Recap of Chapter 5: Callie awoke next to her ex-husband. She didn’t regret the encounter, but still felt it necessary to keep it from the kids. After learning of her husband’s infidelity, Charlotte hopped on a plane and headed to her sister’s home in Portland. She left no clues as to where she was or her plans. When Frank returned home and found her missing, he couldn’t wrap his head around what was happening. Empty house, no note, no text or phone message—all fueled his anxiety.
Josie and Marianne were in Josie’s kitchen, putting the finishing touches on their regular Thursday night dinner get-together. Josie was tossing salad and Marianne was topping up their wine. Their husbands were crowded around the grill tending to the steaks. “I brought a loaf of my new sourdough recipe,” Marianne shared. “It’s parmesan herb. I thought we could warm it up and serve it with whipped garlic butter.”
Josie agreed. “That sounds delicious, but only a tiny slice for me. It’s nearly shorts season and I want to shed a few pounds before I even think about trying them on.” The game was on in the living room, visible from the outdoor grilling station. They heard the men cheer at an exciting play. They grabbed their wine and went out to join them on the deck.
“ …I have a feeling that you didn’t just come on a whim.”
Josie’s husband, Bob, was telling Carl about a conversation he’d had with Troy. “He didn’t come right out and say it, but he implied that he and Callie still get together now and then.”
Carl laughed, “That dog!”
“What’s this?” Marianne asked. “Did you say Troy and Callie were together? You mean together together?”
“That’s what it sounded like to me,” admitted Bob. “I still can’t figure out why they split up in the first place.”
“Lots of reasons,” Josie said. “Troy doesn’t think they are getting back together, does he?”
“He didn’t say,” Bob replied, but he did get the idea that Troy believed it might lead to something.
“’Cause it isn’t going to happen, I can tell you that much,” Josie said, knowingly. She couldn’t wait to interrogate Callie. What was she thinking?
Marianne popped a tortilla chip in Carl’s mouth and looped her arm through his. “I always thought they made a great couple. And, since you guys obviously miss Troy, it wouldn’t be the worst thing if they got back together, would it?”
“You never know,” Bob said, taking a swig of his beer. “Stranger things have happened.”
“I did get a weird call from Frank last night,” Carl said. “He was looking for Charlotte. Apparently, he came home from work late last night and there was no sign of her. I told her we hadn’t seen her.”
“Oh, she probably got held up at a charity function,” Josie said with a sneer.
“Yes, we must gather with 1000 of our closest, well-heeled friends and nibble caviar to save black bears with eczema,” Marianne added. “No, it’s Australian lorikeets with lactose intolerance at 500 dollars a plate,” she added wickedly.
Their husbands mocked their cattiness by meowing and clawing the air.
Charlotte awoke at dawn without an alarm, discovering she was in a strange place. It took her a minute for it all to come flooding back. Discovering her husband with his lover or mistress—or whatever she was—the hasty travel plans and packing, the quick flight out to Portland, and now waking up in her sister’s guest room. She covered her face and groaned. She didn’t regret fleeing—Frank deserved to be ghosted, the rat bastard, but she felt it would almost have been better if she’d booked a week at a spa in Telluride or Moab—somewhere where she wouldn’t have to explain herself or exchange niceties with anyone. Too late now. She swung her legs around and got out of bed in search of the bathroom. A shower would revive her. Fifteen minutes later, having showered in her sister’s rainfall shower, with liberal use of her spa-like products, Charlotte emerged in a waft of cucumber and lemongrass, wrapped in the fluffy Turkish terrycloth robe that was set out for her. Never mind the spa, this was wonderfully reviving. God bless her sister, Sharon. As she was toweling her hair, Charlotte heard a distant buzzing sound. She had turned off the ringer on her cellphone, but in the quiet, the buzzing was still audible. She made her way to her tote, fetched her cell, and glanced at the screen. It was filled with texts from Frank, becoming more frantic through the night. She dropped it back in her tote. “He can just squirm like the worm he is,” she spat. “Serves him right.”
There came a quiet knock at the door. “Come in,” Charlotte said.
“Good morning,” Sharon said in a quiet voice as she entered. She carried a mug of rich, aromatic coffee.
“Oooo,” Charlotte said, reaching for the mug. “You’re an angel of mercy!”
“I see you found everything okay,” Sharon said, sitting on the edge of the bed. “You sleep okay?”
“I did,” Charlotte replied, a little surprised that it was true. She had slept well. Must have been the relief of having finally made it to her destination after an upsetting afternoon and an evening of travel.
Sharon assessed her sister. “You know, I’m pleased as punch that you decided to visit, but I have a feeling that you didn’t just come on a whim.” Charlotte sighed, her shoulders slumping.
Sharon held up her hand. “We don’t have to get into it right now, but I’ll bet there’s a story that’ll come out soon enough. If I remember correctly, you like a light breakfast, so there’s fruit and a croissant downstairs when you’re ready. No rush.”
Charlotte offered a weak smile. “Thanks, Sharon. I’ll be down in a minute.” She dressed in house clothes—a pair of Lululemon yoga pants, a camisole, and an oversized off-shoulder, flowing silk pullover, all in her palette of muted fall colors. She slipped her feet into the soft ballet flats that her sister had left by the bed, tousled her hair to dry naturally, and opened the door to head downstairs. She paused in the doorway, had a thought and came back inside, rummaging through her tote. She tapped out a text to her daughter. “Hey, Sweetie… Dad might text you looking for me. Can you please tell him that I made last-minute travel plans, that you’ve heard from me, and that I’m okay?” She got a reply immediately: “WTF. RU OK???”
Charlotte thought about what she could say that wouldn’t alarm her daughter, keep her options open, and simultaneously stop Frank from filing a missing person’s report. “I am okay. I just needed some time to myself. I just need to be away from home right now. It’ll be okay. Please don’t worry. I’m not in any danger. In fact, I’ve just had a lovely spa-like shower and I’m heading in for breakfast. I just didn’t want you to worry. Love you! Kisses all around.” She knew it was wholly inadequate and would likely raise suspicion, but being a bit cagey about where she was assured that Frank wouldn’t swoop in for an impromptu appearance. She was not ready to see him. She wasn’t ready to deal with reality just yet. One step at a time. She headed downstairs, suddenly realizing she was hungry.
