Once Upon a List by Robin Gold Read Free Book Online Page A

Frown Upside-Down’ in an octave that was totally out of her range.” Clara rolled her eyes, trying her best to appear animated. “I think I’ve had just about as much as I can take for my first day back.” She stared at her brother. “Please,” she begged in a whisper.
    Standing up, Leo began clearing the table. “That song’s the worst.” He collected her plate.
    Clara smiled gratefully at him.
    And he smiled back.
    What a gift it was to be understood.

 
    5.
    T he following afternoon, Libby, in her usual frenzy preparing for the annual Black family Thanksgiving party, sent Clara, against her will, to Foodthings, the local gourmet shop, to retrieve enough preordered side dishes to feed an army.
    Foodthings reeked of holiday cheer, with chattering shoppers zooming about in all directions. In years past, the store’s merry decorations and well-known festive atmosphere during holiday time always delighted Clara, signaling to her that her favorite time of year was finally here, which was why she typically made it a specific point of volunteering to go there on Libby’s behalf. But not this year. After waiting in line for almost half an hour , Clara was finally on deck. She couldn’t help but notice a young couple holding hands by the fresh seafood counter. When the obviously love-struck man fed the woman a free sample shrimp, tenderly plopping it into her open, waiting mouth, Clara immediately looked away. How she wished Sebastian could be there with her! This was supposed to be their first Thanksgiving together as a married couple. They were supposed to be the seafood couple making innocent shoppers nauseous. Clara’s eyes quickly settled at the deli counter, but once again her stomach turned when she spotted an elaborate hanging array of salamis. Salami was Sebastian’s all-time favorite food. He put it in everything from scrambled eggs to macaroni and cheese, and included it as the “secret ingredient” in his “famous” spicy chili. When he and Clara vacationed together in Italy, he even sampled it dipped in dark chocolate, declaring salame al cioccolato was the best thing he’d ever eaten. Sometimes the mere sight of an aged Genoa brought Clara to tears. Other times, it made her laugh out loud, summoning fond memories of her salami-loving soul mate. Such was the unpredictable, tempestuous roller-coaster ride of grief that had come to define her. The sea of shiny, happy faces that Clara felt like she was drowning in appeared to her to have so much to be thankful for. And though it shamed her, she was envious of every last one of them.
    â€œThanks again, William.” The female checkout clerk smiled at the man in line in front of Clara when he finished paying his bill. “Have a happy holiday. And tell Hans I say hello!”
    â€œI will. And happy Thanksgiving to you too,” replied William, grabbing his grocery bag and turning around to leave. Coming face to face with Clara, he stopped in his tracks and did a double take. “Clara?”
    Peering up from the National Enquirer , which she’d grabbed off a nearby shelf to help keep her distracted while she waited, Clara’s jaw nearly fell open.
    â€œI thought that was you,” William said.
    Could it really be? She silently wondered. No. . .
    â€œMy goodness, it’s been ages !” He extended his hand.
    There, before Clara’s eyes, stood none other than her childhood crush. Or at least she thought it was her childhood crush. It was hard to tell for sure. The last time she saw him had been decades ago, when he still had metal braces on his teeth, far more hair on his head, and far less meat on his bones. “Billy . . . Warrington ?” Shocked, Clara shook his hand.
    â€œI go by William these days,” he said, smiling at her. “Wow. Nobody’s called me Billy in years.”
    â€œWell, I’m still Clara,” she replied