Read Online Hens and Chickens by Jennifer Wixson - Free Book Online Page A

Lila’s mouth than the accountant stood up, collected his drink, and hustled off after another prospect. He never said “goodbye” – and he never looked back.
    Lila cringed at the recollection. What would Mike Hobart say if I threw the same announcement at him? Lila wondered. Would he, too, pick up his “toys” and walk away?
    Or maybe – just maybe – might there be HOPE here in Sovereign, Maine?
     
     

Chapter 7
    The First Day of the Rest of Her Life
     
    Lila awoke early the next morning to the sound of—quiet; complete and absolute stillness. It was almost as though the cozy corner bedroom was soundproofed, and for a few moments the quiet had an unsettling effect on her.
    But as Lila snuggled deeper into the generous featherbed of the Rose Room – enjoying the smell and sensation of the crisp, clothesline-dried sheets on her brass bed – she gradually came to hear a most amazing sound: the beating of her own heart! Lila listened to the regular thump-thump-thump of that steady organ and wondered: When was the last time I listened to my heart beat? A thrill of happiness pervaded Lila’s being, and her heart picked up its tempo in response.
    The Rose Room was every bit as lovely as Lila had pictured. The wall paper was a blushing antique ivory, strewn with bouquets of wine-colored roses that trailed fragile, fairy-like green stems. A ruby red painted floor peeped out beneath a multi-colored, hand-braided rug, and the painted trim around the ceilings and windows was a muted off-white. Old-fashioned lace curtains adorned the two matching windows, one of which – the tall one – faced east, and the other was a smaller, dormer window facing south. The corner room had a slanted ceiling into which the dormer was set, and the room was sparsely but tastefully furnished with two antique chairs and a pine dresser with matching, attached mirror. A blanket chest, which was tucked under the slanted ceiling, boasted several black and white framed family photos and a dish of rose-scented potpourri. Enchanted, Lila lay back upon the feather pillows and tucked the pink patchwork quilt up under her neck.
    I wish I was a kid again! Lila thought. Hot tears filled her eyes, tears for the innocence she had lost in childhood. She dashed them away, angrily, but not before tasting the warm wet salt of despair.
    I’m not going to feel sorry for myself anymore! Lila vowed. The time-worn (but no less useful) quote popped into her head: “Today is the first day of the rest of your life!” Lila repeated the phrase several times to herself until she gradually came to believe that its meaning might just possibly be relevant, even for her situation.
    Maybe it’s not too late to be a kid again. Lila thought. After all, look at Miss Hastings! She’s still a kid – and she’s 87!
    A faint knocking at the bedroom door interrupted Lila’s musings.
    “Lila? Are you awake?” whispered Rebecca. She opened the door slowly and peeked inside. “Isn’t this wonderful?”
    “Totally awesome,” said Lila. She saw that her barefoot friend was shivering in her white cotton nightgown. Lila patted the spot in bed next to her. “Quick, get in here before you freeze to death!”
    Rebecca scooted into bed and the two women giggled as they pulled the covers up to their necks. The sun was just beginning to send searching golden rays over the swaying tops of the pine trees, which were visible through the eastern-facing window.
    “I feel like I went to sleep and woke up in Never Never Land!” exclaimed Rebecca. “Do you think Miss Hastings will let us live here forever?”
    “The question is,” said Lila, “will Miss Hastings LIVE forever!”
    Both women giggled again. “She already has, hasn’t she?” replied Rebecca.
    “Can you imagine anything more totally amazing!”
    “How does she do it, I wonder? Do you think she eats a lot of honey-bee propolis? I’ve heard that’s supposed to have wonderful medicinal effects?”
    Lila absently