Spring Fever

by Barbara Winkes

  How miserable did someone have to be if they couldn’t bear someone else’s happiness?

  * * * *

  Tomorrow, Dina would go back to David’s, and Sara would leave too. As much fun as it was to have a full house, Callie looked forward to quieter times to get started on that book in earnest, to look into the logistics of their summer trip. She could tell by her tense posture that Rebecca wasn’t exactly satisfied with the outcome of the earlier confrontation. While she understood Rebecca’s reasons, Callie was relieved it had ended where it did.

  It would be hard to reason with Andy under any circumstances, and the irrational logic of her kind was more draining than any of them could use.

  Besides, it seemed enough for Maggie, who chatted with Betty’s younger son. The secret was out, but she and the adults in her life were still okay.

  She caught a glimpse of Sonia talking to her daughter, sighing in relief. Callie didn’t know what had taken her so long—or maybe she did know. First, there was her own apprehension. After Beckett and Weller had been sentenced, she didn’t want to talk about that night any more than necessary. Then, she and Rebecca had gone to New York with Dina, and Nicole had forced her way back into Callie’s life. There hadn’t been much of an opportunity to tell Sonia how grateful she really was for her help. Fortunately, Sonia understood. “You’re okay. That’s all that matters,” she’d said. Callie would be okay, and so would Maggie.

  Callie took another sip, well aware that the champagne was going to her head. She’d gladly explore those ideas Rebecca had mentioned earlier in order to work off the calories.

  “Hey. I can understand why you’re staring at her, but don’t be so obvious. Everyone knows what you’re planning.”

  She jumped at the voice behind her, turning around to glare at Asha.

  “Yes, I’m happy to see you too. When I saw this place and the crowd, I had a feeling, not to mention a craving for something sinfully sweet. Let me say hello to a friend first, and then we can talk about your book. Where can I get a glass of this? You seem to be enjoying it.”

  “Since when do you have a friend in Autumn Leaves?” Callie asked. “Besides me, that is.”

  “I’ll be back.” Asha winked. “Don’t run away. As you know, I’ll find you anywhere.”

  “Unfortunately, that is true,” Callie said to her friend’s back.

  She watched Asha say hello to a surprising amount of people. Then, she stood for a few minutes with Miss Romano. Callie regarded the exchange with suspicion. Might Asha go as far as to volunteer her for a school appearance? The two women laughed, then Asha stole a piece of cake from the teacher’s plate and took her half-filled glass before she returned to the table.

  “You’ve got to be kidding me, and I thought all of your trips down here were solely because of me.”

  “Don’t be jealous. Most of them are. Hi, Rebecca. So, Callie…where are you on the wedding proposal?”

  In the confusion that followed, Callie was left with the task of explaining they were talking about fictional characters. It might be Roz’s big day, but Asha caught everyone’s attention wherever she went. It was a gift.

  “No one’s getting married yet,” Callie said. “Unless you want to tell me something.”

  She could have sworn Rebecca looked a bit disappointed, right after her eyes lit up. Sometimes, doing the right thing was the hardest, and maybe she had to rethink what the right thing was in this situation. She wanted to see that expression of joyous surprise every day on Rebecca’s face.

  First of all, she had to deal with Asha.

  * * * *

  As Rebecca went to find Roz to say good-bye, she wanted to laugh at her own foolishness. To think that Asha’s remark could be related to anything other than Callie’s next writing project. Yet, the idea thrilled her, even though it came with complications. People around her hadn’t believed it, and for a while, Rebecca couldn’t quite believe it herself, but the times were changing. They wouldn’t have to go that far to be able to get married. Possibly, not far from now, they could do so in Autumn Leaves.

  The problem was—at least from Rebecca’s point of view—that she’d just left a marriage that wasn’t entirely unhappy or happy. She didn’t want to go there when their shared life was still so new, or maybe she wanted to, but she had no idea how to start that conversation.

