The House of Roses

by Holden Robinson

  “Language ladies!” Rita hollered from the top of the stairs. Maria rolled her eyes and Caitlin laughed. “And don't be laughing at me!” Rita yelled again.

  “I'm guessing you're not feeling as casual about all of this as you sound,” Maria said, and Caitlin nodded.

  “No. I've had some pretty bad moments this week.”

  “I can imagine. So, what are you gonna do now? Are you going back to the city?”

  “I don't know. I need to clear my head, and then I'll decide. Eventually I'd like to write another book.”

  “Like the first one,” Maria said, trying not to groan. She had been a test reader for Caitlin's first book. It was the only time she'd ever lied, not counting the times she'd lied to her mother during her teenage years, which most females agreed didn't count.

  “That one sucked,” Caitlin said, and hesitantly, Maria agreed. “Hey, you said you liked it.”

  “I lied,” Maria said, and Caitlin gasped. “Close your mouth, Caitlin. It's the only time I've ever lied to you. It was empty. It wasn't what I expected from you.”

  “I think maybe I was empty then, at least I think my life was.”

  “And now?”

  “Now it's too full. It's a fucking mess, Maria.”

  “Girls, language, please,” Rita said, appearing in the doorway with a freshly changed baby in each arm. “If we're not careful S.H.I.T. or F.U.C.K. is gonna be their first word.”

  “Oh look, oh........!” Maria exclaimed, standing so quickly she nearly knocked over her chair. “I have never seen anything so precious in my entire life.”

  “There's the soft side. I knew it was in there somewhere,” Caitlin said, as she watched Rita lay her daughter in the crook of her best friend's arm.

  “Oh, how sweet. Hello, baby,” Maria said, and Caitlin was shocked to see tears on her friend's cheeks.

  Caitlin made introductions as Maria gazed adoringly from one baby to the other. “You okay?” Caitlin asked, and Maria nodded.

  “I was already starting to wonder if something was missing, and then you had to bring me here.”

  “You want a family?”

  “Maybe,” Maria said, sounding sheepish.

  “Holy.......”

  “Cate!” Rita chastised.

  “I know. Holy crap!”

  “Did you tell her?” Rita asked and Caitlin nodded. There was no need for Caitlin to ask her mother what she meant. She knew without asking.

  “Good. No more secrets,” Rita said.

  “It's amazing, Rita. But, I'll tell you, this girl couldn't be more like you if she came out of that business of yours down there. You may not see it, but I do.”

  “You don't mince words, Maria. I've always liked that about you,” Rita said with a smile.

  “You breastfeeding?” Maria asked, and Caitlin shook her head.

  “Didn't work out for me.”

  “You got a blender, Rita?” Maria asked, and Rita nodded.

  “It's around here somewhere,” Rita said.

  “I think it's margarita-thirty,” Maria said loudly, and Hannah let out a squeal. “Jeez, I'd nearly forgotten about her. She's amazing, Caitlin,” Maria said, sounding gentler than she normally did. “I do want one, I admit. I'm thirty-five. That's the magic number, or so they say.”

  “Any men prospects?” Rita asked, as she fished around in one of the cabinets for what everyone assumed was the elusive blender.

  “No. Men are the reason I didn't know that one was missing for months,” Maria admitted, pointing at Caitlin. “Sorry, Cate. Our separation was my fault, too.”

  “It's okay. We're both guilty,” Caitlin said.

  “No more men. Not for a while,” Maria said. “Men suck!”

  “Jeez, nice greeting,” Nathan Parker said, sticking his head inside the still-open kitchen door.

  “Hey, Nathan,” Caitlin said.

  “What brings you here?” I thought you were working tonight,” Rita asked, and Nathan crossed the room to look at her.

  “I'm the cleaning crew,” he said, pulling a cobweb from Rita's hair. “I switched with someone so I could spend some time with Ella. I'm patrolling at the festival tomorrow.”

  “I guess I don't use this cupboard much,” Rita said, pulling out a dirty blender with a look of sheer victory. “Found it.”

  “You're a cop?” Maria asked, and Nathan nodded. “You like margaritas, Officer?”

  “I could be tempted,” Nathan said, extending his hand. “Nathan Parker, Caitlin's cousin.”

