Both Annie and Liza slept late the following morning. Liza got up
first, around ten. She showered, dressed, and located the shopping list
she'd made the day before.
"Annie," she whispered.
"Mmmm?" the semi-awake Annie replied.
"I'm going to get the stuff for this weekend. You stay here and rest for your performance. Okay?"
"Mmm-mmm."
Liza smiled and kissed her partner's hair. She decided to take the car to the Star Market - it wasn't far, but she might have a lot to bring back. When she finally returned, Annie was up, dressed and sitting on the porch with a novel. Liza smiled - Annie could look so serious when she wasn't aware of it. Liza got out of the car and propped the back door open with her foot as she pulled out two grocery bags.
"Hey, bookworm!" she called over the car roof at Annie. "Want to tear yourself away and give me a hand here?"
Annie grinned, then she very gracefully placed the book in her lap and applauded delicately. Liza rolled her eyes.
"Very clever, dear." She hid her amusement at Annie's impish grin. "Seriously, I have a carload of bags here."
"Aren't I supposed to be resting?" Annie smiled.
"Take a resting break," Liza said.
Obligingly, Annie put her book down and floated down the stairs to the car. Years of moving around in heavy period gowns had given her a poised carriage. She opened the door and lifted out two bags, then turned and followed Liza into the house. Several trips later, they stood in the kitchen and stared at the bags that were piled on the table and counters.
"Put the perishables in the fridge," Liza said. "We'll bring the rest as-is, and I'll pack the sunscreen and stuff in my luggage."
"Yes, Mommy," Annie teased. When she had finished, she closed the refrigerator door pointedly and stood facing Liza. "Now can I go back to resting?" she asked.
"Yes," Liza said.
"Thank you," Annie said, kissing Liza's cheek as she passed through the kitchen on her way back out to the porch. Liza smiled and returned to her task of pulling out everything in the kitchen that they needed to bring.
Annie left for her show at six o'clock. She drove, because she wouldn't get out until late. Liza had told her she would be spending the evening packing, and then she would probably watch a video.
"The exciting life," Annie joked, stealing another kiss before she finally left.
Two hours later, Annie stood backstage at the downtown theater where the opera regularly performed. She brushed backstage dust off her dress and quietly trilled her lips as she waited for the overture to begin. The company's leading tenor, Bert Zimmerman, patted her cheek as he crossed behind the backdrop to take his place. Annie scowled. She wouldn't even let Liza touch her face when she was in makeup - Annie's face seemed always to shed makeup faster than anyone's. Then the overture began and Annie closed her eyes. She thought of Spain, imagined herself dark and sultry.
Hours later, Annie shed Carmen with her last outfit and the baby-wipe she used to take off the first layer of makeup. She would take the rest off at home. She waved a casual good-bye to Bert and the rest of the company, and headed towards the stage door. She opened it and stepped out into the night.
"There she is, the prima donna!"
Annie whirled around and there, at the end of the alley, was Liza. Annie smiled and waved. Her expression changed from pleasant surprise to sheer delight when she saw who was standing behind her partner - Isabel Stevenson and Katherine Widmer!
"Oh!" Annie cried. She ran down the alley, the bag that held her score bumping against her hip. She ran into Ms Stevenson's open arms, then turned to hug Ms Widmer.
"Oh, it's so great to see you," Ms Widmer said warmly. "You were wonderful!"
"You saw the show?" Annie looked over at Liza. Now it was her partner's turn to grin.
"I brought them," Liza said. "When I called to tell them we'd be late because of your show, they came up with the idea all on their own!"
"Yes, aren't we clever?" Ms Stevenson smiled.
"I can't believe you came all the way down here to see it!" Annie cried, brushing at her hair with her hand. It was always so flat after wearing a wig for an entire show.
"Well, we haven't heard you sing since...well, since your senior recital in high school," Ms Widmer said. "And I must say, you were amazing then but now you are just marvelous! What a voice!"
Annie blushed. "Thank you, Ms Widmer."
"Katherine, how many times must I say that?" Ms Widmer - Katherine - winked.
"Sorry, Katherine," Annie said, draping an arm around her shoulders.
