felt as though she'd been teased or made the butt of a joke with his sudden appearance in class and then vanishing without a trace after the bell rang. She hadn't even seen him in the hall between classes, and his car was already gone from the parking lot when school went out.
"You're sure doing me a favor." Christine breathed as Norma squinted her eyes in the now bright sunlight of an early afternoon.
The rain had left a slight chill in the air but the sunshine was a welcomed relief.
"I've already talked to my mom and she's said to go over to Nick Ford's house after school." Christine went on happily. "George is so eager to take you." she added with a knowing little nod in her brother's direction.
Norma had been searching the parking space where she and Alex had arrived that morning and was sad to see it was empty. Although why she should be missing Alex was something of a mystery.
"He's over there." Christine pointed out. Norma looked hoping to see Alex, and almost laughed at the sight of the slender George Heldens waving at her in front of a black Mercedes. It looked like a newer model to and one bought especially for him. She'd never known anyone her own age who drove a car like that. It was a luxury in her world if anyone even had a car, much less one that was worth more than their trailer home back in Florida.
Perhaps she'd scoffed out loud because Christine explained.
"Dad bought a new model and is letting George 'borrow' his old one. He makes him run errands for him all the time in it so I guess that's how he's paying for it." she said sadly. Clearly the siblings didn't want to look 'too rich' in front of their peers here. An illusion that it wasn't George's car at all, but one that he had to work for just to use.
"I see." Norma nodded and hoped she sounded polite.
"Norma!" George waved eagerly at her. Hoping she would wave back. Norma glanced back and saw Alex's old station wagon still wasn't there. A part of her hoping Alex would arrive and rescue her from being forever paired up with George Heldens. But he was still gone and she didn't have much of a choice if she wanted to get to this job.
~ The drive was a pretty one and most of al,l short. George seemed delighted that he had Norma all to himself for the ride over, but it made Norma uncomfortable that he was so close to her. It wasn't like it had been with Alex that morning in the rain. She didn't feel as safe and protected with George and she couldn't explain why. The weather was certainly better, but it seemed like George was a much less careful driver than Alex had been.
"My parents want me to go to Brown." he was saying with an eye roll. "They met there and think it's the best. I really like Stanford though."
Norma could vaguely recall that these were schools he was talking about. She'd thought she'd heard them on some far off TV show or maybe it was a movie. Anyway, that sort of thing didn't apply to her. If she was lucky enough to ever go to college, it wouldn't be to a place that was ever mentioned in TV or movies.
"What's your dream school?" he asked hopefully.
Norma never truly thought about it and didn't know what to say. She'd never given much thought to her future or anything more substantial than her day to day life. Growing up, her family always felt right on the edge of a knife. Everything was temporary and transient. As though they were fragile things that could be blown away. She'd learned never hope to much for the future or plan too far ahead because it wasn't going to happen for her.
Now that she thought about herself, really thought about where she wanted to be when she was grown, an image came to her mind. Not a school or a job but a large, sunny apartment that was all her own. One where she could smell the salt air from the sea and she could have a little herb garden by her windows. A place where she belonged and could finally be happy. She pictured herself going to farmer's markets and used book shops. Of going to movies in the park and meeting different people who made her life more interesting.
"I… San Fransisco." she said meekly remembering how perfect the sun felt there, and how colorful and energetic everything was. Not washed out and dreary, or too humid and crowded. San Fransisco had been bright and shinning and the ocean was inviting. When Norma thought about the future at all, she thought about living near the beach where she was always warm.
"Stanford to?" George said happily. His face seeming to brighten at the idea of hearing what he wanted.
Norma wasn't sure what he meant and thought the two must be close together by the way he was acting. She only nodded and wondered what had happened to Alex.
~ George elected to wait for her in the driveway while Norma went into the large house to face what felt like a horrible dragon named Nick Ford.
"Don't let him intimidate you." George had advised.
