Jim
"Wow." Ryan leaned her head back against the sofa and took in a breath. "He's never predictable, is he?"
"No," Catherine smiled. "That's one of the things that makes him a good lawyer."
Jamie ripped her envelope open and found a matching card embossed with her own name. "Good news, Honey. They're for the same club!"
Ryan laughed, pleased that her lover was keeping her sense of humor. Jamie's letter was a little longer than Ryan's, and she read it in silence, feeling that she needed to keep her relationship with her father somewhat private.
Dear Jamie,
I've done more terrible things in my life than I am willing to admit, even to myself, but the thing I'll always regret the most was willfully hurting you. I still don't understand what came over me, but I know that I have seriously harmed the most precious thing that I have-our relationship.
The happiest day of my life was the day after you were born, when your mother and I brought you home from the hospital. The hospital was filled with nurses and friends and family, and I didn't have the opportunity to spend a moment alone with you. But as soon as we got home, your mother went to bed to rest and I could get to know you a little bit. I came into your room and sat in the rocker holding you that first night, already so attached to you that I couldn't bear to put you in your cradle. I held you in my arms and cuddled you for most of the night, so filled with joy that I couldn't even think of sleeping. I spoke to you about my hopes and dreams for you, and I promised that I would always be there to take care of you.
I broke that promise, Jamie. I shattered it, all because of my need to control you and every other thing that means anything to me. I don't know how to stop behaving the way that I do, but I promise that I will try. I want you to know that no matter what happens, I will try to fulfill the promise I made to you on a cold clear February night, 21 years ago.
Her father always used a fountain pen for personal letters, and she noticed that some of the letters were smeared, as if a few tears had escaped and fallen onto the paper. Wiping her own eyes with the back of her hand, she continued to read.
Forgive me for launching into lawyer mode, but I have a few matters to take care of, and not much time to do them before I leave for Washington.
I pulled a few strings and convinced the membership committee to waive the normal process for you and Ryan to become junior members at the Club. Your mother's great-grandfather was one of the founding members of Olympic, Jamie, and I think it's time you became a member in your own right.
Even though I arranged and paid for the memberships, they are in your names. You will be responsible for the monthly charges; I will not even be informed of them. I do this only so that you understand that I am trying to give up control over your spending practices, not to avoid the expense myself.
Towards that end, I agree to your request for a discretionary distribution from your trust. I've communicated my wishes, in writing, to Tuck, and he is prepared to follow your instructions whenever and however you wish to proceed.
It would probably be best for you to move your money to a money manager of your own choosing, Honey. Having my firm handle your affairs is probably not a good idea for either of us. I'm sure your mother can suggest someone that she trusts if you need any advice.
I did some research and it appears that you should create a durable power of attorney to give Ryan the right to make decisions for you in case you are incapacitated for any reason. I know that she's the person you trust to make decisions for you now, and a power of attorney will enable her to do that.
Forgive me again if this sounds a little businesslike, Sweetheart. I'm trying to get all of my affairs straightened out before I leave for Washington, and I'll admit to feeling a little overwhelmed.
I'm very much looking forward to having a fresh start for our relationship, Jamie. I hope that by taking care of some of these financial matters, we can put them aside and never have to revisit them.
As I've already told you, I'm feeling adrift with this change in my life. I would be forever grateful if you could come visit me, for even a weekend. I know I'll be busy, but I'll clear my calendar at a moment's notice to see you-- government business be damned. (That was a joke, Honey. Don't tell the President that I said that.)
I am more hopeful than I have been in months about the future of our relationship, Jamie. I promise to do my best to be the father that you deserve.
Love always,
Daddy
She leaned against her seat back in nearly the identical pose that Ryan had struck earlier. "Wow indeed," she murmured, unable to make another comment.
Laying in bed late that night, Jamie traced complex patterns on Ryan's belly as she asked, "Did you have as nice a day as I did?"
