A Pale Paradise

by Carol Anne Vick

  ******

  Phyl was wide awake now. She turned from reading the pamphlet on the Bahamas, and glanced over at Thad, who was snoring softly, his head tilted toward the window, as she had insisted that he have the window seat during this leg of the trip. She didn't have the heart to wake him, figuring that if his snoring bothered anyone, they would let her know. As she leaned back on the headrest, gazing at his handsome face, she thought about how seamlessly their lives had meshed after they had decided to marry. Funny how she had thought when she'd first moved to Lake Saint Catherine's that she would probably be alone at the lake house for years as she built her businesses, and she was fine with that, but she'd had no problem whatsoever merging her life with Thad's. There had been only one minor disagreement between them since their wedding, that she could recall, and that had been this past May, and over his daughter, Beth. Her thoughts drifted to that day, five months before...

  They knelt side by side in the enriched soil of her five-acre organic herb farm, enjoying the cool breeze wafting across the field on a gorgeous Saturday, as they began the tedious process of planting the seedlings she had been nurturing for months in her greenhouse. They had left Bear in his usual spot next to the fireplace. She would hate to see her precious seedlings dug up by their sometimes rambunctious dog. The hired crew would finish up the planting for them Monday, but she was anxious to get an early start, and she loved the fact that Thad enjoyed working with her on the land on the weekends.

  "Thad, I am fine with Beth staying with us this summer, you know that." She glanced over at him as she leaned over, pushing the root ball into the small hole she had dug in the soft soil. "I can move my tables over in the downstairs room, and she can have that space. Our home is really her home, too, you know."

  "I know that, but I think, that, with her working this summer instead of going to school as she did last year, she needs to stay in her friend's apartment." Thad reached back and grabbed another rosemary plant from the plastic tray. "Just think of this, Phyl. She and Caleb are practically engaged now." Phyl nodded, watching him as he dug a small hole and inserted the plant, pressing down the soil around it. She thought of Warren and Jamie Smith's sweet son, Caleb. He and Beth had been dating for years, and everyone knew they would be marrying after college. They just hadn't made it official yet. Now they had both finished their sophomore year. Time was flying by. She found it hard to believe that she and Thad had been married eleven months now.

  "So, what are you saying?" She and Thad carefully moved down a few feet on their knees, sliding the tray of seedlings behind them, and began repeating the process of planting.

  "I'm saying that we would have to deal with Caleb, as much as I like him, coming in and out of the house, since he's working with his father this summer." He leaned over toward her and rested one arm on his jean-clad leg, motioning to her with his gloved hand. "They might be out late. I just don't want to deal with the logistics of two nineteen year olds." She could tell that he was getting a little agitated. Phyl nodded as she planted another seedling of rosemary.

  "I understand, Thad. But, if Beth were my daughter, I'd want to hold onto her as long as I could, you know?" She sighed at the thought. How could he not want his daughter home with them for as long as possible? "I lived with my parents every summer during college. Even when I was getting my masters." She glanced over at him. "I don't remember any problems between my parents and myself." She tilted her head at him. "Maybe you're worrying too much. She's almost twenty. Give her some credit. She's very mature. She's not a little girl anymore." Phyl suddenly remembered that family portrait, with a snaggle-toothed Beth sitting in front of Thad and Angela, her hand on the golden retriever beside her, and smiled.

  "I know. They grow up fast, there's no doubt," he laughed, and scooted a few feet over along the raised row of tilled earth. "But, I know myself, Phyl, and I know Beth. We would be looking at some major father-daughter clashes over rules, and curfews. Suppose Caleb wanted to stay over?" He shook his head, and rubbed his bearded jaw against his upper arm. "If she lived with her friend, Mary, I wouldn't have a clue what she was up to, and in my opinion, that's the best option." Phyl laughed at that, taking her glove off for a moment to smooth back her hair, and she smiled at him, seeing him narrow his dark eyes at her, a slight smile on his lips. "You should have heard some of our discussions after she reached her teen years. I don't usually raise my voice, but I did with her on several occasions, I hate to say. She can be very stubborn." Phyl tried to imagine Thad and Beth in a heated argument. Yes, she could see him start to lose it with her, but only because he loved his daughter so much. "She has her own mind, Phyl, and I just feel that she's too grown now, for me to impose my rules on her."

  "You may be right."

  "I know I'm right." He took a deep breath.

  "Still, it would be nice to have her here with us. Eating breakfast together, fishing on the pier, having cook-outs, sitting by the lake and talking about life..." Her voice was soft, as she tried to persuade him. She replaced her glove and dug another small hole.

  "We can still do those things, Phyl." Hmm..m..now she could see where Beth got her stubborn streak. "She and Caleb would just have to leave afterwards." He leaned over closer to her and smiled, the crease at the side of his mouth deepening and his eyes crinkling, as he looked straight into her eyes, and half-winked at her. "And, we could lead our own life."

  Ah..h. So that was the real reason. She narrowed her eyes back at him and thought about it. Well, that would make sense, they were still newly-weds, weren't they? Thad was only forty-four. And having recently started a new life with her, might not want their time together disturbed. They did have a very active love-life, and to her, he seemed to have the energy of a man in his twenties. Phyl understood now. Beth being around would also impinge on their privacy. Thad was enjoying his time now with her, and she really would hate to see that change. All right, she would give him this one, she smiled to herself.

  "You win," she had said simply, as she bent down and inserted another plant in the soil. She could see out of the corner of her eyes the slightly surprised look on his face, that she had ceded so easily.....

  Phyl smiled at the memory as she watched Thad sleep, knowing now that he had been right all along. Beth had enjoyed the freedom of her summer with friends, and with several get-togethers with family over the course of the summer, everyone seemed happy, and no one was stressed out. She glanced at her watch, seeing that they should be approaching the Bahamas any time now, and she turned her head back toward the sound of a baby crying. She smiled as she saw a young mother two rows back patting her distressed baby as she held him upright against her shoulder. She smiled at the mother as she caught her eye, and nodded pleasantly. She was sure the mother thought her baby was disturbing the passengers around her, but Phyl thought the sound was lovely. Hearing the pilot's announcement that they would soon be landing in New Providence Island, Phyl turned back around, reached over and shook Thad's shoulder.

  "Thad, we're landing." She saw him open his eyes, blink several times, and stare out the window, stretching his jaw muscles a little. He shook his head softly as he sat up, slanting his dark eyes at her as he repositioned his legs in the cramped quarters.

  "I'm surprised I could sleep," he smiled at her, as they buckled up. Neither of them were used to taking naps during the day, so this had been unusual, but she thought the stress of the trip had been on their minds constantly since Jonathan's first phone call, and a little more rest certainly couldn't hurt. They peered through the tiny window, seeing the blue ocean rise up toward them, then the land appeared, and they watched as the plane circled over the north side of the island, and they saw Paradise Island, a sliver of an island off the north coast. Then the plane flew over the eastern part of New Providence Island as it lowered in altitude, and they could see the entire island, with its interior lakes. As the plane banked, they could make out the low buildings of the capital, Nassau, and they tried to guess where their hotel
was located. Then, preparing for landing, the plane circled the south side and lowered over a very soggy and eroded-looking coastline, and finally touched down cleanly on the runway of Nassau International Airport.