by Terri DuLong
I heard a chuckle come across the line. “Aha. I can see I’m being replaced. But that’s a very good thing. Okay, if you’re sure. Call me tomorrow with an update. I love you.”
“Will do, and I love you back.”
A year ago I wouldn’t have hesitated to tell Petra to come. She would always be my rock, but I knew that Chadwick was now my mountain.
He returned with Haley, and the three of us waited together until my mother was settled in a room on the medical floor.
Haley rushed to her bedside and gently leaned over to place a kiss on her cheek. “Nana, I was so worried about you.”
My mother reached out for her granddaughter’s hand and the first words out of her mouth were, “Fred.”
“What?” I said, and walked to the bedside.
“Poor little Fred has been alone in his crate since I left this morning. Somebody has to go get him.”
I hadn’t even thought about him—or Ginger, for that matter. But I realized that Chadwick and Haley must have tended to her at the house.
“Okay,” I said.
“Oh, I forgot to tell you, Mom. Yarrow said I could spend the night at her house and that I can bring both Fred and Ginger. Is that okay?”
“That would be great, because I want to stay here with your grandmother.”
“When you’re ready to leave, I’ll drive you to get Fred,” Chadwick said. “You can wait with him at your house until Yarrow closes the shop.”
It was then that I realized Chadwick and my mother had never met, and I couldn’t suppress a giggle.
“I know you always want to look your best,” I told my mother. “And this is far from the best of times, but . . .” I turned around and reached for Chadwick’s hand to draw him closer. “I want you to meet . . .” I wasn’t sure what title to assign him. “A very special person in my life, Chadwick Price.”
My mother smiled and nodded. “No. Not the best time, but, Chadwick, it’s such a pleasure to meet you, despite the circumstances.”
“Same here. And I’m very glad you’re going to be okay. It’s a pleasure to meet Isabelle’s mother.”
An hour later when they left, I pulled a chair beside my mother’s bed. She had been drifting in and out of sleep; the nurse said that was natural with the pain meds. The doctor had come in and said all the lab and scan results looked good, but they wanted to keep my mother for a couple of nights to be sure.
I sat there quietly watching her as she slept and remembered the time I was nine and had contracted a severe case of measles. With such a high fever, I had been having nightmares, but each time I opened my eyes, my mother was sitting there to assure me it only had been a dream.
After a little while she opened her eyes again and smiled.
“Are you having much pain?” I asked.
“No. I’m fine. Thank you for being here, Isabelle. But when Chadwick gets back, I want you to go. It has to be late and I know you haven’t even eaten.”
I glanced at my watch and was shocked to see it was a little after seven.
“Okay. Now that I know you’re going to be all right, I am feeling a little hungry.”
“Isabelle, I like him. I like Chadwick a lot, and I couldn’t be happier for you. He seems like such a nice fellow.”
“He is.”
“You know, and I probably shouldn’t say this, but when I met Roger for the first time, I just didn’t think he was right for you. I couldn’t explain it. Just a mother’s intuition, I guess.”
“Hmm. And you were right.” I wasn’t sure exactly how to tell her except to blurt it out. “Roger is gay.”
She nodded. “I knew that.”
“What? How on earth could you possibly know that? I didn’t even know.”
“Well, I didn’t know for sure back then. I only suspected, but Haley told me when she found out, and I wasn’t all that surprised.” She reached over to take my hand. “How are you with this news?”
I let out a deep sigh. “At first . . . I was a mess.”
“That’s understandable. I’m so sorry you had to go through something like that. I wish I’d been there to try to help.”
“To be honest, I’m not sure you could have. I think it was something I needed to get through on my own.”
“And now?”
“I’m fine with it. Then you must know Roger and Gordon were married a few weeks ago and Haley attended the wedding?”
She nodded.
“I’m happy for him. I really am. Roger isn’t a bad person and he’s always been a very good father to Haley.”
As soon as I said the words I saw the similarity with my own parents. Neither one of them were bad people. They were simply human. And as such, each one had their own flaws.
My mother gripped my hand. “I might not have had much to do with your upbringing, but I have to say again, I’m so proud of the woman you’ve become, Isabelle.”
“I need to tell you something. First of all, you had everything to do with my upbringing. Up until the time I was fifteen, everything I had learned was from you. The important things in life—like kindness and understanding, but most of all about love. Because of you, I knew how to be a mother to my own daughter. I’m just so sorry that you missed out on so many of those years. But that’s the past . . . and I want to start over. I want for us to start over as mother and daughter.”
I saw the tears streaming down my mother’s face and I passed her a tissue.
“You have no idea how many times I’ve wished for this. I’m not under any delusion that we won’t have our ups and downs. Of course we will. It goes with the territory.” She grinned. “But hopefully, we have many years ahead to share. And Isabelle, I couldn’t be any happier.”
* * *
Since Haley wouldn’t be spending the night at Koi House, I extended an invitation to Chadwick. He didn’t hesitate to accept. We had opted for a light supper there rather than going out to a restaurant.
