Chapter 15

Los Angeles

It was already evening when Cora dared to show her face again. She slowly descended the stairs and watched how Rose was washing the dishes. In the darkness, Rose noticed Cora's shadow standing a few feet away. She held her breath before she finally managed to speak.

"I don't think you are hungry, but I've made you some chicken soup."

"Thanks." Cora mumbled as she stepped inside the kitchen. As the light hit Rose's face, Cora saw that she had been crying. Her eyes were puffy and red, and her nose sounded stuffy.

"Why are you crying?" she simply asked.

Rose shook her head. "I'm not."

"I can see it, Rose."

Rose dropped a plate in the water and turned around. "I'm just worried. The truth is that I have been worried about you for the past year. I know you are not happy, Cora, and I am so sorry." Rose could barely finish her sentence before she burst out in tears. It startled Cora and she could feel her stomach drop. For the first time she did not see a woman in front of her, but a young and frightened girl. Rose's eyes were swollen, making Cora realize that she had been crying before. She did not know what to say, she did not know how to console her. Frozen in place, she simply watched.

"Why are you sorry, Rose?" she finally managed to ask.

"Because just before your father passed, I promised him to keep you safe; to take care of you and I'm sorry I have failed you."

Cora's eyes widened and she shook her head heavily. "No, don't you dare say that! You know it isn't true!"

"Then what is it, Cora? I want to understand, I want to help you, but I can't if you keep shutting me out."

It didn't take long before Cora could feel the tears rolling down her own cheeks. Whilst Rose kept staring at her, desperate to gain an answer, Cora felt her body started to shrink. She leaned forward, arms crossed and head down like a defeated puppy.

Rose's voice turned softer. "Anyway, I spoke to Mrs. Taylor today. She offers you to come and live with her in Los Angeles for the rest of the summer. Apparently, she is going to renovate her late husband's old art gallery and she can really use some extra help. They're leaving on Sunday, and you'll be back before school starts."

"That's at least two months."

"Maybe it's good for us to be apart for a little while, don't you think?"

"Rose, I—"

"It's fine, darling. You don't have to answer now. I don't want to force you to do anything. I only want you to know that this might be an opportunity for you."

"Right." Cora sighed.

As she put the last dishes onto the counter, Rose pointed to the pot of soup one last time. "It's still nice and warm for if you would like to have some. Now if you don't mind, I'm going to bed, I'm quite exhausted."

Now Cora was alone again and let the words that Rose had just spoken flutter through her mind. Los Angeles wasn't that far, but it felt like the other side of the world. It was supposed to be rather different than San Francisco, or Rose had told her. They had never been there before; to the place of the free. The place where the beaches were even prettier than here and where you could walk into a famous person everywhere you went. It almost seemed too perfect to be true and it frightened her. However, to be in a totally different place where nobody knew her and thus no one could have any sort of expectations of how she ought to be. That, to Cora, sounded not fighting, but liberating.

She thought and thought until the clock struck twelve and she marched back to her bedroom again. In bed, she thought until sleep overtook her body. In her dreams, she wandered off to places far away from home until the early summer sun brought her back to her senses.

When Cora walked out of her bedroom, she saw Rose's door still closed and there was no sound coming from downstairs. Summer mornings had always been her favorite. The soft heat slowly entering through every creak of the house. Birds sang their early lullabies and the scent of sun seemed to be everywhere. Finally, peace had slowly started to fall over her. Despite the horrible night, Cora did not feel tired.

Softly she put on the kettle and started grinding the coffee beans, yet there was still no sound coming from Rose's room. Filling to cups with the warm and energizing beverage, she headed up, pushed Rose's door open with her bum and whispered a bright and clear good morning. I took a few seconds before there was any movement coming from the bed.

"Cora?" Rose groaned as she awakened from her sleep. She looked at her window as saw the bright light piercing through.

"Good morning, Rose."

"What time is it?"

"Ten."

Rose shot up and shook her head to get rid of the last ounces of sleep. "Oh God. I never sleep in this late."

"Perhaps you needed it." Cora handed Rose her cup of coffee and crawled next her underneath the sheets. The warm and roast smell of coffee beans swirled through the room. They remained in silence, both letting the caffeine wake them up slowly. Outside, the bells of the trams chimed vaguely. The world had already started.

"I remember when you were little, Cora," Rose then whispered, "You'd crawl into my bed almost every morning."

"You must have hated it."

"Never." Rose quickly took another sip of her coffee.

Cora then turned her head to face Rose and took a deep breath. "I have thought about it, Rose. And maybe it would be good for me to be away for a little while," she admitted, "But I do want you to know that it has nothing to do with you. You know, that I've been feeling a bit off lately."

Rose tried to smile. "That is good to know."

"It's just that I've been thinking about my parents a lot and the fact that I barely remember them; I hate myself for it."

"Oh Cora, if only I had known. It breaks my heart to hear it."

"But what is there to do about it? They're gone now."

