Ana of California by Andi Teran Read Free Book Online Page B

wake Abbie, she was afraid to shower, so she threw a clean sweatshirt over her T-shirt and jeans.
    It was dark outside except for the moonlight bathing the grounds. She parted the gauzy white curtains. There was a large tree just outside the window and beyond it flat land. It was like staring at an alien landscape, everything slightly foreboding and new. She shut the curtain and caught her reflection in the armoire’s mirror. Her eyes were still rimmed in dark circles—“raccoon smiles” she used to tell her sort-of siblings—and her hair was its usual mess of curls.
    â€œThe bane of my feral existence,” she whispered to the mirror while sweeping the last strands back into a low ponytail. The alarm wailed. Ana leaped for it, and her stomach moaned in unison. She opened the door and was greetedby dim light, the scent of something savory beckoning her downstairs. Hung on the bathroom door directly across the hall was a straw hat lassoed with leather. She ran her fingers over a snag in the brim, assuming Abbie had left the hat for her. Remembering Emmett’s explicit instructions, she took it and headed for the stairs.
    â€œSleep all right?” Abbie asked as Ana peeked through the doorway into the kitchen.
    â€œSort of.”
    â€œI’m sure it’s strange being in a new place. Come and have a seat. I’m making eggs Benedict, but please help yourself to coffee or juice on the table.”
    Ana sat in the same chair as the night before and sipped a glass of orange juice. Abbie was right. The first morning was always difficult, she reminded herself, thinking back on all of the first mornings over the years. Though Ana’s inclination was to fill the silence, Mrs. Saucedo had warned her over and over again that this was part of a pattern she needed to change. She watched as Abbie tended to a skillet on the stove and wondered if she cooked like this every morning.
    â€œI took the hat on the door,” Ana said. “I hope that’s okay.”
    â€œI left it for you. It’s my old gardening hat, a bit worn, but it’ll keep you shaded in the sun.”
    The frying pan sizzled.
    â€œCanadian bacon is Emmett’s favorite,” Abbie said, scooping the circular pieces of ham out onto a paper towel–lined plate. “He doesn’t care for my French toast or anything else ‘shellacked in syrup,’ so I thought I’d make us all something special this morning.”
    She composed a plate and set it down in front of Ana. It was heaped with English muffins topped in ham, poached eggs, and a slathering of hollandaise sauce, a small bowl ofberries off to the side. It was the opposite of Ana’s usual breakfast, which is to say it was something instead of nothing.
    â€œI hope you don’t mind if I join you,” Abbie continued. “I usually eat after Emmett and the gang start their work, but I thought you might like the company.”
    â€œSure,” Ana answered, filling her mouth with another gulp of juice, careful not to show any sign of discomfort.
    Abbie sat down next to her and poured a cup of coffee from a ceramic coffeepot. Her fingernails were short, Ana noticed, as if periodically chewed or meticulously clipped, and she thought she glimpsed a small tattoo of a heart in the crease of Abbie’s ring finger. There was something about her controlled expression, something about Abbie’s arrowed posture, that seemed forced, as if kicking back might come more naturally to her.
    â€œHow’s everything?”
    â€œGood,” Ana said, swallowing a few berries. She didn’t know where to begin with what she thought must be eggs covered with lemon sauce.
    Abbie sensed Ana’s discomfort and worried she’d chosen the wrong first-day breakfast. She was delighted to have company in the house but wondered if she’d gone overboard.
    â€œWe have toast and cereal if you’re not that