“Mother-daughter relationships are way more complex than I ever thought,” Chadwick said, as he stood near the stove keeping an eye on the omelets he was making for us. “But I’m so happy that you’ve finally resolved this, Isabelle.”
I nodded. “What surprises me is that I didn’t just say those words to her because I felt I should. It was because I truly felt them and want for us to have a relationship. For the first time, I can finally see that it was every bit as hard for my mother as it was for me.”
Chadwick placed an omelet on each plate and then spooned fried potatoes beside them.
I took the plates and brought them to the counter.
He joined me and lifted his wineglass. “Here’s to you and your mother. Both of you are very strong women and there’s no doubt that’s in your genes.”
I smiled. “You know . . . I am strong. I never thought I was but looking back, I can see I’ve worked through some major issues.”
“And at the end of the day, most people hope to be able to say that. Hey, life isn’t easy. So taking those punches and getting back up? That’s what counts.”
After we ate and cleaned the dishes, I curled up next to Chadwick on the sofa.
“This is nice,” I murmured, a drowsy contentment coming over me.
He kissed the side of my head. “Very nice. I could get used to this every night.”
“You wouldn’t get tired of me?”
“You’re kidding, right? Nope. Never.”
I felt the smile that crossed my face at the same time I felt Chadwick’s hand on my thigh.
“Hmm, good,” I said.
“Since you invited me to spend the night, I assume you want me to sleep in your bed.”
“Your assumption would be correct, yes.”
“I know it’s only just after nine, but it’s been a long day for you. How about if we shut off the lights and go upstairs?”
“To sleep?” I asked.
“Eventually, yes. But oh, no, beautiful. I have some enticing ideas in mind first.”
I stood
up and reached for his hand. “I always welcome your ideas.”
Chapter 39
Mavis Anne had returned from her cruise the following week and my mother was recuperating at home.
I walked into the yarn shop one afternoon to find the table filled with the regular knitters. I had been so busy making my deliveries in the morning and spending time with my mother in the afternoon and evening that except for Mavis Anne, I hadn’t seen any of them since before my mother’s accident.
“Isabelle,” they called out when I walked in, and I had to admit that it felt nice to be welcomed.
“How’s your mother doing? We were so sorry to hear about her accident,” Fay said.
“Yeah, Mavis Anne and I leave on a cruise and all hell breaks loose,” Louise told me.
I laughed and sat down. “She’s doing pretty well. She went home last Friday and the doctor arranged for her to have home health care, which is a godsend. The aide comes to help her shower and the nurse comes to check her out medically. I think she rather likes the attention,” I said and smiled.
“Oh, but, geez, she can’t knit, can she?” Maddie asked.
I shook my head. “No, not with that right arm in a cast. The doctor said it’ll be about five more weeks with that and then she’ll probably have to have some physical therapy.”
“Gosh, what a shame, but she was so lucky.” Maddie shook her head. “Why the hell was that kid that hit her drunk at nine in the morning?”
I shrugged. “I just hope he gets some help before he kills somebody.”
I reached into my tote bag and removed a cable pullover sweater I was making for Chadwick for the coming winter.
“Oh, that’s gorgeous,” Maddie said, leaning over for a better look. “For Chadwick?”
I nodded. I was making it with a worsted weight gray tweed and I was pleased with the results. “I hope he’ll like it.”
“Oh, please,” Maddie said. “That guy is totally besotted with you. It wouldn’t matter what you made him. He’d love it.”
I laughed and heard Louise say, “Oh, is there another wedding on the horizon?”
I could feel the heat radiating up my neck. Why did people put other people on the spot like that?
“Oh . . . I . . . no,” I stammered. “I don’t think so.”
“Right,” I heard Maddie mumble.
Two hours later I packed up my knitting. “Well, I have to get to my mother’s. I told her I’d be over tonight to cook dinner.”
“Well, the four of us had a discussion before you got here,” Mavis Anne said. “And we decided that you’re going to wear yourself to a frazzle trying to care for your mother twenty-four-seven. So we’re going to take turns making her dinners. Each of us will go over and cook dinner for her one night a week and visit with her, but we’ll also bring a dish we cooked at home. Something she can just reheat in the microwave. So this way, you won’t need to be cooking every night.”
I seemed to be exceptionally weepy lately because I felt my eyes getting moist.
“That’s so nice of you. And it will be a huge help. Thank you.”
“Hey,” Maddie said. “That’s what friends are for.”
And if I hadn’t considered it before, that’s exactly what these women had become. My friends.
“We all chipped in,” Yarrow said, walking toward me from the tea shop carrying a large basket covered with plastic wrap and a huge bow. “And we did up a basket for you to take to your mother from us.”
“Oh, wow,” I said, genuinely moved. “She will absolutely love that.”
“Well, we know she’s going to be limited in what she can do with that arm in a cast,” Fay said. “So we thought chocolate, some good books and magazines to read, and flavored coffee might help.”
* * *
My mother opened the door with Fred at her heels and smiled when she saw the basket.
“From the women at the yarn shop,” I said, placing it on her dining room table.
“Oh, my goodness. That was thoughtful of them. How nice.”
“And they’ve arranged to provide your dinners each night by coming to cook and spend some time with you.”
