The Real Thing

by Linda Rettstatt

  “I’m sorry if it spoiled your evening.”

  Rob shrugged. “It’s okay. Do you think we could go out tomorrow and get a tree?”

  “No need. Your mom got one today, all on her own.” As soon as the words were out, Mitch wished he could draw them back.

  Frowning Rob asked, “How do you know?”

  “I stopped by a while ago, before coming to pick you up.” As he remembered his ‘stopping by,’ heat rushed into his face.

  “Kristi comes home tomorrow.”

  “I know. I’m getting her from the airport.”

  “This is so weird. Are you coming home for Christmas? I mean, we’ve always had Christmas morning together as a family.”

  Mitch hadn’t thought that far ahead. If things were strained between him and Jane before, he was pretty sure the tension would be magnified times ten after their earlier lovemaking session. “I don’t know. That’s up to your mom. We’ll see.” He glanced toward the house to see the blinds of one of the front windows part and Jane peer out. “Your mom’s wondering what’s going on. You better go on inside. I’ll see you tomorrow when I bring Kristi home.”

  Rob opened the door and got out, then said, “Kristi and I aren’t little kids any more, you know. We have a right to know if you and Mom are getting divorced.”

  The word ‘divorced’ zinged around in Mitch’s chest like a ricocheting bullet. “No one’s talking about divorce. And, for the record, I know you’re not a kid anymore. You’re a young man and I’m proud of you.”

  Rob ducked his head and mumbled, “Night, Dad.”

  Mitch watched as the front door opened and Jane stepped back to let Rob inside. He wanted to get out of the SUV and follow, go back into his home, have a late-night cup of tea with Jane and hear about her day. He wanted to go back, further than the point at which he’d left. Back to when they were happy.

  ~ * ~

  “Rob? I thought you were spending the weekend with your dad. What happened?” Jane followed her son to the kitchen.

  Rob opened the fridge and removed a can of soda, popping the tab and taking a long drink before belching. “Excuse me.” He headed for the stairs.

  “I asked you a question.”

  He stopped and mumbled, “Nothing. I just didn’t want to be with him.”

  “What? Why not?” He shrugged and Jane grabbed his arm before he could hurry up the stairs. “Robbie, what happened between you and your father?”

  He faced her, his face flushed, fighting tears. “Ask him.” He pulled away and raced up the stairs, slamming his bedroom door.

  “Don’t worry. I will.” She fought the urge to pick up the phone and call Mitch right away. She’d rather to confront him face to face. Tomorrow would be soon enough when he brought Kristi from the airport.

  Wide awake now, Jane retreated to her office. But assumptions about what must have happened between Rob and his father swarmed her head like angry bees. She did what she did best—she wrote it all out, every possible scenario. Next thing she knew, three chapters had been written and her book was suddenly back on track, after one little plot change.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Mitch parked in the short-term lot at the airport and went inside to meet his daughter in baggage claim. He spied her before she saw him. She was so beautiful, reminding him a lot of Janie when they’d first met. But Kristi was not like her mother in some ways. She bore a self-confidence, a self-assurance that had taken Janie time to develop. His daughter was becoming a woman, ready to take on the world on her own terms. His eyes misted and he hesitated, before approaching her.

  “Daddy!” Kristi threw herself into his arms.

  “Hi, baby. You have a good flight?”

  “Perfect. It’s so good to be home.”

  He smiled and hugged her tighter. “It’s good to have you home.”

  She pointed to her bags and he removed them from the conveyor. “You here for the holidays or moving back?” he teased.

  “You wish.”

  Once they were in the SUV and pulling from the garage, Kristi’s mood changed to serious. “Okay, Dad, tell me the truth. What’s going on with you and Mom?”

  Even he didn’t buy the explanation any longer that they were ‘just taking a little break.’ He wasn’t sure what they were doing. “It’s not that unusual for a married couple to….” Oh, hell. “…take a little break.”

  Kristi leveled her gaze on him. Janie’s gaze. “That’s bull and you know it, Dad. I’m not twelve years old anymore. I deserve the truth.”

