Flight of Fancie

by Linda Rettstatt

  The front door opened and Luke strode into the kitchen. He glanced from Chastity to Fancie. “Good morning.”

  They stared at one another for a moment before Chastity took the box of donuts and said, “The cat’s out of the bag. Go ahead and kiss her.”

  He leaned down and gave Fancie a quick kiss. “Did you know you snore?”

  She slapped him playfully on the arm. “I do not snore.”

  He laughed. “Yeah, you do. But it’s kinda cute.” He imitated a soft snoring sound.

  “What is this, pick on Fancie morning? How’s the weather today? I’d like to show Chas around the area, maybe even drive to the coast.”

  “The weather’s great today. Roads are clear, no snow forecast. It would be a beautiful day to drive over to the coast.” He stopped and waited.

  Fancie grinned. “You want to come with us?”

  “I thought you weren’t going to ask. Who wants scrambled eggs and ham?”

  “But we have donuts,” Fancie said.

  “To go with breakfast, not serve as breakfast.” Luke rolled up his shirt sleeves and removed a large cast iron skillet from beneath the oven.

  Chastity gave him an appraising look and smiled at Fancie over the top of her coffee mug. “And. He. Cooks.”

  After a quick tour around Henniker and the college campus, they stopped at Kinley’s shop for an introduction and coffee. When they walked in, Kinley rounded the counter and swept Fancie into a warm embrace. “Girl, come here. It’s so good to see you. How’re your folks?”

  “They’re doing well. I’m sorry I haven’t called recently. I want you to meet my cousin. Chastity, this is Kinley Slater. Another Southern girl.”

  Kinley welcomed Chastity and acknowledged Luke. “Aren’t you the lucky one today, out with not one but two Southern beauties? What can I get y’all? It’s on the house.”

  They ordered drinks and sat at one of the café tables, chatting with Kinley between customers.

  “So, you comin’ back up here?” Kinley asked Fancie.

  “No. Though I’m sure I’ll be back for a visit now and then.” Her glance at Luke didn’t go unnoticed.

  “Uh-huh,” Kinley said. “What are y’all up to today?”

  “We’re going to drive to the coast, show Chastity around. She and I leave tomorrow to drive back,” Fancie said.

  “Well, then, let me get you coffee refills to go.”

  “Thanks. Be sure to give Eddie and Amber my love.”

  “Will do.”

  Fancie gave her friend a parting hug.

  Luke drove to the coast and they found a spot to stop and admire the view. It was too cold to spend much time outside the Jeep.

  “Okay, I’ve seen enough. Can we head home to a blazing fire now?” Chastity wrapped her arms across her chest.

  Luke laughed. “I guess you’ll have to come back in the spring, too. I was going to take you both out to dinner tonight, but how about we order in and eat by the fire?”

  “That’s got my vote,” Chastity said, heading to the Jeep.

  Fancie laughed and linked an arm through Luke’s. He stopped walking and bent to kiss her. “What’s your vote?”

  “I vote we go home and snuggle by the fire. Then later….” She grinned up at him.

  “So, fire and then fire. Sounds good to me.”

  “I already don’t want to leave tomorrow.”

  He cupped her cheek. “I don’t want you to leave, either. So stay. We’ll get Chastity a plane ticket.”

  “I can’t.”

  His thumb traced across her cheek. “I know. But it was worth asking.”

  Chastity opened the Jeep door and shouted, “Hey, if you two are gonna have virtual sex out there, can I have the keys? I’m freezing.”

  “We’ll continue this later,” Luke said, turning Fancie toward the Jeep.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  After another glorious night in Luke’s arms, Fancie stood in the shower beneath the hot spray. She had no doubt she and Luke could have a future. She questioned her determination to take things slow. That ship had pretty much sailed. She also questioned her own insistence that she needed to remain in Mississippi. Was this just one more form of taking flight, complicating what could be simple?

