by Anne Hagan
“I guess I just didn’t realize.”
“It was hard for my mom, being a single parent and all. She worked all the time. She didn’t want me hanging around Zanesville in the summer and during school vacations doing nothing.”
“It explains why you’re so close to your aunt.”
###
“Mrs. Crane, that was amazing,” Janet said as she rubbed her stomach. “Thank you.”
“It’s Faye, dear. We’ve had this conversation before, and thanks. You’re very welcome. Another piece of cobbler?”
“I loved it. I love cherries but I honestly couldn’t eat another bite.”
“Anyone else?” Faye asked, looking around the large dining room table.
When there were no takers, Faye rose and began collecting plates.
“Let those kids do that,” Jesse said, pointing at Beth and Cole. “Marco and I have a date with a fishing hole so we’ll be shoving off now that all the hard work is done. Anyone else game?”
“I’d kind of like to go, if you don’t mind me tagging along, Dad,” Mel said.
“That’d be just fine. Matter of fact, I think some of your gear’s down in the barn.” Jesse eyed Dana. “Would you be wanting to go too?”
Marco guffawed at the statement at the same time Dana wrinkled her nose. “Dana and her mother don’t fish,” he choked out.
“Not willingly,” Dana said, “but you all have fun. It’s warm and my leg feels pretty good. I think I’m going to take a walk and try and work off some of my dinner. Does anyone care to join me?” She looked pointedly at Janet.
Faye chimed in, “Well that sounds nice and since the kids are doing the dishes…”
Beth laid a hand on her grandmother’s arm, interrupting her. “Don’t you remember; we need to look at those dress patterns?”
“Patterns?” Faye looked confused.
The teenager turned to face her head on, blocking Janet’s view of her own face.
“For the thing…for the show at church…”
“Oh heavens, you’re right. I forgot all about that and I should probably supervise the two of you and the dishes anyway. I don’t need Cole breaking anymore china, good stuff or no.”
Chloe, ever the matchmaker, looked torn. In a reluctant voice, she asked, “Do you need any help Faye?”
“No, no Sweetie. You go on ahead and catch up with the girls.”
Chapter 15
As they all turned off the long gravel driveway and stepped onto the shoulder and the edge of the pavement of the county road that ran past the farm, Janet broke the silence they had walked in until that point. “Why do I get the feeling I was set up back there?”
“What? No,” Dana said. “I really do hate to fish.”
“Me too,” Chloe put in.
“Come on you two; I’m not dumb. I know you want to talk to me about Barb. Even Beth knew that. She ran interference for you with Faye. You’ll owe her for that.”
Dana smiled at that. “Well, now that you brought it up…”
“What do you want me to say? There’s literally nothing to tell.”
“What’s wrong dear?” Chloe’s tone was soft.
“It’s…it’s just not going well. I can’t seem to do anything right…I don’t know.”
“Did something happen?” Dana asked.
“Just one thing? What didn’t? You want just one?” Janet looked to the sky and shook her head as she all but stopped walking.
Chloe took the younger woman’s hand and tugged her along. “Maybe we can’t help,” she said, “but we can at least listen. It sounds like you could use a little time to vent.”
Janet started walking again. She took in a deep breath and let it out slow. “We had a fight over me having her folks out…her father specifically, last night for a short concert and a bite to eat at the bar. She…she got drunk after hours, came home late and…” Letting go of Chloe’s hand, she raised both of hers up and said, “I feel like a heel talking about her behind her back.”
“Because you love her, and you don’t want to hurt her,” Dana said.”
“Yes.”
Chloe shot Dana a quick look then asked, “When was the last time you told her that?”
Janet cast about for a minute, lost in thought and then admitted, “It’s been a while.”
Dana changed the subject. “How’s her father really doing? I mean, I’m surprised to hear that he was up for all of that because, to hear her tell it, and don’t take this the wrong way, but to hear her tell it, he’s got one foot in the grave.”
“That’s just it,” Janet railed, “he’s doing fine. He’s better every day. His blood pressure is in the normal range, his doctor says his heart is getting stronger, he’s lost weight, he’s eating right, taking his pills, doing his therapy.” She threw a hand up. “He’s fine! She just wants to baby him for some reason.”
“Sounds like he’s about ready to go home,” Chloe said.
Janet nodded.
“And,” Dana said, “It sounds like Barb isn’t ready to let the baby leave the nest quite yet.”
“He’s her only focus right now and I get that. My mom was my only focus until…well, you know.”
“He’s going to make it through this,” Chloe said. “It sounds like he’s almost there. Barb needs to see that.”
“When he goes for his next follow-up, I have a feeling his doctor is going to release the last of his restrictions. I mean, he’ll always have to watch his diet and…you know, all the rest of it but he’s going to take that as a signal that he’s independent again and run with it. He doesn’t like being ‘directed’ all the time by Amy, by Barb…by anyone. I’ve done my best to just be a friend and help out and look where it’s got me.”
Dana rubbed her hands in front of her as she walked. “You think Barb resents the relationship you have with him?”
Janet looked thoughtful for a minute. “Not resents. I wouldn’t go that far.”