  “Maria Sands, Caitlin's best friend.”

  “Nice to meet you,” Nathan said, still holding tightly to Maria's hand. Caitlin watched the exchange with interest.

  “Can I have my hand back?” Maria asked with a giggle, and Nathan blushed.

  “Um, yeah........, sorry about that.”

  “No problem,” Maria said. “How's things with that blender, Rita?” Maria asked, as Rita stood at the kitchen sink.

  “Just rinsing out the dead bugs and mouse droppings.”

  “Mom, God!” Caitlin said. “Disgusting.”

  “Speaking of mice, isn't that the cat's department? Where is Georgie?” Nathan said. “I haven't seen that cat in days. I kind of miss the little shit,” Nathan added.

  “He's still alive?” Maria asked, and Nathan rolled his eyes.

  “And kicking,” he said. “I nearly died trying to crate him at Cate's place. Look,” Nathan said, holding up his hand, which, while healing nicely, still showed the wounds the cat had inflicted.

  “He did that?” Maria asked, and Nathan nodded. “He's the devil incarnate.”

  “He is not. Where is he, Mom? I haven't seen him in a couple of days,” Caitlin admitted, feeling awful for the poor cat.

  “He lives in my room now. He's on my bed,” Rita said, as she turned around with a blender in one hand, and a dishtowel in the other.

  “Traitor!” Nathan said, and Rogan let out a cry. “Not you, little buddy,” Nathan said, crossing the room to the baby's stroller. “Come to Nate, little guy.”

  Caitlin watched as Maria sat staring at Nathan with an odd look in her eyes. Maria, evidently feeling Caitlin's stare, turned and looked at her best friend. “What?” she mouthed, and Caitlin smiled. Nathan stood holding the baby with his back to the women.

  “Nothing,” Caitlin whispered.

  “Cute,” Maria mouthed, as Nathan turned toward them. Maria blushed, something Maria Sands never did. Caitlin suppressed a giggle with her fist.

  “I miss something?” Nathan asked, looking curiously at Maria.

  “It's just cute hearing a man talking baby talk,” Caitlin said. Nathan smiled, and turned back to the stroller to reach for the baby's pacifier.

  “Nice recovery,” Maria whispered, and Caitlin nodded.

  “Ready for Tequila,” Rita announced, as she plugged the sparkling-clean blender into the outlet by the sink.

  “Yay!” Maria said.

  “Where's Erica?” Caitlin asked.

  “She's at the hospital with my mom. She wanted to see Ella again,” Nathan said.

  “You never did say what happened to Ella,” Maria said, fishing into a paper bag, and emerging with a bottle of Tequila, Margarita mix, and salt. “Emergency preparedness,” she said to Nathan, who had been watching her curiously. Nathan smiled.

  “She had a car accident, the day after the twins were born,” Caitlin explained. “She's in ICU waiting to have heart surgery next week.”

  “The accident did something to her heart?” Maria asked, looking confused.

  “No. She was diagnosed with diabetes just after the accident. She never knew she had it, and if left untreated, it can cause heart disease. In Ella's case that's exactly what happened. She had a mild heart attack earlier this week,” Caitlin said, and Maria shook her head.

  “It's been a heck of a week,” Rita said, from the counter.

  “I'll do that,” Maria said, taking Rita's place in front of the blender. “I'm sorry about Ella. She
's a nice person.”

  “She's my best friend,” Rita said, as her voice broke.

  “Oh, Mom!” Caitlin said, standing to hug her mother tightly.

  “You know, and I'm no expert, but I've found that no matter how much we fret and worry, things turn out the same. Did that come out right?” Maria asked, raising her voice to be heard over the blender.

  “Sounded good to me,” Nathan said. “You're right. There's things we can't control, no matter how sick we make ourselves in our efforts to control them. Did that sound right?”

  “Sounded okay to me. You have a lot of wisdom, Officer. You a married man?” Maria asked.

  “My wife died some time ago.”

  “I'm sorry,” Maria said, looking shocked.

  “Thank you,” Nathan said, as his eyes grew dark.

  “I shouldn't have asked.”

  “It's okay. I was wondering if you were married,” Nathan admitted, seemingly surprising himself.