  Fancie turned off the shower and wrapped in an oversized towel. She had time to consider these questions. They’d be together again in a little over a month. A whole month before she could settle into his arms again. When she said yes to Graham’s proposal, she had believed she loved him, that she was in love with him. She realized she didn’t have a clue what that meant. Not until now, with Luke. This was a part of what she wanted. Sure, she had career goals and there was that novel in process. She had no intention of setting those goals aside. But she had plans to marry and have a family and that desire didn’t change just because Graham broke off their engagement. If anything, the thought of having all of that with Luke was even more exciting. He’d be a wonderful father.

  “Way to slow things down,” she mumbled as she brushed out her hair.

  After breakfast, with the car packed and ready, Fancie leaned into Luke’s embrace. “I’ll see you in a few weeks.”

  “Five to be exact. Call me when you two stop for the night, okay? And please don’t push too far after dark. You’ll still be driving in winter weather and roads can freeze up without warning.”

  “I won’t take any chances, I promise.” She stretched up to kiss him.

  He steadied his gaze on her eyes. “Would it scare you if I said I love you?”

  She grinned and slid her arms tighter around his middle. “No. It doesn’t scare me. It makes me happy. I love you, too.”

  After another deep kiss, she pulled away. “Okay, I need to get into the car now. Tell Kate I’m sorry I missed her, but I’m happy about her and Justin and I hope it works out for them.”

  “I’ll tell her.” Luke walked around the car and held the door open for her. He leaned down and smiled at Chastity. “Nice seeing you again. You both be careful.”

  “We will. See you in Mississippi next month.”

  As soon as they were out of the driveway and a block from the house, Chastity turned to Fancie. “Oh, my God. Can you believe this?”

  “Believe what?”

  “He’s the guy. The one you’re meant to be with. Graham was never meant to be. Thank God he sensed that before the two of you made a huge mistake. Because you were blinded by heaven knows what.”

  Fancie usually dismissed her cousin’s belief in the mystical workings of things, but this time she had to agree. “I think you’re right. Luke’s the guy.”

  “You’re agreeing with me?”

  “When you’re right, you’re right.” She held out her hand for a high-five from her cousin.

  They made it to Harrisonburg, Virginia before stopping for the night. It was a little less than half way home. They’d get a good night’s sleep and start out earlier in the morning for the remaining eleven hour drive.

  Settled into an inexpensive but clean motel room and having consumed every bite of the burgers and fries they picked up, Fancie and Chastity each stretched out on a bed.

  “You do know that if Luke makes this trip every couple of months to see you, it’s proof of his undying love.”

  “Speaking of Luke, I promised to call when we stopped for the night.”

  Chastity sat up. “I’m going to take a shower, give you some privacy.”

  Just the sound of Luke’s voice made her feel warm all over. “I’m going to miss you tonight,” she said.

  “I’ll miss you, too. Fancie, we can make this work. It’ll just take a little time and some creative problem-solving.”

  “I’ve been thinking about that, too.” She yawned and apologized. “I’m sorry. I’m exhausted from all the driving.”

  “Get some sleep. Let me know when you’ve made it home. We’ll talk tomorrow night.”

  “Okay. Luke?”

  “Yes?”

  “Thank you.
”

  “For what?”

  “For not putting all the expectation on me to move back to New Hampshire.”

  “Why would I do that?”

  “You wouldn’t. That’s my point. And I love you even more because of it. I’ll talk to you tomorrow night.”

  ~

  Two hours into their drive the next morning, as she pulled into a rest area for a bathroom break, Fancie’s cell phone played her father’s ringtone. “Hi, Daddy.”

  “Fancie, where are you girls?” His voice sounded tight, stressed.

  “Halfway to Staunton, Virginia. We have about nine hours of driving ahead. Why?”

  He paused. “It’s Bitsy. She had another stroke and she’s in ICU. The doctor suggested calling family. She’s a tough old bird, you know that. She’ll hold her own until you get here. Do not speed. She wouldn’t want you girls to take a risk. I probably shouldn’t have even told you until you got here.”

  “Oh, Daddy, I’m so sorry.” Tears welled and blurred her vision. She put the car in park. “We just pulled over for a short break. But we’ll get there as soon as we can. I promise we’ll drive safely. You’ll call if there’s any other change?”

  “I will.”