A maid had answered the door when Norma rang the bell and guided her inside to wait in a well appointed sitting room. The house felt impossibly large and elegant. Like the setting of a soap opera where everything was crafted to look beautiful and expensive. She wan't used to being in places like this and knew that as soon as Nick Ford saw her, he would call her out as the imposter she was. Norma Calhoun didn't belong in a mansion like this. She certainly didn't belong in a Mercedes with someone like George either. That whole talk about Stanford was insane. Like she'd stolen someone else's life and was doing a poor job of living it.
She could feel that awful sensation of hopelessness rise up in her. One where she knew she didn't belong and she never could belong.
Nick Ford hadn't kept his guest waiting. No sooner had she taken in the nice looking art work on the walls and wondered if they were real did he briskly throw open the doors and greet her. Norma had expected a harsh looking man like something from 'The Godfather' only to find Nick Ford seemed very gentle and kind.
"You're the young lady my friend's daughter speaks so highly of." was all he said when he sat down in front of her.
"Does she?" Norma smiled feeling nervous.
"Do you want a drink?" he asked and when Norma shook her head he waved the maid off.
"My daughter Blair is at her ridding lessons just now but she'll be home in a few hours." Nick said with surprising ease. "Her mother isn't in the picture anymore but she needs a good female influence. Someone to make sure she does her homework and ensure she attends her extra curricular activities. Ballet, piano, swimming. I feel it's best to always stay busy." Nick explained.
"I don't have a license or a car." Norma told him quickly. As badly as she need this job and as much as she would love to work in this big fancy house with a maid, she felt it was best to be honest with him.
"No, I'd always want my driver to take you and Blair. There are security concerns." Nick explained.
Norma felt her face pull into a frown. 'Security Concerns'? was he a politician or something?
"She's in a lot of activities." was all she said.
"Yes, but it keeps her busy." Nick said darkly. "What experience do you have with younger children?"
"I've had to babysit most of my life." Norma said with some fond memories of how she'd have to look after children who's parents worked odd hours. It had gotten her out of the cramped house with her family and that was payment enough most of the time.
"For parents who worked." Norma amended thinking she sounded like she didn't like it.
"Well, I keep late hours most of the time so a few days a week you might be here past ten or so." Nick explained. "Is that okay with your parents?"
Norma nodded happily but didn't elaborate that her mother was now a bar tender who was planning to roll in past 3 am anyway.
"You'll need to do Blair's laundry, clean up after her, make sure she's eaten and taken a bath. That sort of thing." Nick said as though the idea of these menial chores were a burden to him.
"Not a problem." Norma said happily.
"Well, I see no reason you can't start tomorrow. I'll have my driver pick you up after school and you and Blair can get to know one another. Assuming she likes you, I'll pay you cash, under the table. Let's say one fifty a week?" Nick said.
Norma wanted to correct him. Christine had said it was just one hundred dollars.
"That sounds fair." Norma stuttered slightly.
"Good." Nick said. "The maid will show you out."
He promptly left Norma alone as though he never wanted to see her again.
~ George was happily chatting away about the prospect of driving Norma to her new job everyday after school when she had to heartbreakingly correct him.
"Mr. Ford wants his driver to pick me up. Something about security concerns." she told him. She hoped he would shed more light on what exactly Nick Ford did to have such a house, staff and security concerns.
"Sounds about right." George scoffed. "You should see his yacht. My parents went there without an appointment and his secretary wouldn't even let us in to see him."
"What does he do?" Norma asked. "For a living I mean."
George shrugged.
"I'm not really sure." he said. "It keeps him busy though. That's all I know."
Maybe George didn't want to elaborate, or maybe he honestly just didn't know. Still, it seemed odd for a man like Nick Ford to live in this isolated village.
~ Theresa Romero had seemed better by the time dusk fell. Alex had taken the restraints off, talked to her about school and made sure she ate something. She seemed to recognize him and even ran a hand over his cheek with some fondness.