Chloe waved a hand. “She’s jealous, that’s what she is. I’ll tell you what though; you’re right. He’s going to fly that coop just as soon as the doctor gives him back his wings. She better get ready for that.”
“Listen to you Mama, sounding all country! Faye’s starting to rub off on you.” Dana laughed and Janet laughed along with her.
Faye rolled her eyes at the two of them but then picked up where she left off. “You need to have a long talk with Barb, Janet; starting with a very gentle reminder that her father is doing well and then a frank discussion about the two of you and where you go together once her parents move back to their own house.”
Janet shook her head. “I don’t know. I’m scared to go there with her, given our fight. I just don’t know how she feels anymore, at this point. I don’t think it’s the time.”
Chapter 16
Sunday Evening, June 21st
Chloe and Dana stood at the top of the driveway waving as Janet backed her car into the turnaround and then drove slowly down toward the road. Dana turned away from the cloud of dust that formed and blew toward them despite Janet’s care and she moved to head back into the house.
Chloe put out a hand to stop her daughter. “You know what we need to do, right?”
Dana raised her own hand up along side her face to block the dust and squinted at her mother. “What do you mean?”
“We need to stage another intervention.”
“Isn’t that what we just tried to do?” She pulled her hand down, put it on her mother’s arm and guided her back around the side of the house, toward the entry that led into the kitchen but stopped short of going in.”We really can’t talk about it anymore here.”
“Baby, we don’t have a lot of time. That man is doing fine and I know that…” Chloe cast about for a name, “Barb’s mother…”
“Amy.”
“Yes, Amy. Thanks. I know that Amy is more than ready to get out of Morelville. It’s been, what? Nearly three months? She wants to get back to her old life just as much as we all kn
ow he does, you can bet on that.”
“I wouldn’t take that bet because I know you’re right.”
“She knows what we know; I can feel that.”
“That they really do love each other?”
“Exactly, “ Chloe said. “This job has gotten bigger than just the two of us. We need her help too. Besides, three against two are much better odds this time for getting them together and making it stick.”
“So what’s the plan?”
Chapter 17
Also Sunday Evening, June 2st
“More coffee Mom?”
Amy gulped a swig from her cup and then held it up for Barb to refill. “Thanks. It’s so good to sit at my own kitchen table and drink something that isn’t decaf.”
After refilling Amy’s cup, Barb poured the dregs of the pot into her own cup then set it on the table. She went to the sink to rinse the pot out and then replaced it in the coffee maker. Afterward, as she tipped the filter and grounds into the trash she said, “It’s too bad we have to destroy all the evidence before Dad wakes up.”
“I don’t think we have to worry about that for a while.”
Barb’s head shot up. “Why? Do you think something is wrong? I wondered if he was okay when he said he wanted to take a nap…”
“No, no. Nothing like that,” Amy interrupted. “He’s just back in his own bed, his best friend in the whole world. He’ll sleep like the dead, there.”
“Don’t say that! I hate that expression.”
“That’s all it is sweetie. Relax. I didn’t mean anything else by it. Your dad is doing fine. I imagine when we see the doctor on Wednesday, he’ll back him off some of the meds even.” Amy cleared her throat and looked away. “There’s something we need to talk about.”
At her mother’s tone, Barb’s expression changed from concern over her father to a suspicious one. “What, Mom?”
“What happened last night? Did you and Janet fight?”
Now Barb turned away and busied herself fiddling with the old style Mr. Coffee maker some more. “I should get you a Keurig. You could make one cup at a time with that. Regular for you; decaf for Dad.”
“Fine. I get it. You don’t want to talk about it. I’ll let it be.”
Still facing away from her mother, Barb rolled her eyes.
“Don’t you think we should wake Dad up soon? The place seems a lot fresher now. If you want to go and do that, I’ll go around and close all the windows.”
“I’m going to let him sleep as long as he wants, even if it’s all night.”
“Well, his car is here. I suppose I could be on my way and you could take that back to the house when he gets up.”
“Or not.”
Barb shot her mother a look.
Seeing it, Amy said, “Don’t do that to me.This is our home. He’s doing great. It’s time we settled back in here and got on with our lives and you got on with yours. It’s not that we don’t appreciate all that you’ve done. We most certainly do. It’s been nearly three months though. He’s much better and the sooner he can get back to a normal routine, the better.”
“Him or you?” Barb demanded.
Her mother stayed calm. “All of us. Him, me, you…” She left the rest hanging in the air but her meaning was clear.
“And Janet.”
“Yes. You and Janet.”
Barb skipped over the topic as she resumed her seat at the table. “What about your car and all of the things you have at my house? Why don’t you wait to see what his doctor says on Wednesday and then decide? “
“We can get that stuff over the weekend. I can do it myself if you’re working. If Janet’s there, I’m sure she’ll help.” Amy couldn’t help keeping the other woman a part of the conversation.
“Oh, I’m sure.”
Before the older woman could respond to her daughter’s sarcastic tone, Barb continued. “You can’t stay here; not yet. There’s no food in the house.”
