Weeping Willows

Honey Do

Chapter 48

After Ryan had driven off Elizabeth stopped Mason from leaving quickly telling him she would like to set up counseling. She couldn't look him in the eyes as she asked him about an appointment, and he didn't push her to knowing that she was already feeling uncomfortable with the idea. He agreed to check his calendar in his office at the church and call her with a time and date. She quietly thanked him as he reached forward to squeeze her arm in support. He told her he thought she was doing the right thing, but Elizabeth was still uncomfortable with talking to someone about her feelings let alone her feelings about her loss. She found she was more afraid of finding out she wasn't emotionally where she should be at this point than the actual opening up part. Which was just plain ludicrous as everyone deals with and works through grief at their own pace, but she never did like feeling like she was behind the curve. Logically she knew it wasn't a competition, but she just couldn't help feeling inadequate in dealing with her own emotional state.

Next, she turned to Jan. If she was going to knock two things off of her to do list, then she might as well knock out the third one. Although if she was being honest Ryan knocked himself off her to do list before she had even had the chance to talk to him. Walking up to Jan she practiced what to say to get her to agree to what she wanted to do. Jan raised an eyebrow at her waiting for Elizabeth to say whatever it was that was on her mind. As Elizabeth fell into her project plans for the next senior class several of the gang came up to listen. She didn't have to twist Jan's arm to agree to do either. She was thoroughly excited with what Elizabeth had planned and was 100% on board. Elizabeth found herself shocked as several of the others wanted in on the class too. Each one offering to either be an extra set of hands or offering something they could do to contribute. Elizabeth was touched with each offer she got. Even Lauren agreed to pitch in, but Elizabeth was sure it had more to do with wanting to meet the sisters than anything. After all those two had played front and center in every phone call after her art class. In fact, the calls were becoming so perfectly timed that Elizabeth had a sneaking suspicion it was just to hear the latest antics of her art class. She was even fairly sure that Courtney was now aspiring to be them in her twilight years.

They planned to come together the day before her next class to get everything together. Elizabeth couldn't wait to see the looks on her students faces. After that Elizabeth and Lauren started walking back to her car before she remembered the last item that has been on her list since she moved in. Calling out to everyone again she asked if anyone knew of someone that could look at a broken thermostat and fix it for her. Clayton had a buddy in the business that was decent and wouldn't take you for a ride on stuff she wouldn't need to buy. He offered to send the guy over later that afternoon. Thanking him she walked back over to where Lauren was standing waiting for her so they could go back to the house. She was excited about some of the stuff they had uncovered so far and to maybe do a little digging of her own. The first thing she wanted to see were these infamous letters from William Bennett.

Back at the house it didn't take Lauren long to read through the few legible letters that Elizabeth had already read before looking over the ones that you could see there were words there but they were too faded to make out just what it was they said. Like Elizabeth, Lauren felt a little bereft that they couldn't read anymore. Tossing the next letter onto the nightstand next to the bed, she read through Elizabeth's letters next. She wasn't sure what to make of the whole thing really but allowed for some doubt so as not to completely crush her friend's feelings. Next, they moved onto the art supplies while Elizabeth put her hat box of hidden correspondence back into the wardrobe. Lauren oohed and aahed over the personalized tools just as Elizabeth had done. From there they moved up into the rooms looking at all the antiques they had found so far. Lauren, like Jan and Addison was infatuated with the keepsake box. She too thought it was a cute idea. Maybe not the tradition itself but the whole idea of a tradition shared between mother and daughter that could be passed down through the family. Remembering the nursery set, Elizabeth excitedly led her back down the stairs dragging her through the door of the studio. As they entered the room Lauren shuddered with the chill that was in the room.