"Oh my God! You really are back, Miss Ava."
'Miss Ava?' the warm feminine voice echoed in Avery's mind. Was there someone else in the house that she hadn't met? Forcing a smile on her face, she turned slowly to meet the wet eyes of the woman who looked like she was in her early fifties.
"Welcome back, Miss Ava. Master missed you so much these past years," she greeted in excitement.
After trying to match up with her energy and failing miserably, Avery asked, "Uh…thank you, Ma'am. If I may ask, who are you?"
"Oh my," the woman clapped her hand in mock consternation. "I forgot it's our first time meeting as seeing so much of you around the house made me feel we were familiar. I am Nancy, the housekeeper here."
Avery's mouth rounded into a capital O, scolding herself inwardly for not guessing that earlier. She reminded herself she could no longer afford to be stupid from now on.
Nancy chattered on, oblivious to the fact that the woman in front of her was no longer listening, "You look exactly as you were in those pictures and portraits. Apart from your black hair which i believe was brown. Oh my god, you are so beautiful…"
"Thank you so much, Nancy. It's a pleasure to meet you too," Ava reciprocated. Flashing a quick smile at her, she hurried out of the kitchen to join Jodi. Meeting new people, even though they were just 5, had already drained all of her little energy.
She only hoped she could manage the rest of the afternoon with Jodi, as the latter seemed like someone who wouldn't mind doing the talking alone.
"Did you get the water?" Jodi asked as soon as she got back.
Avery shook her head, "I can get it later. Let's go check out the dresses for now."
Jodi agreed with a wide smile, skipping up the steps with twice as much speed as Avery.
"You know I have always wanted to see how your room looks. Mr Donovan spent so much time, money and efforts on it that I was beginning to think he would host a real angel," she informed.
"That's one good joke," Avery laughed. "It's just decorating a room in white, isn't it?"
"Maybe. But Mr Donovan didn't make it seem like the job was that simple." Pushing the door open to step in after Avery, she continued, "We were so shocked that it took you three years to arrive and...Wow! This room surely reflects the money and energy spent on it!"
"It does," Avery agreed, guiding Jodi to the walk-in closet. She had come to the conclusion that the earlier they got this over with, the sooner she and Archie would be left alone to themselves. "I haven't had the time to check out the dresses in the closet yet. We can just pick out tonight's wear and sort the rest later."
"If that's what you want," Jodi winked. With her two hands, she pulled open the doors of the closet and stepped in, her mouth hanging open in surprise.
Behind her, Avery momentarily forgot her hunger, as she stepped into the spacious closet, surrounded by rows of meticulously organized clothes, shoes, and accessories. The closet's soft lighting and plush carpet enveloped her, making her feel like she was entering a luxurious boutique. Double rods stretched from wall to wall, laden with an array of colorful dresses, tops, and pants, each garment carefully curated and hung with precision. Shelves upon shelves of stylish shoes lined the walls, a rainbow of stilettos, boots, and sneakers awaiting her selection. At the end of the room, a custom-built, floor-to-ceiling shelf dedicated solely to collections of hand bags sat there.
A sleek, modern dresser stood against one wall, its drawers labeled and organized with precision, containing everything from lingerie to statement jewelry. Finally, in one corner sat a comfortable, cushioned chair, inviting her to sit and try on shoes amidst the tranquility of the fashion sanctuary.
Jodi was the first to recover from the surprise, blinking rapidly as she struggled to regain her composure.
"It would do you good to close your mouth, Ava. Don't tell me you weren't expecting this," she teased.
"I wasn't. Just snatched a dress from my bag this morning and didn't bother coming in here," Avery defended. In truth, she had hesitated to come in here after thinking of Archie's dead wife. She had taken the woman's name, her room, and her husband's protection. It would be evil to take the woman's dresses and prized possessions too, was what she had thought then. But now?
'I will just borrow this, like I borrowed the rest. I won't get greedy and take it forever,' she decided.
"Let's..." She jolted out of her reverie, "Let's chose a dress and join the men. You still have to go home and change, don't you?"
Jodi didn't reply. Already immersed in picking out the dresses, she chattered away about how she was finding it hard to chose which one would be appropriate for tonight's event.
"What's your best color, Ava?" she asked.
"Whit..." Ava was prepared to reply, but she cut herself short and rephrased, "Red is my best color."
"Beautiful. How about we pick a dress with that color for tonight?"
"I would love that." Avery nodded.
An hour later, Avery was standing beside her borrowed husband in front of the elevator, a small smile on her face as she waved Jodi goodbye. She waited only until the elevator doors closed before allowing the smile fall from her face.
"That was exhausting," she murmured.
"You were not comfortable," Archie spoke up.
"I wasn't," Avery admitted. "But that doesn't mean I will agree to therapy."
"You think that won't affect your acting and schooling?"
She shook her head. "I will overcome it. I will only need time."
With a quick glance at his watch, Archie replied, "And time, we don't have much of. You should get yourself dressed; will you need help?"
"I can dress myself," Avery stated.
"Cool."
He turned to leave, and Avery deciding she was done holding it in, had to pull him back.
"Are you human?" she questioned.