“We’ve had dinner. I can run down to the corner market and get a few things for us for in the morning. I’ll run your dad to his physical therapy appointment and, while he’s there I’ll go to the store.”
“He can’t help you haul all of that stuff in, especially after therapy.”
It was Amy’s turn to be sarcastic, “I’ve been doing it myself for years. Why should now be any different?”
“I guess you have an answer for everything.”
“Honey,” Amy put a hand out and laid it on her daughter’s arm, “I love you very much. We both do. We both appreciate your concern and everything you’ve done for us but it’s time for us to stand on our own two feet.”
Barb sighed. “I know you’re right. It’s just hard to let go. I worry about the two of you. I…I can’t lose you too.”
Light dawned in Amy’s eyes. “This is about Lisa.”
“No…”
“Yes, honey, it is. First of all, your fathers’ doing great. God willing, he’ll be with us a lot longer. Second, nothing will ever change the love you had and still have for Lisa and the spot you hold in your heart for her. She’s in all of our hearts.”
Tears formed in the corners of Barb’s eyes.
Amy took a firm hold of her daughters hands with with both of hers then and looked into Barb’s shimmering eyes. “I’m not saying to forget about Lisa. Far from it. But, you deserve to live and be happy too. Honey, I’m not blind.I can see that you have very strong feelings for Janet and that Janet feels very much the same. It’s time to bury the hard parts of the past and look forward to a new future. You’re allowed to love more than once in a lifetime.”
Barb pulled a hand away and dabbed at her eyes several times as the tears started to roll from them. She drew in a deep, shaky breath and let it out slow. Shaking her head, she admitted, “I did have feelings for Janet…I do have them. Unlike you though, I don’t believe it’s mutual. I think the shine of any sort of relationship between us wore off for Janet pretty quickly when she found out how…how damaged I really am.”
“I don’t think that’s the case at all.” Amy knew it wasn’t but she also knew it wasn’t the time to argue with Barb. She thought, ‘I’ll just have to think of another way to get them both together and make them see they were meant to be.’
Chapter 18
7:30 PM, Sunday Evening, June 21st
Janet noticed that Barb’s SUV wasn’t in the driveway when she got home. Only Amy’s car was there. She got out of her own car, walked over to the door at the side of the garage and peaked in through the window. Relief washed over her features when she noted that the SUV wasn’t parked inside either.
In the house, she found a note on the hall table from Amy.
Janet,
We ran into Zanesville with Barb to get the house aired out. Barb will be back tonight but we probably won’t be, for tonight. Hopefully, you and Barb can chat a little without fear of interruption while we’re gone.
Amy
P.S. There are sandwich fixings in the fridge.
Thinking the Wysocki’s probably would make a case for not coming back to stay at all, Janet’s hand shook as she started to lay the note back down. Realizing Barb probably hadn’t seen it, she though better of that, folded it up and put it in her front pocket.
She wasn’t hungry but she wandered toward the kitchen anyway as she thought about what she should do. She scanned the fridge for something to drink that wasn’t sugar and caffeine free but ended up settling for a bottle of diet green tea. She wasn’t so sure the sweeteners in it where any healthier than plain old sugar but it was all that was there that had any flavor to it at all.
She uncapped the bottle and took a long pull from it then sank down on one of the island stools and slouched, her back against the counter top, one foot hooked over a rung on the stool and the other splayed out in front of her.
Disappearing upstairs wasn’t really an option. She knew Barb would eventually venture up there since she was staying up there too while her parents used the downs
tairs master suite. As much as she liked the idea of hiding out and just riding out the storm, she knew the adult thing to do would be to face Barb but she didn’t want to. Not yet.
Janet drained the bottle as she sat there thinking. Finished, and with no resolution and no Barb, she decided she needed a shower. She trudged up the stairs hoping she’d be cleaned up, in her pajamas and fast asleep long before Barb got in. Though she didn’t expect a repeat of the drunken scene Saturday night, she hoped Barb would be delayed until a reasonably late enough hour that Janet could at least feign sleep. The thought of them talking scared the hell out of her. She knew in her heart that Barb was so mad after all of her little slip ups and flubs that she was just going to tell her a relationship between them just wasn’t going to work after all.
In her room, she took her cell phone out of her left jeans pocket, laid it down and fished Amy’s note out of the right pocket. As she went to lay that beside the phone, she noticed the message light blinking on her cell.
Checking on it, she saw that she had a missed call and a voice mail from a realty company that managed one of the apartment complexes she’d looked at before moving into Barb’s house. They’d had a waiting list that was months long. She’d added her name anyway and then, in the weeks following, forgotten all about the place.
She listened. They had a vacancy that was hers if she wanted it.
“What are the odds,” she said aloud to the walls, “that anyone is still in the office on a Sunday night?” She punched the number in anyway and waited while it rang.
After the fourth ring, when she was ready to give up, a woman came on the line. “Leasing office, Tammy speaking. How can I help you?”
“Yeah, uh, hi Tammy. This is Janet Mason. You left me a message earlier about an apartment. I was out in no service la-la land and I just got it. I didn’t think anyone would be in there this late.”