  The waitress pointed her in the direction of the back of the café. Rebecca knocked on the door and opened it, frozen for a moment as she debated whether to go inside or leave, pretend she hadn’t seen anything.

  In front of the shelf, there was Asha with Miss Romano, standing really close.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to—”

  “Mrs. Lowman.” Miss Romano blushed hotly, even though there was no evidence that anything other than a friendly chat just happened, confirming Rebecca’s initial interpretation.

  “I know it doesn’t look like that, but this is actually work,” Asha explained cheerily. “Since Callie wants to write for children at the moment, she should feel the consequences. By which I mean, an appearance at Maggie’s school is perfectly acceptable.”

  “Oh. Okay. Maggie will be thrilled.” Rebecca was still trying to wrap her mind about what she thought she had witnessed. “I’ll ask Callie.”

  Asha chuckled. “Well, it’s not like she’ll have a lot of say in the matter.”

  Miss Romano smiled uneasily. How could she think that Rebecca would judge her with her own family life dissected three times over by the town grapevine? She understood Miss Romano’s caution though. When you were a schoolteacher, prejudice could be a lot more damaging.

  “Well, that’s decided then. Congrats. I had no idea.” Damn the champagne, and Andy, who was the main reason she was drinking so much. “I’m not going to say anything. Hell, I know all about how that goes.” Would you shut up, now?

  “Thanks, we appreciate that,” Asha said. “Trouble’s brewing as it is.”

  “What does that mean?”

  Miss Romano leaned back against the shelf with a sigh. “I shouldn’t even tell you this, but she’s driving me crazy. We applied for grants to do an anti-bullying program in school, and we got them, which is great, but there are some parents who are fighting us tooth and nail, saying it goes against their religious liberties. Those kids are eight, nine years old. What are those people thinking? We’re not going to talk about any kind of sex—gay or straight.”

  Obviously, Miss Romano had battled her own frustrations for a while.

  “You’ll have my support. Callie’s too, I’m sure. Those parents, did they come to school, trying to influence children?” After what Jenny had told her, and Andy hadn’t denied, the picture was clearer, and it wasn’t pretty.

  “They’re not supposed to do that, but I know from a couple of other teachers that they sometimes hung around.”

  “Did anyone talk to Maggie? Someone named Andy?”

  Miss Romano flinched at the sharp edge to Rebecca’s tone. “We wouldn’t allow that, but yes. She was one of them. One time, Maggie came to see me while they were around. So, they might have run into each other in the waiting area…damn.”

  Rebecca still thought it was better not to make a scene on the day one of her best friends launched her business…but still…that conversation with Andy wasn’t over yet.

  “Well, I know there are a lot of parents in town who want their children to be safe in school and not harassed by other kids or adults. Start that program tomorrow. I’ll get some of them on board. I’ll badger Father Langdon, if you want. He’s on our side, and I know Betty’s husband has some press relations. He could send someone from the newspaper, to talk about the program and Callie’s reading.”

  “My reading where?” Callie asked behind her, amused. Rebecca turned, seeing her eyes widen as Callie came to her own conclusions about the two other women in the room.

  “Small town conspiracies…I love them,” Asha said.

  * * * *

  “Everything fi
ne? No belly ache?” Rebecca asked later when Maggie was ready for bed.

  Maggie giggled. “I didn’t eat that much cake,” she said with some indignation.

  “Oh, I don’t know about that. I hear Callie and Roz got you some more while I wasn’t in the room. That was fun, right?”

  “Yes. Except when…” She sighed.

  “I know. It’s bad when people tell lies, but if they pretend to be all nice, that can be even worse. It’s hard to know what to make of it…” Hours had passed since that last glass, and she still rambled. “What you must know is that I love you. Callie and your dad do too. Andy’s just very unhappy, and that’s why she does these things.”

  “Like the mean girl in Callie’s story,” Maggie mused.

  “Yeah. Unfortunately, some mean people never grow out of it. The most important thing is that you don’t have to be afraid of anything. No more nightmares, okay?”