  She was right. She did deserve the truth. If only he knew what that was. “It’s not that simple. Maybe we should talk about this later, once we’re at home.”

  “Which home would that be?”

  The question hit his gut like a sucker punch. “Back at the house.” He concentrated on merging into parkway traffic. Then he said, “Your mom and I love each other, and we love you and your brother. We’re family. We’ll always be family.”

  She stared out the side window and he heard her sniff.

  “Honey, it’s going to be okay. It is okay. I promise.” Was this a promise he could keep?

  Kristi was out of the SUV and racing toward the house before he’d turned off the engine. He pulled her luggage from the back and lugged it inside, setting it at the bottom of the stairs by the front door. He stood for a moment, unsure of what to do. Should he stay? Should he call out to Jane and see if she invited him to stay? Or should he just—leave?

  Before he could decide, Jane came through the living room. “We need to talk.” The dark look in her eyes gave him pause.

  Four words he really didn’t want to hear. No good conversation ever started with them. “Uh—okay. I’ll just take off my boots and jacket.”

  She turned, calling back, “I’ll be in my office.”

  He suddenly felt as if he’d been summoned by the Principal. As he passed through the kitchen, Rob, who was sitting across the center island from Kristi, glared at him, then looked back down at his glass of soda. Mitch stepped into the former downstairs bedroom Jane had turned into an office.

  She stood at the window with her arms crossed. At his entrance, she turned. “Close the door, please.”

  He did as he was told, then realized Rob must have said something to her about Gail. “I know what this is about and I can explain.”

  She arched an eyebrow. “You do?”

  He lifted his hands, palms out, in a gesture intended to keep her calm. “I do. What Rob saw and what was really going on are two very different things.”

  This time both eyebrows lifted. “What was going on?”

  He paced the small space. “It was purely a coincidence, I swear. Gail just showed up there. Out of the blue. Then she invited herself to sit down. I was sitting alone because I wanted to give Rob and his date some privacy.” He smiled. “They’re kind of cute together, you know? Have you met Ashley yet?” He stopped and turned to find Jane standing, mouth agape, face drained of color.

  “Jane?”

  The stark white in her face rapidly transformed to near crimson. “What the hell are you talking about?”

  “Uh…what upset Rob last night. Isn’t that what you wanted to talk about?”

  Jane’s hands clenched at her sides. “What does Gail have to do with it? And don’t even think of lying to me because I will ask Rob.”

  “It’s simple, really. I picked the kids up after the movie and took them to Denny’s to get a bite to eat. I sat alone at a separate table so they could have some privacy. Gail came in and spied me and invited herself to sit down. That’s all there was to it. But Rob glanced over to see her kiss my cheek and assumed….”

  “She kissed you?”

  “My cheek,” he said, pointing to his face as if it would convince her of his innocence. “She thanked me for buying her dinner.”

  She stared at him, her eyes narrowed. “You do realize you just described a date.”

  “It was not….” He stopped abruptly, lower
ing his voice. “It was not a date.”

  Jane moved away from him, standing behind her desk, fingertips pressed on the smooth surface. “No wonder Robbie was upset. He’s as confused as I am about what’s going on between you and me, and then you take him and his girlfriend on a double date.”

  Mitch closed his eyes and bit back a reply, drawing in a breath. In a controlled voice, he emphasized, “It. Was. Not. A. Date. Do you really think I’d do that?”

  “I don’t know what you’d do, Mitch. I don’t know who you are any more.”

  A knock sounded and Rob called out, “Mom. Dad. When you’re done arguing, are we going to decorate the tree?”

  They both turned toward the door and shouted in unison, “We’re not arguing.”

  Silence.

  Mitch turned back to Jane. “Do we have to do this now? The kids are both home and it’s almost Christmas. Can we just try to get through this evening and, I don’t know, act normal?”

  Her eyes flashed. “Act normal? You mean act like nothing is wrong. Act like you didn’t just walk out on me and then have dinner with your blond bimbo.”

  “Look who’s talking. Met up with your cop boy toy lately? Funny how that seems to happen at Denny’s.”

