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While Ella loved to decorate interiors, Krissy loved to decorate the exteriors. From May to September she was in the yard with her little shovel and clippers, maintaining the most beautiful yard in Willow Cove.
Ella didn’t mind the long winters; they were quiet, and the town became theirs again, but even she was looking forward to seeing the bright colors of late spring.
She knocked, on the door and Krissy called out for her to come in. She pushed the door open and followed the smell of chili powder and ground cumin coming from the kitchen.
She admired the new picture she’d helped Krissy hang last week. Krissy had originally wanted to place it on the far wall, but Ella thought it would shine above the couch. The picture wasn’t lost to all the other pieces in the room and really stood out as an accent piece, giving the room a much needed splash of color.
“I have the limes,” Ella said, holding them up as she walked into the kitchen.
The walls were a bright yellow accented by a multi-colored tiled backsplash that included an orangey red, white, bright blue, muted yellow and mint green. The cabinets were white and the counter tops red. Somehow all the colors worked together to create a vibrant space filled with a welcoming air. The quirkiness matched Krissy’s personality and Ella couldn’t have dreamed up a more perfect kitchen for her.
Krissy turned from the stove. Her chocolate brown hair that faded into caramel was pulled back into a high ponytail, her bangs sitting above round plastic framed glasses. “Then you better get started on those margaritas,” Krissy said without skipping a beat. “I’ll be done with the chicken in five.”
Ella got to work, grabbing the bright orange ceramic pitcher from the cabinet closest to the fridge and the tequila from the bar cart.
“How was seeing your dad? I never did get to ask you,” Krissy said.
Ella shrugged. “You’d think it’d get easier, but it doesn’t.”
Krissy’s hands stilled on the lettuce she was tearing apart. “That’s because he’s your dad, El. Seeing him there it has to be tough. Why do you think your brothers won’t go?”
“Because they hate him for what he did.”
Krissy shook her head. “I think it’s more than that.”
“Maybe you’re right. But it would be nice to have one of them there with me so I didn’t have to do it alone.”
“I’d like to say they’ll come around.”
“But it’s been eight years,” Ella said, finishing Krissy’s sentence. Krissy gave her a sympathetic smile and Ella darted her eyes to the bottle of tequila. She appreciated Krissy’s concern but there was a reason she didn’t talk about her dad often. It hurt too much. “Where’s Cami?” Ella asked even though Cami was always fifteen minutes late but she needed to change the subject.
Krissy went back to tearing up the lettuce. “On her way. Said she got caught up at the coffee shop.”
“She works entirely too much,” Ella said like she hadn’t stated that a million times before.
“Try telling her that,” Krissy said. “I don’t know how she does it. She’s up at four in the morning to open by five then stays till six almost every night. And on top of that she finds time to go to the gym. I hate her.”
Ella laughed. Krissy hated any type of physical activity. She preferred to use her energy to create. She even turned her hobby of making soaps and lip balms into a business.
“I don’t know why she doesn’t hire more people,” Ella said. “You did and look how much happier you are.” Krissy was happy to lessen her responsibilities in both the ice cream shop and her soap business so she could focus more on the things that mattered to her the most; the creative portion of the businesses. If she wasn’t whipping up new ice cream flavors she was experimenting with new scents.
Krissy’s hazel eyes met hers. “I’m not a control freak like her. She’d be micromanaging those poor people left and right.” “Good point. She’d probably wind up working even more hours because of it.”
“I don’t micromanage,” Cami said as she walked into the kitchen, her platinum blonde beach waves bouncing with each step.
Ella and Krissy turned to the door. “We didn’t even hear you come in,” Ella said.
“I know. What else have you two been saying about me?”
“Other than you’re a workaholic who can’t keep her nose out of everything? Nothing,” Krissy said, grabbing a potholder that was shaped like a chicken.
“Why am I friends with you two again?” Cami asked as she draped her small black designer bag over a chair.
“Because you love us,” Krissy said.
“Only God knows why.” Cami walked farther into the kitchen and looked over everything Krissy was preparing. “Did you preheat the oven for the shells?”
Krissy froze in front of the oven, giving Cami a look before opening the door to reveal the pan of shells inside. “A step ahead of you.”
