Alone In Love

Joan and Larry's

3 hours ago...

"I'm so sorry about that, ma'am," the slim redhead apologizes with efficiency. "I'm going to take back these bedspreads, once you find the ones that you're looking for, just bring them back to me, and I'll take care of the rest, does that sound okay?"

Norma grins gracefully and takes a quick glimpse of her name tag. "Julie... that sounds perfect. Thank you so much for your help."

"It's my pleasure! And again, I'm sorry for the confusion."

"No worries," Norma awards her with a broad smile and trudges away.

It wasn't the first time that she had to come back to the same store to exchange her bedspreads and Julie, who always accommodates Norma, was more than embarrassed for the ongoing trouble.

Cleaning and refurbishing the motel is her way of deflecting herself from evil thoughts and the continuous traumatic memories. The days when she felt like a little girl trapped in a room with no way out are over. At least that's what she aspires to believe.

Norma strolls around the aisle, scrutinizing the sizes and prices with her handbag over her shoulder, the cross of her arms over her chest made her look like she had the time of the world to do this; as if she didn't have to meet her husband in a couple of hours for lunch.

"Finding everything okay?" an employee inquires as he walks past her, holding a basket filled with sewing kits and balls of yarn.

"Yes, thank you," Norma responds brightly and gets back to her quest.

A beautiful piece of a particular bedspread, at least one that resembles what she is looking for, caught her eye. Perching down to take a better look at the value and the fabric of the bedding, she secures the item, scrutinizing it thoroughly. But she chews her lower lip, unconvinced of the material of the quilt.

As soon as she stands back up, holding the piece in hand, her phone rings. Relocating the bedspread to her free hand, she reaches for her phone inside her purse. Her heart trembles as soon as she sees the name of the person calling on the screen.

"Hi, honey," she answers, smiling abundantly.

"Hey! How's it going?" Norma can tell that he is smirking too.

"Uh, it's going," she snickers. "I had to come to Joan and Larry's to change, for the third time, the bedspreads for rooms one and twelve."

"Again?"

"Yes," she sighs. "Hopefully this will be the last time. If not, I'm ditching them for Gloria and her sweet old vintage shop down the street."

"Gloria is great," Alex appends. "But I think you're better off with Joan and Larry... Gloria is too old to remember people's names."

"But her service is awesome, and she has a great essence," Norma says as she walks around the aisle. "She's a sweetheart."

"She is," Alex states. "She's been around since I was a brat in diapers."

Norma giggles. "I think everyone in town is old enough to have seen you when you were a brat in diapers, Alex."

"Hey, there," the tone of his voice hurtful but whimsical. "It's not my fault that almost everyone in this town is a hundred years old."

Norma chuckles. "Just this town?"

His laugh fills her heart with joy. "Oh, be quiet. You'll still love me when I'm a hundred years old, with nothing but gray hair and a set of canes neatly stashed somewhere in my closet back home."

"Oh, honey," she says sweetly. "I will love you, even more, when your gray hair starts to show."

"I'm going to hold you to that," he mumbles, making Norma's insides twist in delight. "How much longer until I kiss you again?"