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Friday, December 13, 2019

Janae wasn’t the first parent to lose a child in death, and she wouldn’t be the last. She’d been told to move past it, to carry on, to find joy again. For Janae, Liliana’s drowning had sucked all the life from her. She didn’t know how she was ever going to make it through the holidays.

The alarm on her phone went off. Time to face another day without her daughter, again. She hit dismiss and rolled onto her back.

“Wake up, sunshine, or you’re going to be late!”

Janae turned toward the wall and pulled the pillow over her ears. “Five more minutes.”

“You don’t have the luxury of five more minutes.” Someone who sounded like her mother tapped her on the foot. What was she doing here?

Janae rubbed her eyes and propped herself on her elbow. The woman looked like a much younger version of her mom.

A bright smile covered her face. “You have to be to work in thirty minutes.”

Janae curled her feet up next to her like she was playing a game of hot lava with the kids. “I don’t have a job.”

“Oh, but you do.” She pulled a pair of black slacks out of a tiny closet near the foot of the bed and draped them on the end.

Where had the footboard gone, the decorative one with the maple finish? “Where am I, and who are you?” Had her husband drugged her and dragged her out of the house and put her in some sleazy motel? She knew her husband was angry with her when she’d turned him away last night, but he wouldn’t resort to something this harsh, would he?

She gazed at the kitchenette a few feet away. It held a single sink, a small fridge, hotplate, and toaster. Under the counter was a single drawer and cupboard. Falling back onto the bed, she swore. “Where am I?”

“In your apartment, and if you don’t hurry and get dressed…” the woman pointed at the hideous clothes at the end of the bed, “…you’ll be late for work.” She laid a blue blouse next to the pants. “Since you don’t have time for a shower, I suggest you pull your hair up into a ponytail. If you hurry you’ll make it just in time.”

A loud racket started in the ceiling like a herd of buffalos tromping on the roof. “I told Ethan not to have the contractors start so early.” Except this wasn’t her home where he’d brought some of his workers in to install a light tube in her walk-in closet.

“Oh, that’s your neighbor.” The woman pointed to the ceiling.

Janae scrambled to the far side of the bed and pulled the comforter up until only her eyes poked over the bedding. Her heart raced like someone had jolted it. This was not her luxurious home with its sweeping staircase, hardwood floors, and swimming pool.

Suddenly, she knew what this was about. “Oh, I get it. I’m on some sort of reality YouTube thingy, where there are hidden cameras, aren’t I? Then it goes viral and everybody gets a good laugh.” She’d watched enough of them to recognize a good joke.

Ethan had never played pranks on her, but would he resort to something this outlandish, especially after Lili died?

Her gaze drifted first to the kitchen area and then the closet at the foot of the bed, Janae couldn’t find anything that looked like it might hold a camera, but that didn’t mean they weren’t there.

The woman popped a slice of bread into the toaster. “Nope, no reality show. This is the life you wished for.”

“I’ve never wished for anything like this.”

“You don’t remember, do you?” The woman put her hands on her hips. Something about the gesture seemed so familiar.

Janae squinted her eyes. “I’ve seen you somewhere before: on the internet, TV, You Tube…maybe.” She looked kind of like her mother’s grandmother, Ana Bailey. “You’re…you’re…a ghost.”

“Don’t be silly. Ghosts can’t pick things up and move them around. But an angel can.”

Janae drew her eyebrows together. “What is an angel doing here?”

“We thought you’d need someone to help you get your balance while you figure out things. So Heaven sent me.”

Janae glared suspiciously at Ana. “Everyone in the family calls you Saint Ana.” If this wasn’t reality television, this was the oddest and most real dream she’d ever had. Janae pinched her arm. Ouch. She felt that.

She had to call Ethan and find out what was going on. A tattered, cheap purse that looked like it might have come from a thrift store sat on the night stand. Who did that belong to? Certainly not Janae.

Ana chuckled, a light twinkling in her eye. “Oh, Saints are something completely different. Anyone can be a saint in Heaven, but angels…now that’s a different story altogether.”

After searching through the contents of the purse, Janae pulled out a phone that wasn’t her iPhone. She scrolled through the contacts. All of her family members were there. Boy, he’d sure gone to great lengths to prank her.

Ana reached across the bed and yanked the covers off Janae. “Now, get a move on if you want to be on time.” Ana motioned to the clothes she’d laid out. “I’ll explain everything on the way.”

Once Janae had dressed and grabbed the piece of toast and glass of orange juice Ana had fixed for her, they headed out the door.

As Janae reached the end of the sidewalk, she turned to get a good look at where she lived. The two-story, four-plex with its chipped and peeling paint was not what Janae would have picked as her residence. If this horrible prank turned out to be Ethan’s doing, she’d have more than just words for him. He could have chosen a posh apartment on the other side of town instead of this ramshackle building. Oh, but then this was a prank. Of course, he’d choose the worst possible place for her.

It took her a minute to locate the camera on the cheap phone before snapping a picture. This would be a hilarious post for her Instagram. Husband plays cruel prank on his wife. Can you imagine me living here? She waited a few seconds for the comments, likes, and emojis she’d always gotten when she shared her life.

