Sometime Yesterday (2 page)

*

After unpacking the trunk and backseat of her car, Natalie stopped in the kitchen to grab a bottle of water and see what Mary had stocked the refrigerator and cabinets with earlier that week. Natalie knew Mary wanted to make sure that the divorce and the move were as smooth as she could possibly make it. They had always had keys to each other’s houses until Mary had relocated to Bayside a couple of years ago. It was Natalie’s main reason for moving here. She was happy that once again, she would live in the same town as Mary and was looking forward to her help, and her company, in the morning.

She put her empty bottle of water on the counter and turned toward the hallway. As she rounded the corner to the stairs, she felt something brush against her.

Was that a spider web? God, she hated bugs. Natalie jumped and waved her arms. Skin crawling, she took to the stairs double-time; shaking her hair out to make sure nothing was stuck in it. When she reached the bedroom, she stared at the door, apprehension snaking its way to the base of her spine. It was closed. She was almost certain she’d left it open. She reached for the knob, but before she could touch it, the door swung away from her as though opened from the other side.

Natalie felt herself chill to the bone. Arms folded over her chest, she crossed the threshold. The room was freezing. The window she’d closed an hour earlier was open again, the long drapes blowing into the room. A faint scent of lavender hung in the cold air. Natalie ran over to the window and shut it. The wind must have blown the door shut.

Natalie entered her large bathroom. Now here was a modern slice of heaven.
Sandstone colored marble covered the countertops and floor, matching the bronze towel rings and faucets. The deep corner tub was gleaming yet looked bare. Natalie looked forward to adding some personal touches with plants and colorful girlie bottles and jars. The scent of lavender was stronger in here. She wondered if the previous owner left a candle or perhaps some potpourri in the linen closet. After a quick search, she didn’t find anything and gave up. She was simply too tired to care at the moment. She pulled out a couple of towels and crossed to the tub. As soon as she opened the faucets, water came flowing out of a majestic lion’s open mouth. Jet streams built into the side shot more hot water into the tub. While her bath was running, Natalie went back into the bedroom and found the nightgown buried in her suitcase. As she undressed, she watched the window, half-expecting to see it rattle loose and creak open again. She chuckled to herself, trying to put her jitters into perspective. She clearly needed to adjust to living alone. This was a new place. Once she got to know it, she wouldn’t jump at every noise.

She strolled back into the bathroom and stood in front of the wall-to-wall mirror, inspecting her weary face. The furrow between her eyebrows and stress lines bracketing her mouth were evidence of sleepless nights and the pain of divorce. Natalie made a firm decision to stop thinking of herself as a victim. The worst was behind her and she could be proud of herself that she didn’t leave frozen shrimp in the hollow drapery rods as a parting shot to her ex-husband and his new wife.

At least the split from Jason took care of that last fifteen pounds she’d been trying to lose for the past few years. She stood at five foot-nothing-tall and every pound on her small frame counted.

The mirror fogged with steam from the running bath. From her peripheral vision, she saw something move behind her. She spun around quickly, but the shadow was gone. She noticed her hand tremble slightly when she wiped the condensation away and peeked again. Nothing. Natalie sighed. She reminded herself she was tired, not hallucinating. She turned off the water and slipped into the tub. Perfect.
She could literally feel the stress lifting as she washed her hair then lay back on the built-in seat and closed her eyes. Soothed by the heat and weightlessness, she let the long, emotional day soak off.

Natalie let her mind drift. It occurred to her that this would be the first time in her life she would be living alone. She went from her parents to the college dorm and then on to Jason. Although, living with Jason the past couple of years had been like living alone. She tried not to dwell on regrets. Her thoughts didn’t land on any one particular thing for long. Like butterflies, they flitted toward a memory, retreated, and went on to the next.

CRASH.

Natalie’s start of surprise almost propelled her from the bath. Her eyes popped open and she quickly planted her feet to brace herself.
What was that?
She realized she must have fallen asleep because the water was ice cold. She strained to hear the sound again, but all she could hear was her own heart beat in her ears.

