Possible breakups, surprise parental visits, painful memories…all in three days…made for a ceaseless burning sensation in his chest.
“Son,” his father said finally, pacing over the Persian rug, “your mother was right. She said, and I admit it’s true, I’ve always focused more on Jacob. His interest in the company was so apparent. For a long time I’d hoped it would be that way for you, too. That your interest would grow.”
His father’s voice wasn’t accusatory exactly—at least nothing like the way it’d been for the past several years—but his message was clear: Garrett hadn’t lived up to his expectations and now, at best, his father was resigned to that.
“I’m sorry if my lack of passion for the business disappointed you,” Garrett said gently.
“So you’ll try again then,” his father said. A statement, not a question. “We’ll put the past behind us and work on the company together. I can see you’ve matured, and you’re building a good, strong reputation for yourself. I think we can get beyond our differences now.”
“Look, Dad, I don’t want you and Mom to think I’m trying to get even with you for whatever you believe you did to me. I’m not pulling away from the company because of some childish vengeance game. But what you said about me maturing—that’s exactly the point. In many ways you were right about Jacob being the son best suited to leading the Ellis Corporation through these next decades. And maybe, for a while, I resented the attention he got as a result. But eventually I understood. I grew up, particularly this past year. And I got over it.”
He stood, put his arm around his mother’s shoulders. “So, I’m not saying no to going back because I’m bitter about my childhood. I’m saying no because I finally found the right niche for me. And it’s here.”
Another thought of Cait skittered through his mind. The way she was like human sunshine in his life. How her affectionate and warm spirit battled the world for those she loved. The fears that were a part of her, too, which made her vulnerable…and also that much more precious. But, much as he wanted to, he couldn’t dwell on her right now. His mom’s tears were splashing on him.
“Honey, you’ve been away for months and months,” she said. “First, all over the Eastern seaboard and, now, way out here. You’ve proven you could do well. Your superintendent’s been raving about you to whoever will listen.” She smiled through the tears. “But we need you near us. If not in Connecticut, at least closer to home. Why not get involved with the company again? Work with Jacob?”
“I’d be an imposter, Mom. Don’t you understand that?” Garrett said, realizing he was speaking the whole truth to his parents at last. “It’d be like when Jacob and I were kids, and how I always had to dress like him, follow him around the house, eat baloney and cheese sandwiches for lunch just because that was his favorite—even though I really loved peanut butter and jelly.”
He sighed and held his mom tighter. “I trailed after him all through high school, went to the same college, stopped just short of mimicking his career choice and studying law. But it was obvious that wasn’t the profession for me. And that was the first time I knew I couldn’t imitate Jacob any longer. It’s just taken me years to admit it and act on it.”
“But maybe you could find your own manner of being in the business,” she said. “Marianne paints fruit, after all. You wouldn’t have to lead in the same way Jacob does.”
“I couldn’t if I wanted to, Mom. My focus was different from the start. You know it was. Dad, as I recall, quickly picked up on that. Even my years working for the company full time didn’t change me into the kind of corporate director type you wanted.”
Garrett saw the raw pain in his father’s eyes. “I don’t know what more to offer besides my apology, Garrett. About that night in December—I was angry. I spoke carelessly. You’re my son. I would never exclude you from the family.” He paused, swallowed. “I hadn’t thought what I’d said then would lead to this.”
“I know. And I know now you didn’t mean those words as literally as I’d taken them, but they got me thinking. They set me on a different course. And, I realized this fall, I’m not entirely disappointed with that. I’ve found my place. Finally.”
The venerable Macauley Ellis sighed. “We’ll respect your decision, son. We’re proud of you.” He paused, and Garrett held his breath. “I’m proud of you,” his father concluded.
Garrett hadn’t dreamed he’d ever hear those words from his father’s mouth, at least not directed at him. The tightness gripping his heart eased a little as the sense of peace flooded in. After their awful argument on New Year’s Eve, he’d thought their relationship would never recover. But he was wrong. It might take time and effort, but it was possible. Words could hurt, but they could also heal.
