Meeting Fae

The moment Ella saw the sign for the retirement community, her stomach muscles tightened, and a wave of nausea washed over her. It wasn’t that she was nervous about meeting Fae--although she was a little. It was more the fact that the people inside were going to scrutinize her ID, and she hated the fact that the name on the license wasn’t her own.
“Are you all right?” Charles asked, pulling into a parking spot.
“Yep. Fine.” She had already been through various airports flashing the same or a similar ID and had never had a problem before, so it was silly to be so uptight about it now.
“Well, if you need anything, my number’s in your phone. Mr. V. programmed it when I first started working for you.”
She nodded, knowing that already. “I’m sure it’ll be fine.”
“I’m sure it will be, too.” Charles patted her shoulder, and Ella grabbed her meal and Mrs. Ward’s, leaving him the other, and hopped out of the car, taking a deep breath. She could do this.
As she pulled open the door, the scent of disinfectant and florals hit her fully in the face. It reminded Ella of the perfume her French grandmother used to wear, and she had to take a step back. Elkwood Manor had an ambiance all its own, that was certain as she walked into a lobby that had a view straight into a large sitting room where several dozen residents were reposed in comfortable chairs and on sofas with large pillows, listening to a young man play the piano. It seemed like a nice place, even if the smell was a bit overwhelming.
A friendly young woman smiled at Ella from behind a large counter near the entryway. “Hi there! Can I help you?” the brunette asked.
Ella thought the woman couldn’t be too much older than she was. The nametag on her pink uniform read “Gretchen,” and Ella supposed the two of them might be friends under different circumstances. “Hello. I’m here to see Fae Ward.”
“Aw, Mrs. Ward is so sweet. Are you her granddaughter?” Gretchen asked, walking over to a computer as she gave Ella a warm smile.
“No, no. Just a friend.”
“Wonderful. I’ll just need to see your driver’s license so that I can check you into our system. We do a quick background check on all of our visitors just to make sure everyone is safe to be around our residents.”
Ella fished her fake ID out of her wallet. Since her hair had changed since she’d left Russia, the picture was updated. It was great that Bart was almost as skilled at getting fake documents as King had been.
Gretchen didn’t even bat an eye as she ran the identification through the system. Of course, Cindy Grimm had no illegal activity to report. The woman smiled and handed her ID back. “Perfect--here you go!”
“Thanks.” Ella stuffed the card back into her wallet and dropped it into her purse, shuffling the lunch bag as she did so.
“Now, Mrs. Ward is likely in her room. It is our policy to escort all first time visitors so that no one gets lost or misplaced.” She glanced around, checking to see if anyone else was available to serve as escort, Ella assumed. Several other people were busy behind the desk, going in and out of offices, but no one seemed free.
“I can probably find it myself,” Ella offered, not that she minded having someone walk with her. She wasn’t really that good with directions.
“Don’t be silly. I’ll walk you. I just wanted to make sure there was someone available to greet any other visitors. Becky, I’m going to walk this visitor back to see Mrs. Ward. Can you keep an eye on the front desk?”
Becky was a mousy looking woman with large glasses sitting in an office behind Gretchen. She nodded, but she didn’t look thrilled about her new assignment. At least there was a large window she could peer through before she had to get up should the door chime again.
Gretchen thanked her replacement and headed around the end of the counter, opening a half-door on the far end that Ella couldn’t even see until she was through it. “All right then. Right this way.” She made a sweeping gesture with her arm. Ella smiled and followed her down a hallway to the left.
“How do you know Mrs. Ward?” Gretchen asked. Her question didn’t seem too prying, only curious. For the first time since she’d arrived, Ella wondered if the staff had put two and two together that someone had called and identified herself as Mrs. Ward’s granddaughter and now this odd woman had shown up and said she wasn’t her granddaughter.
Deciding there was no point in addressing the potential concern, Ella said, “I live in the house where she and her husband used to live.”
“Really?” Gretchen stopped and turned to smile at her. “The one where she did most of her paintings?”
Ella nodded, smiling that Gretchen also seemed to be a fan of the artist she was about to visit. “Yes. You know it?”
“I do. I just love Mrs. Ward’s work. I wish she’d still paint. I’ve tried to convince her to get back to it several times over the last two years since I started working here, but she refuses. She says she’s not inspired anymore. It’s really a shame.”
Not sure what to say to that, Ella just nodded. She understood what it was like to be uninspired.
After a few minutes and a couple of turns, they arrived outside of room E62. Gretchen knocked gently on the door. “Mrs. Ward? You have a visitor.”
“I do?”
Ella could hear the vaguely familiar voice on the other side of the door. Why she sounded surprised, Ella couldn’t say. It wasn’t as if she hadn’t confirmed just the day before that she would be there.
“You do!” Gretchen replied, cheerfully.
The door swung open, revealing a petite woman with short, white hair, fashioned in waves on top of her head that gave her at least two extra inches. She was wearing a lovely day dress, a solid light blue, and satin slippers. It was as if she had dressed up for the occasion, and Ella felt flattered that her visit meant so much to her.
“Hi, Mrs. Ward.” Gretchen leaned over and gave the resident a hug. Then, she stood and gestured at Ella. “I’ll leave you two be.”