  “That was pure….”

  “Coincidence?”

  Jane exhaled heavily. “Okay, fine. It’s just hard to know how to act right now. You do remember coming by yesterday and what happened.”

  “Of course I remember.” He dragged a hand through his hair. “How could I forget?”

  This time when he met her gaze, he saw a sheen of tears.

  Jane looked down, shuffling a stack of papers on the desk. “Okay, so we go out there and have a tree decorating party with our children and behave like civilized adults. Work for you?”

  Mitch watched her struggle against emotions and, the next thing he knew, Janelle DuMonde was in charge. “Sure. Let’s play fiction novel family.” He strode across the room and out the door.

  As soon as he got home, he rummaged for the note with Gail’s phone number, grateful that his call went to voicemail. “Gail, I can’t make it for the party. I’m still married and I hope to stay that way. I know you’ll understand if I ask you not to call me again.” As an afterthought, he added, “Merry Christmas.”

  ~ * ~

  Jane checked herself in the mirror in her powder room. She looked pale, sick. She felt a little sick as she thought of Mitch having dinner with Gail Hampton. No matter how it happened. A part of her knew Mitch had never given Gail reason to think he was available to her. Another part of her, though—the insecure part—wondered how long it would be before he found someone else to move on with.

  “I’ll make hot cocoa,” she heard Kristi call from the kitchen. A moment later her daughter tapped on the door. “Mom? Are you okay?”

  Jane opened the door and emerged from the powder room. “Hey, sweetie. Did I hear you say cocoa?”

  “You also heard me ask if you’re okay.” Her daughter studied her carefully.

  Jane sighed. “I am. Things are a little difficult right now. But you need to know that your dad and I are both trying. Let’s just go out there and be a family and decorate the tree.”

  “In other words, pretend nothing’s wrong. Got it.”

  “Kristi, don’t. We are a family and we love one another. This is just a little speed bump.”

  Kristi shook her head. “You and Dad sure have a strange way of putting a spin on things.”

  “What did he tell you?”

  “The same thing you did—let’s all act like it’s business as usual.” She stopped at the door and turned. “But at some point, we’re all going to sit down and talk about this.”

  Jane stood rooted to the spot, feeling like a chastised teenager. When had her little girl grown up? She drew in a breath and exhaled before leaving the confines of her office to join her family around the Christmas tree.

  In the kitchen, Kristi stood at the stove stirring a pot of hot cocoa. Christmas carols played through the TV while Mitch and Rob untangled strips of lights in the living room. Jane sat and opened the box of decorations, lifting them out and placing each one carefully on the coffee table, her eyes misting with the memories they evoked.

  Kristi delivered the cups of cocoa on a tray and then sat next to Jane on the sofa. “I remember that one. You gave it to me the year I played Maria in The Sound of Music.” She took the delicate ornament bearing a hand-painted mountain scene. “I was really terrible in that show.” She laughed.

  Jane put an arm around her. “You weren’t terrible. You were getting over a cold.”

  Rob snorted. “She sucked big time.” He broke into an off-key falsetto of, “The hills are alive….”

  They all laughed.

  Jane watched as her husband and son worked the strands of lights around the tree. Mostly she watched Mitch, the way he moved, the way he interacted with their children, the way he seemed to fit there. Her heart constricted and a lump formed in her throat. She loved this family. She didn’t want to lose this.

  “Janie, you want to do the honors?” Mitch held out the tree top angel.

  She stood on unsteady legs, trying hard to hold herself together. “Maybe you should go ahead. I can’t reach the top.”

  “Here, get on this step stool. I’ll steady you.”

  She stepped up onto the stool. Mitch handed her the angel, then braced her hips with his hands. The familiarity in his grasp caused her to sway a little.

  “Whoa, steady.”

  She reached up and settled the angel into place, then straightened it.

  Mitch helped her down. “You did a great job. It’s a perfect tree.”

  “Thanks.” His compliment warmed her.

  “Mom. Dad. Look here.”

  They both turned as Kristi snapped their picture. Jane was sure she looked like the proverbial deer caught in the headlights.

