by Nan Rossiter
Beryl groaned. “Oh, I’m so sorry. Your poor mom, I’m sure that’s just what she needed. What did she do?”
“Well, she had a towel in her car.”
“One towel isn’t enough!”
“Well, she got Flannery cleaned up, and she said to tell you she’s sorry if she still tracked some mud in the kitchen.”
“She shouldn’t be sorry! I feel terrible. Flannery is always getting into mischief.”
“She wasn’t the troublemaker—Harper was.”
“Still,” Beryl protested.
“Aunt Ber, you still have Flannery?” Meghan asked from the backseat.
“Unfortunately,” Beryl said with a sigh.
Meghan smiled. “I love Flan! Oh, I can’t wait to see her!”
Beryl turned around and gazed at her beautiful niece, now battered and bruised. “I’m so glad you’re smiling, honey. She’ll love seeing you … and she hasn’t changed one bit!”
34
When they arrived at the hospital, Matt was propped up against some pillows, looking very tired. The room was full of family, including Gretchen Taylor, his mom, and her friend Margaret. Tommy and Meghan were both glad to see their grandmother, and she couldn’t get over how grown up they were—even with their bumps and bruises. The nurse came in to check on Matt and announced there were too many visitors and her patient needed to get some rest. And, since it had already been decided that a large contingency was heading back to New Hampshire, the nurse’s prodding moved Beryl, Rumer, Will, and Rand to finally say good-bye to Matt, while Micah said he hoped to see him again when he was feeling better; Meghan and Tommy both navigated the tubes to give him a gentle hug, and Isak smiled and said she’d be right back.
The group reconvened in the hall and Isak revealed that, with Matt’s condition, she was thinking of not attending the service, but even before Rumer and Beryl could protest, Gretchen Taylor, overhearing her daughter-in-law, stepped forward and told her that she would, most definitely, be attending her mother’s funeral. Isak, who’d felt utterly torn until that moment, was taken aback by her mother-in-law’s assertiveness, but immediately saw the wisdom of her words—and later, she wondered how she’d even considered missing it.
“All right,” she said resignedly. “I’ll be there first thing in the morning.” With that, she hugged and thanked everyone and told them all she loved them.
Rand was sound asleep when Rumer and Will finally pulled in the driveway. “Leave him,” Will said as Rumer started to reach into the backseat. “He’s really tired.” They got out and Will looked up at the old farmhouse. “This is such a great old house. It’s a shame you and your sisters have to sell it.”
Rumer was surprised by her husband’s sentiment. “I know, I wish we didn’t,” she replied.
She started to walk up the path, but Will reached for her hand and pulled her back. “Ru, before everyone gets here, I want to—well, I want you to know how sorry I am for the way things have been lately—for the way I’ve acted. I know it hasn’t been easy for you.” Rumer nodded and he went on. “I just hate this financial hole we’re in, and I don’t know how to get us out of it—and that makes me a little crazy.”
Rumer swallowed. “I know, Will. It makes me crazy, too, but once we sell this house, some of the money will come our way and that’ll help.”
“If you’re able to sell it—and if we’re able to hold on that long,” he said, looking up at the peeling paint and rotting sills. “The house needs a lot of work.” He paused and shook his head. “That’s not what I wanted to talk about, though—I wanted to talk about us.” Rumer waited, and he continued, “Ru, I want to get back together.”
Rumer searched his eyes. “Will, there’s nothing I’d love more, but not if we’re going to keep fighting all the time—and not if it isn’t going to last, because we can’t keep doing this to Rand.” She paused. “You have to be absolutely sure.”
“I am sure,” he said, his eyes glistening. He looked up at the house again. “It’s kind of funny, but I’ve been thinking about your mom a lot over this past week—how she lived her life—and how she carried on, against all odds, raising three little kids by herself. She never let life’s problems get her down—right up to the very end. She had … gumption, and I think we could all use a little more of that,” he said with a smile. “We only have one kid—and we still have each other…. You’d think we’d be able to manage.”
Rumer laughed. “Oh, Will, you don’t know the half of it. She had more gumption than you think!”