Janae turned back to the street. She recognized this neighborhood. Her husband’s construction company was building a huge complex around the corner. “Not funny, Ethan,” she said into a flower bed. Somewhere in the dried up mess there had to be a camera. She’d show him she wasn’t going to play along with his little game.

Janae bounced down the sidewalk and waved. She refused to give the film crew the satisfaction of surprise at anything that would happen to her today. She’d pretend she knew all about everything.

At the curb, she searched for her car, the Mercedes Ethan had purchased as an anniversary gift two years ago. Instead, she spotted an old, dilapidated Honda Accord, the same color as the one her daughter, Grace, drove. Passing by it, she turned to Ana. “How do I get to work? Does the light rail take me to the central offices? I’ll bet I work as a paralegal for a law firm.” It was what she’d done after she’d graduated, and a short while after she married Ethan, to help put him through school.

Ana motioned to the Accord. “You’re right about working downtown, but we’re not riding the tram, we’re taking your car.”

Janae turned to where Ana stood beside the beaten-up piece of junk. “You have got to be kidding me.”

Ana pointed to Janae’s purse. “Your keys are clipped to the side.”

Janae studied the woman for a moment. Whoever had planned this prank had done a wonderful job with the actress’s makeup, making her look like the pictures Janae had seen in her mother’s album.

Janae hesitated for a moment and then put the key in the car door. “This looks exactly like Grace’s Honda…only older, much, much older.”

“This was Grace’s car.” Ana opened the passenger door and slid into the front seat. “Fortunately, your job is close by.” Ana, or whoever the imposter was, pushed a stray piece of blond hair back in place.

The car turned over several times but wouldn’t start. “Figures.”

“It’s been kind of finicky lately with the cold weather.” Ana pointed to the ignition. “Try it again.”

Grace never had trouble starting it. Ethan had made sure that it was always in good running condition.

“If you pump the gas a couple of times that should work.”

With an eye roll, Janae played along and pressed the gas pedal a couple of times. Someone with a remote starter probably helped it along. This time it started and sputtered before settling into a stuttering idle.

Janae revved the engine. “All right, Ana, which way?”

“Head west toward Main and Central.”

She put the car in drive and headed toward downtown.

When they passed the place where her husband’s construction company was building the high-rise apartments, Janae slammed on her brakes. What she saw couldn’t be right. The buildings were finished and occupants clearly filled the apartments. A car behind her blared his horn, and Janae eased off the brakes. Setting her up in an apartment was one thing, but to build and fill this apartment complex overnight simply couldn’t be done. Even on those reality shows houses took weeks to renovate.

Fear gripped her insides and snaked its way to her hands as she fought to find an explanation for this insanity.

Ana rolled the window down, letting the brisk air drift across the front seat. She took a deep breath. “I just love the smell of winter.”

Janae shivered. “Roll that up.” Winter meant snow and wind, muddy shoes in the garage and laundry room, piles of boots by the back door. What would Christmas be like this year without Lili?

What in the world was she doing in a dilapidated car heading to work? Janae sat chewing her lip. Going along with this prank was ridiculous. As soon as she reached the next stoplight, she’d call Ethan and chew him out.

When the light turned red almost two blocks from downtown, she reached into her purse, and pulled out her phone.

She went through the contacts and located Ethan’s number, then hit the dial icon. After a couple of rings, the voice on the other end said, “We’re sorry, the number you have dialed is no longer in service.”

No longer in service? That was a little extreme for a prank. She dialed his office number.

“Williams Contracting.” The voice on the other end did not sound like Claire, his secretary.

“This is Janae Williams; I need to speak to Ethan, immediately.”

“I’m sorry, Ms. Bailey, Mr. Williams is on site and won’t be available until late this afternoon.” Her voice sounded clipped. “Can I get your number and have him call you later this afternoon?”

“He knows my number.” Janae hung up. Bailey? Her maiden name? And why would he hire a new secretary? Did he fire Claire? She was perfect for the business. Janae had made sure she hired someone fresh out of college so that Ethan could train her the way he wanted and not have to correct the habits of a previous employer.

“A lot has changed in the last five years.”

Janae jumped at the sound of Ana’s voice. She’d almost forgotten her passenger.

This prank had gone too far. When she got home, Janae would have more than harsh words with Ethan.

Ana pointed to the stop light. “It’s green, and if you don’t step on it, you’re going to be late for work.”

Janae gripped the steering wheel. “What if I decide not to go to work?”

“If you don’t, this will be the third job you’ve been fired from in the last two years.”

“Two years?” The car behind her honked. Janae dropped her phone into her purse and sped through the light. “I live on 3695 E. Elm Place. I don’t have a job. I’ve spent the last 17 years raising my children. I have three girls and one boy. My daughter died this summer in a drowning accident that would never have happened if my husband had been paying attention.”

In a condescending tone, Ana said, “I hate to break it to you, but you’ve been divorced for almost five years. Grace is now a sophomore at the university. Taylor graduates from high school this year, and Ryan is playing on the varsity basketball team.”

“And I suppose Ethan has remarried and moved on?” She hadn’t meant to sound so sarcastic.

A look of sadness crossed Ana’s face. “Actually, he’s seeing someone. I’m not sure how serious it is yet.”

“Who?” Janae asked, not believing that her husband would take his prank that far.

“Claire.”