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EARLY SUNDAY MORNING, Adaline heard the front door open and close followed by the shuffling of feet on the tiled floor. Her eyes split open, noticing the sunlight coming through her sheer curtains and then wondering who would break into a house in the daylight?
Adaline knew there was a broom closet across the narrow hallway from her bedroom that she could reach if she quickly ran over and grabbed either the broom or mop that was nearest, having to take matters into her own hands since her father would be useless. Her bedroom door was already open in case Desmond called out for something in the night, so all Addy had to do was take the leap.
She tried to peer around the corner to catch a view of the foreigner inside her home, and once she saw the familiar blonde hair and clothes from a few days prior, Adaline stopped.
"Momma?"
Betty's body twisted so quickly her purse hit the vase on the table beside the front door, making it wobble towards the edge.
She quickly steadied it before sighing at her daughter, "Dammit, Addy, you almost made me break that."
Adaline stepped out of her room and towards her mother, "I thought you said you were gonna be back tomorrow?"
Betty set down her purse on the kitchen counter and began looking through what they had in stock in their fridge, "Didn't you hear, hun? We've gotta new pastor comin'. Today's his first sermon and Father asked us all to bring a dish." She sighed, "Of course we got nothin' in here."
Adaline shook her head, "How'd you know this if you were all the way in Ohio?"
Betty smiled, "Phones are a thing, hun. Now c'mon, let's get freshened up and get down to that deli down the street. Hopefully we won't run into nobody." Adaline watched as her mother walked past her and into the bathroom, hearing the bathtub faucet begin to run. Addy sighed, knowing it'd be at least another hour before her mother would be ready but the woman would end up blaming Adaline for their tardiness.
She went to go check up on her father to see him still asleep, sensibly since it was only seven in the morning, and returned to her room to keep her busy in the meantime. Adaline tidied her room, which didn't take long since it was almost always neat anyway, and got dressed before waiting another forty-five minutes until her mother was finished.
"Ready, hun?"
Adaline nodded and stood up from the kitchen table, smoothing out her skirt, "Mmhm."
Betty nodded and grabbed her purse, "'bout time." Adaline ignored the dig as she followed her mom out of the house and into the Impala she had used the whole weekend. It was a short drive to the deli in the middle of town, and Betty was very satisfied to see only one other car in the parking lot. "Good. It's not crowded." She glanced over at Adaline, "Well, c'mon then. Let's not wait 'til Christmas."