Just then, Micah and Beryl pulled in, beeping their horn, and Rand’s head peered out the window. They’d stopped at the pharmacy before it closed to fill Meghan’s prescriptions, and although Tommy had begged to stop at Kimball’s, too, to grab a bite to eat, Beryl had told him to hang in there because there was plenty of food at the house and maybe they would go to Kimball’s for ice cream later.
Rand climbed sleepily out of the car and Tommy snuck up behind him and playfully lifted him off the ground. “Hey!” Rand shouted, giggling and squirming. Beryl and Micah helped Meghan up to the house, and when they pulled open the screen, they found Tommy, Rand, and Flannery already had their noses in the refrigerator.
“Uncle Will and Micah, do you want a beer?”
“No, thanks,” Micah said.
Will laughed. “Is that so you can have one too?”
“Sure, I’ll have one with you,” Tommy grinned, taking out two cold bottles with one hand and balancing the meat platter in the other. “Hey, cous, grab those deviled eggs, will ya?”
Rand, buoyed by his older cousin’s attention, pulled out the eggs and asked importantly, “What about the fruit salad?”
“Sure,” Tommy said. Then he remembered his manners. “Aunt Ber, is it okay if we eat this stuff?”
“Go to it!” she said, helping Meghan get comfortable. “There are rolls on the counter,” she added, filling a glass with water so Meghan could take her medicine.
Micah opened the door for Flannery, who’d been let out to take care of business, and she trundled right over to Meghan and sat on her foot. “I guess I’ve been replaced,” he observed gloomily.
“You haven’t been replaced,” Beryl said with a chuckle. “No one can replace you,” she consoled, handing Meghan her pill. “She’s just giving Meghan some sympathy.”
Meghan smiled and reached down to scratch Flannery’s head, and the old dog looked up adoringly. Micah witnessed the love and said sadly, “Nope, I’ve definitely been replaced.”
“Flan and I go way back,” Meghan said. “We’re just happy to see each other.”
Micah laughed. “Okay, well, I’m gonna head out, but I could use some help unloading my car.”
“Oh, I forgot!” Beryl said. Immediately everyone except Meghan stopped doing what they were doing and hurried out to help. They lugged in suitcases, duffel bags, a box of college textbooks, and Meghan’s desk light and laptop, which had both, except for the light bulb, miraculously survived the crash.
They set everything in the living room and then Beryl turned to Micah. “Are you sure you don’t want something to eat?”
“No, no thanks. I need to get home to see my pal.”
“I’ll walk back out with you.” She paused. “Meghan, you’re supposed to eat with your medicine. Did you?”
Meghan shook her head and Beryl spied Tommy at the counter with the rolls and meat platter. “Tommy, can you make your sister a sandwich?”
He nodded, his mouth full of deviled egg.
Rumer was back to warming up some of the casseroles and looked up. “Would you rather have some lasagna, hon? It’ll just be a minute—and you can have a deviled egg to tide you over.”
“That sounds good,” Meghan said.
“You don’t want one of my famous Dagwood sandwiches?” Tommy asked, feigning hurt.
Meghan rolled her eyes and Beryl looked at Micah. “Are you sure you don’t want to stay for all the fun?”
“I wish
I could,” he said, “but responsibility calls.” He pushed open the screen door and Thoreau scooted in. “Bye, everyone,” he said.
A chorus of voices called out playfully, “Bye, Micah! Thank you!”
Beryl walked with him to his car. “Maybe you and Charlotte can meet us at Kimball’s Farm for ice cream later,” she suggested hopefully.
“That sounds good, if it’s not too late. I’ll have to see what kind of a day she’s had.” He opened his door. “I’m really glad Matt’s going to be okay.”
“So am I,” Beryl said, her voice sounding relieved. “Can you imagine?” She didn’t even want to finish the sentence. “Another drunk driver—it’s crazy!”
Micah nodded in agreement.
“It’s funny, though,” Beryl continued. “My mom used to say everything happens for a reason and there’s no such thing as coincidences. Serendipity, yes; coincidence, no. She always said every event was part of God’s tapestry. One side—the side we see as we stumble through life—looks like a confusing mass of interwoven thread, but on the other side—the side God sees— is a radiant, gorgeous work of art. And now, I can’t help but wonder if there’s a reason this happened.”