  “I'm not married,” Maria said.

  “I'm glad,” Nathan said. “Would you like to be?”

  “Maybe.”

  “I liked being married. It's great to have someone special in your life, someone you can tell all your secrets to,” Nathan said, and although he sounded wistful his eyes had brightened.

  Caitlin watched the two with amusement, as did Rita.

  “You got a lot of secrets, Officer?” Maria asked, and Caitlin was sure she saw Nathan blush.

  “Some. Don't you?” he asked Maria, and suddenly Caitlin felt as though she and her mother had vanished.

  “I do, but I'm in no position to tell you about them now.”

  “I can wait,” Nathan said, and Caitlin laughed. “What?” Nathan asked, glancing at her as though he'd forgotten she was in the room.

  “Did you want us to leave you guys alone?” she asked, and Maria blushed again.

  “I'm staying for a margarita,” Rita said. “I think I earned one.”

  “A margarita for the blender cleaner, one for the man with the secrets, one for the new mama with the enormous .........diaper bill, and one for me,” Maria said, passing out the glasses.

  They drank and talked, and laughed for an hour as the babies dozed in their stroller. It was an evening of new beginnings for two new friends, and for a mother and daughter who were learning how to be friends again.

  Forty

  Colin Thomas opened his eyes on Saturday morning and braced himself for the pain. When it didn't come, he sat up, stretched, and looked to make sure the leg was still there. It was. He sighed with relief. He wasn't a big fan of pain, and he was relieved that it was beginning to abate. He heard something in the kitchen, and suppressed the urge to hide with the covers pulled over his head.

  “Who's there?”

  “It's me......., Caren.”

  “Caren?” Colin asked, as though he couldn't remember who Caren was.

  “Your nanny? You gave me a key last night. You don't remember?”

  “Of course I remember,” he said, appearing in the kitchen doorway in running shorts and a worn college sweatshirt.

  “How's your leg?”

  “Better. It hardly hurts at all.”

  “Good,” Caren said, as she began making coffee.

  “Caren, I don't mean to sound like an ass, but what are you doing here?”

  “When I stopped by last night, I think I picked up your cell phone by mistake. I assume you have mine. Some vet lady called, and said your paperwork is all approved and she wanted to drop off Faith at 10:00, which she planned to do if she didn't hear from you by 9:00. I called your house phone, but it went right to voice mail.”

  “Crap. I shut off the ringer.”

  “I figured. Did you sleep?” Caren asked, and Colin nodded and looked at the clock.

  “It's 9:45,” he groaned.

  “It is,” Caren said, as she added water to the coffeemaker.

  “When is this dog coming?”

  “In fifteen minutes, and this dog is named Faith.”

  “I know. I'm just not awake yet.”

  “Why don't you get a shower and we'll have some coffee. Maybe you can hobble down the street with me and we'll take the pup for a walk. What time are you picking up the girls?”

  “Noon.”

  “Good. We've got plenty of time. I don't have to be to work until two.”

  “I've got to swing by the hospital and pick up that wheelchair for Rosario,” Colin hollered through the bathroom door.

  “No you don't. I called hospice and they're bringing it here at 10:15.”

  “Have I told you you're amazing, Caren?” he asked, his words slightly muffled by the sound of running water.

  “Yes. Tell me again.”

  “You're amazing, Caren!”

  “Thank you, Colin!”

  Colin emerged five minutes later looking refreshed and boyish. His hair was still wet, and he wore a white golf shirt, well-worn khaki shorts, and running shoes. The knee was freshly bandaged and looked only slightly swollen.

  “Coffee?” Caren asked.

  “Yeah. Thank you.”

  “You're welcome. How do you feel?” she asked.

  “Like a kid.”

  “Knee feels that much better?”

  “Yeah, it's better, but that's not why.”

  “Humor me,” she said, turning around with a steaming cup of coffee and a smile.

  “I'm getting a dog. I can't believe how excited I am. I'm getting a dog, Caren.”

  “So you said,” she replied, watching him carefully. Colin Thomas was a delightful mixture of man and boy, and he had no idea how remarkable he was, which only added to his charm.

  “You're a good guy, Colin.”

  “I'm trying.”

