“Are you invitin’ girls?”
“Just the family members. Grown ups. All the kids will be boys. Help me make a list, okay?”
“Okay. You got any ‘tato chips?”
“Sure. Want a root beer?”
They came up with a list of fifteen boys to invite to the party on top of all of Sam’s relatives and Jordan’s family. Gus sent Jordan home with written instructions for Frank for a sheet cake and two dozen cupcakes. He stared at the phone for a long time, then finally sighed deeply and forced himself to do it.
“Hello?” Cathy answered on the second ring.
“Hi. It’s Gus.”
“What do you want?” she snarled.
“For a bus to hit you. But Sam wants all of you to come over for his birthday. Next Saturday. Around noon—I’ll have lunch. You can bring your parents, but I’m not calling them.”
“I’ll see if we’re not busy.” She hung up on him.
“Bitch!” he yelled at the phone.
It rang a few minutes later, with Cathy’s number in the caller ID. He considered not answering, but snatched it up. “What?”
“Gus?” Maureen asked timidly.
“Oh. I’m sorry. I thought…”
“Yeah. You’re having a party for Sammy?”
“Next weekend. Yeah. You’ll come?”
“Of course! Can I help?”
“I’d like that.”
“Does he know, or is it a surprise?”
“He knows.”
“Can I talk to him?”
“My folks have him until tomorrow. I’m supposed to tell you he needs to see you tomorrow.”
“I don’t think even I got to boss everyone around the way he does when I was his age.”
“I’ll bet your sister did, though.”
She giggled a little. “She is good at it, isn’t she?”
He made a low grunting noise.
“You have plans tonight then? Company?”
He knew she was referring to Sarah and saying it in partial jest, but it brought to the surface everything he’d been trying to suppress. He sighed painfully without answering.
“Gus? You all right?”
“Mm. Really rough day. Week. Sorry. I… Can I come get you tomorrow?”
“Of course. When?”
“How’s early? I’m sure my folks would like to see you again. My dad told Sam you look like an Italian princess.”
She giggled. “Would he be too disillusioned to know I’m Irish peasant stock?”
“Heartbroken. Although at least you’re a good Catholic girl still.”
“In theory.”
“Good enough.”
“I’ll see you tomorrow then.”
“Okay.”
After drifting aimlessly from room to room, picking up stray items and brushing invisible dust off the furniture, he finally turned the stereo on to play Pink Floyd’s Wish You Were Here, and stretched out on the couch with his arm over his face.
He woke during “Shine on You Crazy Diamond Part VII” to Frodo nuzzling his cheek. He groaned and asked, “’S matter?” then realized someone was knocking on the door. With a mighty sigh he heaved himself off of the couch and staggered to the foyer, frowning in surprise to see Maureen’s MG. “Hey!”
“Hi.”
“I thought you couldn’t drive.”
“Pishaw. That’s Cathy. I ran away from home. I’m worried about you.”
“Come in. That’s nice, but why?”
“You just sounded so…down.”
“Mm. Like I said, rough week. You ever have to stand back and not do anything when something’s going on that you really want to stop?”
She frowned. “In your own life, or someone else’s?”
“Sorta both. It’s sorta one of those ideologies versus gut emotions things.”
She sat on the couch, rubbing Frodo’s ears. “You don’t have to tell me. But can I guess? Your friend…Sarah?”
He nodded, sitting next to her, looking at his hands instead of her. “Will you tell me…when did you find out about Sam? Was it before?”
“Of course not. I would’ve told you. Probably would’ve screamed it at you.” She smiled a little, shaking her head. “At first I thought I was feeling so horrible because of our breakup. But when it lasted… The doctor told me I was about ten weeks gone when I went in.”
“And you decided to keep him. Did you spend a lot of time on that? Consider abortion?”
“Not really. Like you said, good Catholic girl. And I love babies. Love little kids. I was actually pretty happy about it mostly. Even though my family acted like I was carrying Rosemary’s baby. The idea that he was yours… I figured he’d be so smart, you know? And cute.”
