Lila Blue (37 page)

When Roger noticed me, he held up
his coffee cup and said, "Wonderful coffee, darlin’." He smiled a sad
tired smile, the way Lila did when she was trying to see things clearly and
make the best of them. Roger seemed a decent man, not at all like the men my
mother chose as boyfriends, and I remembered him saying "God bless
you" to me when we had talked only a few days earlier. I returned his
smile and went to the kitchen to check on the biscuits and fetch the coffee pot
for refills.

As I bent over the warm oven and
smelled the first browning on the biscuits, I had a clear vision of my
beautiful life stretching out in front of me, and I knew God had blessed me
beyond my wildest dreams.

I saw myself living in Rainbow
Village, riding the school bus with Molly, baking apple pies and pumpkin pies,
reciting poetry in front of the fireplace, celebrating the holidays with Jamie
and Mark, visiting Shakti in Boston, and kissing Dante. I would practice sweet
delicious kisses with Dante until I was satisfied I had mastered the essential
grownup skill of kissing.

My future was all good, all
beautiful, all magic and miracles, and my heart overflowed with joy. Maybe I
wasn't seeing the future exactly as it would unfold, but that was fine. My
hopes were as high as the sky, and I took a deep breath, smiled, and let them
stay there. I was Cassandra the Magnificent, and no matter what came next, I
knew everything would be wonderful, because I was exactly where I wanted to be,
here now with Lila Blue.

***The
End***

Annie Katz
has a bachelor's
degree in English literature and a master's degree in guidance and counseling.
For many years, she supported her reading and writing habits by working on the
Oregon Coast as a barber, bookstore clerk, waitress, and college teacher. Her
life there inspired the delightful characters and caring community of Rainbow
Village, the fictional world of
Lila Blue
. Annie now lives near
her favorite beach in Maui. Please visit
www.anniekatz.com
to learn more about Annie and her work.

Also by Annie Katz

Someplace Warm:
 
A novel about the kindness of fate