Julie Ortolon: Almost Perfect

Why in heaven's name hadn't Mama Fraser told him to expect her? If the woman was trying to play Cupid, her aim was way off.

And how foolish Maddy suddenly felt for her own thoughts of reconciliation. She cringed just thinking of all her silly dreams about spending a friendly summer with Joe. This could easily turn into a nightmare!

The road reached a level area on the side of a mountain. Mama pulled to a stop before a two-story adobe building nestled against a stand of aspens. Stepping out of the car, Maddy took a moment to survey the valley.

The view literally stole her breath. Far below her, the river reflected the blue sky as it meandered past tall cottonwood trees. The camp comple-mented the landscape with a scattering of rustic buildings, while mountains lined the horizon. All the shapes and contrasts called to her artist's soul, making her fingers itch for a paintbrush.

"What do you think?" Mama asked, using her cane to cross the hard-packed earth.

The woman's frailness provided a startling reminder of how many years had passed. Mama had been in her mid-sixties the last time she'd seen her. The Colonel had still been alive. And Maddy hadn't even met Nigel, or Christine and Amy. A lot of years, and a lot of living. What would the next decade or two bring?

She turned back to look at the valley. "I'd say it's beautiful, but that hardly seems adequate."

"There are some things words alone can't express. Which is why God gave us artists. And why so many artists are drawn to the Land of Enchantment. I'll be eager to see what it brings out in you."

If I stay . A weight settled over Maddy's heart.

Joe's mother moved toward the car, peeking through the window to the backseat. "Looks like you brought a bit more than the standard camp trunk."

"I never learned the art of packing light."

"Well, let's get it all up to your apartment."

"Mama…" Maddy stopped her when she reached for the door handle. "I'm not sure this is wise-"

"Now, Madeline, you're not thinking of running scared, are you? The girl I knew had more spunk than that."

"The girl you knew has learned a lot in the last few years. Like, it's not always wise to rush straight

I ahead, ignoring all the warning signs. Reckless actions can lead to head-on collisions."

"Is that how you see what happened between you and Joe? A car wreck?"

"What would you call it?"

"Fate." She nodded and opened the door. "Now come on, let's get your things."

"I got it." Afraid the woman would try to carry the suitcases herself, Maddy wrestled the biggest one out of the backseat. She could always carry it back down, she assured herself as she followed Mama up a staircase along the outside of the building. "You know," she said, grunting as she heaved the luggage up another step, "fate isn't always a good thing."

"It isn't always a bad thing either." Mama pulled herself along, using the handrail. "Oh, I admit, at the time I was plenty miffed at you for breaking my boy's heart, but I think it happened the way God intended. You two may have been perfect for each other, but you both had some growing up to do. So God yanked you apart for a bit. Now he's brought you back together." Reaching a small landing, Mama stopped to take a set of keys from the pocket of her leisure pants.

"Actually, you brought us back together." Maddy worked to catch her breath, feeling lightheaded from the altitude. "You realize Joe is extremely angry with you right now."

"He'll get over it." Mama opened the door and stepped inside.

"From what I just witnessed, he's not a man who forgives and forgets too easily." Maddy dragged her suitcase over the threshold, ready to argue fur-ther, but the apartment distracted her. The dim light from a single-bulb fixture revealed a tiny, one-room efficiency with a partial wall dividing the kitchen and dining area from the sleeping area. The stale scent of disuse hung in the air.

She nearly laughed, thinking she'd certainly come a long way from her upscale house in the hills of West Austin. But the simple truth was that after growing up in a barely middle-class neighborhood, she'd been a little uncomfortable in Nigel's circle. Not that he'd been mega wealthy, just several rungs up the ladder from a family living on a cop's salary.

Here, though-here was a nice small space she could make her own. A place to escape, paint, and start life anew.

Mama sighed. "Our last A and C coordinator had the place decorated up so cute. It looks downright spartan now."

"It's fine," Maddy assured her as she pictured the possibilities. A pretty tablecloth to cover the wooden spool that sat between two folding chairs. A comforter and sham for the single mattress on the metal frame. And for the tired old armchair sitting in the dark, dusty corner, a slipcover and a reading lamp.

"The good news is"-Mama moved toward a wall of curtains-"around here, we do most of our living outside." With the pull of a cord, she opened the drapes to reveal a wide sliding glass door. Sunlight poured in, transforming the cramped space into something bright and wonderful.

Maddy abandoned her suitcase and followed Mama out onto a huge balcony with a full set of grapevine furniture. An array of clay pots held the remnants of plants that hadn't survived the winter, but Maddy could easily picture this outdoor living room teeming with greenery and cheerful Sowers.

She moved to the short wall and gaped at the view, which was even more spectacular from this vantage. Then her gaze fell to the office, and her enthusiasm plunged. "Mama, why didn't you tell him I was coming?"

"Because he would have insisted I take back the job offer. Now you're here and it's too late."

"And you laid a great big guilt trip on him to make him let me stay."

"Yes, I thought that was nicely done." Her eyes twinkled.

Normally, Maddy would have shared Mama's humor. Now she could only sigh with regret. "Maybe it would be best if I did leave."

"Is that what you want to do? Leave without a fight?"

"To be honest, my mind is going in so many directions, I don't know what I want."

"Then I'd say you have some thinking to do. At least stick around until you know what you want."

Know what you want . The words from Jane's book echoed in Maddy's head, stirring all the old longings that had once been so much a part of her. Longings she'd lost along the way. To be an artist. Not just the competent one she was now, creating pleasant oil paintings, but to somehow find the key to unlock the potential she knew was inside her.

Facing the view, she yearned to unpack her paints and set up her easel right here, with a hundred images waiting to be captured in every direction.

"Well, I'll leave you to get settled," Mama said, moving back toward the sliding glass door. "You're free until the staff meeting."

"Staff meeting?" Maddy pulled herself out of her thoughts as she remembered what Joe had told the other coordinators. "Oh. Yes. Four o'clock." Biting her lip, she looked down at the office.

"Now don't look so worried. Joe has all afternoon to calm down and he's hardly going to make a scene in front of the girls."

"I wouldn't count on that," she called to Mama's retreating back. When the woman's laugh drifted back to her, she felt another old longing well inside-why couldn't she have a mother like Mama? Someone with grit?

When she was alone, she glanced at her watch. She had three hours until the meeting. Plenty of time to check in with Amy and Christine to let them know she'd arrived safely.

Back inside, she wrestled her suitcase onto the mattress, snarled at her copy of How to Have a Perfect Life , rummaged past several pairs of sandals, and dug out her sturdy little laptop. Seconds later, she was plugged into the phone jack next to the big ugly chair.