I didn't relish a hot walk in my business clothes. 'Thanks.'
Julie drove a new compact car. She had a yellow plastic flower taped to her dashboard. A scent wafted from it.
'It's an air freshener,' Julie said when I reached out and touched it.
'Reminds me of the mountains.'
'Your new boyfriend is still working,' Julie said as we passed Vince's car. 'If the firm is only going to hire one new associate, you and I should probably consider this a summer vacation. Vince is a lock.'
'That's a lot more likely than the boyfriend part.'
'How many serious boyfriends have you had?' Julie asked as she turned onto Montgomery Street.
'Less than you.'
That's all it took. During the short ride to Mrs. Fairmont's house, Julie told me more than I'd wanted to hear about her love life. She'd even been engaged for two months when she was a senior in college.
'But I caught him with one of my sorority sisters when he thought I was out of town for the weekend. That's when I decided to go to law school.'
'Here it is,' I said, pointing to the curb.
'Cool,' Julie said, peering through the windshield. 'I'm in a garage apartment. You're in the mansion.'
'My apartment is in the basement,' I said. 'But it's very nice.'
Julie stopped the car. 'Call me if you change your mind about grabbing a beer.'
I got out without responding and walked up the brick steps. I could hear Flip barking inside. Unlocking the door, I stepped into the foyer.
'Mrs. Fairmont. It's Tami! I'm home.'
Saying the word home touched me in a soft place. This place wasn't home, but the English language didn't provide an alternative that fit. There was no response from Mrs. Fairmont. I checked both parlors then walked down the hall, past the kitchen, and to the den. The elderly woman was sitting in her chair, her eyes closed.
'Mrs. Fairmont,' I repeated.
She stirred in her chair and slowly opened her eyes. She appeared disoriented.
'I'm Tami Taylor,' I said. 'I'm living in the basement apartment.'
'I know that,' Mrs. Fairmont replied, touching a tissue to her nose. 'And you just finished your first day as a summer law clerk working for Sam Braddock's firm. Gracie has fixed a nice supper for us, and while we eat, I want you to tell me all about it.'
There was a small pot roast with carrots and potatoes in the oven. It was still warm. A simple tossed salad was in a metal bowl in the refrigerator. I took out the food and fixed two plates while Mrs. Fairmont set the table in the dining room.
'What kind of dressing do you want on your salad?' I called out.
'French,' she responded.
I carried the food into the dining room. Mrs. Fairmont was already sitting in her seat with Flip on the floor beside her.
'What would you like to drink?' I asked reluctantly.
'Water with lemon would be nice.'
I brought two waters and joined her at the table.
'This has been a good day,' she said. 'After Gracie finished straightening up the house, we spent the afternoon organizing some of my papers and memorabilia. Christine may throw everything away when I die, but at least she'll know what she has. But all the work made me so tired that I fell asleep and didn't hear you come in.'
'I didn't want to startle you.'
'Don't worry about it. Let's eat.'
'Could we pray first?' I asked.
Mrs. Fairmont returned her fork to its place. 'Go ahead.'
I prayed a simple prayer of thanks for what we'd been able to accomplish and a blessing on Gracie for fixing our supper. The pot roast was fork tender and very juicy.
'Gracie was in a singing mood,' Mrs. Fairmont said as she nibbled a piece of carrot.
'What kind of songs?'
'Anything you want to hear. She knows show tunes from way before you were born, songs from her church, the blues. I accuse her of making up her own songs, but she won't admit it. Flip follows her around the house when she's singing. He doesn't want to miss a note.'
The normalcy of Mrs. Fairmont's thoughts and speech made me want to squeeze in as much conversation as possible. She had other ideas.
'But my life is dull and almost over. I want to hear about your day.'
She listened attentively. When I mentioned the luncheon at the Smith House, she interrupted me.
'My husband owned that building years ago and rented it to a printing company. The printing company moved to a bigger location, and Harry sold it to the people who redid the interior. The last time I was there was for a wedding reception.'
'Was it for the Colbert family? Vince Colbert is one of the other summer clerks. He's from Charleston, but his sister had a reception at the place where we ate lunch.'
'Do you know who married his sister?'
'No ma'am.'
While I talked, Mrs. Fairmont ate a good supper. I nibbled in between sentences and ate faster when she left the table for a few minutes. We carried our plates into the kitchen.
'You'll have to invite Julie over for supper,' she said. 'Let me know, and I'll ask Gracie to do something special. She cooks a very nice pork loin topped with a cranberry sauce.'
'That might not be the best choice. Julie is Jewish, but I'm not sure she follows any dietary laws.'
Mrs. Fairmont raised her eyebrows. 'Gracie doesn't know much about kosher cooking.'
I fixed Mrs. Fairmont a cup of decaf coffee.
'Let's sit in the blue parlor,' she said. 'I promise not to spill a drop.'
It was pleasant in the peace of the parlor. More than any other time since my arrival in Savannah, it reminded me of Powell Station. Mrs. Fairmont sat in a chair contentedly looking at interior decorating and antique magazines. From time to time, she would mark a page with a Post-It note. I curled up in a corner of the sofa and read my book about the Puritans. Flip hopped onto the sofa and let me scratch his neck.
'I'd like to call my parents before it gets late,' I said after time had passed.
'Go ahead.'
I used the phone in the kitchen. Mama answered then let me talk to the twins before they got ready for bed. After I finished with them, Mama held the phone so she and Daddy could both listen while I told them about my day. They were very interested in the conversation with Mr. Appleby about the merits of a tutorial education and Zach Mays' homeschool background. I felt a twinge of guilt in revealing Zach's history as new information. I didn't give details about my work projects, focusing on the people instead. As I talked, I realized the anxiety I'd felt in the morning when I arrived at the office had subsided. It was a new world, but at least I'd established a beachhead.
'It sounds like you're off to a good start,' Daddy said. 'Take it each day at a time.'
'Yes sir.'
'Can you tell us more about the cases you're working on?' Mama asked.
'No ma'am. The confidentiality rules are strict. But as a clerk I won't have much contact with clients. I think most of the day will be spent doing research and getting to know the lawyers in the firm.'
'Don't compromise your convictions,' Daddy said.
'Yes sir.'
'And we'll be praying for the Jewish girl,' Mama added. 'They're the vine; we're the branch.'
'Yes ma'am. I'm going to read Romans 9-11 before I go to sleep.'
I hung up the phone and returned to the parlor. Mrs. Fairmont was still sitting in her chair, but her head was tilted forward, her eyes half-closed. She yawned when I entered.
'I'm not much of a hostess,' she said. 'Especially for a young woman like you.'
'No, this has been a great evening, just what I needed after all the pressure of my first day at work. I'm ready
