Scraps of Love (4 page)

     Colleen and Jenny stopped
inside the doorway. They couldn’t believe all the things one could use for
scrapbooking. There were stickers, eyelets, die cuts, scissors, punches,
accessories and many different types of papers.

     “Where do we start?” Jenny
asked, her voice filled with awe.

     “I’m going to start by sitting
right here at this table and not moving.” David pulled a hot-rod magazine out
of a deep pocket in his cargo jeans and sat down.

     “Well, why don’t we start by
choosing a couple of photo albums?” Colleen stepped down the steps and moved
toward the walls of paper.

     Colleen moved around the
papers and came into an aisle with photo albums of different sizes and shapes.
“Wow, I had no idea there were so many decisions to make when starting a
scrapbook,” she muttered to herself.

     “I know exactly what you mean.
Are you just getting started?”

     She looked over at a
dark-haired woman who had several pages of papers and a fistful of stickers. “I’m
afraid so. Do you work here?” Colleen asked, praying she wasn’t about to get
suckered into buying the whole store.

     “Oh, no. I have enough stuff
that I could open my own store, but I’m not brave enough to take that step just
yet. I’m Shelly Young. I’m just hooked. Do you want me to get Debbie? She owns
the store.”

     Colleen shook her head. “No,
thanks. Jenny and I need albums, but I’m not sure what size. I guess I’ll just
have to study them for a moment.”

     Jenny chose that split second
to come around the corner. She held several stickers in her hand. “Colleen, did
you know you have to use special pens to write in the albums if you want to
keep your pictures forever?” She stopped and looked from one woman to the
other. “Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt.”

     “You have a very nice
daughter.” Shelly smiled at the two of them.

     Jenny spoke first. “She’s not
my mom.”

     Shelly laughed. “I’m sorry.
She doesn’t look old enough to be your mother.”

     Colleen smiled. She didn’t
know what it was about this woman, but she found herself liking the total
stranger.  “It’s okay. I hope to have a daughter just like Jenny someday.” She
placed an arm around the teenager’s shoulders and gave her a gentle squeeze.

     “Oh, you found the photo
albums.” Jenny stepped away from Colleen and knelt down in front of the many
books. She chose a blue one, turned it over and asked, “What size do we need?”

     Colleen noticed Shelly
standing a few feet away looking at the many different precut paper picture
frames. She hesitated for a moment, then asked the other woman, “Shelly can you
recommend a good size to buy?”

     The small woman looked to be
in her mid-fifties. She hurried to assist them. “Well, it depends. What are you
going to do with it? Is it going to be a heritage album? A school album? A gift
album for a relative? A sports album? It really depends on what you are going
to use it for. “

     Colleen thought of the many
shoe boxes at home. She knew she’d need a big one. “I’ve just inherited the
family memorabilia. So I guess mine should be a big one.”

     Shelly turned to Jenny. “What
about you?”

     “Mine Is for a school project.
I don’t think I need a real big one.” Jenny ran her hand over the front of a
five-by-seven album. “Do you think this will be big enough?”

     “If all you plan to put on a
page is one or two pictures, a few stickers and a place to journal, that should
be okay for you. Jenny. Plus, with that one you can add extra pages. See?”
Shelly found an open album and showed Jenny where she could add extra pages if
she wanted to.

     Colleen picked up a
twelve-by-twelve book. She made sure she could add pages, too, if need be.
“Thanks, Shelly.”

     “No problem. Like I said
earlier, this hobby can be over whelming.” She paused as if thinking about her
next question. “Do you know what to do now?”

     Jenny looked up. Colleen saw
the familiar flash of red, white, and blue braces. “I thought we’d go look at
those magazines over there. They will probably help us.”

     “Good idea, Jenny. Well, if
you ladies don’t need me right now, I will get out of your hair. But please
feel free to ask me any questions if you need help.”

     “Thanks Shelly.”

     As the woman walked away,
Colleen silently thanked the Lord for sending Shelly to help them get started.

