“Sure.”
“Try to be one hundred percent focused on your maternity leave. The job will be there when you get back, and somebody else can make arrangements for renting the house.”
I sighed.
“You’re right.”
“Just keep bonding with your sweet baby boy. He needs you.”
A floodgate of tears let loose. Abby wasn’t saying anything bad. I was just so used to trying to be superwoman. It didn’t occur to me that I could be potentially focused on all the wrong things.
Abby gently placed John William in his bassinet.
“Come here and give your big sis a hug.”
She held me for what seemed like an eternity and allowed me to cry out all of my exhaustion.
“Thank you. I needed that. I feel so much better.”
“Oh, well, if that’s all you needed to feel better I can come over and make you cry again tomorrow if you’d like.”
I let out a good snort and found myself in the middle of a laughing spell.
“Listen, I have an idea. Maggie is well entertained and John William is napping. I feel like the biggest gift I could offer you is free time to get some rest. Go on up and join Ethan. John William will be fine.”
“Oh, Abby, I couldn’t. You came over here to visit with me.”
“We have plenty of time to visit. These opportunities don’t come along often. You better take advantage,” she said.
“But…”
“Rebecca, as your oldest sister I won’t take no for an answer, and I might put you over my knee if you don’t quit arguing with me.” Abby cleared her throat.
When we were little kids and I was being naughty, sometimes mom would send Abby after me. I remember it just like it was yesterday.
“Alright. I won’t argue with you as long as you promise to wake me if I sleep past an hour.”
“I will not. You sleep as long as you need to. Worse case scenario Ethan can take over when he gets up.”
“Alright… are you sure?”
“Rebeccaaaa!”
“Okay, I’m gone.”
I hugged Abby one last time then tip toed upstairs to take a much needed nap. Even though we spent most of our lives bumping heads growing up, I was thankful that we had finally bonded over motherhood, something we both held near and dear to our hearts.
Alice
It was around noon on Thursday when the doorbell rang. I wasn’t expecting Stanley this week. He hadn’t spoken to me since he last saw me with Carl. Who could blame him? I felt like a fool for putting myself on public display, and even worse for breaking his heart.
“Stanley. I didn’t think you were coming today.”
He stood holding my usual cup of Chamomile tea with a slice of pound cake in a bag.
“I almost didn’t. I can leave if you want me to.”
“No, please come in.”
He walked past me and laid everything down on the kitchen counter. Still standing with his back facing me he began to speak.
“I rehearsed everything I wanted to say a thousand times. Now that I’m here, I don’t know where to begin.”
“I know. I’m sorry, Stanley.”
“Do you know? … Do you know what it feels like to look up and see the woman you love entangled with another man?”
“I … well, no. I guess I don’t know what it’s like to be on the receiving end of that. I do know that I never meant to hurt you.”
There was nothing I could say in this moment that would ever be good enough. He turned around and faced me.
“Do you love him?” He hung his head low.
“I don’t know. I’m still trying to figure it out.”
“Well, I guess I have myself to blame for that. Here I thought we had something special. But clearly I wasn’t enough for you.”
“Stanley, I don’t mean any harm, but up until today, I’ve never really known where you and I stood. Today was the first time I’ve ever heard you use the word love as it pertains to us.”
He thought about it before he began speaking.
“Everyone has different strengths. I’ve never been a man of many words but I’ve always been here for you. I thought that meant something.”
He started making his way back toward the foyer before turning around.
“Every time I walk through that door with your favorite tea I’m doing it because I love you. Every time I fix something for you I’m also demonstrating that you can count on me. That’s my way of screaming from the mountain top that I love you. Sure… could I do a better job at being more forward about it? Clearly the answer is yes. But I don’t know how you couldn’t see love standing right here in front of you, Alice. I just don’t get it.”
I was crushed. He turned to leave and shared a few parting words on his way out the door.
“I’ll give you time to think things through, Alice. But you should know that I’m not walking away without trying my best to win you over. Mr. Suave can’t just swoop his way in and ruin what we have. Not unless you want him to.”
Stanley closed the door behind him. I had to sit to keep from falling.
I tried taking it all in but the phone rang.
“Hello?”
“Good afternoon. Is this Ms. Alice Miller?”
“Yes, who is this?”
“This is Veronica calling from T&T Marketing. If you have a moment we’d love to talk to you to review your account and tell you about a few of our promotions.”
“Thank you, but I’m not interested.”
“I see. Ma’am, perhaps you’d like to take a moment to hear about the…”
I hung up the phone. May the good Lord forgive me, but the last person I need to hear from is another telemarketer during a time like this.
The phone rang again.
“Ma’am, I told you I’m not interested. And, I’d prefer that you’d kindly remove my number from your list please.”
“Alice?”
“Carl?”
“Yes, it’s me. Are you okay?”
“Oh, Carl. I’m sorry. I constantly receive calls from telemarketers. I guess I allowed the last one to get under my skin.”