Natalie wrapped herself in a towel and approached the bathroom door. She slowly turned the knob, holding it in a death grip, ready to slam it closed if anything was on the other side.
Steady, girl, it’s just an old house making old house noises.
She took a deep breath and stepped out into the bedroom. After checking the window and the ones adjoining it, she didn’t see anything amiss that could warrant such a loud noise. She cautiously stepped into the hallway, pressing herself against the wall to step sideways into the adjoining guest room. She couldn’t see anything out of place and that window was also latched tight.

Natalie retreated to her bedroom and put her nightgown on. She’d have to check the yard in the morning to see if a there was a loose shed door or something. A brand new bed had been delivered earlier in the week and Mary, being the friend that she was, had it made and ready for her. She even had the pretty sheets turned down. As Natalie slid beneath the covers, she felt some regret for the beautiful antique four-poster she’d left behind at her old house. On the other hand, she thought, there was a great deal of disappointment attached to that particular bed. Disappointments better left in her old life. Besides, she’d be damned if she was going to bring any part of Jason into her new space or allow his memories in her new bedroom. Instead, she could look forward to finding local antique shops and auctions to find new treasures.

Natalie turned out the bedside lamp and tried to go to sleep. It was during this in-between time of awareness and floating off to a dream that Natalie’s insecurities slapped at her. What was wrong with her? Would she be able to manage a new life alone? She was in her thirties, loved her painting, and was healthy. But was she so difficult to love?

*

The gentle rocking motion of a hammock combined with the smell of sweet summer sunshine, filled Natalie’s senses as dust motes floated lazily in the air. She had never felt so relaxed in her life. No, that wasn’t right. She had never felt so serene. She heard soft laughter behind her. It was gentle and feminine. She tried to move her head to see who it was, but she couldn’t.

“You came back,” she said. “I knew you would come.”

“Pardon me?”

“You’re here. I’ve been waiting so long.”

She felt the woman move directly behind her and continue to push the hammock while humming softly. Natalie didn’t recognize the song, both haunting and melodic at once, but it soothed her like a lullaby and she floated back to sleep. The sun disappeared as a cloud drifted in front of it. Rain started to fall in cold, heavy drops. Natalie struggled to move, tangled in the hammock, and fell to the ground. Thunder clapped in the sky.

“He’s here! Go back, dear heart.
Now!
”

*

Natalie gasped and sat straight up in bed, her breath coming in short bursts. She couldn’t find her bearings and fought not to panic. Outside, the storm raged. Rain pelted the windows and the room illuminated with a flash of lightning. Natalie covered her head with the blankets and tried to go back to sleep, humming the melody she’d never heard outside her dream. As she drifted, she thought she felt a hand gently smooth her shoulder and she shivered. Over the noise of the storm’s crescendo, she heard a soft whisper.

“
Shhh. Sleep, my angel. I’ll watch over you.
”

The next time Natalie opened her eyes, it was to rays of bright sunshine streaming in through a crack in the drapes. She felt as if she should be remembering something important, but the sensation danced around on the edge of her consciousness.

She threw open the drapes and rubbed her eyes. There was no sign of rain
.
The birds were chirping and the sky still fairly pink and orange from the sunrise. Vaguely, she wondered why she thought it was raining. Natalie quickly made the bed and ran into the bathroom to wash her face and brush her teeth. She was excited to start the day and see Mary.

The odd feeling she had woken with disappeared as she took stock of the house,
her
house. Once again, she was grateful for Mary, this time for the coffee pot sitting on the kitchen counter and fresh coffee in the freezer. A beautiful arched stone fireplace stood sentry in the room, the red polished brick scrubbed immaculate. The kitchen had been beautifully remodeled. Come to think of it, the whole place looked wonderful. Natalie wondered why the previous owners decided to sell after putting in so much work. The purchase price certainly didn’t reflect the apparent cost of the renovations.