He told her that he was keeping the house clean and how his dad was looking forward to her coming home. Dominic Romero had never mentioned when she would come home or how things would be if she ever did. If he had it his way, Alex knew the sheriff would keep his mother locked away forever. She was a burden to him and something to be shut away and forgotten about.
By the time Alex got ready to leave, his mother was sleeping again and the rest of the staff were giving him nervous looks as he left the building.
~ It was a long drive back to White Pine Bay and Alex briefly thought about driving past it altogether and heading away from this town. After seeing his mother like that, he felt he had nothing to look forward to. That if he stayed, he would die here and no one would miss him. An impending sense of hopelessness had fallen on him. One that was consuming his mother from the inside out.
He spotted his father's police cruiser in the parking lot of the new Sheriff's station and pulled in beside it. Dominic Romero had occupied himself in getting the new building up to date and had already moved his office in despite ongoing construction.
The building was taking shape and even had deputies running a skeleton crew when Alex waltzed in as though he belonged here. Heads went up at seeing Dominic Romero's son breeze past the waiting room and into the Sheriff's private office.
"Alex." Dominic said in mild surprise. Sheriff Romero looked tired, but glad to see his son. "What brings you here?"
Alex closed the office door behind him.
"Mom had another incident. I left school early to see her." he said as plainly as he could. He didn't want to show emotion. Something his father felt was a weakness. "She's not getting better." he added with a sober finality.
Sheriff Romero seemed unimpressed.
"They called me. Told me what happened. You know she does that kind of thing for attention, don't you?" Dominic responded and waved for Alex to come closer and sit down. Alex stood there.
"This wasn't for attention." he shook his head. "She's hurting herself again. She's not getting better."
Dominic rolled his eyes.
"So what do you want?" he challenged. "You want her to come home? Remember how she was when she was home? She stayed in bed all day? Complained all the time? Acted so strange? Don't tell me that wasn't for attention."
"Dad, she's your wife." Alex reminded him. "You're supposed to take care of her."
"I am taking care of her." Dominic said so savagely that Alex took a reflexive step back. "I love her and I'm getting her help. It's just taking a while for her to get better is all.
Alex shook his head. His mother wasn't going to get better and he suddenly knew it. He knew she was either going to stay in Pine View or County for the rest of her life or finally go through with her vague threats of suicide one day. Alex realized in that moment he would never have a normal mother, if he ever did before, and he could feel his heart break for that loss.
"I have to go." he said softly and maneuvered out of his father's office.
~ It was pure chance Alex caught the lights on in Norma Calhoun's apartment. The old building that house the debunked 'White Pine Bay Current' was normally dormant this time of year but Alex saw movement and shadows crossing the windows and thought he spotted Norma.
She'd been the only bright spot of his day. It had made him feel happy and useful to take her to school in the driving rain. As though he was suddenly a protector to someone who needed his help. She'd hated that morning storm and wasn't afraid to hide her feelings. She didn't put on airs or try to be something that she wasn't just because she thought it was what he wanted.
She'd been like a feather in his arms when they danced together to. Her body responding gracefully to his in a way he hadn't expected. The memory of that afternoon had made him smile a little. He should have sought her out before he left to see his mother. Should have explained why he couldn't take her home. He briefly wondered if he should go to her apartment now and see her; tell her what happened.
He quickly decided against it. It was late and her parents were probably home with her. It would be inconvenient to have a stranger suddenly drop by unannounced to see their teenage daughter.
He was almost to his car when he saw Norma move slowly, almost dreamlike across the large windows. Her graceful legs looking particularly elegant, even though she was again in just a long t-shirt.
He watched in mild fascination as she pulled her blond hair up into a careless ponytail. That magical way that girls were always messing with their hair. As though they knew full well how appealing it looked to the male gaze.
Alex thought he saw Norma look a little sad. Her face not that of a teenage girl at all, but of an older woman. It was like he was catching a glimpse into her future when she was much older and unhappy with life.
Then, she was gone. Her light snapping off and she vanished from sight.