Page 1 of Roar for Me
Overture
On a quiet street in Riverton Park sat a buff brick two-story house. The front door and shutters were painted eggplant, an unusual color for the neighborhood. Remnants of the last snowstorm lingered around the yard’s edge, but the chill in the air showed winter had not yet released her grip. A maple tree stood proudly in the middle of a dormant flower bed. Inside and upstairs, the sound of a clicking keyboard could be heard.
Aurora Brown bent over her work laptop in her office, a converted bedroom not much bigger than a closet. Pictures of teddy bears in hot air balloons hung on pale yellow walls.Tap—tap—tap. In order to concentrate on a project, she had decided to work from home that day. She rubbed her stiff neck, then her eyes as the words blurred on the screen.
The front door slammed, startling Aurora out of her daze. “Mom! I’m home!”
“Upstairs!” Aurora rose from her chair and groaned.
Katie was home from photography club, which meant it was five o’clock.
“Snap,crackle,pop,” she muttered as her joints sang along.
Even though she was only forty-three, Aurora was used to arthritis, having developed it in her teens like other family members.
Her daughter came upstairs as she stretched. “Hey, Mom, is it true you went to high school with Miss Smith? I saw a photo of you in her office.”
Aurora brought her arms down. “A photo of me in your teacher’s office?”
“Yeah! You were both wearing the chamber choir robes! I recognized you, so I told her that’s my mom—”
“Wait, I was in chamber choir with a Jennifer Smith in my senior year. Is she your teacher?”
Katie’s eyes grew wide. “That’s her! Mom, that’s so cool!”
Katie jumped up and down as her mother chortled. Except for her hair, Katie looked like her. She had her dad’s thick black hair, and much of his personality. Aurora’s hair was just as thick, but light brown with a few silver strands peeking through. They had the same shapely nose, round hazel eyes, high cheekbones, and delicate lips. If Aurora were thinner, they’d look like sisters.
“I had no idea she was teaching at our old school. Tell her I said hi.”
“Or you could tell her yourself.” Katie had an odd, expectant look about her. “She wants you to text her.” She held out a sticky note with a phone number written on it.
Aurora took it, puzzled.“I haven’t heard from her in … twenty-five years? Has it really been that long since we graduated? Man, I’m old.” She chuckled and looked back at Katie. “We were in choir and musical together, but she never seemed interested in being close. Why does she want to talk to me?”
“Well, she’s in charge of planning your twenty-fifth class reunion, and she needs some help. I thought you would be perfect.” Katie was the picture of innocence.
Aurora’s lips pressed together as she placed the note on her desk. “I don’t think so, kiddo. I’ve never been to one of those, and I hardly speak to anyone from high school.”
She moved past her daughter in the doorway and headed for the stairs. Katie was hot on her heels.
“I’m going to go make dinner.”
“Please, Mom? Miss Smith was so excited she jumped out of her chair. She said you were trees together inTheWizard of Oz!”
“I’m pretty busy with work right now, and I don’t think I can commit to anything.”
Aurora walked through the living room into her kitchen. She’d decorated it with red walls, white quartz counter tops, and maple cabinets. The cherry print curtains she’d sewn herself hung from the window on the backdoor.
Katie followed her mom around the kitchen as she gathered pots, pans, and ingredients. “You could at least ask how much time it’s going to take. And it sounds like a lot of fun! Miss Smith said there’s going to be a red carpet, and the photography club will be the paparazzi! It’ll be like all the alumni are celebrities!”
Aurora laughed as she dumped a can of tomatoes on chicken and set it to brown. “That sounds like Jen. Actually, it sounds a lot like our prom theme.”
Katie sighed. “Why don’t you want to talk to her?”
Aurora closed her eyes. That was not a conversation she wanted to have with her daughter. She’d never even expected it to come up. “Why do you want me to do this so much?”
“Because … because you never get dressed up anymore.”
“I got dressed up for the board meeting last week.” Aurora turned to look at her.
