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Here is another excerpt from Rubies and Other Gems - the Novel, a Kindle, Smashwords, or Nook book.
Two weeks later, Lily came upon Molly poking around in her bedroom closet. “What are you doing in here?” she asked calmly.
The girl jumped back apace. “I can’t find my blue hoodie. Didn’t I loan it to you a while back?”
Lily closed her closet door. “No, you didn’t. And why would I have borrowed it in the first place? We’re different sizes.”
“I don’t know. I just thought I might have. Jeez, you don’t have to jump down my throat.”
“I’m not. I just asked a legitimate question. Besides, isn’t it a bit warm for a hoodie now?” Lily had noticed that no matter the season, Molly always dressed from head to toe in dark, heavy clothes. Today, even though the temperature was in the high eighties with the heat index a good ten degrees above that, the girl wore a long-sleeved shirt and jeans.
Molly rolled her eyes. “Are you trying to tell me what to wear now too?”
“No, of course not. I just think you’d be more comfortable if you wore something more lightweight.”
“If you don’t mind, I’ll wear what I want. Jeez, you’ve got something negative to say about everything I do.”
When Lily’s stomach began to churn, she promptly clamped her mouth shut, aware their little difference of opinion would quickly deteriorate into a full-blown shouting match with Molly storming out and her gobbling a handful of antacids to calm the turmoil in her stomach.
Lily accompanied her daughter to the front door and watched her drive off. Then she rushed back to her room and checked her closet, relieved to find everything in place. Turning her attention to the cedar chest, she dug out Grandma’s jewelry box from under the blankets, set it on her dresser, and stared at it for nearly a minute before opening it. When she saw the rubies still nestled in their black velvet bed, she released a sigh.
Respecting the jewelry’s power, she closed the box and stuffed it back under the blankets. Then she sat on the chest, heart beating wildly, hands shaking. What if Molly had found the rubies and sold them to some unsuspecting admirer for drug money? Worse yet, what if she tried them on? The thought made her shudder.
Thanks for reading.
Joyce
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