Rose put her cup down and threw the duvet off her body. She was starting to get hot, and she could feel the blood rush to her face. "The fact that I have erased my family from my life, doesn't mean you have to as well."

"They're unwillingly erased from my life, Rose. People like us are like dust in the wind. Once we are dead, we are gone. There is nothing to be found of us, no legacy we have left behind."

"I wouldn't say that."

"Anyway," Cora removed herself from the bed and walked towards the door, "I am going to Los Angeles. And I've just come to the realization that I'm going tomorrow."

Her words wakened Rose up completely. She followed Cora down the stairs and walked up to the phone where she rang the Turners' house. Within half an hour, Mrs. Taylor, Mrs. Turner, and Ethel were standing on the doorstep. The elderly women looked excited, but it was Ethel who looked at Cora with a deep frown.

"It will only be two months." Cora whispered in Ethel's ear when she stood next to her.

Ethel kept frowning and shook her head. "Two months is a long time, Cora. And I must warn you, I don't know if you're going to endure my cousin for two months."

"I thought he seemed rather nice." Cora admitted.

Ethel started to chuckle. "Yes, but he is so boring. Especially since my uncle died. There is barely any spark left in him."

"I've always got your aunt to keep me company."

"True. And I've heard that new owner of the gallery is a very handsome man, but he is engaged unfortunately."

"Yes, and probably ancient if he was friends with your uncle!"

The girls burst out in laughter before Ethel pulled Cora in for a hug and placed a kiss on her cheek. "How I am going to miss you but have so much fun!"

Those were the exact same words Rose said on the platform of the train station. Cora looked out the window and watched until Rose's body turned into a small dot and disappeared into nothingness. She could feel the tears burn behind her eyes for she realized this was the first time in over ten years they were apart. Ever since the sinking, the girls had been together; starting the day and ending the day in each other's company. Like a baby, Cora wanted to burst out crying, stop the train and run back into her arms. Nonetheless, her mind new better. She needed this change for the benefit of her being. They would be reunited soon although it felt so far away.

Cora took a deep breath and took her seat next to Mrs. Taylor who then gently placed her hand on Cora's shoulder. The woman could sense the girl's nervousness and tried to calm her down with smiles and reassuring words. To talk about the unknown place seemed to be a successful form of distraction.

"It's a five-minute walk to the beach, Cora." Mrs. Taylor said, "So you can watch the sunset every single night if you'd like."

Cora grinned. "You mustn't make me too excited, Mrs. Taylor. Or this thirteen-hour train ride will seem even more impossible."

"It will be over before you know it, darling. We can always ask if they want to bring us something delicious to eat." Mrs. Taylor then looked at her son who looked like he had disappeared inside his book. She shook her head in disbelief, "I am glad I finally have some womanly companionship. My whole life I have been surrounded by only men!"

Listening to Mrs. Taylor's story of how and where she grew up, Cora had her eyes fixated on Lauren who did look as he was enjoying her company. His presence made her feel nervous, yet she found him interesting.

As a few hours had passed and the heat was starting to turn Cora's face noticeable red, Lauren dared to look past his pages. He stood up without saying a word and left the coupe, only to come back with a bottle of water and three glasses. He poured the first glass and handed it to Cora.

"Thank you." She smiled and took a big sip.

"It's always very important to stay hydrated when travelling and especially with this heat."

"I'm afraid my English genes have never caught up with the Californian weather."

"You're English?"

"Yes." Cora nodded her head.

Mrs. Taylor started to laugh and shook her head. "If you had paid attention, dear, you would have known this already," then she turned her face towards Cora, "always with his head in books."

And so, Lauren continued to read for how long the journey lasted. When the train came to a holt it was already dark outside and Cora felt so extremely tired that she barely noticed what was happening around her. All she could remember was being driven to a home, walking up the staircase and being led towards a room. As soon as her body hit the bed, she was gone.

It was the next morning when she woke up, Cora noticed she was still wearing her clothes from the day before. Her curls were all over the place and her mascara had transferred itself onto her cheek. As she looked around the room, she took in the extravagant interior of the room. The colorful walls were no wallpaper, but delicately painted with orange, green and an ocean kind of blue. Her bedframe had been decorated with leaves; making the impression she was sleeping in a forest. Cora yawned and grabbed her suitcase from underneath the bed before dropping it onto the duvet. Rose had organized it in such a proper way that Cora was almost too scared to take anything out.

"My maid used to do it this way," Rose had told her as she folded Cora's last dress.

Now she was holding that last dress and placed it in front of her whilst staring at her reflection in the mirror. Unbuttoning her old clothes, she stepped into the morning heat. It did not take long before she could hear footsteps outside of her room, followed by a knock on the door.

"Cora, I hope you are awake, mother has made you some tea." Lauren said as he walked in.

