Off the Grid

“We both know that isn’t true, but I’m happy to see some of the fire back in your eyes. Whatever you need, I’m here to help you. We all need change occasionally, and you’re right … in some ways, you are past due for a shake-up. Just make sure it’s for the right reasons.” That was the best thing about Cece. She spoke her piece and moved on, never judging you once she shared her opinion.

“You can help me make sure I get this dye job even.”

“Done. How long has the bleach been in?”

“Maybe ten minutes? I set a timer for twenty minutes because that worked well with the test strand I did yesterday.”

“So we wait. Other than things with your job and the new look, are you doing okay?”

Lilac sighed and let her shoulders droop. “I’m still trying to wrap my head around the fact that I’ll never see her again.”

“I know what you mean. Mrs. Rose was so full of life, you got the impression she was immortal.”

“I wish. But Gran would’ve hated it. She was ready to be with Grandpa again and rest her weary bones, as she’d say.” Lilac smiled as the memories flooded back.

“She always had a way with words, didn’t she? I know wherever she is she’s dancing with joy,” Cece said.

“I do too. She has no more pain, limitations, or sorrow. I know it’s a joyous time for her. I’m happy she crossed over the River Jordan. But damn am I going to miss her.”

Cece patted her shoulder. “We have a lot of good memories with Mrs. Rose.”

Cece morphed her solemn solo mission into a cause for celebration and joyful remembrance.

“That we do. She saved our asses more than once in high school,” Lilac said with a laugh.

“I always got the impression she must’ve been wild in her younger years because she understood our desperate need for freedom and gave us the room to make our own mistakes.” Cece glanced toward the wedding photograph of her grandparents.

“From the stories she told me, I have no doubt she was. Grandpa didn’t call her his little spitfire for nothing. Plus, she’s originally from up on the mountain and their way of life is a lot different than ours. Their way of life is completely different from ours. There’s a true sense of wild abandon up there. They’re not beholden to societal norms, and they have this sense of community and self-sufficiency that’s awe inspiring. They know what it means to be free in a way we never will.”

“Did she ever go back up to visit her kin?” Cece asked.

“A lot more frequently when she was younger. I went with her on occasion. They were all kind and welcoming, but it felt like stepping back into the past in some ways. Things are simpler and more honest. I understand why they don’t come down to live in the towns. I told them about her passing. They’ll have a small ceremony to celebrate her life.”

Cece followed Lilac into the bathroom. “Were they still close?”

“Yes, that’s part of the reason why her house is so far out and on so much land. It made her feel closer to home and allowed for frequent visits from her family.”

“Now that she’s gone, will they stop?”

“No, they’re more than welcome here. I plan on continuing her traditions. My dad was always into business, numbers, and things of that nature, like his father. He never really took to the lore or lessons she taught. I ate it up.”

“You would with your love of history and research.”

The timer dinged, and Cece smiled. “Time to begin your transformation, caterpillar.”

***

Dressed in a black pencil skirt with a cream-colored, short-sleeved blouse that tied into a bow, and nipped in at the waist, Lilac strolled into the office on three-inch black kitten heels. The click-clack over the floor was her soundtrack of power. She hyped herself up all morning listening to her favorite music and repeating her mantra. The time for change had arrived. Everything she wanted rode on this conversation.

Heads turned and jaws dropped while she sashayed her way through the room like she owned it. A smirk lined her lips as she caught Alexa’s green gaze. Her cat-shaped eyes threatened to bulge from their sockets. The red stain

that covered the apples of her cheeks stood out against her porcelain skin.

Lilac paused in front of the office and knocked.

“Come on in.”

She opened the door, pleased with the bewildered employees’ reactions she left behind. She wanted to make a ruckus and she’d succeeded. The best thing to do at times was throw people who thought they knew you off kilter. It made them realize instantly things had changed and whatever they thought they knew about you wasn’t the entire reflection of your personality. She pinned her gaze on the big boned, broad shouldered, short-haired brunette with whiskey brown eyes, a dimpled chin, and an impeccable black three-piece suit. Peter was an attractive man in his mid-forties who liked the finer things.