"Hmm, let's see," Ryan said thoughtfully. "I had a nice run in a lovely neighborhood and a great breakfast, I had a good session training your mom, I gave two pretty awesome massages, I got a cool membership to one of the best golf clubs in the country, we got your mom hooked up with a really nice bike, my team won easily for a change, and then we had a truly stupendous dinner with nearly my whole family and I got to go swimming with Caitlin. I'd say that it would be tough to beat this day, to tell you the truth. How about you?"
"Well, mine wasn't as athletically focused as yours was, but it was very nice. I'm still having a tough time getting my mind around my father's letter, but I feel really good about it."
"Feel free to share anything you want. But if you want to keep it private, that's okay, too."
"Thanks. The biggest thing we'll have to discuss is his decision to let me have my distribution." She snuggled up tight and said, "I think I want to let it stay on the back burner until we have a little more time. I just don't see that we are prepared to deal with the stress of all that money right now."
"Works for me," Ryan said, hoping to hold off on that for as long as possible.
Ryan yawned so widely that Jamie was afraid her jaw would crack. Giving her belly a playful rub she asked, "Tired?"
"I was tired before the game. Now I'm sleepwalking," she admitted through another massive yawn.
"Hey, what happened to your pledge to take one day off a week? I completely forgot you were going to do that."
"I guess I haven't been very successful, huh? The only days off I've had were when I was sick."
"Well, it's only 10:30 now. I want your sweet little butt to stay right in this bed until at least eight o'clock."
"Eight o'clock! I don't think I can sleep that late," Ryan complained.
"Who said anything about sleeping?" she growled. "If you're too tired to perform your marital duties at night, you'll just have to take the early shift."
"I had no idea what I was getting into with you," Ryan murmured as she closed her eyes and snuggled up against Jamie's warm back. "But it's been a very welcome surprise."
Part Three
"Mom! We're leaving!" Jamie was standing at the bottom of the stairs, her bag already over her shoulder.
"Let me come kiss you both goodbye," the smaller woman called out, as she scampered down the stairs. "I don't know how you two can get ready so quickly in the morning!"
"It's not hard when you're just slipping on a warm-up suit," Ryan smiled, indicating her Cal Volleyball outfit.
"You look marvelous in everything you put on, Ryan O'Flaherty, so don't even try to get away with that," Catherine scoffed, patting her daughter-in-law's cheek. "What time should I be there, girls?"
"Well, Annie suggested two o'clock, so any time around then is fine," Ryan said. "Remember, Catherine, no presents."
"I understood your edict, Ryan," Catherine laughed. "That doesn't mean that I didn't try to circumvent it-but I understood it."
On the long drive home Jamie turned sideways in her seat and said, "We've been so busy I haven't had time to compare our portfolios for a while. How are you doing, Buffy?"
"Just fine," Ryan smirked.
"That's all I get?" the blonde aske
d incredulously. "You know exactly how I'm doing!"
"That's because I'm the accountant," Ryan reminded her, a smug smile covering her features. "You didn't request full disclosure when we made the bet."
"Well, I'm requesting it now," Jamie said, a little miffed that she had to beg for information.
"It's gonna cost ya," Ryan said, shaking her head sadly.
"Cost me? What do you mean, it's gonna cost me!"
"When you change the rules, you have to pay, Sweetheart," she explained with a patient tone. "Lord, you missed out on a lot, not having siblings."
"Fine," the smaller woman groused, turning her body to face forward. "What will it cost me?"
"We don't really have a specific bet," Ryan reminded her. "It was just who did a better job picking stocks. For full disclosure I think I want…I think I want you to buy me five shares of my favorite stock."
"You make it sound like you're a sure-fire winner," Jamie grumbled, narrowing her eyes a bit.
"Well, it pays to be confident," Ryan informed her. "Besides, I am the sure-fire winner. Simple fact, ma'am."