  “Okay.” Maggie leaned into her hug, then she whispered, “I was really scared. I don’t want to go away.”

  “I know.”

  Rebecca held her close, thinking that for that upcoming conversation, she’d need all the self-control she could muster.

  “She’s not coming to our house anymore, unless she apologizes to you and means it.”

  In all likelihood, that would never happen. On the bright side, Maggie’s fears were no longer shadowy, as they had found their origin in Andy’s lies. The Devil you know…

  Rebecca kissed her daughter good night, waved at her, and closed the door softly—even though the impulse to slam it, slam anything—was strong.

  Andy thought she knew the rules within the social fabric of Autumn Leaves? She was in for a surprise.

  * * * *

  “Come, lie down—or sit, at least. You’re making me dizzy.” However, sitting still was not something Rebecca could do at the moment.

  “Andy knew Father Reynolds. That’s how she found Maggie. It wasn’t a coincidence. She did target her.”

  “That is terrible,” Callie agreed, “but at least we know now. Let’s avoid her as best we can.”

  “I will avoid her, but first, there are things she needs to understand. I’ll talk to Amber. Not turning anyone away is fine, but the women there want to feel safe. They don’t need this. I don’t need this. I can’t tell Betty whom to invite for dinner parties, especially when it’s about Charles’s job, but Andy is no longer welcome at brunch. I’ll make that very clear.”

  “I’m with you, whatever you decide.” Callie reached for Rebecca’s hand and tugged. “Maggie is okay. The worst that happened to her today is skipping dinner because of too many cupcakes. She’s a strong girl. I know where she got that.”

  “I didn’t even ask you about Sonia.” Rebecca sighed. “I swear, I’m not trying to make it all about me, all the time.”

  “I know you’re not, and it went fine. Now, come here.”

  Callie was proud of her success when Rebecca finally halted her pacing and sat on the edge of the bed, pulling up her legs. “Whoa.”

  “You’re not going to be sick?”

  “No. I don’t think so. If anything, it’s this world that’s making me sick.” Rebecca sat up against the pillows. “This is not just about us. If Andy finds out about Miss Romano…did you know that?”

  “No. I had a suspicion at some point that all those visits to Autumn Leaves couldn’t be about me.”

  “Is it ever going to get easier? Are people going to mind their own business?”

  “Maybe…maybe not, but I still believe what we get is worth all of it,” Callie said. “Unless they find something to do other than messing with people’s lives, those folks will never know what it feels like to be happy.” She leaned in for a kiss, and Rebecca gratefully went with the non-sequitur, until the knock on the door startled them apart.

  “Hey,” Dina said, placing a sheet of paper on the nightstand, “sorry to interrupt, but I finished translating the letter you gave me. I guess you don’t need it at the moment…good night,” she sing-songed, giggling to herself before she closed the door.

  “Good night,” Callie said after her, thinking Dina was absolutely right. Reading could wait until the next day; however, when she returned after a few minutes in the bathroom, Rebecca was fast asleep.

  Carefully slipping under the covers, Callie contemplated the events of the day leading to Rebecca’s question. Frankly, Callie couldn’t bring herself to care about people like Andy or Nicole any longer—whatever lessons they learned, or failed to. Callie had a life to live with the person she loved.

  She thought of Asha and Miss Romano, wondering if either of them had any idea as to what they were getting themselves into, given the setting of their relationship. This was none of her business though. She folded the letter, put it into the drawer, and turned off the lamp on the nightstand.

  Sleepily, Rebecca reached for her, and Callie fit herself into her embrace. Soon, they might be able to do that in a different country, on a different continent, far away from the everyday life in Autumn Leaves. It wouldn’t be an escape. They had earned it.

  “Let’s book those flights,” she whispered.

  Chapter Eight

  David came to get Dina after breakfast—all interactions brief and painless. It seemed that last conversation changed something, making them more aware of how much their relationship was on the edge and could easily take a turn for the worse.