“Who can blame you? Marketing calls and robo calls can be frustrating. Perhaps I can cheer you up?” he said.
“That’s sweet of you, Carl, but I’ll be fine.”
“I know you’ll be fine, but I called because I feel like spoiling you this evening, if you’re free?”
I hesitated for a moment. I barely had time to think about what just happened with Stanley. All I really wanted was a quiet evening alone.
“Carl, I don’t know about this evening. I think I’m more in the mood for a quiet evening at home.”
“Okay, a quiet evening at home it is. I’ll bring supper to you. I’ll bring your favorite bottle of wine. And, if you want I can stay quiet the whole time. It will be like I’m not even there.”
“What’s the point of coming if you’re going to be quiet? You can’t do that.”
“I can do anything for you, Alice. Therefore, I’m coming and I won’t take no for an answer. I can be there by six.”
“Alright, I’ll see you then.”
I caved in. I really didn’t want to spend the evening with anyone. I just wanted to sift through my quiet thoughts but my guilty conscious got the best of me. I never expected to be in my early seventies trying to decide between two men. Carl knew how to deliver the romance, but Stanley always makes me feel at home. I closed my eyes and drifted off for a little while.
It felt like an hour had passed before the doorbell rang.
“Carl?”
He stood on my porch holding several bags.
“You seem surprised. I told you I’d be here at six.”
“You’re fine. I closed my eyes to rest for a little while and must’ve fallen asleep longer than planned.”
“That means you needed the rest. Where can I put everything?”
“Follow me. You can lay everything over here on the
kitchen table. We can even eat in here if it’s okay with you.”
“It’s fine with me.”
“I need a minute to go freshen up and I’ll be right back. Do you need anything from me first?”
“The restaurant set us up with utensils so I should be good.”
“Okay, well just in case, extra utensils are in the drawer to your right. I’ll be right back.”
I went to the restroom to fluff up my hair, rinse my mouth out, and touch up my make-up. Since he went to all this trouble the least I could do was look presentable.
“Alice, I hope you’re not in there fussing in the mirror. You already look beautiful to me,” Carl yelled from the kitchen.
“I’ll be right there.”
I took a deep breath, fluffed my hair one more time, and returned.
“Everything smells wonderful. What did you decide to get?”
“We have your favorite Italian cuisine. Nothing but the best for the lady. As a matter of fact let me serve you. Have a seat.”
“Carl, you don’t have to…”
“Eh, eh. No arguing. Allow me to take care of you,” he said.
He pulled out my chair for me.
“Tonight we have chicken piccata with lemon caper sauce. We also have a bottle of Chardonnay and a surprise dessert for your dining pleasure.”
“Wow. You really put a lot of thought into everything, didn’t you?”
“Yes, as I said. Only the best for you.”
He poured a glass of wine for the two of us and then joined me at the table.
“Well, don’t just sit there. Mangia, mangia!”
“Don’t worry. You don’t have to tell me twice.”
We sat and ate quietly which was different for us. Normally we had so much to say. The food was delicious. Even the gesture was sweet. But something in the atmosphere was different with us tonight.
“Is everything okay with the food?”
“Oh yes, it couldn’t be better.”
“How about the wine?”
“It’s perfect. Carl, you did a lovely job with dinner. There’s absolutely nothing to complain about.”
He smiled. “Well, it’s not like I cooked it or anything. But, I tried my best.”
“That, you did.”
We continued to sit in awkward silence. The sound of the forks scraping along the plates became my point of focus. I knew I was consumed in my own thoughts after Stanley came over earlier, but I was afraid it was starting to show.
“Alice.”
“Yes?”
“Is everything okay with you this evening? You don’t seem like your usual bubbly self.”
“I’m sorry, Carl. I guess I underestimated how tired I was.”
“I hope you’re not coming down with anything.”
“No, I’ll be fine. I’m sure it’s nothing a good night’s rest can’t cure. I’m sorry for being such a party pooper.”
“It’s my fault. You tried to tell me earlier and I insisted on coming over just the same.”
“Oh, Stanley… I mean… Carl. It’s not your fault.”
I took another bite into my food. There was no covering up the fact that I clearly called him Stanley out loud. What was I thinking? I was quietly screaming on the inside for being so stupid but on the outside I tried to gloss it over.
“Ahh, so maybe that’s why you’re so distracted this evening. Who’s Stanley?”
I swallowed my last piece of chicken while praying for help to get out of this one.
“I don’t know what I was thinking. Stanley is just a friend of mine. I really meant to say your name. That’s how I know I’m tired. I’m getting all of my friends’ names mixed up.”
I tried not to ramble but I don’t think it worked. Carl put his fork down and wiped his mouth with a napkin.
“Interesting,” he said.
“What’s interesting?”
“For the last few months I always thought you viewed me as more than just a friend. I guess I was wrong.”
I’m certain this would normally be the time to respond with words of reassurance but I didn’t know what to say.
“What makes you say a thing like that?”