  “Keep up the good work,” Caren said, as they both turned at the sound of a knock on the front door.

  “I'll get it,” he exclaimed, barely containing his excitement.

  “Hi,” Colin said, as he opened the door to see Dr. Emma Larkin, high school chum, veterinarian, and dog rescuer, standing on the other side. Faith wriggled under her arm.“I'll take that.” Colin reached for the little dog who licked at his face gingerly. He laughed like a young boy.

  “He's excited,” Caren said.

  “I see that. I'm pleased,” Emma said. “Emma,” the vet said, extending her hand.

  “Caren,” Caren said, taking the hand Emma offered.

  “Mrs. Thomas?” Emma asked, as both women stood watching Colin and his new friend.

  “No. I'm Caren Wells. I'm the nanny.”

  “Nice to meet you, Caren,” Emma said, and Colin looked at Caren.

  “I never knew your last name, Caren,” Colin admitted.

  “It's Wells.”

  “Look, Caren Wells. Look at this little darling. Mia will love her,” Colin said, and Caren reached out to pet the dog's head. “Mia is the little girl I'm adopting,” he said for Emma's benefit. Emma smiled in response.

  “Mia will love her,” Caren said in total agreement. “Emma, I just made a fresh pot of coffee. Would you like to join us for a cup? We're expecting a delivery in a few minutes, and then we'll hobble out to take this gal for our first walk.”

  “I'd like that. Speaking of hobbling, how is that leg, Colin?” Emma asked, taking a stool at the breakfast bar. “Thank you,” she said, reaching for the cup of coffee Caren offered.

  “It's good today. It needed stitches. I hate stitches.”

  “So do I,” Emma said. “Colin and I went to high school together,” Emma said to Caren, who had joined them at the breakfast bar.

  “He told me,” Caren replied.

  “Imagine running into him in Central Park,” Emma said incredulously.

  “Literally,” Colin said. Something fell in the living room and everyone turned their heads. Faith ran in circles in the next room.

  “Little shit can move,” he said in amazement.

  “Colin!” Caren exclaimed and Colin shrugged.

  “She's helpi
ng me clean up my language.”

  “You have a puppy now, Colin. You're going to be cleaning up more than language,” Emma said with a smile.

  “I know,” he said, glancing back in the living room at the puppy who was surveying her new surroundings. “I just rented a house with a huge back yard. We're actually moving tomorrow.” Colin proceeded to further explain the story to Emma.

  “How is she doing?” Emma asked of Rosario, after Colin finished the sad story.

  “She's getting close,” he said unhappily. “We're going to keep her at home. Hospice is coming.”

  “I'm sorry she's not doing well. Faith will be good for her, too,” Emma said, standing and reaching for her coat. “It was good to see you again, Colin. Keep in touch. Nice to meet you, Caren, and thanks for the coffee. I've got to be getting back. I've got another adoptive family coming at noon to take a St. Bernard puppy.”

  “Wow, big dog,” Caren said.

  “Yes, he's a big baby. He deserves the family we found for him.”

  “You do good things, Emma,” Caren said. “I'm glad to have met you.”

  “Thank you. I'm impressed with what both of you are doing, not only for Faith, but for this little girl and her family. You grew up to be a good guy, Colin. There is a lot of ugliness in this world. I really relish moments like these when I get to come face to face with the other end of the spectrum.”

  Colin smiled broadly, and he stood to see Emma to the door.

  “Thanks, Emma. Thanks for coming, for bringing Faith, and for what you said, especially about me being a good guy. Sometimes I'm not sure,” he admitted.

  “You're welcome, Colin. You are one of the good ones, so don't doubt yourself. Faith's papers are on the counter. My card is there, too. Call me if you need anything or have questions, and I'm serious about keeping in touch.”

  “Me, too. It was really good to see you. Enjoy your weekend.”

  “You do the same,” Emma replied. Colin kissed her cheek and watched as she disappeared down the hall.

  “You look happy,” Caren said, as Colin reappeared in the kitchen.

  “I am.”

  “Good, because Faith just peed in your living room.”

  Colin stepped into the next room, armed with a wad of paper towels.

  “Caren, can you hit that light switch on the wall just inside the doorway? The pee seems to be blending. I don't see it.”