     After looking at the
suggestions in the magazines and choosing two of their favorites to buy,
Colleen and Jenny moved about the store selecting paper, stickers,
different-shaped scissors, glue pens, and a few die cuts to get started.

     Colleen walked to the front of
the store. She looked out the big glass window. The scene occurring outside
caused her heart to feel as if someone had just stepped on it.

     Adam stood hugging Cassie. A
smile as big as the San Juan River graced his handsome face. She saw his breath
move the other woman’s hair as he said something to her.   

     She moved back into the aisle
and away from the window. Colleen fought the tears that threatened to spring
forth. How could she have been so stupid to forget that Adam was dating Cassie?
Had they planned on meeting in Durango? What must he have thought when she’d
held his hand?

     Twenty minutes later, Colleen
was still wandering around the store. She’d picked up various papers, die cuts,
and stickers. The sound of Adams voice carried back to her.

     “Are they buying up the store,
David?”    

     “Did you find everything you
needed?” Shelly asked, coming up behind her.

     Colleen exhaled and turned
with a pasted smile on her face.

     “I think so.”

     If Shelly noticed anything out
of the ordinary, she didn’t act like it. “Don’t forget to get an acid-free pen
to journal with. Some people get all the colors of the rainbow, but you only
need one to start with.”

     This time when Colleen smiled,
it was genuine. “I’d forgotten about the pens. Jenny said we need a special
kind.” At Shelly’s nod, Colleen pressed on. “I don’t know how I could have done
this without your help, Shelly. Thanks again.”

     Shelly patted her hand. “Come
on, I’ll show you where the pencils and pens are.”

     Jenny sat between Adam and
David at the round table showing them all the items she had chosen.

     Colleen continued to follow
Shelly past the table and to the front wall. When she walked by Adam, he gave
her a warm smile. She prayed the smile she returned was as warm as his.

     “Jenny, did you choose a pen?”
Colleen asked. She studied the wall. This, too, was a little overwhelming. Pens
of all shapes and sizes were displayed, some in packs and others as stand-alone.

     Jenny joined them. “I looked
at them. Do you want to get a pack and share them? Or do you want to just get
one color each?”

     “If y you’re going to share
them, it would be cheaper to buy a small pack. Just make sure you have one
black and one blue pen.” Shelly advised, and then moved to the register.

     “Let’s get a set,” Colleen
decided.

     Jenny hugged her. “I hoped
you’d say that.”

     They picked out a collection
they both liked and turned toward the register. Shelly had just finished paying
for her purchases.

     “I want you two to have
these.” She held out double sided tape dispensers, one for each of them.

     Colleen gasped, “Oh, you
shouldn’t have done this.”

     Shelly laughed. “I wanted to.
Just don’t blame me when your projects become hobbies.” She used her fingers to
put quotes around the words
projects
and
hobbies
as she said
them.

 “Thank you,” Colleen and Jenny
echoed each other. Colleen couldn’t imagine this becoming a hobby.

     “You’re both very welcome. I
hope to see you in here again. Next time bring your albums. If I’m here, I’d
like to see what you do with them.” Shelly turned to leave.

     “Wait a minute.” Colleen
quickly grabbed one of her business cards and handed it to Shelly. “If you’re
ever in Silverton, stop by; coffee and cinnamon rolls are on me.”

     Adam paid for the items
Colleen and Jenny had selected while Colleen said farewell to Shelly. He noted
Colleen’s eyes no longer possessed their sparkle. He wondered if she was
saddened by the thoughts of preserving her grandmother’s memories.

     Jenny gathered up the bags.
Adam watched her turn and frown at David. If he knew his sister, David was
about to get dumped.

     Colleen turned back to the
register. “Hey, why did you do that?”

     Adam was shocked by the
demanding tone and the new flames in her eyes. “You were busy. I just took care
of it.”

     “Since when did you start
paying my bills, Adam?”