  “Give Mama my love, too. Bye, Daddy.”

  Chastity sat up and stretched. “Where are we? Who was on the phone?”

  “That was Daddy. Grandma Bitsy had a heart attack and is in ICU. I needed a bathroom break. You should go, too, so we don’t have to make another stop soon.”

  “Good idea.” Chastity unfastened her seatbelt. “Want me to drive?”

  Fancie considered her cousin’s driving. “No, I’ll make better time.”

  “You mean you’ll fly like a bat out of hell.”

  “No, I won’t. But I’ll at least go the speed limit plus five.”

  They loaded up on snacks and a few sodas from the vending machines. Chastity found a country music station on the radio and hummed along with a few songs. Fancie focused on driving. She set the speed for seventy-five, five miles over the seventy mile limit. Inwardly, she thanked God for the clear, sunny day and light traffic. As she drove, her mind drifted through a lifetime of memories of her grandmother. Bitsy had always been a constant in Fancie’s life—the one Fancie turned to for a scraped knee or a bruised heart. In her still lucid state when Fancie began dating Graham, Bitsy had cautioned her about falling too hard and too fast for the man. She described Graham as being, “a little too slick and self-assured for my liking. He reminds me of what we used to call a snake oil salesman.”

  This was the one time Fancie had dismissed her grandmother’s wisdom and look where that had gotten her. She revisited the pain of watching her paternal grandmother become weaker and gradually slip away behind the curtain of dementia that clawed at her like an ominous swamp creature. But there were still those little moments of recognition when Bitsy was right there. Oh, how she would love Luke. It saddened Fancie to realize that her grandmother might die without knowing Fancie had found the man she was meant to be with. A man who was, in many ways, like Fancie’s grandfather in temperament and personality, now that she thought about it.

  Chastity turned in her seat. “You do know you’re going eight-five.”

  Fancie hadn’t realized she set her foot back on the gas pedal. She eased off. “I was thinking about Bitsy. The family just won’t be the same without her.”

  “Sure won’t. Who’s going to remind us we can still be turned over a knee?” Chastity laughed. “She’s like a grandmother to me, too, and we’re not even blood relatives.”

  Fancie smiled. “Yeah. You and Charity and I grew up like sisters and Bitsy always thought of you two has additional granddaughters. She was also the only one who would step in between me and Mama and Daddy when I wanted to do something they couldn’t agree on or approve of. Who’s going to be in my corner now?” Her voice trembled.

  Chastity patted her leg. “We learned a lot from Bitsy. We can do that for each other. And, of course, you have Luke. Besides, we’re all grown up and making our own decisions now.”

  “You find that illusion comforting? Try doing something stupid and see how fast your Daddy locks you in your room. We’re children as long as they’re with us.”

  At their next bathroom stop, Fancie turned the keys over to Chastity. “You’re going to keep up the speed limit, right?”

  Chastity rolled her eyes and took the keys. “I know how to drive. I’ll set the cruise control.”

  Fancie buckled up and pulled her cell phone from her purse. “I’m going to call Luke and let him know what’s going on.”

  Luke answered with, “Hey. How’s the driving?”

  “Good. Traffic’s light. Look, I just called to let you know I got some bad news this morning.” She filled him in on her grandmother.

  “I’m so sorry. Do you need me to fly down there? I can try to get someone to cover my classes for a few days.”

  “No, but it means so much that you offered. We’ve known this was coming. You’re still never prepared.”

  “I know. My granddad lingered for months after a massive stroke. It was both sad and a relief when he passed. I felt guilty about that for weeks.”

  It struck her that she knew very little about Luke’s past and his family. “I feel badly that I haven’t spent more time with Bitsy because it was hard when she didn’t know who I was or seem to care that I was there. I guess we all have regrets at times like this.”

  “She wouldn’t want you to feel that way, I’m sure. Let me know if there’s anything I can do, if you need me. And please drive carefully. Your family’s had quite enough tragedy lately. I love you.”

  Warmth spread through her and she smiled, then whispered, “I love you, too.”

  As she deposited the phone back into her purse, Chastity grinned. “I love you, too,” she echoed.