"Care to give us a ride home?" Liza said. "We took the T - they'd never been on it."
"Well, lucky you," Annie said, rolling her eyes. She hated the Boston subway system, almost as much as she hated the bus. "Sure, we're in the garage."
Annie led her friends and her partner across the street and to the car. They chatted all the way back to Cambridge, Katherine and Isabel sharing all their news as if they were two excited little girls. Liza and Annie told them all about Liza's teaching and Annie's singing, including the story about Tabbi that had just happened that week.
When they pulled up in front of Liza and Annie's house, Liza let out a small "Hmmm."
"What?" Annie asked, turning off the ignition.
"Oh.I thought I'd closed that front window," Liza said. "Oh well.maybe it was the other one I closed."
The four women climbed up the staircase and Annie slid her key into the lock.
"I love this house," Katherine said as Annie jiggled the key to get it to fit right. "It's so beautiful."
"It used to be only one family," Liza said. "I'm always telling Annie we should move to the top floor. They have the attic - they have to trade their basement space for it, but I've always wanted an attic room with a window seat."
Annie smiled and turned on the light. Then all four stopped dead and every smile faded.
The house was a storm. The living room to their right had been destroyed -furniture overturned, the TV and VCR and stereo missing. Annie let out a small cry like an injured dove and raced down the hall into the bedroom. Isabel and Katherine just stood by the door, not knowing what to say. Then they heard a wail coming from the back of the house. Without a word they followed Liza into the bedroom, where Annie was sitting on the floor, a jewelry box drawer in her shaking hand. Liza dropped to the floor beside her and took her partner in her arms.
"Annie, Annie, what is it?"
Annie turned, tearstained and breathless. "Nana's necklace. It's gone." Drawers were all over the floor, but somehow Annie had found the one where she kept her grandmother's Italian necklace - the one that her grandmother had given her when she got engaged.
"Nana will never forgive me," Annie whimpered. She fell sobbing into Liza's arms. Katherine and Isabel dropped to either side of her and stroked her hair. The mess didn't seem to matter.
"Robbed," Katherine whispered, looking about the room. The word sent Liza into tears as well, and soon the four of them were a helpless heap among the strewn contents of their life.
"Annie," she whispered.
"Mmmm?" the semi-awake Annie replied.
"I'm going to get the stuff for this weekend. You stay here and rest for your performance. Okay?"
"Mmm-mmm."
Liza smiled and kissed her partner's hair. She decided to take the car to the Star Market - it wasn't far, but she might have a lot to bring back. When she finally returned, Annie was up, dressed and sitting on the porch with a novel. Liza smiled - Annie could look so serious when she wasn't aware of it. Liza got out of the car and propped the back door open with her foot as she pulled out two grocery bags.
"Hey, bookworm!" she called over the car roof at Annie. "Want to tear yourself away and give me a hand here?"
Annie grinned, then she very gracefully placed the book in her lap and applauded delicately. Liza rolled her eyes.
"Very clever, dear." She hid her amusement at Annie's impish grin. "Seriously, I have a carload of bags here."
"Aren't I supposed to be resting?" Annie smiled.
"Take a resting break," Liza said.
Obligingly, Annie put her book down and floated down the stairs to the car. Years of moving around in heavy period gowns had given her a poised carriage. She opened the door and lifted out two bags, then turned and followed Liza into the house. Several trips later, they stood in the kitchen and stared at the bags that were piled on the table and counters.
"Put the perishables in the fridge," Liza said. "We'll bring the rest as-is, and I'll pack the sunscreen and stuff in my luggage."
"Yes, Mommy," Annie teased. When she had finished, she closed the refrigerator door pointedly and stood facing Liza. "Now can I go back to resting?" she asked.
"Yes," Liza said.
"Thank you," Annie said, kissing Liza's cheek as she passed through the kitchen on her way back out to the porch. Liza smiled and returned to her task of pulling out everything in the kitchen that they needed to bring.
Annie left for her show at six o'clock. She drove, because she wouldn't get out until late. Liza had told her she would be spending the evening packing, and then she would probably watch a video.
"The exciting life," Annie joked, stealing another kiss before she finally left.