“Are you kidding? Now that’s extremely thoughtful. Plus, it will give you a break. Even though I’ve told you I’d be fine making myself a sandwich.”
“You never fed me sandwiches for dinner when I was a kid,” I said. “Coffee?”
“That would be great,” my mother said, going to sit in the family room while I prepared the coffeemaker.
Over the past week I was coming to feel at home in her kitchen. Much the way being in her life was beginning to feel.
When the coffee was ready, I brought her a mug and sat down to join her. It felt like old times, like those lost years were a distant memory and all that counted was right now.
“You know, Isabelle, you made a very wise choice when you moved here.”
“I think you’re right,” I agreed.
“Isn’t it strange that when you think about it, all of it had to do with your father.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, if he hadn’t initially gone to Cedar Key, he never would have met Chloe. And if he hadn’t met Chloe, maybe she wouldn’t have relocated here and then invited you to come visit last year.”
“Hmm, true. And maybe you wouldn’t have sought me out and wanted to move here.”
She smiled. “Oh, no. That’s where you’re wrong. As soon as I found out your father had died and was no longer in the picture—I would have gone to the ends of the earth to find you. The location didn’t matter to me. Being with you and trying to rebuild what we’d lost was all that mattered.”
“I’m glad,” I said.
“So in a roundabout way, your father might have played a major role in keeping us apart, but in the end he also played a major part in your finding happiness. I was thinking about Chadwick. By moving here, you met him.”
A smile crossed my face and I nodded. “That’s very true. And I actually met him last summer when I came to visit Chloe. Then shortly after I moved here I met him again and we began dating.”
“Is it serious?” she asked.
Without hesitating I said, “Yes. Yes, it is.”
“Good. I hope you know how happy I am for you.”
“How about you?” I said, and I realized there was a whole chunk of my mother’s life that I knew nothing about. “I know now you didn’t have a guy in your life when you left, but thirty years is a long time. Has there ever been anybody else?”
“Oh, yeah. There was. Once. His name was Patrick. I met him at one of my AA meetings about a year after I’d gotten sober. He had about ten years in the program.”
“What happened?”
“We were together for five years. Actually, we lived together. And then one day I began to suspect that his demons had returned. That he was drinking again. I confronted him. He denied it, of course.”
I took a sip of coffee and waited for what I knew was not going to be a happy ending.
“After a few months and discussing it with my sponsor, I knew I had to do what was best for me. Even though I truly didn’t want to. I had to move out and hold on to my own sobriety. I knew I couldn’t fix him. Only he could do that.”
I waited for her to continue. I could tell even all these years later, it still bothered her.
“About six months after I left, he was killed in a car crash. He was driving drunk and plowed into a guardrail.”
“God, I’m so sorry, Mom.”
She nodded. “I had a hard time dealing with all of it. I loved him. A lot. And we were good together—except when we weren’t. When he began drinking again. So I had to choose between him and my own survival.” She paused before saying, “I chose to survive.”
Chadwick had been correct. I did come from a gene pool of strong women.
Chapter 40
By the time mid-June arrived, many changes had taken place. Brenda and Tina had moved into their new condo and i
nvited Haley and me for a delicious Mexican dinner. Chloe and Henry returned from Hawaii ready to begin their married life together. And three days later Chloe’s new granddaughter, Elizabeth Chloe, arrived. She would be called Eliza.
My mother’s cast had been removed a few days earlier and each day we forged more of a bond. I had come to see that the past thirty years had been no easier on my mother than they had been on me. Her life seemed to consist of teaching art at the university, occasional social events with colleagues, and that was about it. She had never traveled and she had never fallen in love again. Although she probably wouldn’t admit it and certainly would not complain about it—it was obvious that her life had been very lonely. I almost got the feeling she felt she had been doing penance over those thirty years. And that made me very sad.
I was sitting on the patio knitting and thinking about what Chadwick had asked me the evening before. Betty was retiring in September and he very much wanted me to be her replacement. I hated to leave Yarrow in the lurch, but I’d certainly be giving her plenty of time to find somebody new. Not only would I be able to see a lot more of Chadwick, but I thought I’d truly enjoy learning the real estate business. After discussing it, I told him I’d make a decision soon and I was now convinced I wanted to do this.
I glanced at my watch and saw it was almost six. Chadwick was picking me up shortly for dinner at his house. Haley was spending the night at Tina’s, providing us with another opportunity to be creative.
I walked into the house to bring my knitting inside and check on things before I left for the night. The house seemed empty without Haley and Ginger here. She had brought the puppy to stay with her at Tina’s. Both girls adored the dog and not for the first time I silently thanked my mother for rescuing both Fred and Ginger. Fred was very good for my mother while she was recuperating and I knew she welcomed his constant company.
I saw Chadwick pull up in the driveway and walked to the door, a smile covering my face.
“You look gorgeous,” he said, coming inside and pulling me into an embrace.
Rather than my usual shorts or capris, I’d decided to wear a sundress.
“Thanks,” I said, after he kissed me.
He reached for my hand. “All set to get creative?” he teased me.