“Thanks…Dad.”
His father caught his eye at that and held his gaze for a long moment. Then he nodded to him once more before walking out.
Garrett pulled his mom even closer to him. “I love you two very much,” he whispered in her ear. “But I’ve put some thought into this. Wisconsin is where I’m staying.”
“If we ever need your help—really and truly—with the company, will you be there?”
“Absolutely. If the Ellis Corporation—or, more importantly, you—really and truly need me for anything, you can count on me to be there. I promise.” He looked her in the eye. “Although Marianne is a much better choice for second in command. Don’t underestimate her.”
This made his mother smile. “I won’t. I was just thinking about promoting her myself.” She squeezed him tight. “You’ll come home to visit sometimes? Often?”
“Yes.”
“You’ll bring your wife back with you, too?”
“I don’t have a wife.”
“No,” his mother said, her eyes bright. “Not yet, you don’t. But maybe if you stopped trying to battle the past you would.” She squeezed him again. “Don’t listen to Jacob when it comes to women. Listen to Marianne, and listen to me. You can trust us.”
Somehow he knew what was coming, but he let her say it anyway.
“Cait’s wonderful. If she needs you half as much as you need her, the two of you might finally have a chance to grow together.” She hesitated. “If you love her, that is.”
He nodded. “I love her, Mom.”
***
For Cait, the afternoon was sinking to an unprecedented low. While shopping at the Grocery Mart, she ran into the Koolemars.
“How are you, dear?” Audrey called out. “Hoped you and Garrett might drop by to visit us before now. Hectic schedule?”
Cait almost cried. For a brief time she’d been so happy, so in love, that work had achieved a proper balance with the rest of her life. Things had been easier, though, back when she just threw all her energy into her career. If she returned to that way of living, she’d never again get derailed by a man. She’d never again have to spend another day wallowing in self-pity.
“Until we see you next,” Mr. Koolemar said, rummaging through his jacket pocket, “take this coupon. Just had ‘em printed up.”
Cait read the writing in the light blue square. “Good for One free pint of Kool Kreme Ice Kreamations. Eat and Enjoy!” She looked at the older couple. “For me?” she asked, her spirits lifting a bit.
“Of course. Grocery Mart’s stocking six different flavors in frozen foods, aisle five. And here—” he reached in his pocket again to retrieve another slip. “Give this one to Garrett. Or, better yet, tell that boy to get himself over to the workshop. I’ve got a peach-mint combo he’s gonna love.”
“Thanks,” she said, her spirits plummeting again. “I’ll make sure he gets it.”
“That goes for you, too, honey-bunch,” Audrey said with a wave. “Don’t you be a stranger, now.”
Cait swallowed back the pain. She picked up a complementary pint of Brazen Raisin-Maple Swirl, enough groceries and tissues to keep her supplied for the next eighteen hours and a stack of Cary Grant, Jimmy Stewart and Gregory Peck
films from MovieWorld, the DVD place next door. She was prepared to weep all the way through Roman Holiday if she had to. Knowing the end, who wouldn’t?
She could feel the tears starting to fall already.
***
After his parents left, Garrett flipped through the photographs Georgina Walsh had lent him that moving-day weekend. He’d put up a few around the condo to tease Cait when she was here but most were still in the envelope. They weren’t his to keep, he knew. They were an offering from a caring mother to her daughter’s then-boyfriend. A way to bond them. To connect them through time. But they were meant to be returned.
Garrett picked up the phone and hit the speed dial.
“Hello? Hello?” the familiar voice said.
“Hiya, Sis. What’s up?”
She laughed. “Boy, oh boy, are you ever lucky I’m in Philly right now instead of somewhere nearby. Mom called me from the plane. Couldn’t even wait to land, she had so many questions to ask. You might’ve given me a little warning you were abdicating the throne completely, big brother.”
