“It’s bright in here. I think you’re happier than Valerie was in all her time in Autumn Leaves.”
Fiona made herself tear up, and Callie realized she wasn’t far from it.
“It wasn’t always such a welcoming place,” Rebecca said, sounding self-conscious—as if she was personally responsible for the less welcoming part.
“Oh, sure. That’s part of it, and I don’t blame Valerie for being cautious. People can be mean, here and everywhere. I guess you saw some of that. On the other hand, no one can learn if you coddle them and their prejudice. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to start with a lecture. I’m just happy you made this place a home, finally. Val knew very well it would be a chance and a challenge at the same time.”
“She was right about that. Do you know what happened to Toni?”
Fiona shrugged. “Last I heard, she was still living somewhere near Rome. She got married, you know. You can’t decide who you love, but some crack under the pressure, and I can’t help thinking there’s a choice in there somewhere. Excuse me, this is…emotional. I guess you can see that. I’m so happy for the two of you, and it makes me wonder if Valerie could have had that in her life. Maybe, if she’d been able to let go, she would have found someone who wasn’t ashamed to be with her. Maybe, she didn’t want to let go. We had many talks about it, but she never even told our parents.”
The way Rebecca flinched at those last words told Callie clearly this was still an unsolved issue for her, not that she needed any proof.
“Still, she found a way to pay it forward,” Rebecca said. “Sometimes, that’s the best you can do.”
They’d do their part, Callie realized, by offering Sara an open door, by not being driven from their home by prejudice or fear. Autumn Leaves had been Rebecca’s home for a long time. Now it was Callie’s too.
* * * *
Fiona’s visit turned out to be a lot less stressful than Rebecca had feared. In the middle of the week, Dina and Sara came by for dinner one evening. Rebecca hadn’t had time to return to Amber’s group or even talk to her about Andy. Instead, she enjoyed the break from the heavier subjects within this broader idea of family.
She and Callie had spent the bigger part of the afternoon in the kitchen, having a glass of wine while preparing dinner—each other’s presence a simple pleasure.
Other pleasures, of course, would have to wait until they didn’t have guests in the house. Her cheeks heated at the thought.
The girls had set the table outside on the porch. The relaxed, carefree atmosphere made her dream about the summer and the planned vacation. Finally, they had booked a room in a small hotel near where Tomaso’s family lived. According to Dina, they were very open-minded, but Rebecca didn’t want to take a chance. Besides, she valued the privacy of a hotel. Maybe they could even take a few days to visit other cities—Florence, or even Rome—and see the sights. It would be beautiful.
There were just a few more obligations to fulfill, like Callie’s reading at the school and a handful of unavoidable conversations.
The time approached fast. Thinking back to last summer, and how completely unprepared she’d been for the events to come, it amazed her. Had someone told her at the time what would transpire—falling in love with someone new, the end of her marriage—Rebecca would have been terrified. With hindsight, she knew she had taken the right steps.
She picked up the pitcher to go inside and get more water, still lost in thought as she refilled it under the faucet. The same faucet she’d fixed for Callie on the first day they met.
It was turbulent, a rollercoaster of emotions from there, but she’d make those same choices all over again if she had to.
“Don’t startle. It’s just me.”
Predictably, some of the water sloshed over the rim as Rebecca jumped.
“Oh, no. Look what I’ve done,” Fiona said. “I’m sorry. Let me clean this up.”
“It’s just water. Don’t worry.”
Fiona was silent for a moment, making Rebecca wonder if this was the beginning of the serious conversation she had anticipated all along. She picked up a dish towel and wiped the side of the pitcher before she put it on the table.
“About my not so sneaky plot to catch you alone…I’m glad it worked,” Fiona said.
“All right. You better make use of it, before someone notices.”