The cabinets were obviously original but restored to match the golden oak floor. Granite counters and the stainless steel appliances gleamed in the morning light streaming through a large window over the farmhouse sink. It wasn’t true to the style of the period, but who really wanted a closet sized Victorian kitchen anyway? Natalie appreciated the modern conveniences.

While she was waiting for the coffee to brew, she looked out the back door to survey the rear property. She couldn’t help but sigh when she saw how derelict and overgrown it appeared. Tall grass, weeds, and blackberry bushes grew wild, turning what must have been beautiful plant beds and orderly walkways into a playground of disorder. It would be a huge project, but her hands itched to get in the dirt. The rich smell of the earth and the feeling of accomplishment she compared to the process of painting. The art of creation fulfilled her in much the same way. She wondered who would be tending her gardens at her previous house this year and felt a little homesick.

Natalie poured herself a cup of coffee and sat at the solid oak table. She dug in her purse for a notebook and pen to start a new list.

She was overwhelmed and inexplicably, she began to cry. She’d kept herself so busy over the last few months, she hadn’t had time to breathe, let alone think. Tears landed on her list and made tiny circles in the letters, rendering some of the items illegible. She had hardly expected to be starting her life over at thirty-two. As far as she’d been concerned, the last twelve years hadn’t been all bad. Well, except for one detail. Natalie had never felt any passion toward Jason. None. She knew the problem lay with her. Jason was always ready, and over the years, she’d come to dread “that” look.

Natalie winced when she recalled the first time Jason had called her frigid. Then there was the humiliating experience with the sex therapist. It was his idea, of course. Natalie gave her ex-husband props; he’d tried everything in the book to get her to respond.

She admitted the fault was her own and put all of her insecurity into her paintings. She tucked her fantasies of happy-ever-after away and settled.

She ripped out the shopping list and reminded herself that she could have new dreams now, and she had plenty to look forward to. Room by room, Natalie took inventory of what was in the house, what was coming, and what she would need in order to complete each room to her satisfaction. She finished her tour in the living room. Pausing before the painting above the fireplace, she tilted her head to the side and stared. The painting looked different. Natalie could have sworn that the woman had been standing completely in profile. This morning, she was looking over her shoulder and smiling shyly, her soft brown eyes curtained by the fall of her dark hair. Natalie backed away and studied the subject from different angles. The artist in her appreciated the detail and subtle colors that brought a dreamy quality to the painting. The woman was so beautiful, and yet again, Natalie had the odd feeling she had seen her somewhere before. She traced her fingers along the woman’s hair to her waist. When she caught herself wondering how soft the woman’s skin was, she quickly dropped her hand and stood back. She told herself that she was simply exhausted, not losing her mind. The painting hadn’t changed; that would be impossible.

She yelped and jumped about two feet when the doorbell rang. Through the pane of glass in the door, she could see Mary standing on the porch. Natalie laughed and quickly let her in.

“That doorbell is so loud, you about stopped my heart.” They embraced and she grabbed Mary’s hand and dragged her toward the kitchen. “You look awesome.” Natalie said and meant it. Mary Chapman had perfected her version of the California casual look. Streaked blond hair swung at the tips of her shoulders, she had cheerful cornflower blue eyes, and easy warmth lit her face. She left her designer suits in San Francisco when she and her family relocated to Bayside, but they were replaced with equally designer jeans that hugged her hips and flared fashionably at her feet.

“Slow down, Nat. I’ve been here, remember?”

“About that, how fricking cool are you? Thank you so much for getting the place ready for me.” Natalie poured a cup of coffee and got the creamer out of the fridge. “I see you even stocked
your
stuff.”

Mary laughed. “Well, I knew I’d be here all the time. It’s so good to have you close. Look out, Bayside, the terrible duo is together again!” She lifted her coffee cup in a toast.