A Summer of Surprises by Judith Keim

Author:Judith Keim
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Wild Quail Publishing
Published: 2020-06-23T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Aboard the commuter plane that serviced small airports in upstate New York, Jill gazed out the window at the miniature scene below her. It was funny, she thought, how surroundings at ground level seemed so large, so all encompassing, but appeared inconsequential in the scheme of things when seen as such a tiny part of the world.

On the ground, her life would return to a familiar pattern she was thankful to be able to escape. Jill vowed to stay strong against her mother’s disapproval. She’d already listened to her mother complain that Jill was giving away her house, she owed her mother more consideration than this, and her father would disapprove of her actions. The last comment hurt more than the others, but Jill remained stoic.

When the pilot announced they were about to land, Jill’s stomach did a dive that had nothing to do with the airplane. Beneath the determination to stay strong, old patterns of loss, inadequacy, and a need to please others threatened her. Was it possible that in a matter of a couple of months, I can make enough changes to be the new, freer person I want to be?

Without wanting to, she found herself thinking of Brody’s daughter. She promised herself she would make this change as quickly and as easily as possible to prove to Kacy that she, too, could have a different life.

Jill searched for her mother among the greeters clumped together at the security gate, waiting for arrivals. She stopped in surprise when she saw a woman who looked much too old to be her mother. The woman waved, and, suddenly, everything snapped back into place and her mother looked like her usual self.

Jill rushed forward and hugged her. “Hi! Thanks for coming to pick me up.”

“Of course,” her mother replied. “Do you have luggage?”

“Just this.” Jill held up a backpack filled with all she’d need for this short trip.

Her mother shook her head. “I don’t know why you think you can be packed up in just two days. You have a houseful of things.”

“Not anymore. I’m selling the house furnished. That way I don’t have to move anything big.”

Her mother stopped and stared at her. “Are you serious? But you and Jay bought new, beautiful furniture when he moved in.”

“Another reason to let someone else have it,” said Jill filled with satisfaction.

“Humph, I don’t know why you think you can waste money that way.”

Jill held back words. There was so much she could say, but she knew it would fall on deaf ears. Her mother would never believe that Jay was abusive to her. He’d hidden it well in front of others.

“Where did you park the car?” said Jill, standing at the entrance to the parking garage.

“2 B, not far from here.”

Jill followed her mother to the car, still silent even as her thoughts flew in circles. She knew it was time for her to speak up or be thrust back into her old life.

After she stowed her backpack in the

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