  “Okay.” Mitch took the camera from Kristi. “You, Rob and your mom stand in front of the tree.”

  The two kids dragged Jane in between them and leaned close, smiling. Mitch took two photos. He lowered the camera, but continued to stare at them.

  Johnny Mathis sang, “I’ll be home for Christmas….”

  Mitch coughed and handed the camera back to Kristi. “Okay, well, then. I should be going.”

  Rob scowled. Kristi’s smile faded.

  He shrugged into his jacket.

  Jane removed her jacket from the closet. “I’ll walk you out.”

  On the porch, he stopped and faced her. “Thanks for letting me stay.”

  “It meant a lot to the kids that you were here.”

  He nodded. “I—uh—have gifts to bring by. Is it okay if I do that tomorrow? It is Christmas and I know the kids revert to being five-year-olds and want to open their gifts first thing on Christmas morning.”

  She grinned. She loved their Christmas mornings, the excitement of the kids, the pleasure at being able to give them the things they wanted. Christmas was a big deal in their house, Mitch made sure of that. He’d grown up in a family that didn’t have much and, some years, didn’t really have a Christmas. He vowed that his children would always have a great Christmas and he usually went overboard on gifts.

  “Why don’t you plan to come for breakfast?”

  His eyebrows knit together. “You sure?”

  “I’m sure. If you want to, that is.”

  “I’d like that.”

  “Maybe around nine. I doubt those two will be up early, not the way they used to be when they were little.”

  He nodded and then paused. “We’re going to be okay, no matter what.”

  She stared back at him for a long moment. Her mouth went dry. “I… Probably. No matter what.”

  “So…Goodnight.” He returned to his SUV without looking back.

  Jane wrapped her arms across her chest, barely aware of the cold. Each time he left now took a new toll on her. Especially after their intimate encounter a day earlier.
She thought of posing for the photograph with Kristi on one side and Rob on the other. Usually Mitch set the camera on timer and raced up behind them, his hands settling on her shoulders, his cheek close to hers, right before the flash went off. An empty ache filled her. We’re going to be okay, no matter what. Uncertain what the ‘no matter what’ meant, she couldn’t be sure they’d be okay. She turned back to the house, swallowing hard and plastering on a forced smile.

  Chapter Seventeen

  The following morning, Mitch pulled into the driveway and sat, the engine idling. Why was he so nervous about going inside? This was his home, his family. He sat with his fingers curled around the steering wheel. Maybe this was a bad idea, especially after the other day. Of course, he was hardly going to throw Janie down on the floor and have his way with her—again—with the kids there. He squinted, recalling their frantic lovemaking. She hadn’t given him one command, one direction to follow. Hadn’t taken notes. It had been like old times, when they were first married.

  He grinned as he remembered the two of them in their first apartment. It was the size of a shoebox and smelled like garlic. They’d made love on every surface of the place including the Formica-topped kitchen table. One leg of that table was loose and the whole thing shook as if it would give way beneath them. Then Mrs. Ricuitti, their downstairs neighbor, pounded on the ceiling and shouted something in Italian. He and Janie had collapsed in a fit of laughter on the table.

  Someone pounded on the side window and Mitch startled. Jane stood bundled in her down jacket, staring at him. He lowered the window.

  “What are you doing? The kids are up and breakfast is almost ready.”

  “I was just remembering something.”

  She frowned. “Well, you might want to remember to come inside. It’s freezing out here.”

  He got out of the SUV and reached back inside for the shopping bags filled with gifts. “Hey, you remember that kitchen table we had in our first apartment?”

  She stopped and turned, staring at him. “What?”

  Mitch shook his head. “Never mind.”

  The smells of pine, vanilla and spices filled the air inside. It smelled like Christmas. Kristi sat curled up in the over-sized recliner that had been a Father’s Day gift to Mitch two years earlier. She was wrapped in a pink fleece robe, her blond hair pulled back in a loose ponytail. Her knees were drawn up and she was focused on the phone in her hands as her thumbs moved rapidly.