Elizabeth recognized the gesture. Shed done the same thing herself that first time, tried--like a frightened bird--to make herself seem larger. She opened the door and went inside, pulling Anita along beside her.
The first thing she noticed was the balloons. Pretty, helium-filled "good luck" balloons hung in the air, tethered to chairbacks. A few rebels had freed themselves and now bumped aimlessly along the ceiling.
"Shes here!" someone cried out, and all at once, the women in the room came together in a crowd. They were clapping.
Elizabeth looked down at Anita. "I guess they like it when you rope in a new member. "
Sarah Taylor pushed through the group, smiling broadly. In a bright yellow dress, she looked like a ray of sunshine against the drab gray walls. "You tried to keep it a secret, Elizabeth. Quite naughty. "
Elizabeth had no idea what Sarah was talking about.
Joey pushed forward. "I saw it in the newspaper. I couldnt believe it. You never told us. "
Mina was next. "Joey called me right away. I drove down to buy myself a paper and there it was. I called Sarah immediately. "
Fran smiled. "When I saw it . . . " Her face twitched, as if she were about to cry. ". . . I went right out and joined that choir. My first concert is next Sunday. "
The only one who had nothing to say was Kim. She hung in the back of the room, by the coffeemaker, wearing her usual morticians garb, fiddling with a pack of cigarettes. Every once in a while she looked up, then quickly glanced back to the table.
"What in the world are you all talking about?" Elizabeth asked when there was a break in the conversation.
"The art show," Joey said, her voice reverent.
A hush fell over the room.
Elizabeths cheeks heated up. "Oh. That. "
Anita squeezed her hand, steadied her.
"Were so proud of you," Mina said. "It took real guts to sign up for that. "
"Balls of steel," Fran agreed.
Joey smiled up at her. "You gave me hope, Elizabeth. I signed up for a dental hygienist class. I thought, if you can do it, so can I. "
"But Im scared to death," Elizabeth said.
"Dont you see?" Fran said. "Thats what makes us so proud of you. "
Elizabeths emotions suddenly felt too big for her body. "Well . . . thank you. "
"Whos your friend?" Sarah asked.
Elizabeth turned to Anita. "This is my stepmother, Anita. "
"Welcome to the group, Anita," Sarah said.
"I lost my husband recently," Anita blurted out, as if shed been scared of her "turn" and wanted it out of the way. She laughed nervously. " Course I didnt actually lose him. Hes . . . dead. "
Mina stepped forward and slipped her arm through Anitas. "Come sit by me. Ill tell you about my Bill and how Im learning to find a life of my own. "
Elizabeth talked to the women for a moment longer, then went back to the food table. Kim stood by the coffeemaker.
"Hi," Elizabeth said.
Kim stared at her through narrowed, heavily made-up eyes. "How will it feel to fail?"
It was the question Elizabeth had chewed on at every meal. For weeks, shed worried about it. Every time she dabbed on a bit of paint, she second-guessed her choice and her talent. "I expect to fail," she said at last.