Saturday Morning by Lauraine Snelling Read Free Book Online Page A

always said I either had to coach or shut up.”
    “And you shut up?”
    “Well … ” He paused, made a bit of a face, and raised both eyebrows. “Sort of.”
    Julia chuckled. “Those were the days, right?” How she wished she’d been able to go to her daughter’s games or dance recitals or plays. But Donna would have none of that.
    The waiter returned with their entrees, and Julia smiled over the fact that she’d ordered fish. A creature of habit, that was for sure. Shesqueezed lemon juice over the grilled filet and looked up to see Glen watching her.
    “What? Did I squirt you?”
    He shook his head and dug into his pasta, a half smile playing at the side of his mouth.
    They finished their meal with desultory conversation.
    “Can I interest you folks in one of our fine house-specialty desserts?” the waiter asked as he cleared their plates.
    Glen looked to Julia, but when she shook her head, he did too. “No thanks. Just our bill, please.”
    “So what are you doing the rest of the afternoon, if you’re not going back to the office?”
    “I’m getting a massage and buying groceries, and then I’m going to take a long very bubbly bath and be in bed by nine.”
    “I have tickets to a jazz concert for Sunday afternoon. Would you like to go?”
    Julia paused, studied his face, and nodded. “Yes, I’d like that.”
    Back in her car a few minutes later, she thought back to their conversation, then burst out laughing. So Beverly had actually told him to come find her when he was ready to go on with his life. Teeth nibbling on her lower lip, she turned up the air conditioning and wheeled out of the parking lot to get her massage, which she had been looking forward to all day. Life just might be taking an interesting turn.
    Once home and in a sublimely relaxed state of mind, she obeyed an inner prompting and dialed the last number she had for her daughter. Surprised when Donna answered the phone, she sat back, hoping for a reasonable chat. That was always her hope.
    “What do you want?”
    “Actually, I was hoping we could talk. It’s been a long time.”
    “I got nothin’ to say to you.”
    Julia tried to trap a sigh but failed. She wished just once Donna would try to have a civil conversation with her. Even if it was just a few short sentences, she would be happy. Instead, Donna acted as if she were the enemy. What had she done to warrant her daughter’s hate? Julia remembered doing everything she could to make sure Donna never felt neglected while she was young. She remembered being too tired to think after a long day of classes but still taking time to play with her little girl, read to her, help her with her homework. When Donna turned twelve, she started to change, and by the time her daughter was in high school, Julia not only didn’t recognize Donna, but she also didn’t know her. You haven’t done anything. It’s the drugs. The drugs took Donna away from you.
    “Donna, honey, please. I don’t want to interfere in your life. I just want to know how you are.” She heard someone whispering in the background and knew Donna wasn’t alone.
    “Like I said, I ain’t got nothin’ to say to you, so—”
    “Would you tell Cyndy I called? Please?”
    “She don’t live here no more.”
    Julia sat up straight. “What? Since when?”
    “Oh, month or two ago.” Donna’s voice faded in and out, as if she were just coming down from a high or just going up.
    “Where did she go?” Oh, Cyndy, honey, why didn’t you call me? Why?
    The background whispers grew louder, urging Donna to hang up the phone, with foul language that made Julia cringe. “California,” Donna said at length. “She said she wants to get into the movies. I told her it would never happen.” The phone clicked.
    Julia waited until the dial tone buzzed in her ear. Cyndy, on her own in Los Angeles. No wonder I’ve been having bad dreams.

“You could file a missing persons report, but since she left: on her own … ”
    Julia