“Hi, Mrs. Ward,” Ella said, suddenly feeling more self-conscious than she had in a long time.
“Cindy, please. I’ve told you. Call me Fae.” A wrinkled hand reached out and patted Ella’s arm.
A quick glance at Gretchen let her know the worker approved of her, that she had been hesitating in order to make sure that Fae was comfortable with this first-time visitor.
“Come on in, dear.” Fae opened the door to her room wider, and Ella went inside, thanking Gretchen for her help. The other girl said it was her pleasure and headed back down the hallway in the direction they’d come.
Fae’s room was larger than Ella had expected. There was a sitting area with a plush sofa and matching chairs in front of a large plasma TV and a coffee table. Across the room, a full-sized bed sat in front of a window with beautiful blue curtains that matched the comfy-looking bed spread. The rest of the bedroom set matched the bed frame, the wood a rich mahogany, and on the walls there were plenty of photographs, some black and white and quite old from what Ella could tell.
What caught her eye immediately was the large oil painting above the bed. A white house with sand for a front yard offset by a beautiful orange and pink sky in the background, two seagulls circling overhead. Ella recognized it immediately and let out a small gasp.
“That’s the only one I have.” Fae’s voice had a far-off quality to it. “Painted it the day I left.”
Without considering that she was invading Fae’s personal bedroom space, Ella walked closer to the painting. “It’s beautiful.” By the time she reached the bed, she realized her error. Feeling her cheeks pink, she said, “I’m sorry,” and backed away.
“Oh, honey, it’s fine,” Fae said, waving her off. “Once you move to a place like this, there’s no privacy anymore.”
Her words evoked a sadness in Ella that she hadn’t ever experienced but could understand. “I’m sorry.”
Fae shrugged. “You get used to it. Now, how about that lunch?”
“Right.” Ella shook her head, remembering that she’d brought Fae one of her favorites. “I’m not sure what condition it’s in now. It’s been a while since I picked it up.”
“It will be delicious, I’m certain.” Fae patted her arm and led her toward the sitting area. “Can I get you a drink? I have a small refrigerator over here. I have water, tea….”
“Water would be fine, thank you.”
Mrs. Ward stepped over to the tiny refrigerator nestled next to a dresser and returned with two bottles of water as Ella got the boxes containing their lunches out of the plastic bag from the restaurant. Since they were both exactly the same, it made no difference which was which. Fae sat down next to her on the couch, a floral scent much lighter and less invasive than the one Ella had noted when she’d entered the facility hit her lungs, bringing a smile to Ella’s face.
“Now then, how was your drive?” Fae asked as she opened up the container holding her lunch. Before Ella could answer, she gasped, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath, inhaling the scent of her favorite meal. “Oh, that’s the stuff right there,” Fae said, her eyes still closed.
Ella couldn’t help but smile at her expression of pure joy. “I hope it tastes okay.”
“You can’t ruin perfection, dear,” Fae said, her eyes open now as she patted Ella on the arm. One bite confirmed that the lunch was still as tasty as Fae remembered. She closed her eyes again, moaning in satisfaction. Ella held back a chuckle. She tried hers as well, and it was good, but she didn’t think it was quite as delicious as Fae seemed to think it was.
About halfway through her lunch, Fae gave a bit of an explanation. “You know, my husband and I used to run up to the cafe almost every Saturday night. It was so nice--just to sit there in a booth and watch the families come in from the beach or the teens on dates. We’d spend hours, just people watching. I love people watching, don’t you?”
Ella nodded. “I guess I do. I think I’ve spent a great deal of time watching life from the sidelines.” She hadn’t meant to be quite so forward, but the words came out easily enough when she was speaking to Fae.
Her new friend tipped her head to the side and asked, “Why do you say that?”
“Oh. Uh… it’s a long story. I don’t want to interrupt yours.”
Giving her a look that said she wasn’t about to let Ella leave the topic unaddressed, Fae nodded. “Well, anyway, the taste of this sandwich brings back memories I thought I would never experience again. Thank you for bringing it back into my life, dear.”
“You’re welcome Mrs.--Fae,” Ella corrected, catching herself this time, before she accidentally said Mrs. Ward again. “I’m so glad you agreed to meet with me.” She glanced at the painting behind her. It was so beautiful. Seeing that alone was reason enough for her to come all this way.
“It’s my pleasure, dear. Now, let’s finish our lunch. Then, I want to see those pictures.”
Ella nodded. She couldn’t wait to show Fae the pictures of the paintings she’d found in the attic. She had a feeling Fae would have a story for each of them, and Ella couldn’t wait to hear any stories her new friend might care to tell.
Something also told her Fae would find a way to get Ella talking, too, and even though she wasn’t excited about the prospect of telling anyone the grim details about what she’d gone through recently, it was apparent to Ella as she sat there in the woman’s presence that part of the reason she’d traversed so far was because she was seeking guidance from someone who had been through life’s rough patches. Deep down inside, Ella knew she held a spark of hope that Fae could magically make all of her problems seem less daunting and somehow change all of her problems into opportunities with the quick wave of her hand. While Ella doubted any of that would come to pass, unburdening herself to someone like Fae, someone who might understand, would at least give her an opportunity to think through the situation herself. She had to find some answers for how to move forward with this new life. Otherwise, she may as well have stayed locked in that tomb.