Gus grinned. “Glad you didn’t get a chance to discuss what sort of kid I was with my mother ahead of time.”
She smiled and touched his cheek, then looked away, her expression falling. “I knew I wasn’t okay; wasn’t feeling okay, acting okay. But I didn’t want anyone to know. I was so afraid they’d take him from me. He was so perfect…”
Gus wrapped an arm around her. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you rehash all that.”
“It’s all right. Just still sneaks up and hammers me once in awhile. How could I…?”
“But you did the right thing. That’s what matters.”
She nestled against him for a moment, then raised her head. “So she’s expecting?”
“For now.”
“She’s having it aborted?”
He nodded.
“You’re not so good with that?”
“I don’t even know. I’m not opposed to it in theory. But this isn’t theoretical. And I don’t get to make the decision. I feel sort of helpless.”
“You tell her that?”
“Sorta. But we’re not even a ‘couple’ or anything. I mean, she lives in the city and has a career and a social life there that absolutely excludes me.” He shook his head. “It’s probably for the best. I was getting tired of being treated like her boy toy anyway.”
She blushed. “TMI.”
“Yeah. Sorry.” He leaned his head back, closing his eyes.
Her cell phone rang. “That’ll be my keeper. You want to talk to her?”
This made him grin. “Really?”
She handed the phone to him.
“Hello?”
After a pause, Cathy said, “Gus?”
“Yeah.”
“I’m looking for Maureen?”
“Could you call back later? We’re fucking right now.” He hung up.
Maureen guffawed, exclaiming, “If only we could’ve been there to see her faint!”
“She’s probably washing her ear out with iodine.”
She laughed again, then suddenly pressed her mouth to his.
Around midnight they called for pizza and ate it in bed while watching South Park reruns, pausing often to kiss and chuckle and snuggle. He whispered in her hair, “I can’t believe I was ever so stupid to let you go. I can’t believe I’ve found you again.”
“Thank you for giving me another chance,” she answered.
He pulled her close, then murmured, “Let’s get married. Don’t say no. Please?”
She pulled back, surprised. “Married?”
“Please? I promise I’ll do all the laundry and dishes. I’ll make Sam learn to put the seat down on the toilet. Please?”
“You know, Tim and I were engaged for a really long time. Planning for a really long time. Big to-do.”
“Don’t I get any credit for those first few years?”
She smiled. “Oh, Gus.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means I think maybe a little private wedding might be nice. Like maybe in the spring. We already know my family won’t come, so it’ll just be yours and some friends.”
“That’s okay with you?”
“That’s perfect with me. Low stress. Intimate. Can I tell Sammy?”
“How about wh
en we pick him up tomorrow, we all go looking at rings together? He’s sure to have some refreshing views on them.”
“I’ll be the first mom on the block with a Darth Vader signet ring.”
Chapter 42
Sam ran out to greet Maureen, giving Gus a fly-by, “Hi Daddy!”
“You’re early,” his mother noted.
“Sorry.”
“You look tired. Have you eaten?”
“I’m fine, Mom. But thanks.”
“Looks like the cat who swallowed the canary, if you ask me,” his father commented.
Gus grinned, his ears heating.
“The princess there?”
“Maureen. Her name is Maureen. You’ll be wanting to remember that.”
“Oh?”
“We’re getting married.”
“Just like that?” his mother asked.
“Not just like that. We have a six-year-old child. That’s Sam’s mother. I figured you’d be happy we were able to put aside our problems so he could have two full-time parents.”
“Mm,” she grunted.
“We invited?” his father asked, smiling.
“Of course. We don’t have any real plans yet. But I do have another invitation for you—next Saturday at noon. Sam’s birthday. Lots of people coming from Maureen’s side, so we need to represent. You can invite my sisters, if you want.”