     Adam looked over his shoulder
at the gawking cashier.  “Colleen, you are making too much out of this. It’s
the least I could do. After all, if you weren’t helping Jenny with her
homework, you probably wouldn’t even be here.” His own anger began to grow. One
thing he didn’t enjoy was being the center of attention.

     “I see. Thanks.”

     Adam watched her eyes tear up.
Now what had he said? Women were so hard to understand.

     Sarah and her boyfriend chose
that moment to enter the store. “Hey, I didn’t know this store had stickers.”
She made her way to the first wall with a vast array of brightly colored
decals, unaware of the tension in the store. Her boyfriend followed.

     Jenny looked at David, who had
his nose buried in a magazine, shook her head, and followed the other two
teenagers out. The urge to take away David’s magazine and hide behind it
tempted him. Hurting Colleens feelings had been the last thing Adam wanted to
do, and if he could figure out what he’d done wrong, he would change it.

     Fact was, though, he was
clueless.

     And from the squaring of her
shoulders, she wasn’t going to tell him, either.

     Colleen pulled another faded,
black-and-white snap shot from the shoe box. A man and woman faced the camera.
His arm was draped over her shoulders. She could tell by the expressions on
their faces that they were in love. She turned the photo over and read the
names, Leah and Max Reilly.

     Her Grammy?

     She flipped the picture back
over and studied her grandmother’s young face. Grammy couldn’t have been much
older than Colleen herself. And she looked so happy. Colleen wondered if she
would ever find the man of her dreams and look that content.

     Thoughts of Adam invaded her
mind. Could she be happy with him? She sighed. Even if that were possible,
Cassie Masters already had his heart.

     Colleen separated her family
photos into two piles. The Holidays and the Reillys. She laid the picture on
top of the Reilly pile of family photos. The clock chimed.

     Jenny would arrive shortly,
ready to scrap. The teenager had taken to scrapbooking like a bear to honey.
She loved everything about it.

     Colleen started her pages with
the old notes and letters from the past. She’d found several scripture
quotations jotted on the sides of the notes as if they were someone’s favorite
verses.

     Grammy had said that Peter
Collins, one of her grandfathers, had been a minister. So Colleen assumed they
were his.

     A soft knock sounded on the
side of the door to the apartment. Assuming it was Jenny, Colleen called out, “Come
in.”

     She picked up another photo
and examined the strangers staring back at her. Their faces were blurred, so
she pulled it closer for a better look.

     “I hope I’m not disturbing
you.”

     Colleen jumped. She dropped
the snapshot.

     “I’m sorry. I thought you knew
I was here.” Adam bent and picked up the picture.

     She held her hand to her
pounding chest. “I thought you were Jenny.”

     He held the photo out to her.
“I don’t normally get that,” Adam teased.

     Colleen couldn’t help but
smile, too. “No, I don’t guess you would.” She took the picture. “Thank you.”

     For several long seconds, they
stared at each other. Colleen hadn’t seen Adam since Saturday when they’d gone
to Durango and she’d overreacted to him paying for her scrapping supplies.
Jealousy and the knowledge that he was simply grateful to her for helping Jenny
had made her act hastily.

     He broke eye contact first. “I
came by to tell you Jenny wouldn’t be coming today.” Adam stuck his hands into
his pockets. “And to give you this.” He held up an envelope.

     “I hope everything is okay.”
Colleen took the letter. A quick glance told her it was from her father. She
raised her gaze from the envelope. Adam cleared his throat. “She got sick.
Something she ate for lunch didn’t agree with her.”

     “I’m sorry to hear that. Is
there anything I can do?” Colleen laid the picture on the table.

     He pulled his hands out of his
pockets and shifted his feet. “Thank you, but I think she just needs some rest.
She’ll probably feel fine in the morning.”

     “Well, if she needs anything,
let me know, and I’ll try to help.” Colleen knew she should say something about
Saturday, but her brain refused to give her mouth the command.