  “Just drive.”

  “I’m teasing, but I’m both happy for you and jealous of you. I wonder if Luke has a brother. Do you know?”

  “I don’t think so. It occurred to me that I really know very little about Luke. He and I have a lot of talking to do.”

  “You know the most important stuff about each other. You knew all about Graham’s family for five generations. What did that prove?”

  “Point taken. Now set the speedometer and turn on the cruise control. Please.”

  After a very quick fast food stop for dinner, Fancie took over the driving again. They made record time and arrived at the hospital a little past six. She found her family gathered in a waiting room near the ICU. She walked into her mother’s open arms. “Oh, Mama. I’m sorry I wasn’t here.”

  “You’re here now. The doctor says we should limit visitors to no more than two at a time. Why don’t you go in for a few minutes? They waived the five minutes once an hour rule.”

  “She’s dying?”

  Her mother nodded, tears glistening on her cheeks. “She is, baby. But she hung on for you.”

  “Where’s Daddy?”

  “He just went to get a cup of coffee. He’s been here all night.”

  Fancie took her cousin’s hand. “Come with me.” They walked into the dimly lit room. Her grandmother lay amid wires leading to beeping machines and looking so small. They separated and each stood at opposite sides of the bed. Fancie placed her hand over Bitsy’s. Her grandmother’s hand felt cold and Fancie’s breath caught until she saw the slight, slow rise of Bitsy’s chest. “I’m here, Grandma. Chastity and I are both here now.”

  Across the bed, Chastity covered the old woman’s other hand.

  Fancie gulped down tears and leaned to kiss her grandmother’s cheek. “I love you so much,” she whispered. “Thank you for everything you’ve given me.”

  She straightened and, with her free hand, wiped away tears. Her grandmother’s eyelids fluttered and she looked up at Chastity. One side of her mouth pulled up slightly and then she turned her gaze to Fancie. Fancie could swear she felt a slight squeeze of her hand. Then B
itsy’s gaze shifted between them to something in the distance, beyond the foot of the bed. Her smile broadened and she moved her mouth, whispering, “Bug.”

  “What are you saying Grandma?” Fancie asked.

  “It sounded like she said, ‘Bug,’” Chastity said.

  “There’s no bug.” Then it hit her and Fancie gasped and stared. “She said ‘Pug.’ That was Pawpaw’s nickname. He hated it, but she was the only one who could use it.”

  Fancie clasped her grandmother’s hand. “Are you talking to Pawpaw?”

  “Fancie, there’s nothing there,” Chastity said.

  “Shh. She thinks he’s there.”

  Again her grandmother said, “Bug.” She drew in a shuddering breath and, as she exhaled, her body seemed to deflate.

  “Bitsy? Grandma?” Fancie’s voice trembled.

  “She’s gone,” Chastity said, settling Bitsy’s lifeless hand on top of the sheet. “I’ll get the family and tell the nurse.”

  Fancie continued to hold her grandmother’s hand, sobbing. “Bitsy, what will I do without you? What will we all do?”

  Her father stood at the foot of the bed, his jaw working to hold back tears.

  Her mother came to her side and put an arm around her. “Oh, honey. She’s at peace now.”

  “She called Pawpaw’s nickname. I think she saw him here. I think he came for her.” Fancie turned into her mother’s embrace, mindful not to hold too tightly because of her Alicia’s still-healing injuries.

  After each member of the family had said their goodbye to their beloved matriarch, everyone returned to Quail Hill. Fancie’s aunt went into the kitchen and a sandwich buffet miraculously appeared twenty minutes later. They sat and told stories that brought both laughter and tears. Fancie went to the kitchen for a glass of water. A glance at the clock showed it was nearing eleven. She took the back stairs up to her room and retrieved her cell phone.

  “Luke?”

  “Fancie. I’ve been worried.”

  “Luke.” Her voice shook.

  “What happened?”

  “Grandma Bitsy died.”

  “Oh, honey, I’m so sorry.”

  “Thanks. Chastity and I got to the hospital just in time. I think she waited for us to say goodbye.”