hibernationâcame alive, and it was that essence of life that permeated the state, like Mother Natureâs perfume.
Iâm alive, it screamed, in every petal, leaf, reed! Iâm green!
As Arden came to the porch, she suddenly realized she had no key, but then remembered: Her mother never locked a door in her life. She gave the screen door a tug. It was unlocked.
She swung the creaking door open and dropped the luggage. The smell of wood and smokeâfrom decades of fires in the old stone fireplaceâgreeted her. Nothing had changed: Same old barn red glider, rocking softly in the breeze, same quilt over the white wicker couch, an odd array of jigsaw puzzlesâshellacked, yellowed, and poorly framedâlined the walls, patchwork rugs and painted floor coveringsâof pines, ferns, trilliumâscattered across the slatted wood floor of the porch.
Itâs nice to be home again, Arden thought, even with so much on my mind.
Some of the screens were in need of repair. A couple had come loose from the frame, a couple had tiny holes.
The makeshift coffee tables on the screened porchâold milk crates, blueberry boxes, and shelves from neighborsâ bee housesâwere stacked with magazines.
Arden kicked off her sandals, instantly feeling sand on her feet just like she had as a girl, and walked toward the stacks.
Growing up, her mother had read National Geographic , Life , and Newsweek religiously. When Arden had told her mother she had gotten a job at Paparazzi , Lolly had stated, âI never knew celebrities interested you. I hope youâre also writing about something that is deeply meaningful to you.â
Arden picked up a copy and did a double take. She stooped with some effort and began rifling through the issues.
These arenât just any magazines, these are my magazines. Paparazzi . Seemingly every issue. Even though I donât have a byline on any of the articles.
Ardenâs lip quivered, and she clutched the magazines to her as if they were her mom.
A breeze through the screen door ruffled Ardenâs hair, and she heard a fluttering. She tilted her head, trying to determine the noise.
She walked into the cabin and thatâs when she noticed a myriad of Post-its fluttering in the wind. They were stuck to nearly every surface, almost like a Yellow Brick Road: The log walls, the refrigerator, the microwave, the pantry, the phone, even the floors. Arden followed the trail, plucking and reading the jagged handwriting aloud: âEat breakfast!â âGet milk!â âDo laundry!â âPay the phone company!â âVacuum!â âMake dinner!â âBe at work by noon!â âAlways put keys in basket by fridge!â
Arden drew her arms around herself.
She turned and walked into her motherâs bedroom, a little log-filled nook that overlooked the lake, the long shadow of a pine falling across the middle of the worn mattress. More Post-its were stuck to the mirrors over the dresser and the bathroom sink.
âTake medicine!â âTake a bath!â âBrush wigs!â
Arden took a seat on her motherâs bed and turned to face the window looking out at Lost Land Lake. The glass was cracked open, and the smell of water and pine filled the air. In the distance, kids screamed as they jumped into the still-cold lake. A dragonfly flitted onto the old wood windowsill.
Arden grabbed a pillow from her motherâs bed and began to hug it.
Another scent overwhelmed her: Her motherâs perfume.
Shalimar.
Arden noticed Lauren standing in the doorframe. In the shafts of light splaying off the lake and through the pines, her daughter looked so young.
âMom?â Lauren asked, walking over to take a seat on the bed. âAre you okay? Whatâs going on with all the Post-its?â
âNo, Iâm not okay,â Arden said, her voice shaky. âAnd I donât know.â
Suddenly, the screen door banged