“At your house?” Evelyn clarified.
“Yeah. You’ll come? Please?”
“We’ll come. I’ll ask the girls. They’ve been wanting to see you again.”
He chuckled. “I bet.”
“Well, congratulations. I hope you know what you’re doing.”
“Thanks, Mom.”
When they headed toward the mall instead of home, Sam perked up. “Are we buyin’ me a birthday present?”
“Nope.”
“Why are we goin’ here? Jordan wants me to play with him.”
“We’re buying something for Mommy. We want you to help pick it, okay?”
Sam looked between them, frowning. “Is it an iguana?”
Maureen laughed, while Gus said, “I’m not even going to ask where that came from. No. No lizards. We’re getting her a wedding ring.”
“Oh.” Sam slumped down unhappily in his seat.
“What’s wrong?” Maureen asked him.
“I thought you wasn’t gonna marry him after all.”
“Oh! You mean Tim? No, I’m not going to marry Tim. I decided to marry that other guy I should’ve married a long, long time ago. You’ll really like him, I promise.”
“Prob’ly not.”
“You better,” Gus told him, “or he’s going to cut off your mayonnaise supply and start feeding you cabbage.”
Sam frowned confusion, looking at both of their smiles. Finally he asked her, “You mean Daddy?”
She nodded.
“You’re marryin’ my daddy?”
“What do you think about that?”
He looked at Gus. “Are you gonna kiss her and stuff?”
“Planning on it, yes.”
He turned to her. “Are you gonna live at my house now?”
“Pretty soon.”
“With your cat?”
“Yes. Are you okay with that?”
Sam took a deep breath, then raised his arms and tilted his head back. “I am super de duper delicious happy about this!”
Maureen leaned over and hugged him, whispering, “Me, too!”
Chapter 43
The weather cooperated wonderfully with the party plans; the day full of sunshine and close to 80°. October was a great month to live in Illinois; the nights cold but the days rallying and the rain at bay. It was like a gentle reminder from Nature: enjoy me. Next month it all goes gray for a long, long time.
Gus rented a helium bounce tent for the kids and lots of lawn furniture for the adults. Ellen and Maureen both came over early to help him prepare, and his mother showed up with enough of her prize potato salad to feed the township. After staying long enough to eat well, Craig took Frodo with him back to their house for a nap.
His sister, Jean, showed up with her obese two-year-old daughter and gave Sam a gift certificate for Lord and Taylor’s. Sam thanked her, adding it to the gift cards from Toys ‘R Us and WalMart and Borders that other people had given him.
“Lord and Taylor’s?” Gus asked skeptically.
“Mother suggested he might be needing a suit soon. True?” She glanced meaningfully at Maureen.
“We’re getting married. A suit from Sears would probably be enough. But thank you. Where’s your husband?”
“Said he had to work today.” She sniffed in disgust. “Probably working on his office boy.”
Gus frowned. “You’re okay with that?”
“Biding my time. When I can prove it, he’ll be lucky to have a shirt on his back.”
“Let me introduce you to my soon-to-be sister-in-law. She can help.”
Gus watched Maureen peripherally all afternoon, not wanting to hover, but also wanting to be sure she wasn’t looking distressed or abandoned. He needn’t have worried though; she was often conversing jovially with Ellen and the other mothers, or on her knees playing with the children on the lawn, or at one point receiving an unprecedented hug from his own mother. Frank commented to him, “That’s quite a lady, Gus.”
“Thanks. I think so, too.”
Finally, by dusk, the yard was clear and the guests gone and Frodo had wandered home to inspect the damage to his lawn. Sam stretched out over Gus and Maureen’s laps on the couch and told them, “That was the bestest birthday ever.”
“Good.”
“Hey, who was that woman talking to my sister all that time?” Maureen asked.
Gus grinned. “Jean. My sister. Trust me—two peas in a pod. They were plotting the downfall of Jean’s husband.”