“You’re a mom too. I’m sure you can relate to this. My kids, they are like day and night. Sean calls at least once a week, and sometimes, he shares more than I want to know, but that’s fine. Callie wants to figure things out for herself first. I love them both, and I accept that they’re different that way. Besides…” She chuckled. “Sean keeps me up to date about Callie as well. Frankly, when I first heard about you, I thought she’d lost her mind, which wouldn’t have been such a surprise considering what her ex was like. You think it’s tough now. Wait ‘til they’re all grown up, and you have no say in who they’re seeing.”
“I’m afraid that’s not encouraging,” Rebecca admitted.
“We’ll get to the encouraging part, I promise. You might not have as much of an influence as you’d wish you have, but you’ll know when they get it right, and that is pretty amazing.”
“I imagine it is,” Rebecca offered. There were too many directions in which this conversation could go from here, and too many emotions. The adult choices Maggie and Dina would face at some point. The humbling realization that Fiona understood and accepted the way Callie felt about Rebecca. “It’s all true. This is the happiest I’ve ever been, and yet, I keep wondering how to explain it. I’m not twenty anymore. It’s a different situation than it was for you and Callie, when she came out to you.”
“True, but if you don’t try, you’ll never know. I don’t know your parents, but chances are, they guess—at the very least.”
“I’m not so sure about that.”
“Pick up the phone and find out,” Fiona advised. “It’s not easy, I get that. Valerie’s and my parents, they probably would have needed some time of adjustment. Frankly, it shouldn’t be that way. You should love your children unconditionally, but this is the kind of world we’re living in. I take comfort in the fact that most people are able to learn. You had to come to terms with the situation yourself first, but it seems to me, it worked out well. Of course, in the end, it’s your decision.”
“I love Callie. I don’t want her to ever think I’m ashamed of what we have.”
“I know you’re not, and so does Callie. Love is beautiful. I trust that most people are able to see that, but forgive my ramblings. All I wanted to say was that I’m happy Callie found you.”
Just pick up the phone… Maybe she could do it. Nothing much seemed impossible at the moment.
“Thank you. I am too.”
* * * *
Rebecca had picked up the phone for that particular reason three times since they’d seen Fiona off to the airport, and she still hadn’t made the call. What was she afraid of? Her family was never touchy-feely, and she’d grown up with more rules than Maggie and Dina. Some of them revolved around religion, in a different way than what she had wanted to convey in her own family.
She had broken all the rules. That didn’t mean they’d stop caring about her, did it?
They weren’t like Sara’s parents, or Andy, for that matter. She was going to be forty this year. David was right. By hiding the truth, she’d potentially put Dina or Maggie into a situation where they’d have to tell a lie on her behalf. Rebecca knew what she wanted, and she had committed to her new life. There was no more room for secrets.
She wanted to tell Callie she’d eventually find the courage to dial the numbers, because it was the right thing to do, and because the conversation with Fiona had encouraged her to do so. Instead, as they lay together later that night, she said, “I’m not sure I’m going to like that number…forty.” She made a face. “Are you sure it doesn’t bother you?”
“What?” Callie laughed, surprised. “Why would that bo
ther me? I saw your passport when we went to New York. What’s with all this age talk lately?”
“I don’t know.” Rebecca sank back into the pillow with a frustrated sigh. “It’s a milestone, I guess.”
“I understand that.” Callie leaned closer, regarding her intently. “Are you happy where you are now? No regrets?”
“I am.”
“Good. I’ll make sure that forty is going to be awesome. You’ll see.”
They shared a long, lazy kiss, and in the following time, it occurred to Rebecca that thirty-nine wasn’t so bad either.
* * * *
Distant thunder woke her early the next morning—gray clouds blocking the sun, the rain falling against the bedroom window in a hypnotic pattern. Rebecca turned to hide her face against Callie’s shoulder, enjoying the close embrace. She wished they hadn’t agreed to go to Roz’s for brunch this morning, but with Spring Break and Fiona’s visit, a lot of the usual activities were interrupted. It was time to get back into the schedule—brunch, church, Marin County, and work. Betty had mentioned that the wife of one of Charles’s colleagues wanted to start a small business in manicure and the sale of products. There was another potential contact.
