The Queen of Cool Read Online Free PDF Page B

moving in
and taking care of Lo and…”
    Lisa shook Lo awake.
    “ Look,” Lisa
said.
    A new four-car garage sat behind the house.
Lo blinked and shook her head.
    “ This way,” Yazmin
said.
    Yazmin directed them to the side entrance.
They went up a flight of reclaimed maple stairs to a gorgeous
apartment. Stunned, Lisa stood at the entrance to gawk. The light
from an open living area reflected off the shining hardwood floors
past at least four bedroom doors. A gourmet kitchen with granite
countertops and stainless steel appliances sat near the back. The
apartment was filled with comfortable, yet beautiful furniture.
Yazmin nudged Lisa and they helped Lo into the master bedroom.
Yazmin helped Lo into the bed and shooed Lisa out of the
bedroom.
    “ What is this?” Lisa
asked.
    “ It’s Lorraina’s new
house,” Yazmin said. “You and your family have the front; Lorraina
will stay here.”
    “ But…”
    “ I’ll take care of Lorraina
as I have for the last ten years. You can take care of the house by
yourself?”
    Lisa nodded.
    “ Good girl,” Yazmin said.
“When Lorraina is better – when she doesn’t need me. – I can help
you.”
    “ We can’t pay you,” Lisa
said.
    “ Pay, pay, pay,” Yazmin
said. “You and Lorraina… You think the man who went to all of this
trouble would not have worked out how to pay me? I have
keys!”
    “ Don?”
    “ Now, go on. Your babies
need you.”
    Q
     
    Days: 9–13
     
    The next week went by in a blur. Yazmin had
tossed the sedatives the doctor had prescribed in the toilet. She
flooded Lo with tea until the sedatives were out of her system.
Shaking her head and muttering about Lo’s weight, Yazmin fed her
tortillas, sopapillas, and Lo’s favorite homemade gorditas.
    Even without the sedatives, Lo felt numb.
When she was awake, she stared out her windows at the flowering
garden. At night, when Yazmin was gone, she dreamed of Don. They’d
never spent even one night apart while they were married. She woke
every morning with the surprise that she’d survived another night
without him.
    Once a day, Yazmin dragged Lo into the
garden where she sat in the sun by the rose bushes. Lisa came out
to talk. Lo drank in the sun while Lisa talked about nothing. When
the hour was up, Yazmin would lead her back to bed, where she’d
return to Don. Larry checked in every night before he went on
shift.
    What Lo would remember most about this week
was the honey. Yazmin fed her honey in her tea, honey on her
gorditas, honey in her oatmeal, and even honey in her soup. The
honey seemed to reach inside her to soothe what was jagged and
raw.
    Larry stopped by for lunch four days after
Lo had tried to throw herself on the pyre of her life.
    “ The Fire Chief says you
can go through the house today,” Larry said. “The Fire Inspector
wants you to take a look at some things.”
    “ Lorraina?” Yazmin asked.
“Are you strong today?”
    “ I can do it,” Lo
nodded.
    Q
    Friday afternoon—2:53 p.m.
    River Crest, Fort Worth
     
    Days: 13
     
    Lo took a deep breath and plunged into the
burned out hull of her home. Shocked, she stopped in the entryway.
Every perfect piece of her life was now rubble and ash. What the
fire didn’t take, the water destroyed. What had once been bright,
clean and filled with love, was now gray, charred and dark. Lo
swallowed hard. She felt more than saw Larry next to her. Lisa
stood at her other side.
    “ Mrs. Downs?” the Fire
Inspector asked. “We’d like to ask you, about what time did you
leave the house?”
    “ I don’t know,” Lo said.
“The funeral started at about eleven. The girls and I had to get
there early. It went on for three hours or so. I guess you know
that because you were there.”
    Lo blushed.
    “ Why are you asking?” Lisa
asked.
    “ We’re trying to confirm
our timeline,” the Fire Inspector said. “The Tarrant County
Sherriff approved for you to come in and get…”
    “ My wedding album,” Lo
said. “I have that. At