Aileen's Song Read Online Free Page B

Spirit.”
     
     
     
     

3
     
    Sisters in Spirit.
    A full day passed but Aileen couldn’t get the idea out of her head. Tuesday morning she pushed herself hard during Zumba class, but every dance move, every motion and note of music prompted daydreams about the way Liam’s idea might pan out. Aileen worked her body; she sweated and conjured the ways Siobhan would be able to stylize a wonderful presence for their quartet on stage. When the session ended, Aileen stowed her water bottle and towel, already hearing the strains of a couple contemporary Christian songs she could perform with Maeve and Kassidy while Siobhan filled the stage with the beauty of her dancing.
    Liam had planted seeds in unexpectedly fertile soil.
    Following her workout, Aileen walked from the Hopkins Community Center to the Cuppa Café where she ordered a pumpkin spice latte in honor of fall’s arrival. Fragrant brew in hand, she strolled the few blocks to her apartment. Downtown Westerville bustled. Tucked against the southern edge of the Adirondack Mountains, the quaint hamlet exemplified small-town grace, which was why she loved it so much. Aileen passed old brick buildings. She crossed beneath cloth awnings with curved ridges that snapped in the breeze. Foot traffic and car noise added motion to the thoroughfare of Second Street. Curved lampposts featured glassed-in luminaries that were extinguished for the time being; but once night fell, the streets, restaurants, and shop windows would come alive with twinkle lights and colorful displays of clothing, home goods and jewelry.
    Flexing her wrist, she checked the face of her watch. As suspected, she was running behind. Cringing, she accelerated her pace, trotting up the stairs that led to the front door of her brownstone. She bounded the interior stairwell that led to her upper-level apartment and her cellphone hummed to life with the strains of “Ballerina Girl” by Lionel Richie. Siobhan was calling.
    Aileen engaged the phone and pinned the device between her ear and shoulder while she twisted the key and pushed open the door. “Hey, girlie! I dawdled over coffee. Sorry!”
    “No worries. Your slave laborers …er…friends…have gathered. Are you ready for the gang to converge?”
    “Absolutely. I’m just walking in, actually.” Aileen crossed the threshold. Her gaze swept the lines of her space, which was barren for the moment and still required a heavy dose of tender loving care. “I need you guys. Desperately.”
    Siobhan giggled. “Tell me something I don’t know. The cavalry’s set to charge. See you in twenty.”
    “Perfect.” After ending the call, Aileen dashed back to Cuppa Café and retrieved a trio of lattes for her comrades. She had ulterior motives. The caffeine treat wasn’t just a reward for helping her settle—she figured the offering just might entice the girls to listen to Liam’s proposal and give this performance opportunity a level of serious consideration.
    Back at the townhouse, she didn’t change from her capris-length exercise pants and oversized t-shirt. What would be the sense? She intended to work hard over the coming hours. While she waited, she gathered her hair into a loose ponytail and secured it with an elastic holder. Wandering her space, she plotted what needed to be done and the best way to utilize the help her friends offered. Painters and wood-finishers had completed their work yesterday, thank goodness. The results were pure magic. Aileen felt at home already—except for the barren look of the space and its walls. Hence, today’s gathering.
    When the doorbell rang, she welcomed her work crew with hugs and pointed the way to the kitchen where the coffee waited.
    Maeve’s eyes glossed over with joy. “You’re a lifesaver. I didn’t roll out of bed until an hour ago, and I had no time to properly nourish my nervous system.” She swept thick, red strands of hair from her eyes and issued a huge yawn.
    Aileen struck a playful pose and