     His eyes softened. The light
pools of blue turned into dusky pools of liquid. “I better go. Thanks again.”
He spun on his heels and hurried to the door. He pushed at the door and turned.

     “One question, Colleen.”

     She studied his intent face
and nodded. “Okay.”

     “Why were you mad at me? I
thought we were getting along great in Durango, but then you clammed up. What
gives?”

     Her stomach clenched. No way
would she admit to jealousy. “Nothing.”

     “Is that why you didn’t say a
word on the way home from Durango? You wouldn’t even look at me.”

     She couldn’t look at him now.
Was that how she’d seemed an Saturday- angry? She’d been hurt, not mad.

     The telephone rang. Reprieved.
She smiled in relief. “Excuse me.” Colleen walked to the living room to answer
the phone.

---

     Adam moved to the table and
looked down at her pictures. She had divided them into small piles. He saw
faces of young and old staring up at him. A picture of a little girl and a
woman smiled serenely. He wondered if the child was a young Colleen.

     He picked up the photograph
and turned it over. “Me and Colleen” was inscribed on the back of it. Adam
flipped the picture over again and smiled at Colleen’s young image. She must
have been six or seven when the picture was taken. Her two front teeth were
missing, and her hair had been pulled up into pigtails.

     “Sorry about that.” Colleen
stopped a few feet from him. Her gaze moved to the photo in his hand.

     Adam grinned. “You sure were a
cute little thing. Is this your mom?” He asked, handing the picture to her.

     Colleen looked down and nodded.
“I was six. I remember the day it was taken. We were getting ready to go to
church. Dad took the picture and said we were two of the most beautiful women
in the world.”

     He watched a soft smile touch
her lips at the memory.
You are beautiful,
he thought. Adam wished he
had the courage to tell her so. For the first time, Adam saw Colleen as someone
with whom he could spend the rest of his life.

     If only he hadn’t agreed to
keep Cassie and Richard’s wedding a secret, he could ask Colleen out. It had
been okay to take Cassie to all the church functions when he hadn’t been
interested in Colleen, but now that he was, the arrangement no longer worked
for him. Adam knew even as he entertained the thoughts, he’d continue the
charade as long as his friends needed him to.

     “I’d better get back to
Jenny.”

     She raised her head. “Call if
you two need anything.”

     There seemed a new softness in
her eyes. Maybe she was over whatever had been bugging her.

     He drove through town and
pulled into the drive of his home, then went inside to check on Jenny.

     “Adam? Is that you?” Jenny
called from her bedroom.

     He hurried to the door. “I’m
here, how are you feeling?”

     She pulled herself up. “I’m
doing okay. Cassie called. She wants you to call her back.” Jenny extended her
hand with a piece of paper in it.

     He entered her room of stuffed
animals and lace and took the number. “Did you say what she needed?”

     “No, but she sounded kind of
upset.” Jenny scooted back down under the sheets.

     Adam sat on the edge of
Jenny’s bed. He touched her forehead. It felt a little warm, but he didn’t
think she had a fever.

     She gave him a weak smile.

     “Do you need anything?” Adam
brushed the hair from her forehead.

     Jenny yawned. “No, I just want
to sleep.”

     “Okay, I’m going to go call
Cassie. Back. Yell if you need me.” He slowly got to his feet. By the time he’d
gotten to the door, Jenny had already fallen back to sleep.

     Adam made his way into the
living room and sat down. The phone sat on an end table beside him. He looked
at the number again and reached for the receiver.

     Cassie’s voice sounded weak
when she answered.

     “Cassie, this is Adam. Jenny
said you called.”

     “Adam, I’m scared. I think I’m
miscarrying. Can you come over?” She sobbed into his ear.

     “I’ll be there in a few
moments. Be ready to go to the doctor,” He ordered, then hung up. He felt torn.
Jenny lay sick in her bedroom, and Cassie needed him to take care of her and
the baby. Cassie needed him more than Jenny right now, he decided. Adam picked
up the phone again and dialed Colleen’s number.