Rebecca closed her eyes, imagining what it would be like to stroll through the streets of a small town in Italy with Callie, going shopping with the girls, visiting museums. Funny that a boy crush had made Dina discover a love for art. Maybe it had been in her blood all along.
The storm was closer now. The room lit up with lightning, the following clap of thunder loud enough to wake the other occupants in the house. Callie stirred against her sleepily, and a moment later, Maggie knocked on the door. She might not be a happy camper at the moment, but Rebecca registered with relief how much of a difference the past days and a few good nights’ sleep had made.
“Good morning,” she said, sitting up. “You can come here for a few minutes, but it will pass soon. It’s just a spring shower. Do you want to come with us to Betty’s later?” Brunch was usually a ritual without children, but in Maggie’s case, everyone would understand.
Maggie made a face. “No. Mikey and I aren’t friends anymore.”
“Oh.” Rebecca wasn’t quite sure what to say to that. Her friendship with Betty had been strained for some time, but they had mended fences. Maggie hadn’t mentioned Mike LaRue, who was in her class, in some time.
“He’s friends with Pete now,” Maggie said, as if that should mean something to Rebecca. “I don’t like Pete. He says mean things about Miss Romano.”
“Well, I understand you don’t want to be friends with him. Is he new in class?”
“Andy is his mom.” Maggie’s tone was matter-of-fact. She was probably wondering why Rebecca hadn’t figured this out five minutes ago.
“I see. That’s fine, then. You’d like to go anywhere else? I could check with Jenny if Stella’s home…”
“No.” Maggie shook her head. “I’ll read. Dina will come by too. We’ll look at places to visit in Italy.”
“Let’s hope the weather will be better,” Callie chimed in. “Do we have to go, or can we just stay here all day?”
Maggie’s innocent laughter made Rebecca ridiculously happy, for various reasons. The insinuation, whether Callie had made it on purpose or not, had other effects.
Being your true self, she mused minutes later as she stripped for the shower, wasn’t just a matter of personal growth and responsibility. It felt damn good, in body and mind.
* * * *
Roz was all bubbly and chatty when they arrived. Her business was going well. Rebecca thought of Betty and the amount of party guests at their latest event. It looked like they had all stepped up lately. Callie was working on volume six of her series, but she had gathered notes for a follow-up story to The Fear Game.
They were just about to sit when Betty came in, looking uneasy as she hung her coat over her chair. “Girls, you’d better hold on to your drinks. Especially you, Rebecca.”
“My life is good. Actually, no. It’s great. I don’t want to hear it.”
“You’d better.” Betty sat down with a sigh. “Eve called me yesterday, and she says she’ll want to shop around a bit more. Mind you, she’s seen what you did for Roz and a few other folks in town, but there’s a rumor going around.”
Rebecca shrugged, determined not to let any talk of the town spoil her appetite. “Rumors have been going around for a long time.”
Betty gave another heartfelt sigh. “It’s Andy,” she said. “She’s telling everybody that you came on to her at the party…in the bathroom, no less.”
Not that she’d needed any further proof, but Andy’s behavior was a true lesson in bigotry. Rebecca wondered if that was their intention in the first place—to stun others into speechlessness with their lies and distortions.
“You can see Rebecca is speechless,” Callie said. “I, on the other hand, am pissed. Perhaps you’ve figured it out already, but it was the other way around. That woman is a hazard to people’s sanity.”
“So is her husband,” Delia added. “I saw them hanging around the school. They’re still trying to convince the principal to drop the anti-bullying program…so small-minded.”
“Okay. Wow.” Rebecca shook her head. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that this was Andy’s way of handling the situation. “It sucks to be her if lying and harassing people is all that makes her happy. Your friend’s really buying that? Then, maybe it’s better I don’t work with her. Can we stop talking about Andy now?”