A loud shriek escaped from her lips as she tried to cover her body with her dress. Lauren shot the door shut with such a force the walls started to tremble. He gasped for air, called out a few apologies and rushed down the stairs. Frozen into place, Cora caught her breath again and managed to get herself dressed for the day. Once properly presentable, she remained seated on the edge of her bed for at least an hour before daring to leave her room. In her deepest desires, she wanted to be completely alone, only to face Lauren sitting at the table when she walked into the dining room. When he looked up, his face turned completely red, and he quickly looked down.

"Listen, Cora, I am so sorry about what just happened," Lauren confessed, "I never meant to—"

"Please," Cora interrupted him as she put out her hand, "It's fine. At least I wasn't completely stripped down."

He laughed nervously before pouring her another cup of tea and pushing it to the other side of the table whilst watching how Cora sat down in front of him. They stayed quiet until they both lost track of the time.

"Right," Cora eventually managed to say as she spun the remaining tea around in her cup, "Where is Mrs. Taylor?"

"At the gallery. She will be back in an hour or so."

"Right," Cora nodded and stood up, "I think I am going to continue unpacking my suitcase."

"You don't want anything to eat?"

"Maybe later, thank you."

"I know I am not very talkative," Lauren then confessed, "but that doesn't mean I don't enjoy your company here."

Cora started to chuckle nervously, "That is good to know."

"I was thinking that maybe I could show you around the place and the neighborhood once you are done."

At first, she wanted to say no, but there was a certain softness in his expression that was very hard to ignore. It was a strange yet true thing to accept that also men could be shy. Lauren's shyness was the cause of his quietness and the distance that he kept. But he was eager to get to know the girl that was now part of their household.

At last, she gave in and followed him to the unfamiliar places which he had known for almost all his life. Lauren had not always lived in Los Angeles; up until the age of seven he lived with his parents in a small town in Canada, where his father came from. But his parents were eager and wanted to give their son a future with good prospects. So, they packed their bags and moved towards the land of opportunity and the place of sunshine.

Once both their feet started to get tired and their stomachs started to rumble, Cora and Lauren shuffled their way back towards the house.

"Next time, I'll show you my favorite place on the beach." Lauren informed her. She smiled at him and for the first time since they met, he smiled back at her.

As they walked through the front door, Mrs. Taylor came rushing up at them with a bewildered expression on her face. Lauren frowned and started to worry.

"We have to wait at least three weeks!" Mrs. Taylor cried out as she threw her hands in the air.

"Three weeks for what mother?"

"Three weeks until we can start with the renovation. That damned constructer messed up his schedule and now we have to wait three whole weeks."

"What did Jack say about it?" Lauren's voice was still serene, hoping it would calm down his mother.

Mrs. Taylor shrugged his shoulder. "I don't know how that man can stay so positive all the time. He thinks we can still catch up if we put our backs into it," she sighed, "and now he can at least help with an exposition somewhere in New York. So, we also won't be seeing him for a while."

"Is he the new owner of the gallery?" Cora asked, trying to contribute to the conversation. Both Lauren and Mrs. Taylor nodded their head.

"I'm sorry to have brought you in such chaos, Cora dear." Mrs. Taylor said.

Yet, no one knew that Cora did not seem to mind. As the long and sunny days slowly turned into weeks, Cora started to feel calm and at ease with the Taylors. Although they had a slow start a friendship started to blossom between the two teenagers and Lauren made sure he involved her in his life. His friends welcomed her with open arms as they invited her to their gatherings and other social activities. Even her letters to Rose felt lighthearted and good spirited. One morning, as she made herself ready for the day, Cora noticed her countenance to be once again soft.

"I believe Rose has written you a letter, dear." Mrs. Taylor handed Cora the envelope as she joined them for breakfast. With a smile and fast movement, she ripped it open and folded out the paper.

My dearest Cora,

To be fair, I cannot explain how much I miss you. The house is extremely quiet without your soft voice echoing between the walls. But I can also not express how happy I am for you and how of course, how proud I am of you. Your letter did me so good. The way you describe your life in Los Angeles almost feels as if you have lived there your whole life and I hope that one day you will be able to give me a tour like the local you have become. Here, life and work have been the same as ever apart from one thing, which I am going to explain to you know (and you might want to sit down in case you are not). A week after you left, I was cleaning the shelves at the library when a ghost from the past suddenly appeared behind me. When I heard his voice, I almost felt like fainting. Now you must be wandering who that person is… Henry. He has moved back from Philadelphia and told me he will be staying in San Francisco for good. Cora, too much has happened between us these past weeks to be able to explain in this letter, but what you must know is that our feelings towards one another have not changed and he asked me a very important question for the second time. Now my answer was different: I said yes. We are engaged, Cora. This ring on my finger is permanent. How I wish you would have been there, but we will celebrate it properly once you get back.

I love you, darling. Always.

Rose.

"Oh my God." Rose gasped and jumped up from her chair, "Oh my God, oh my God!"

"What is it?"

"Rose is getting married!"