Tangled Up in Daydreams (36 page)

Authors: Rebecca Bloom

BOOK: Tangled Up in Daydreams

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“And.” Molly shrugged. “And we will let you all know what happens.”

“That's enough for you, Dad?” Alex pressed. “Have we all retreated to sitcom land when things get resolved after twenty-two minutes?”

“No, but anything I do or say right now would be like beating a dead dog.”

“It's a dead horse, Henry,” Helen corrected.

“Whatever, you get the idea. Let's just eat, wish them well, and talk about them when they leave.”

“Sounds good to me.” Molly dug into a plate of food.

She was happy they were all there, but she was never good at good-byes and was beyond tired of explaining everything to everyone. It was time to get back to her life, their life. Who the hell knew what would happen but it was time to start letting it happen. Eager to get on the road, Molly hurried through the meal.

“We all expect phone calls and e-mails often.” Alex tried to be normal. “As well as doctors' reports and photos.”

“Of course.”

“I'll make sure I get some with Molly sitting still,” Liam added.

“I can't wait to see you get as huge as me.”

“Thanks, Renee.” Smirking at her sister-in-law.

“I got you a little good-bye gift.” Renee handed her a box.

“It's not like you are never going to see me. What's with all the sentimental mush?”

“I wonder.” Renee, gesturing to Liam. “Everything's been a touch dramatic around here lately, wouldn't you say, Liam?”

Liam blushed. It was difficult sitting there knowing everyone knew his business, but he knew he was lucky they didn't toss him out on his ass and he wasn't going to complain about small but well-placed digs.

Molly opened the box and inside was a large pink velour sweatshirt with an even larger yellow cat on the front.

“You know I hate cats.”

“Yup.” Hugging Molly. “Welcome to the club. Soon enough it will be perfectly placed elastic and station wagons for you as well.”

“There is something so wrong in this.” Smiling.

“Just desserts,” Renee responded.

“You did not just say that?” Alex groaned.

“What?” Renee laughed. “A little pastry humor.”

“There's no such thing.” Kissing his wife's cheek.

“Thanks, again.” Folding the sweatshirt. “I love it!” Handing the box to Liam and whispering, “Hide this please, forever.”

“Why? I bet it will look just darling on you.”

“Oh, no. Where have all my allies gone?” Molly hung her head.

“We are all here,” Helen answered firmly.

Molly looked up and surveyed her family. They all stared back at her. They were all being polite and appropriate, and Molly knew that would always be the case. They even would take Liam back into their family and embrace him and love him, but they would always have her back no matter what. The knowledge and recognition of that made Molly smile.

“Dad and I fixed you some food for the road. It's in a cooler in the backseat, and I want you to call often.”

“I will.” Looking at her watch. “We should get going. It's a long drive back to the treatment center.”

Everyone walked Molly and Liam outside to her car, and after a whirlwind of kisses, hugs, and threatening but graceful last wishes toward Liam, they were off. Once again, Molly was behind the wheel directing her automotive castle through the highways and byways of the road. She was cruising, caught up in the rhythm of lines and green signs, except this time, she wasn't alone and she was heading somewhere without a cloud over her head. All the nicks and scratches had been freshly repainted with a new coat of glossy, bright white number 3. This would be their new color, their second chance to fill the canvas with new memories, mistakes, and magic. She was no longer running from, she was simply driving to. The car wasn't a silent, stifling tomb, encasing Molly in her own gloom. The car was now a ripe pumpkin, revamped, reconditioned, and reconstructed into a shiny chariot bringing them back to the ball.

Acknowledgments

There are so many fabulous people to thank. To my agent, Jan Miller, thanks for being a fantastic cheerleader and big voice for a sometimes shy writer. To my editor, Kelli Martin, thanks for tolerating my endless emails and for all the careful notes that tightened the book while keeping it true. To Jill, Elizabeth, and Claire, thanks for spreading the word about my babies, I mean, my books. To my friends, A, A, B, B, L, L, G, J, J, J, J, P, M, L, A, D, D, C, thanks for encouraging me, for laughing with me, and at me, and especially for not getting mad at me when I used you for material â¦ or didn't. And finally, to Jake, Ruth, Jason, and the rest of my extended family, thanks for making me the luckiest girl in the world. Your love and guidance is what makes all this possible and I would be nowhere without my refuge, the safe, protected, and honest place all of you have created for me.

About the Author

R
EBECCA
B
LOOM
graduated from Brown University in 1996. From her native Los Angeles home, Rebecca manages a small jewelry and clothing design business in addition to writing full-time. She is a contributor to West Coast magazine
L.A. Confidential.

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www.AuthorTracker.com
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Praise for
Rebecca Bloom's debut novel
Girl Anatomy

“Alternately poignant and hilarious,
Girl Anatomy
is more than just an auspicious debutâit's a novel that resonates with wisdom and truth, and marks the arrival of a fresh and original voice.”

âBruce Feirstein, Contributing Editor,
Vanity Fair

“Tender.”

âLiz Smith,
Newsday

“Witty, engaging, and oh so amusing,
Girl Anatomy
navigates the stormy seas of sex, drugs, rock and roll â¦ and true love, all with a modern edge and an old-fashioned heart.”

âLinda Bruckheimer

“This is a jewel of a first novel. It's a lively, snappy, sharp, and realistic look at the trials and travels of a single woman feeling her way through the complex street maze of life.... Bloom writes with a mature eye, her dialogue rich and colorful, her characters easy to embrace, and her plot twists true.... You'll fall in love with
Girl Anatomy
.”

âLorenzo Carcaterra, author of
Gangster
and
Street Boys

“
Girl Anatomy
is a smart, sexy, wickedly funnyâand fearlessly insightfulâbook. I was particularly moved by the way Bloom captures that mother of all complex interactions, the mother-daughter relationship. Whether you are a young woman on the verge of adulthood or the parent of a girl navigating these treacherous coming-of-age waters, you should treat yourself to this sparkling and enchanting look at friendship, love, and serial shopping.”

âArianna Huffington

“Readers will find Lilly's witty, straightforward voice appealing.”

â
Booklist

“Funny moments erupt every time.... Many women can relate to her.... Lilly is likable in her quest for that twenty-first-century knight in shining armor.”

â
Romantic Times

Also by Rebecca Bloom

girl anatomy

Copyright

This novel is a work of fiction. Any references to real people, events, establishments, organizations, or locales are intended only to give the fiction a sense of reality and authenticity, and are used fictitiously. All other names, characters, and places, and all dialogue and incidents portrayed in this book are the product of the author's imagination.

A hardcover edition of this book was published in 2003 by William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

TANGLED UP IN DAYDREAMS
. Copyright Â© 2003 by Rebecca Bloom. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.

First Perennial edition published 2004.

The Library of Congress has catalogued the hardcover edition as follows:

Bloom, Rebecca.

Â Â Â Â Tangled up in daydreams : a novel / Rebecca Bloom.â1st ed.

Â Â Â Â Â Â p.Â Â cm.

Â Â Â Â ISBN 0-06-621258-8

Â Â Â Â 1.Â Young womenâFiction.Â Â 2.Â Sun Valley (Idaho)âFiction.Â Â 3.Â Los

Â Â Angeles (Calif.)âFiction.Â Â I.Â Title.

Â Â PS3602.L66T36Â Â 2003

Â Â 813'.6âdc21

2003056237

ISBN 0-06-093681-9 (pbk.)