"Okay, Alan Greenspan, tell me exactly how you're doing." Jamie's lips were pursed tightly and Ryan knew she was really getting to her…to her extreme pleasure.
"I'm up $110,000," Ryan said, both eyebrows popping a few times to emphasize her superiority.
Only Ryan's excellent hearing allowed her to pick up the mumbled "shit" that her partner spat out through her clenched teeth. And she says I'm the competitive one, the dark woman chuckled to herself.
Caitlin's first birthday party was in full swing when Catherine arrived at 2:05. "My goodness," she said, after kissing Jamie and Ryan, "Jamie warned me to come on time-Did everyone else just get here?"
"Nope. Most of my family likes to come an hour or so early, just in case," Ryan laughed. "Just remember that you can't ever be too early for an O'Flaherty event."
The baby spied her good friend at the door and flew over to her, her body leaning forward, arms out at her sides, a slightly goofy look on her face. She had been walking unaided for just a few days, and she still hit the ground as often as she remained upright, but she was getting better day by day.
"Oh my goodness!" Catherine said, picking her up and cradling her in a gentle hug. "You weren't walking last night!"
"She had the concept down yesterday, but she was in the pool all night and didn't really get the opportunity," Ryan laughed.
"Yeah, and one of us was carrying her the entire time we were at Stanford," Jamie added.
"Well, it's a fantastic accomplishment, Caitlin. You should be very proud of yourself." Catherine tickled the exposed tummy, causing the baby to shriek with laughter and wait for her to do it again.
Catherine made the rounds, smiling broadly as every member of the family greeted her like a long-long cousin, even though nearly every one of them had been at her home just the day before. By the time she finished her hellos she was parched and went into the kitchen for a glass of something cold to drink.
Maeve was in the kitchen and she greeted Catherine warmly, inviting her to sit for a spell while she finished the last preparations for the barbeque.
"So, what is the news on the wedding front?" Catherine asked.
"Well, not much there, I'm afraid. I think we've worked out an arrangement with Niall so that we could move into his little house sometime near the end of January."
"Oh my, that's quite a long time," Catherine said. "What's the problem?"
"He doesn't have all of his appliances in the kitchen yet, and he can't finish the bathroom until a certain tub enclosure comes in. Then it all has to pass inspection. He thinks it might be ready by early January, but I'm not counting on it."
Catherine gave her a sympathetic look, seeing the disappointment in her new friend's eyes. "That gives us time to start planning something nice," she said brightly.
"Oh, I don't know, Catherine," Maeve said, a worried frown on her face. "We'll have so many expenses. We'll have to buy a whole house full of furniture-Niall has absolutely nothing in the place, and we don't want our children to have to bear that expense if we take our things with us. I'm afraid we won't have much to spend on the wedding."
"What was your first wedding like?" Catherine asked. "Were you married here?"
"Oh, yes," she said. "It was a simple little affair. Just the two of us, and my husband's brother and sister-in-law standing up for us. We didn't have the money for a real church service, so we had the ceremony in a little chapel in the rectory. It was fine," she said, sparing a sad smile.
"Your family wasn't able to attend?" Catherine was quite shocked at the sparsely attended service.
"Oh, my, no! My sister Fionnuala was saving every little bit of money she could to be able to emigrate, my younger sister was still in secondary school, and our brother was younger still. My parents were not very happy with me getting married so soon anyway, and even if they had approved, they never could have spent that kind of money on a trip. No, it wasn't the kind of wedding that a girl dreams of, but one can't have everything in life."
"What do you think you and Martin will do?" Catherine queried.
"Well, we'll need the church this time-just for all of the relatives," she laughed. "I suppose we'll have tea and cake in the auditorium afterwards. It's not really important," she insisted. "All that matters is that I'll have my Martin."
Catherine rose from her seat and placed her hands on Maeve's shoulders, smiling a little when she realized that they were the same height. "It does matter, Maeve. Every woman should remember her wedding day fondly. Tea and cake is fine, but it's not enough for a special day. Let me help."
