This is my first work. I hope to write more about this pair, so Feedback is appreciated!
Juliana stood at her kitchen sink and scrubbed at the stubborn, burnt mess on her baking sheet. She let out a sigh and flicked her auburn hair over her shoulder with an irritated gesture, already feeling the hairs frizz from the steam of the hot water. Her daughter, Sarah, was back from college for summer break and had decided to bake in celebration. The problem, Juliana had quickly realised, was that Sarah's enthusiasm was not matched by her ability. They had finally got the smoke alarm to shut off and Juliana had dismissed her apologetic and frantic daughter to the bedroom so that she could try to salvage her ravaged kitchen.
The doorbell rang, and Juliana sighed again. She led the pan to soak and dried her hands before tying her hair up into a messy bun and heading to the door. She had immediately ordered pizza when Sarah's project rendered the kitchen useless, but it had arrived much quicker than expected, so she looked bedraggled and irritable as she opened the door. Both emotions switched quickly to confusion and embarrassment. The young woman at her door was pointedly not a pizza delivery driver. She was immaculately dressed for a sleepy Sunday evening, a sky blue sundress that clung to her curves, with matching heels and headband, she carried bottle of wine in the crook of her arm and bore an easy, charming smile.
The girl was such a visage of youthful beauty that it took her a moment to realise that this was Eva, Sarah's childhood friend from three doors down. Eva had always been quiet and shy growing up, but her first year of college seemed to have done wonders for her, her light brown skin was flawless with hints of blush barely perceptibly on her cheeks and her once frizzy black hair had been died a tasteful blonde and bound up in a lose ponytail. It was hard to believe this was the same girl she had driven rides to school and watched trashy movies with for years, and she felt heat flare in her own cheeks as she caught a sight of her own reflection in the glass panel of the door. Haggard would be a strong word, the difference between the two woman was like night and day, and while she felt a flare of joy for the young woman to finally come into her own beauty, it was tinged with a pang of melancholy.
"Evening Mrs Jackson." Eva said with a wry curve of her lips. "You're looking well." Juliana scoffed and waved the young woman in. The way she spoke and the way she moved, Juliana couldn't help but wonder what had happened to make the girl so much more confident. Every slight motion, from the sway of her hips to the hand that checked her hair oozed confidence. She was happy for her, of course, although daughter Sarah had returned largely unchanged from her year away from home. Juliana covered the moment of self pity with a self effecting scoff and swatted Eva's arm affectionately.
"Still so polite, I see." She said, gesturing to her faded jeans, messy hair and water stained blouse. "Your looking lovely though Eva, college seems to suit you! I knew it would, but it still warms my heart to see you flourishing." The old Eva would have blushed and mumbled something incoherent before scurrying upstairs, so Juliana was taken aback when Eva chuckled, an unfamiliar, husky sound and smiled a coy, almost knowing smile.
"I've learned a lot." she said softly, her large brown eyes twinkling with amusement. After a pause, she laughed a bright, familiar laugh and held out the bottle of wine. "I picked this up for you in the way over. Save me a glass!" She winked as she passed the bottle, and then she was gone, leaving a slightly flustered and confused Juliana behind her. Juliana looked at the bottle, and smiled fondly. It was a Chardonay from Arbutus Winery. It was her favourite wine, and she recalled telling the girls about it on their 18th birthday, encouraging them to shell out the extra money to get a good full bodied wine, and not cheap out on beer or coolers. They had ignored her, of course, so she felt a warm sensation in her chest that Eva had remembered.
Juliana spent the next hour or so watching the sun set out the kitchen window as she tackled the pan before dragging her exhausted body into a warm and soapy shower. If it was longer than strictly necessary, then that was no one's business but hers. She paid the bills, she could have as many long showers as she wanted. She tried to ignore the pulse of Unfamiliar energy that ran through her body whenever she remembered her interaction with Eva. The casual way their hands touched as the girl, now a young woman, passed her a bottle of her favourite wine and the enigmatic tilt to her eyes as they had stared at each other made her feel markedly strange, a feeling Juliana put down to a mixture of mild jealousy at the beautiful girls transformation, and the lingering problem of her own, touch starved social life. It had been so long that anyone had even brushed against her arm, that a slight tingle from the interaction was normal, she assured herself. She knew she was straight, and she had loved every moment spent with her husband, Hugh, but he had passed away over ten years ago, and the years of sexual
Isolation were clearly taking a toll on her. Juliana could tell this was the case, as she stood naked in front of her bathroom mirror, eyeing her long unused make up drawer, fighting the unhinged urge to give herself a full face of makeup at 9PM on a Sunday evening. She looked at her self in the mirror, at her efficient, professional bob of auburn hair, temporarily free of greys, and the lines of her face, the tendrils of age ever more present in her reflection. Usually the wrinkles and worry lines of her face didn't bother her, but today, she felt like each one was writ large.
"Good god." She said. "This is getting ridiculous." She slapped her face with both hands before rushing through her skin care routine. The Arbutus Chardonnay was pleasantly chill as she pulled it from the fridge and she settled onto the sofa in her comfiest pair of sweatpants, ready to relax. Her fingers twitched to her phone, ready to doomscroll on social media, but she fought the urge, knowing herself well enough to see the disastrous effect it would have on her mental health. Instead, she turned on her lamp, and told her Google Home to turn on the night lights and play a relaxing classical playlist. As Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata played softly from the speaker, she reached for her new book, planning to spend the evening in wine enhanced escapism when a voice spoke from the kitchen
"This music is a bit ominous with this lighting Ms J."
Juliana jumped and nearly spilt her wine at the sudden intrusion and Eva suddenly appeared next to her, a look of concern plain on her face.
"Shit, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to scare you." Eva's hair, untied and loose around her shoulders, fell in ringlets about her face, and her cheeks were rosy with a hint of a smile playing about her lips. Juliana grasped for what dignity she had left and patted the girls arm reassuringly.