Garrett grinned. He could hear the pride in her voice, though. “You’re the right lady for the job,” he said. “Jacob doesn’t know what’s gonna hit him.”
“Oh, don’t try to flatter me, G, but…thanks.” Her voice was so soft. Sometimes he forgot how vulnerable she could be underneath her tough edges. She’d been overshadowed for too long also. Not by one big brother, but by two.
“You’re welcome,” he said. “And you can repay me by offering your artistic consulting services on a project I’m doing.”
“Is it for Cait?”
“Not directly,” he admitted. He wasn’t prepared to fill Marianne in on their relationship angst just yet. He wanted a happier ending first. “But I think she’ll appreciate the idea.”
“Good enough for me. What can I do?”
STEP 15:
Scoop the ice cream into bowls.
(Use a big spoon.)
Garnish with a cherry on top.
~From Mr. Koolemar’s Top Secret,
Kool Kreme Ice Kreamations Recipe Book, pg. 97
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
“I’m really not in the mood to drive out there for dinner, Dianne,” Cait told her sister-in-law over the telephone that night, trying to camouflage a teary sniffle with a phony cough.
“Did you come down with a cold?”
“Not exactly. I’m not feeling great, though.”
“Well, your mom’s been asking about you. She hasn’t seen you in four whole days. Your niece wants a playmate, and you know there’s no reasoning with a toddler. But, most importantly, Seth and I need a good excuse to order Chinese takeout. C’mon. You’d be doing us all a favor here.”
Cait smiled through her tears. The old-movie marathon didn’t provide nurturing like the comfort of a family member’s voice. “You’re trying to be nice, Dianne. I appreciate the call but—”
“I’m not being nice, and saying no isn’t an option. Get your body in your car now.”
Cait knew from experience the battle was over, so she gave in, switched off Mr. Smith Goes to Washington and washed her face until no more tears were visible.
When she arrived at the house, an exuberant Mia greeted her.
“Auntie Cait!” the little girl cried, throwing her body against her and kissing her face three times in a row.
“Hi, sweetie. How are you?”
“Good. I got a fwoggie.” Mia waved her new toy puppet at Cait and made the frog’s mouth move. “Wibbit. Wibbit.”
Mia and her frog raced out of the room chasing Gibberish just as Cait’s mother appeared at the bottom of the stairs.
“I heard voices,” she said with a drowsy smile aimed in Cait’s direction. “How are you, sweetie—”
The doorbell rang.
Cait saw a glance pass between her brother and his wife. She stiffened. “Were you expecting someone else for dinner?”
“Oh, yeah,” Dianne said, in a faux-offhanded way. “Garrett called earlier and asked to stop by.”
Before Cait could scream, “What?” Seth swung open the door.
“Gawett!” Mia exclaimed, running back into the room and throwing herself at him, the little turncoat.
“Hey, buddy, nice to see you,” Seth said, opening the door wider to accommodate the man and the large gift-wrapped package he was holding.
“Hi…everyone,” Garrett said. To his credit he seemed genuinely surprised to see her there. Either he didn’t plan this meeting or he had an acting background she wasn’t aware of.
Since Cait hadn’t told Seth and Dianne about her last conversation with Garrett, she tried to gauge the look on Garrett’s face to see if he’d said something to them. No expression.
“So, what have you got there?” Seth asked, pointing to the thin, silver-foil-wrapped rectangle.
“It’s for your mom,” he said. Garrett grinned at her mother. “I hope you like it, Mrs. Walsh.”
Mom clasped her hands together. “A present for me?”
“Yep, in a way.”
“Is it my birthday?” It was a serious question. Her mom squinted at Cait and Seth.
“No, not yet,” Seth said.
“But we can celebrate anyway,” Dianne declared.
Garrett presented the package to her mother, who sat regally in Seth’s brown-leather armchair.
