hoped water would help. Checking her watch, she saw with dismay that she was going to be late for her job interview. Again, she started to get up. "I really need to go. I'm late."
The woman gripped her arm, her strength surprising. "Whatever it is can wait," she said.
Alaina relented because she didn't think her legs would support her anyway. "Where --"
She broke off as a teenager with floppy blond bangs and wire-rimmed glasses -- he reminded her of cousin Oliver from the Brady Bunch -- returned with a glass of water. "Here you go, Miss Whitfield."
The older woman accepted the water. "Thank you, Cliff. Now, I need you to fetch something else for me, dear. Run next door and bring me back a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and one of those turkey clubs that Gus has on special today. Tell him to pile on the chips and add a couple of his famous oatmeal cookies. Oh, and grab one of those little cartons of milk he has in the fridge by the door."
As Cliff scampered away, the woman smiled at Alaina and offered the water. "You're drooling, dear."
Alaina's hand flew to her mouth, but then she saw the teasing sparkle in the woman's eyes.
"Ah, yes. It's good to see some color in your cheeks," the woman said, smiling, then patted the bottom of the glass. "Drink up now."
Alaina swallowed the cool water, her gaze shifting to Jonah, who had conquered the red square and now had a jack-in-the-box upside down on his lap. He inspected it from every angle, trying to figure out what it did or how it worked.
"I'm Emma Whitfield," the woman said.
Alaina looked at her. "Thank you. You're being very kind."
Emma waved a dismissive hand. "You fainted in front of my door. I couldn't leave you there. It would have been bad for business."
Alaina laughed softly. "I suppose so."
Emma waited a beat, apparently expecting Alaina to introduce herself. When she didn't, Emma said, "You're not one of those anorexic girls, are you? Maybe some kind of model?"
Alaina shook her head, but Emma appeared unconvinced as she gripped Alaina's chin and turned her head this way and that to inspect her features. "You've got the bone structure of a model, that's for sure. You sure you're not starving yourself for your art?"
"I'm sure."
"Then why are you?"
Hunger apparently had made Alaina's brain sluggish. "Why am I what?"
"Starving."
"I'm not --"
Emma stood, cutting her off as she moved to balance on the end of the sofa where she could see Jonah better. Her warm gaze turned quizzical when it returned to Alaina. "Is it drugs?"
Alaina stiffened her back, alarmed. "Of course not."
Emma's smile was slight. "Relax."
But Alaina pushed to her feet. She didn't need this, some meddling woman deciding she was a terrible mother and getting social services involved. "We really have to go. I'm --"
"Late. You mentioned that earlier. What are you late for?"
Alaina faltered, annoyed at the third degree but intimidated enough by the woman's commanding tone to answer. "A meeting." Seeing Emma's brow arch, she added, "A job interview." She didn't know why it mattered that this woman didn't think she was a deadbeat.
"Ah. Do you read?"
Puzzled and a bit insulted, Alaina said, "I can read, yes."
Emma's blue eyes sparkled with amusement. "What was the last book you read?"
"If You Give a Mouse a Cookie. It's Jonah's favorite."
"Jonah." The older woman glanced at the little boy, and her expression turned wistful. "He's a beautiful child."
"I take good care of him."
"I can see that." Emma pursed her lips as she looked Alaina over. "It would appear that you're not as good at taking care of yourself."
Cliff returned, laden with bags of food, and Emma rose to meet him. "Thank you, dear."
Alaina started to call Jonah over, but Emma said, "You eat first. He's busy right now."
Alaina didn't have to be persuaded. She'd lived with the gnawing hunger for too many days now, and she had fed Jonah the last of their cheese and crackers only an hour before. As she tore into the
The woman gripped her arm, her strength surprising. "Whatever it is can wait," she said.
Alaina relented because she didn't think her legs would support her anyway. "Where --"
She broke off as a teenager with floppy blond bangs and wire-rimmed glasses -- he reminded her of cousin Oliver from the Brady Bunch -- returned with a glass of water. "Here you go, Miss Whitfield."
The older woman accepted the water. "Thank you, Cliff. Now, I need you to fetch something else for me, dear. Run next door and bring me back a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and one of those turkey clubs that Gus has on special today. Tell him to pile on the chips and add a couple of his famous oatmeal cookies. Oh, and grab one of those little cartons of milk he has in the fridge by the door."
As Cliff scampered away, the woman smiled at Alaina and offered the water. "You're drooling, dear."
Alaina's hand flew to her mouth, but then she saw the teasing sparkle in the woman's eyes.
"Ah, yes. It's good to see some color in your cheeks," the woman said, smiling, then patted the bottom of the glass. "Drink up now."
Alaina swallowed the cool water, her gaze shifting to Jonah, who had conquered the red square and now had a jack-in-the-box upside down on his lap. He inspected it from every angle, trying to figure out what it did or how it worked.
"I'm Emma Whitfield," the woman said.
Alaina looked at her. "Thank you. You're being very kind."
Emma waved a dismissive hand. "You fainted in front of my door. I couldn't leave you there. It would have been bad for business."
Alaina laughed softly. "I suppose so."
Emma waited a beat, apparently expecting Alaina to introduce herself. When she didn't, Emma said, "You're not one of those anorexic girls, are you? Maybe some kind of model?"
Alaina shook her head, but Emma appeared unconvinced as she gripped Alaina's chin and turned her head this way and that to inspect her features. "You've got the bone structure of a model, that's for sure. You sure you're not starving yourself for your art?"
"I'm sure."
"Then why are you?"
Hunger apparently had made Alaina's brain sluggish. "Why am I what?"
"Starving."
"I'm not --"
Emma stood, cutting her off as she moved to balance on the end of the sofa where she could see Jonah better. Her warm gaze turned quizzical when it returned to Alaina. "Is it drugs?"
Alaina stiffened her back, alarmed. "Of course not."
Emma's smile was slight. "Relax."
But Alaina pushed to her feet. She didn't need this, some meddling woman deciding she was a terrible mother and getting social services involved. "We really have to go. I'm --"
"Late. You mentioned that earlier. What are you late for?"
Alaina faltered, annoyed at the third degree but intimidated enough by the woman's commanding tone to answer. "A meeting." Seeing Emma's brow arch, she added, "A job interview." She didn't know why it mattered that this woman didn't think she was a deadbeat.
"Ah. Do you read?"
Puzzled and a bit insulted, Alaina said, "I can read, yes."
Emma's blue eyes sparkled with amusement. "What was the last book you read?"
"If You Give a Mouse a Cookie. It's Jonah's favorite."
"Jonah." The older woman glanced at the little boy, and her expression turned wistful. "He's a beautiful child."
"I take good care of him."
"I can see that." Emma pursed her lips as she looked Alaina over. "It would appear that you're not as good at taking care of yourself."
Cliff returned, laden with bags of food, and Emma rose to meet him. "Thank you, dear."
Alaina started to call Jonah over, but Emma said, "You eat first. He's busy right now."
Alaina didn't have to be persuaded. She'd lived with the gnawing hunger for too many days now, and she had fed Jonah the last of their cheese and crackers only an hour before. As she tore into the
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