“Rebecca, you should take this seriously,” Betty warned her. “We know Andy’s crazy, but not everyone does.”
“Well, she’s working hard on letting everybody know. I’m not scared. For the record…she did come on to me. That’s one severely sexually frustrated person.”
Let go and ignore her. Knowing what the best thing to do was didn’t make it any easier, especially when Andy didn’t return that favor.
“Let’s be grateful neither of us suffers from that kind of frustration. How about a toast to that?” Roz suggested, eliciting laughter and blushes from the group. “Didn’t think so. Life is good, ladies. Don’t let people like her spoil it.”
“I appreciate the warning,” Rebecca told Betty. “Don’t worry. We’ll be fine.”
“Against all odds, I think you’re right.”
The sound of a car horn interrupted them as a big truck passed in the street, the logo of a mover’s company on the side, stopping a few houses down the road.
“That’s some good news right there,” Roz said. “Mom told me the Becketts are leaving town. She doesn’t know why exactly, but whatever the reason, I’m not going to miss them.”
Rebecca sought Callie’s gaze, getting a small smile in return. There were no guarantees, but with his family gone, there was one less reason for Tim Beckett to return to Autumn Leaves after his prison sentence. Good news, indeed. She had enough of his parents glaring at them in church, as if their son’s imprisonment had somehow been one big mistake. Maybe, with a little luck, Andy would leave too when she realized her little games wouldn’t do any good.
* * * *
On Sunday morning, the sky was still cloudy, scattered raindrops falling. Rebecca regarded her dark blue dress and white cardigan critically in the mirror. Had she chosen a more conservative style because it was appropriate for church, or because she was indeed worried about Andy’s new brand of lies? They had decided to attend service in Autumn Leaves today, regardless of what people might talk about behind their backs, or out in the open.
“Don’t worry,” Callie said behind her. “She’s been in town for what, a few weeks? The people here know you.”
“I’m not worried,” Rebecca assured her, turning away from the mirror. “Okay, maybe a little,” she admitted when Callie didn’t say anything. “Obviously, they will say whatever it takes to get their way—her, Father Reynolds…oh, well. It’s not like we have to talk to them. As long as they leave us alone, we’ll do the sa
me.”
Chapter Ten
Callie remembered coming to church the first few times—not because it was a familiar ritual to her, but because she wanted to take a closer look at the dynamics in this community. She’d sat in the back, watching families chat, friends meet, and some people sending less friendly looks at each other across the aisle.
She’d watched Rebecca and her family, the sight of her making Callie’s heart beat faster, right from the start. She’d thought after about a year, she’d try to sell the house and return to New York, which never happened.
People were used to seeing them together now. Even with Father Reynolds’s open disapproval, they had moved on, and he hadn’t bothered them in some time. Except he had assisted Andy in her scheming, or the other way around, and that was not exactly a match made in Heaven…on the contrary.
For the first time in a long time, she didn’t see Louise and Carl Beckett in the first row pew. So, it was true. They were really leaving. Callie wasn’t sure if that made her feel safer in the long run, but not having to run into them in town was definitely an advantage.
With Maggie, she and Rebecca found a place in the middle of the church, to the side—a little less exposed than previous visits. The overall number of churchgoers had gone down in the past few months, she noticed. Everyone had loved Father Langdon. Opinions on Reynolds differed greatly. Speak of the Devil. He appeared from the back of the church, coming down the aisle to seek them out.
Callie caught Rebecca’s irritated glance. Sitting between them, Maggie looked worried. Callie thought of what the counselor had said to Rebecca, that she felt like having to protect the adults in her life. While the impulse was understandable, they would have to make it very clear to Maggie this was not her job.
“Rebecca,” Father Reynolds began, making his way down the pew, excusing himself to churchgoers who had to get up to make room. By now, Callie was used to the fact that he wouldn’t address her. “I’ll have to ask you to leave.”
“Pardon me?”
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