“Next week it’ll be Veteran’s Day here in the States,” Garrett said. “In Canada and the U.K. the holiday is called Remembrance Day. Everywhere, though, the focus is on the importance of memories—and especially those of people who are no longer with us.” He indicated with a gentle gesture that Mom should rip open the paper.
“Oh, my favorite photographs!” her mother cried. “Seth on his tricycle, Cait’s first ballet recital, my darling Hank…” She turned the glass-covered and framed picture montage around for everyone to see. The effect was breathtaking.
“Marianne’s an infinite source of artistic wisdom,” Garrett said. “I asked her a hundred questions about arranging them, so if you’re not happy with it…blame her.” He smirked. “Then again, she was consulting long distance, so if you don’t like it, it’s my fault.”
“It’s beautiful, Garrett,” Dianne gushed. “All of these treasured family moments in one place.”
“Cool idea,” Seth said, scanning the photos and nodding.
Mom’s eyes were damp. “Thank you,” she whispered to him.
Garrett smiled at her. “You’re very welcome. I thought, maybe, you might like it for your new room.”
Her mother kissed his cheek, and Cait felt tears spring into her own eyes when she witnessed it. No one could give Mom a firm grasp of the present time, but Garrett had given her a precious depiction honoring her past. His thoughtfulness stunned Cait even more than the hours of work he must have spent on the project.
“What a lovely gesture, Garrett,” Cait said.
He moved near her, the tips of their shoes in intimate contact. An anguished expression crossed his face.
“So, you’re back,” she said.
He nodded. “Since late last night.”
Then Seth asked him a question and he turned away. Mia twirled in circles. Dianne made a few light jokes to delight Mom. All this love in the room and, yet, Cait felt disconnected from it while things were so off track with Garrett. He had come back, yes, but the determination she’d seen in Janine Ellis’s eyes convinced Cait it probably wouldn’t be a permanent return. The sense of loss wrung her soul, and she knew there was just no way she could keep up the pretense of everything being all right for an entire evening.
Slipping on her jacket, she reached in her pocket for car keys and felt a piece of paper crunch. The ice cream coupon.
“I, actually…need to go,” she told Dianne.
“But you just got here,” her sister-in-law said, looking stunned. “I have dinner waiting in the—”
“Thanks, anyway. I’m sorry to have to rush out. Another time, maybe.”
She raised her voice. “See you all later.” She handed the coupon to Garrett. “This is from the Koolemars. They asked me to give it to you.”
She saw Seth and Dianne exchange another look at her reserved manner with Garrett and her sudden departure, but she ignored them and braced herself for the nippy night. She entered it without a backward glance.
***
Garrett watched her leave, his fingers still clutching the paper she’d handed him. Didn’t she know what a hollow pleasure eating a pint of ice cream was now? He resented her escape all the more when Seth and Dianne transferred their stares from Cait to him. He might’ve been an idiot to call and set himself up for something like this, but he didn’t know she’d be there, and he sure hadn’t expected the woman to run away from him on sight.
Thanks to that, he was probably in for some kind of lecture on how not to upset Princess Caitlin. Maybe if he could make it through ten more minutes, he could go home, too. He wished he’d have thought to exit first.
Seth’s eyes narrowed to a calculating squint. “So, Garrett, want a beer?”
“Why not?” he said automatically. “Thanks.” He drank two beers before he remembered why not. Now he couldn’t leave in ten minutes. Couldn’t drive for at least an hour. And his mind metamorphosed into something all bleary and philosophical.
Dianne handed him a plate of Chinese food he wasn’t hungry for and left the room with Mia and Georgina. Seth flipped on ESPN. He knew Seth had to be counting down the minutes until he was weak enough. Then the guy would read him the riot act for sure.
After half of a depressing college basketball game, Garrett couldn’t take it any longer. “Just say what you need to say, Seth, will you?”
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