“Ah. Poor guy.”
“Yeah. Won’t know what hit him. Did you have a nice time?”
“I did! You have such friendly neighbors. Everyone made me feel right at home.”
Sam explained, “We din’t invite Ricky’s mom. She’s mean.”
“Really? I’ll be on the lookout for her.”
“Don’t worry. She’ll waste no time tracking you down,” Gus assured her. “By the way, what did you say to my mom?”
“Hm? Oh, that! I told her I guessed you were such a good parent because of how you were raised.”
He honked out a laugh.
“Mommy,” Sam spoke up, “can we have a brother now?”
Her face fell.
Gus stepped in. “No way. Too dangerous.”
“Dangerous?” Sam looked at him.
“Yes. I have two sisters. Your mom has a sister, who has two girls. Both sides of your family lean toward girls. You don’t want a sister, do you?”
“Maybe we could train her…”
“Not how it works. They’re just born that way. Ask Angelo. Has he had any luck training his sisters?”
“Ever time he tries to, they start cryin’ and he gets in trouble.”
“See? That’s what my sisters always did, too. And they were older than me. We’ll just keep Jordan around, okay?”
“Okay. Do you like Jordan, Mommy?”
“I sure do. I like his whole family.”
“Me, too. Craig is teachin’ us kung foo fightin.’”
“Oh is he?” Gus said.
“Just for pretend. We ain’t posed to kick anyone.”
“Mm. Speaking of, I seem to recall a certain birthday boy who is way overdue for a certain birthday spanking.”
Sam started giggling.
“Maureen, you want to hold him or smack him?”
“I’ll hold.”
“Okay.” He flipped Sam over, then said, “Rats, I don’t have a big paddle with nails in it. Guess I’ll have to use my hand.”
Sam was pretending to scream between giggles now.
“One, two, three, four, five, six, and one to grow on!”
<
br /> Maureen lifted the laughing child up to kiss and hug him, tweaking his nose as she said, “And a pinch to grow an inch, and a smile to grow a mile.”
After they had tucked Sam in that night, they lounged on the couch, drinking ice tea. She quietly said, “Thanks for the rescue on the baby question.”
“Yeah. Fortunately, I know how little girls rank in this neighborhood. When Angelo’s mom had his second sister in a row last year, the other boys offered to let him come live with them.”
“I don’t think I’ve seen many little girls around. Aren’t there any older ones?”
“Probably more than boys. It’s this thing they’ve worked out themselves where the girls mostly play in the backyards and the boys play out front. Only times they merge is when it’s really hot and the sprinklers are running, or when we get a lot of snow—there’s a great sledding hill out behind the church.”
“This is such a great place to grow up in. I’m glad you took him out of the city.”
He nodded and leaned over to kiss her. “Could I ask: besides these seemingly not 100% condoms, are we using any…?”
“I have an IUD.”
“Ah. Good. Any chance you’ll stay tonight?”
“With him home?”
“He’s gonna sleep like the dead after today. I’ll have to drag him out of bed by the heels tomorrow.”
“Mm.”
“He’s going to have to get used to it eventually, right?”
“What if he hears…?”
“That’s why master bedrooms come with door locks.”
“Ah! That explains a lot.” She kissed him back, then said, “Promise to be quiet.”
“Me quiet? Which one of us is the screamer here?”
“Don’t let me. If I start screaming, cover my mouth. Promise?”
“Promise. We’ll keep a pillow handy for you to bite.”
“I could just bite you.”
“Bad idea.” He set their glasses on the table and started kissing her neck.
She pushed him away gently. “Let me use the bathroom. You take care of Frodo. I’ll meet you in the locking bedroom.”
“Deal.”
Frodo woke him at 5:00, scratching on the door. When he opened it, instead of wanting to go outside, the dog just wanted to come in the bedroom and sprawl on the floor with a groan. Gus emptied his bladder, then crawled back in bed, careful not to wake her.
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