“I’ll have to think about that and see if I can come up with a reason for the things that have happened in my life.”
Beryl nodded and smiled sadly. “I guess sometimes we never understand why things happen, or what good comes …”
Micah pulled her into a hug and whispered, “I guess I can think of one good thing.”
35
“I’ll be back tomorrow,” Gretchen Taylor said, lightly touching her son’s hand. “Lily’s coming, too, and we’ll bring something good for lunch.” Lily was Matt’s younger sister; she was a teacher in Providence. The thought of seeing her made Matt smile, but it ended up looking more like a cringe because it made his face hurt.
Gretchen took Isak aside and spoke quietly, “Don’t worry about a thing, dear. He’ll be fine. My advice comes from the heart. When my mother died unexpectedly, I was newly married and living abroad. I didn’t come home for her service because I thought it was too far—and I’ve always regretted it. In hindsight, I know now that distance and time are simply abstract obstacles that truly don’t matter. All that matters is being there for your loved ones.” She gave Isak a hug and smiled at Margaret. “Of course, it always helps to have someone who’ll get you where you need to be. Are you ready, Margaret?” she asked, looking at her watch. “We might still have time for dinner and a martini at the White Horse,” she added, winking at Isak.
Isak gave Margaret a hug too. “Thank you for making the trip,” she said.
Margaret smiled. “It was my pleasure, dear. I’m very sorry to hear about your mom, but I’m glad Matthew’s going to be okay. You have a lot on your plate right now and I’ll be keeping you in my prayers.”
After they left, Isak sat in the chair next to the bed. “Your mom is such a classic,” she said.
Matt nodded and whispered hoarsely, “I’m sorry I can’t be there tomorrow… .”
Isak reached for his hand. “Don’t think twice about it! You know me—I can handle it!” She looked at the bruises on his face and added softly, “What I wouldn’t be able to handle … is living without you.”
Matt managed a lopsided grin and squeezed her hand.
“I love you, you know… .” she whispered.
He nodded. “I love you too.”
36
“My parents come here on Wednesday nights sometimes,” Micah said, shifting Charlotte from one hip to the other as they waited in line for ice cream. “Kimball’s has a car cruise and my dad says it’s a lot of fun. I told him it would be even more fun if he restored his old Chevy pickup. I’ve even offered to help him, but he never seems to have the time.”
“Well, maybe he will now that you’re home,” Beryl replied, trying to decide what flavor she wanted.
He laughed. “Well, I don’t want to live at home forever. I’d like to find a place of our own, but I guess it all depends on that teaching job.”
“That would be great. I think you’d make a wonderful teacher.” The line moved up and she looked up at all the flavors. “Do you know what you’re having?”
“Yup, I’m living on the wild side: vanilla and chocolate twist.” He looked at Charlotte. “Char, what kind of ice cream are you having?” She gave him a classic look that said, Da-ad! You know what I’m having! “Hmm,” he teased, “are you having black raspberry?” She shook her head emphatically, swinging her blond curls back and forth. “Are you having piña colada?” She responded with more head shaking. “I know! Vanilla …” Charlotte looked dismayed and then, concluding that her dad really couldn’t remember, whispered in his ear. “Ohh! Chocolate!” She nodded and then buried her face shyly in his shoulder. “What should Beryl have?” Charlotte whispered in his ear again and he grinned. “Chocolate too?!” Charlotte nodded.
“Hmm, you’re a woman after my own heart, Charlotte Coleman,” Beryl said with a smile. Charlotte looked puzzled, not sure what that meant.
They all sat down at a picnic table with their ice-cream cones and sundaes. Tommy had also ordered a Ranchburger and fries, which he devoured in six bites.
“Oh, my goodness!” Rumer exclaimed, watching him eat. “Your mom wasn’t kidding!”
He laughed and, without missing a beat, tucked into his ice cream.
Charlotte loved being with all the big kids and abandoned her father to sit between Meghan and Rand. “How’s your ice cream?” Meghan asked.
“Good,” Charlotte said with a chocolate grin.
