Memories (30 page)

Denise came in the evenings to lend a hand. Unlike Katherine, she couldn’t take time off from her job at the Community Hospital near downtown Seattle where she worked as the records clerk in the Pediatric/Maternity Ward. Policy required six weeks notice for vacation time, so she had to be content with helping out on nights and weekends.

Katherine insisted Denise take the master bedroom with the small bay window that overlooked Puget Sound. She had a great view from the turret room that she was going to use as an office so the bedroom on the side of the house was fine for her needs. After much protest, Denise gave in and set out to decorate her room to her own style much as the kids had done. Everyone’s tastes blended to combine rooms that complimented without clashing. The cream wallpaper with soft pink sprig roses that Katherine placed in the upstairs hallway was the perfect link between the rooms, the oak molding being the common thread that joined them all together. Looking at the rooms, one would think from their common tastes that they had all come from the same family. That was until Darla finally made her appearance.

It was the second weekend since they had begun work on the house. The day was warm and dry, so Katherine recruited the kids to paint the front porch dove gray while Denise supervised and painted the front door white. Katherine was in the kitchen scrubbing the tile countertops when Darla entered through the back door in all her tight pant, silver shoe glory.

“Oh my God, a Victorian house!” she stated aloud, a cigarette dangling from the corner of her glossy red mouth. "I should have known you’d own a tight-ass house.” She leveled her gaze on Katherine waiting for a reaction.

Katherine squared her shoulders and turned to face that gaze. “If you don’t like it, you don’t have to stay.”

“What?” Darla gave mock surprise, raising a splayed hand to her abundant breasts. “And miss out on this experiment of sisterly love and friendship? Why, I wouldn’t dream of leaving.” She took off her sunglasses and placed them on top of her too-stiff, orange hair. “Now, where am I supposed to park my ass?”

All the way to hell, Katherine wanted to say, but instead she pointed up the stairway on the opposite side of the kitchen. “Your room is up there. You can also get to it from the outside; the stairway is on the other side of the garage.”

“Much obliged, Miss Kate,” Darla said mockingly, making Katherine bristle. She hated being called Kate or Katie, and Darla knew it.

Darla turned and stepped out the door, hollering, “Okay, boys. It’s the stairs by the garage. You be careful with my stuff, ya hear?”

“Okay, boys?” Katherine mouthed, and looked out the kitchen window in time to see Darla sashay on three-inch heels over to two men standing on the back of a U-Haul Truck. “Oh, great, she brought her Johns along.” She watched long enough to see them unload a leopard chaise lounge before turning her back to the window and raising her eyes to heaven. “What did I get myself into?”