“Well, for one thing, you just said ‘I’m getting all my friends mixed up.’ I figure that’s a good indicator that you consider me to be one of your friends, don’t you?”
“Stanley… Carl… ugh!” I dropped my fork down on the plate out of frustration. How could I be so careless to mess up his name twice? I was never one for putting on a good poker face. It was all going down hill from here.
“Carl. I apologize. I have a lot on my mind this evening and clearly I’m distracted.”
“Stanley…” Carl was trying to jog his memory.
“He’s the guy that saw us kissing on the front porch. I thought he was just a friend. Why would a friend have you so distracted?”
I took a deep breath.
“He is my friend. I haven’t been involved with anyone romantically since you and I have been seeing one another. But… today he revealed his true feeling and…”
“Let me guess… you have feelings for him.”
“I hadn’t considered it until now. I always thought things were strictly platonic.”
“But it’s weighing on your mind, which means you are considering it now.”
I quietly shook my head yes. I didn’t have all the answers but I knew it was at least worth considering.
Carl started to gather his utensils and cleaned up his side of the table.
“Alice, that’s disappointing for me to hear. I’d rather you tell me you’re not interested at all. But, since you didn’t, I think you need to take the time necessary to decide what you want to do. I’m not a selfish man, but I’d rather have your undivided attention.”
He was right. Now that I reached this fork in the road, I needed to do something about it.
Carl stood and began clearing our plates.
“I’ll get the dishes. Please don’t worry about that.” I reached over to take the plates. He reached back and held my hand.
“Whatever you decide just know that I genuinely do care about you.”
I put the plates down and gave Carl a hug. He could’ve handled this evening so many different ways but chose to take the high road, and for that I was grateful.
He began to gather his things to leave.
“Are you leaving without having dessert?” I asked.
“Yeah, I think you need time to be alone, like you were graciously requesting earlier. I feel terrible for not listening to you.”
“Oh, Carl, don’t be foolish. You can stay and eat dessert.”
“No. Trust me. It’s the perfect comfort food for times like this. The restaurant included plastic forks in the bag. Kick up your feet, put on a good movie, and eat until your heart is content.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m sure.”
He kissed my hand, wished me a good night, and left.
After locking the door I returned to the kitchen to see what he brought for dessert. He was right. Cheesecake was the perfect comfort food. Now that I think about it… two men had walked in and out of my door today. However, the only thing providing me with any real comfort tonight was my couch and a piece of cheesecake.
Payton
The months that followed flew by so quickly I could barely keep up. Cole finally got his cast off but walked with a little limp. And, at the store, Abby was helping out since Natalie needed to take time to be with her mother who was ill.
“How’s everything going with wedding planning?”
“If you would’ve asked me this question even a week ago I would’ve responded differently. But, now that the DJ has been secured I can’t think of anything else to plan.”
“Really? Go girl! With two months left what on earth are you going to do with yourself?”
“Ha ha!”
“I’m being serious. I thought you would be planning all the way up until the last hour.”
“I thought so, too. I went over my checklist multiple times. Hair, make-up, food, the cake, the photographer, the rental company, the invitations, and rsvp’s. Cole even has his suit picked out. And, with you, Rebecca, and Emmie wearing different shades of mauve, I don’t see how we can go wrong.”
“Oh, okay. What about your honeymoon?”
“All set. We’re going to Tahiti. I’m so excited about it. I can’t remember the last time I took a real vacation.”
“Um, last time I checked you’re getting married on the beach and will be living in a beach house when you return from your honeymoon. Your whole life is centered around one big vacation. Now what about Emmie? Is she staying with Alice while you’re in Tahiti?”
“Yes, Alice is such a Godsend. I can’t think of one time she hasn’t made herself available to look after Emmie when needed.”
“I wonder if she’s going to feel lonely once you move in. Think about it. You will be there, so there won’t be a need for her to worry about taking care of Emmie. I mean, I’m sure you guys will still welcome her to come around whenever she wants to visit, but still.”
“Honestly, I think she’ll be fine. She may miss some of the routines, but the last time we had a chance to chat it seemed like her love life was keeping her on her toes.”
“Oh?” Abby seemed intrigued.
“Yeah. We should have another get-together with just the ladies. That way we can invite Alice and play catch up.”
“What about Rebecca? I think she’s just starting to get into some sort of groove with John William. I doubt she’ll want to break the routine.”
“It doesn’t have to be an overnight event or anything major. We’ll work out something that’s conducive to everyone’s schedule.”
“Sounds good to me.”
I climbed the step ladder to grab a few items on the top shelf. The bells on the front door rang. There was something about hearing the sound of those bells that reminded me of an old fashioned store.
“What are you doing here?” I overheard Abby say.
“I’m here to see Payton.” The male voice sounded all too familiar. It was my ex-husband, Jack. I froze on the step stool.
“Jack, the last time you showed up uninvited, Payton asked you never to come around again. I remember it clearly because I was at my parents’ house that day.”
A Pelican Beach Affair (Pelican Beach Book 3) Page 5