Two hours later, Annie stood backstage at the downtown theater where the opera regularly performed. She brushed backstage dust off her dress and quietly trilled her lips as she waited for the overture to begin. The company's leading tenor, Bert Zimmerman, patted her cheek as he crossed behind the backdrop to take his place. Annie scowled. She wouldn't even let Liza touch her face when she was in makeup - Annie's face seemed always to shed makeup faster than anyone's. Then the overture began and Annie closed her eyes. She thought of Spain, imagined herself dark and sultry.
Hours later, Annie shed Carmen with her last outfit and the baby-wipe she used to take off the first layer of makeup. She would take the rest off at home. She waved a casual good-bye to Bert and the rest of the company, and headed towards the stage door. She opened it and stepped out into the night.
"There she is, the prima donna!"
Annie whirled around and there, at the end of the alley, was Liza. Annie smiled and waved. Her expression changed from pleasant surprise to sheer delight when she saw who was standing behind her partner - Isabel Stevenson and Katherine Widmer!
"Oh!" Annie cried. She ran down the alley, the bag that held her score bumping against her hip. She ran into Ms Stevenson's open arms, then turned to hug Ms Widmer.
"Oh, it's so great to see you," Ms Widmer said warmly. "You were wonderful!"
"You saw the show?" Annie looked over at Liza. Now it was her partner's turn to grin.
"I brought them," Liza said. "When I called to tell them we'd be late because of your show, they came up with the idea all on their own!"
"Yes, aren't we clever?" Ms Stevenson smiled.
"I can't believe you came all the way down here to see it!" Annie cried, brushing at her hair with her hand. It was always so flat after wearing a wig for an entire show.
"Well, we haven't heard you sing since...well, since your senior recital in high school," Ms Widmer said. "And I must say, you were amazing then but now you are just marvelous! What a voice!"
Annie blushed. "Thank you, Ms Widmer."
"Katherine, how many times must I say that?" Ms Widmer - Katherine - winked.
"Sorry, Katherine," Annie said, draping an arm around her shoulders.
"Care to give us a ride home?" Liza said. "We took the T - they'd never been on it."
"Well, lucky you," Annie said, rolling her eyes. She hated the Boston subway system, almost as much as she hated the bus. "Sure, we're in the garage."
Annie led her friends and her partner across the street and to the car. They chatted all the way back to Cambridge, Katherine and Isabel sharing all their news as if they were two excited little girls. Liza and Annie told them all about Liza's teaching and Annie's singing, including the story about Tabbi that had just happened that week.
When they pulled up in front of Liza and Annie's house, Liza let out a small "Hmmm."
"What?" Annie asked, turning off the ignition.
"Oh.I thought I'd closed that front window," Liza said. "Oh well.maybe it was the other one I closed."
The four women climbed up the staircase and Annie slid her key into the lock.
"I love this house," Katherine said as Annie jiggled the key to get it to fit right. "It's so beautiful."
"It used to be only one family," Liza said. "I'm always telling Annie we should move to the top floor. They have the attic - they have to trade their basement space for it, but I've always wanted an attic room with a window seat."
Annie smiled and turned on the light. Then all four stopped dead and every smile faded.
The house was a storm. The living room to their right had been destroyed -furniture overturned, the TV and VCR and stereo missing. Annie let out a small cry like an injured dove and raced down the hall into the bedroom. Isabel and Katherine just stood by the door, not knowing what to say. Then they heard a wail coming from the back of the house. Without a word they followed Liza into the bedroom, where Annie was sitting on the floor, a jewelry box drawer in her shaking hand. Liza dropped to the floor beside her and took her partner in her arms.
"Annie, Annie, what is it?"
Annie turned, tearstained and breathless. "Nana's necklace. It's gone." Drawers were all over the floor, but somehow Annie had found the one where she kept her grandmother's Italian necklace - the one that her grandmother had given her when she got engaged.
"Nana will never forgive me," Annie whimpered. She fell sobbing into Liza's arms. Katherine and Isabel dropped to either side of her and stroked her hair. The mess didn't seem to matter.
"Robbed," Katherine whispered, looking about the room. The word sent Liza into tears as well, and soon the four of them were a helpless heap among the strewn contents of their life.