We’ll Meet Again Someday

Riana took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, tucking any stray hairs that might’ve fallen from the knot she’d tied her hair into. The time had come to clean Audra’s house. She wasn’t sure if she was looking forward to it or dreading it—perhaps a little of both. As soon as she reached the back door, Audra opened it. Apparently, she’d been waiting for her. “Right on time,” Audra said in a surprisingly perky tone, showing her where the cleaning supplies were kept. James smiled from where he sat at the table, poring through a magazine. She smiled back. He came off as the quiet, soft type, perfect for someone like Audra to keep wrapped around her finger. “Do you have a preference as to the order of rooms I clean?” Riana asked. “No. As long as you’re thorough, you can go in whatever order you want.” Riana decided to work her way upward, beginning in the kitchen. She was aware of Audra’s scrutinizing gaze, as much as she tried to ignore it. Once the kitchen countertops were wiped down, the dishes loaded into the dishwasher, and the floor mopped, she moved into the bathroom, then the living room. So did Audra—but only long enough to inspect her work. When Riana finished dusting and vacuuming, she headed upstairs. Audra continued to follow, but not until after she listened at the base of the stairs as she and Emma chatted for a few minutes. “Hi,” Emma’s soft voice said from her room as Riana entered the hallway. “Hello. How are you doing today?” “Okay. How long did it take you to grow your hair?” “Just over four years.” “Are you from here?” “No, I’m from Massachusetts. I lived in the apartment complex your mom was managing many years ago.” “You knew my mom?” Emma asked, shocked. “Sure did.” Her parents had obviously kept quiet about who she was. “Were you friends?” Riana laughed. “Uh, no, not exactly.” Then, “Wow, you’ve got a lot of posters on your wall.” “Yeah, Mom helped me decorate last weekend. I have a total crush on the guy in the red shirt over there. Isn’t he a hottie?” “He is.” “My best friend, Letitia, likes lady celebrities, but that’s cool because, as my teacher says, we should all accept others as they are, because everyone’s tastes are different.” “You have a smart teacher.” “Letitia’s way into most of the hottest female celebrities.” “Good for her,” Riana said. “I’d better get to work now, or your mother will serve my head for dinner.” “And I’ll serve yours for dessert, young lady,” Audra said, having crept silently up the stairs, “if you don’t get downstairs and stay out of Riana’s way.” Emma quickly scurried down the stairs, leaving Riana alone with Audra in the master bedroom. Riana thought Audra was going to yell at her for talking to her daughter. Instead, she just leaned in the doorway, arms folded across her chest, and glared at her. Riana, standing at the foot of the queen-sized bed, glanced down at it and asked, “Am I doing bedding and clothes too?” “No. I take care of that on Sundays. No going into drawers or closets.” “Yes, boss,” Riana said with a smile, trying to lighten the mood. She began to dust as Audra watched for a few more minutes before heading back downstairs. “Bitch,” Riana muttered softly to herself. “Such a good-looking bitch, though.” She dusted and vacuumed upstairs and was just finishing scrubbing the bathroom nearly an hour later. She went downstairs to find Audra seated on the couch, with Emma cross-legged on the floor nearby. A game show was softly playing on the big-screen TV. “All done,” Riana said, glancing at the piano against the other wall. “Who plays the piano?” Emma rose and said, “I was trying to, but it’s hard.” Riana glanced at the sheet music laid out and said, “This here isn’t too hard. At least not compared to the guitar. All you have to do is keep your eyes on the music and really feel the rhythm.” She slid onto the bench and began to play the melody before her, fluently, as if she’d known the piece for years. “Wow!” Emma squealed with delight when she finished. Riana turned around and found that James had entered the room. Both he and Audra looked impressed, though Audra did her best to hide it. Emma turned to her mother. “Can Riana help me if she wants to? Can she?!” “No, Emma. Riana has other things to do, and so do you. If you want to learn, you’ll just have to practice more on your own, which is something no one else can do for you.” “Just have patience,” Riana said encouragingly as she rose from the bench. “Can she come to the stables with us today?” Emma asked next. “Stables?” Riana asked. “We own a few horses that are kept just outside the city,” James explained. “We usually go riding on weekends for a few hours.” “Well, thanks for the invite, Emma, but I’m kind of busy today.” “She doesn’t need to accompany us anyway, Emma,” Audra said. “She’s our housekeeper. I told you that before.” “But Alice, the lady who cleans the Brady house in that old show, goes places with them,” Emma insisted, drawing a smile from both her parents and Riana. “Yes, but we’re not the Brady Bunch,” Audra pointed out. Damn right you’re not, Riana thought. “I wish we were, and I wish I had a big sister,” Emma said with a pout, heading upstairs to her room. “Big sisters aren’t always so fun,” Riana said, trying to be cheery. “Believe me, I should know.” James chuckled, and Audra told her she was free to go. “Okay, have fun, folks.” “You too, with whatever you’re doing,” James said. Audra said nothing more.