  At least, it had done that for Rebecca. She couldn’t speak for David. She still believed that, in some part, their goals were still the same—for their children to be happy and safe. Those goals were more important than their differences in opinion. They weren’t enemies.

  In the light of day, and a lot more sober, Rebecca questioned the wisdom of more confrontation. Trying to make Andy see she’d done something terribly wrong would be like banging her head against a wall. Only one of them would feel pain.

  However, she decided to talk to Amber and Betty regarding their regular gatherings, calling her longtime friend first.

  “We’re friendly with everyone who’s new in town, that’s us.” Betty sighed after Rebecca had explained the situation.

  Rebecca refrained from reminding Betty that she hadn’t been so welcoming to Callie in the beginning. She understood what Betty was trying to say though. “Which is okay most of the time, but unless she apologizes, and I don’t think she will, I don’t want her in my house.”

  “Well, I’m not best friends with her either, but asking an adult to apologize to a child…do you really think—”

  “Yes, Betty. I think that’s appropriate! You weren’t there! For a while, Maggie woke up crying every night, and she couldn’t even tell us what was wrong, because she was afraid strangers would come and take her away!” Rebecca took a deep breath, willing herself to calm down. “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to yell at you. She’s responsible for this, though, and there must be consequences. How many other children will she scare like this for no good reason?”

  Betty was suspiciously silent.

  “Come on. You’ve known me for over sixteen years. Do you think Maggie would be better off with strangers?” Her voice raised a notch again.

  “Of course not,” Betty protested. “That’s crazy. I don’t mind uninviting her from brunch permanently, though it’s not going to go over well with her. Those dinner parties we have because of Charles’s work—I can’t do the same there.”

  “I don’t expect you to. I want to see as little of her as I can, and the same goes for everyone else in my family.”

  “Well…maybe you could stand to see a little of her? Rebecca, I still don’t know how to get this right, but I’m trying, okay? Charles and I planned a barbecue for the weekend after the next. I want you and Callie to come.”

  That made Rebecca pause. “Andy will be there and David too, I suppose. I appreciate the thought, but I think I’ll pass on this one. It sounds like stress for both of us.”

  “Please, talk to Callie about it. It’s
a form of apology, I suppose, and you’re my friend. Don’t you think I should treat you the same as my other divorced friends?”

  Rebecca laughed, surprised. “I didn’t know you had that many. Okay, I’ll talk to Callie, but I won’t promise anything. I don’t want us to be the primary source of entertainment.”

  “Even if it was for my entertainment? I’ll ask Roz and Jamie too. No matter what Charles says, I’ve had enough of entertaining a bunch of people I don’t know.”

  “David won’t be happy.”

  “Well, he’ll have to get over it. I’ll warn him,” Betty promised. “So, that’s decided? Good.”

  * * * *

  I love you, but we can’t be together. Callie stared at the sad summary of Valerie and Toni’s relationship—both of them pressured by family, friends, and a questionable idea of tradition. The letter had to be one of many, and while it didn’t reveal a conclusive timeline, it was safe to assume they’d been together on and off for years.

  That explained Valerie’s frequent travels to Italy and the prolonged stays. She’d traveled to other countries in Europe and South America, before and after, but that period of her life was dedicated to a woman who couldn’t bring herself to make a commitment.

  Those were different times for sure, but Callie wondered if it was enough of an excuse to go with everyone’s expectations, because it was easier.

  “Hey, I guess it’s time to go. Aunt Tammy came back this morning.”

  Callie got up from her desk to face Sara’s regretful glance, stopping herself short of hugging the girl and promising her they’d try to make the world a less unsafe and ignorant place. She knew Rebecca saw her more through the eyes of a mother—someone Dina’s age who suffered unnecessarily because of other people’s prejudice, whom she would have liked to protect. Callie wondered if it was fair to make promises to Sara at all, as long as people like her parents—or Andy—had too much power in the daily discourse.

  “Okay. Why don’t you wait for a bit? I think Rebecca’s still on the phone. Don’t forget. You’re always welcome here, even when Dina isn’t around.”