She said this with such determination that Maeve heard herself asking, "How?"
"Let me host a reception for you and Martin. I have a cook who longs to cater a big party, and enough china and silver to serve a small army. I would be forever grateful if you let me give you this gift."
"Oh, Catherine, that's too generous of you! We couldn't impose like that!"
"Why do you and Martin keep saying that?" she responded with a note of frustration. "Either I'm a member of this family, or I'm not! I see how the whole family pitches in to fix Niall's home, I see how you accept his home as your own, why refuse such a simple offering from me?"
Maeve pursed her lips and made a decision. "Why indeed?" she repeated, noddingher head. "I accept-with one proviso. You have to allow us to pay for the food."
Catherine narrowed her eyes and made a counter offer. "Only if I can pay for the liquor." And the flowers, she said to herself.
Maeve grimaced, knowing that she had been outflanked. Sighing heavily, she smiled and gave Catherine a warm hug. "It's a deal," she whispered. "Nothing too fancy, now. We're simple people."
"I promise to hide the caviar spoons and the paté forks," Catherine laughed, already planning the menu in her head.
"Now I just need to find a dress, make the arrangements with Father Pender, and tell my parents…in that order."
"Will this not be happy news?" Catherine asked solicitously.
Maeve sighed and said, "They were never happy with Martin, to be honest. Even though we were poorer than church mice, Mam had great plans for Fionnuala. She was very talented musically, you know. Great promise. But she wanted to come to the States, and once she met Martin-well, you know how it is," she laughed.
"Your sister didn't regret her choice, did she?" Catherine asked as tactfully as possible.
"Oh, my, no! She was completely happy, Catherine. She loved Martin and the children with every bit of her heart. She was very much like Siobhan that way. Her heart was as big as the North Sea. No, she was a very happy woman. It's Mam who never warmed up to Martin. Part of it was distance. She only met him twice--once, not long after they married, and the second time at my sister's funeral. Not the best time to make a good impression," she admitted. "Mam has always had the unreasonable notion that Fi would still be with us if she hadn't come to the States. She seems to
think that we're surrounded by all sorts of carcinogens that they don't have in Ireland." She shook her head and rolled her eyes a little, amused as well as dismayed by her mother's beliefs.
"Will she be upset that you've chosen Martin, too?"
"Yes, she will. Distance wasn't the only problem," Maeve admitted. "The children spent a lot of time in Ireland, and Martin and my mother each have strongly held views on child-rearing. At one point they had a terrible row, and I'm quite certain that Mam has never forgiven him for it." Shaking her head again Maeve said, "I'll be 57 years old this year, Catherine, but I still hate to think of making my mother angry with me."
"Will you tell her by letter?" Catherine asked.
"I have to. It would cost five hundred dollars for a ticket right now. We could buy a new sofa for that kind of money."
You can? Catherine mentally gaped, but politely held her tongue. "It's September, right?"
"Right," Maeve said cautiously.
"I have enough miles for three first-class airline tickets to anywhere in Europe, but they expire at the end of the year. I'm certain that I won't use them, so will you use one of them to tell your mother and father in person?"
"Oh, Catherine," she cried, for the second time in the day. "Those are yours! You should use them! You could take the girls on a nice trip."
Catherine gave her a look and said, "I have a hard time getting both of them in one place for dinner. Jamie could get away around Christmas, but Ryan starts basketball as soon as volleyball is over. There is no way that she will get any time off."
"What about your husband? Couldn't he…?" Maeve began, but stopped abruptly when she saw the look in Catherine's eyes. "Is something wrong?"
"We've separated, Maeve. He left for Washington on Friday. I won't be joining him."
"Oh, Catherine, I'm so sorry to hear that. We saw him on the television just the other night…he's such a nice looking man. He looks quite a bit like Jamie, doesn't he?"
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