“Chocolate’s my favorite flavor, too,” Rand explained, “but I haven’t had black raspberry in, like, forever.”
Micah licked his cone and watched Charlotte blossoming in the company of other kids. He was glad she’d be starting kindergarten in the fall; she was ready and he wasn’t as anxious about it now that it looked like she’d be going to his elementary alma mater.
They finished their ice cream and Beryl and Micah each held one of Charlotte’s hands as they walked to their cars, swinging her every few steps. “I’m glad you guys could come,” Beryl said.
“Me too.”
“So … I guess I’ll see you tomorrow?” she asked.
“Yup, I’ll be there.”
“Will you read my eulogy if I need you to?”
“If you need me to, but I bet you’ll be able to do it. Who else is speaking?”
“Tommy … and I’m sure he’ll be fine—nothing seems to faze him.”
“You’ll be fine too.”
Beryl looked unconvinced and gloomy.
He wrapped his arms around her and held her close. “You are an amazing woman, Beryl Graham—just like your mom, and you will do an amazing job. I’m sure of it. Just remember, she’ll be listening, too, so just pretend you’re talking to her.”
Beryl laughed. “That’ll be tough to do with all those people looking at me!”
“I’m sure you’ll make her proud.”
“Thanks, Micah,” she said, standing on her tiptoes and kissing his cheek.
37
Beryl woke to the sound of laughter and voices coming from the kitchen. She looked at the bright sunshine streaming through the window, and with a sinking feeling remembered what day it was. “Looks like you’ve got yourself a blue-sky day, Mum,” she whispered, feeling her stomach twist into knots. “Oh, how I wish I could just go for a long hike today. And when I got home, this would all be over.”
“Who’re you talking to, Aunt Ber?” Meghan asked, sitting up sleepily and rubbing her eyes. Beryl looked over in surprise, remembering that Meghan had claimed Rumer’s bed last night when she’d decided to sleep in the spare bedroom with Will.
“I’m sorry, hon,” Beryl said, sitting up. “Did I wake you?”
“No, I was awake. I didn’t sleep very well. It’s hard to get comfortable because, every time I move, my whole arm hurts.”
“You should’ve sa
id something. I’m sure you could’ve taken more pain medicine.”
“To be honest, I’m trying not to take it. Doesn’t it make you constipated?”
Beryl laughed. “Sometimes, but once you stop taking it, everything gets back to normal. If you’re in that much pain, you should take it.”
“Maybe,” Meghan said, still sounding unconvinced.
“Anyway, I was just talking to myself again!”
Meghan laughed. “I do that all the time. After all, who understands better?”
Beryl laughed too. “That’s true!” She pushed off her cover. “Are you coming down for breakfast?”
Meghan nodded. “Yup, I’ll be right down.”
“Do you need help with anything?” Beryl asked, slipping on a robe.
“Not yet, but I’ll probably need help getting dressed later.”
“Okay, just let me know.”
By ten o’clock, Will, Tommy, and Rand were showered, dressed, and gathered in the kitchen. Will glanced at his watch impatiently. “Ru, we need to get going,” he called from the bottom of the stairs.
“Be right down,” she called back. “Is Isak here yet?”
Will looked out the window again. “No, we’re just going to have to meet her there.”
“Dad,” Rand moaned, tugging at his tie. “Can you help me with this stupid tie?”
“I’ll help you,” Tommy volunteered, popping the last bite of his third piece of coffee cake in his mouth. He stood behind Rand in front of the mirror by the door and deftly showed him how to tie a perfect Windsor knot. “I used to have to wear a tie to school every day when I was your age.”
“No way!” Rand exclaimed.
“Way,” Tommy said with a grin. “I can do it blindfolded … and in my sleep.”
“You cannot!”
“Can!” Tommy said, ruffling Rand’s hair. Rand ducked away and just about knocked over his Aunt Isak, who was coming through the door, looking tired and wearing the same clothes she’d been wearing for three days.
“Hi, guys!” she said, catching him and hurrying past them and up the stairs. Beryl, Rumer, and Meghan all stopped on the stairs. “Hi, sweetie,” she said, slowing down when she reached Meghan. “How’re you feeling?”