After everyone had settled down from the initial excitement of her arrival, Evelyn was still fussy and jumpy, rushing around picking up used plates and silverware, sometimes before the user could even set them down. In the hour since the party started, Evelyn hadn’t stopped moving for more than a few seconds. That was so unlike her cool eldest sister.
Beverly listened as she and Valerie stood near the window in the living room and Valerie chatted, but her eyes followed Evelyn as she dashed into the kitchen with her hands full of dishes. In less than a minute, Evelyn hurried back out and headed for the buffet table in the dining room, where Beverly noticed her shuffling things around needlessly. Then Evelyn slipped into the living room and picked up used glasses.
“What’s wrong?” Valerie asked. “You have this really weird look on your face.”
Beverly glanced back toward her friend. “Sorry, it’s nothing.”
“You sure?” Valerie asked, her voice filled with doubt.
Beverly nodded. She had her suspicions that whatever was bothering Evelyn had to do with Kevin and she would have loved to discuss it with her best friend. But Valerie had a sizable mouth on her, and Beverly figured it was probably best to keep her thoughts to herself for now.
“Is something bothering Evelyn?” Valerie asked.
Beverly blinked. For a second she thought her friend was going clairvoyant on her. Then Beverly realized that Evelyn’s behavior likely looked a lot odder than she realized and that others may have noticed it too. “I don’t know. I’m not sure.”
“She doesn’t seem like herself,” Valerie said. “She’s a lot more jittery or something. Evelyn’s usually so composed.”
Beverly tried to appear unconcerned. “She didn’t have much time to plan the shower. She’s busy.”
Valerie nodded. “Maybe that’s it. I should offer to help out.”
At that moment, Beverly heard the front door shut and she looked to see a bald-headed man walk quickly past the living room entrance.
“Was that Kevin?” Valerie asked.
Valerie had taken the words right out of Beverly’s mouth. “I think so,” Beverly said.
“When did he shave his head?”
“Recently, from what Evelyn tells me.”
“Damn, he looks good. I love a man with a shaved head.”
Beverly smiled. “Actually, you love any kind of man with any kind of head,” she said teasingly. “Don’t forget, he’s taken.”
Valerie rolled her eyes at Beverly in mock disgust. “Like I don’t know that. Not to mention that I’m spoken for too. A girl can still look and admire, can’t she? No harm in that.”
“I was kidding,” Beverly said. With a man like Otis she’d probably look and admire other men too, Beverly thought, although she decided to keep that thought to herself. Valerie already knew how she felt about Otis, so there was no point bringing it up.
Evelyn stood stock-still as Kevin skipped up the stairs two at a time. So he had decided to show up now? When he finally called her back yesterday afternoon, he agreed to come by after work and help her move the table. But then he didn’t show up. Not last night, not this morning. Finally, Evelyn walked across the street and got her neighbor to help.
Now he had the nerve to stroll in at two o’clock in the afternoon, an hour after the shower had started, and act like things were normal. Evelyn placed the dirty glasses she had just picked up on a side table and followed him up the stairs, where she found him standing in the middle of the floor in their bedroom. He had his hands in the pockets of his faded blue jeans and he looked totally uncomfortable in these surroundings.
She stood in the doorway and silently folded her arms across the chest of her tailored navy pantsuit. Sometimes there was no need to say anything. Sometimes a simple disgusted expression could do.
“Sorry I got here so late,” he said. “Something came up yesterday after we talked.”
“You couldn’t have called to say you wouldn’t be able to make it?”
“Didn’t think to.”
He spoke without a single ounce of regret. It was infuriating. But sadly his behavior didn’t surprise Evelyn. Not anymore. Nothing he did surprised her now. Her eyes flashed with annoyance. “So why bother to show up here today?”
“I thought I’d stop by to see if you need help with anything else.”
She threw her hands up in the air. “The goddamn party is almost over now. And is that the only reason you came? We’re probably on the brink of dissolving a twenty-five-year marriage, yet you have no need to talk to me about anything?”
She paused and he stared at the floor in silence. So he still had no words for her? She shook her head with despair. Nothing seemed rational when it came to Kevin anymore. She hardly knew what to say to him. “Honestly, Kevin. No, I don’t need any help. You may as well go back wherever you came from.”
He ran his hand across his scalp. “I need to pack a few more things while I’m here. You go on and entertain your guests.”
So cold and distant. Evelyn couldn’t believe how much he had changed. This was the man who had lain beside her and kept her warm almost every night for decades. Now whenever he was around, it felt like an arctic chill was blowing through. She turned to leave.
“Evelyn.”
She paused and turned back to face him.
“I know you want to talk, and we will in due time, but I’m not ready yet. Sorry it’s taking so long.”
She nodded. That was the most considerate thing he’d said to her in months. It wasn’t much, but it was better than nothing. “When do you think you’ll be ready?”
“Soon.”
“Soon, soon. You keep saying that. Do you realize that it’s been two weeks since you left, and we’ve barely spoken to each other?”
“There’s a lot to think about. I want to be sure I have things worked out.”
“Kevin.” She dreaded even asking if there was another woman. He had already said there wasn’t, but it was hard to imagine what else could have brought such a drastic and sudden change in him. “Are you seeing someone else? I want the truth.”
He shook his head firmly. “No, absolutely not. It’s nothing like that.”
“Would you tell me if you were?”
He hesitated for a second. “Yes. Yes, I would.”
Something about the detached way he’d said it made Evelyn believe him. She realized that if he was seeing someone else, he would have no reservations about admitting it to her, simply because he cared so little about her feelings at this point. Still, Evelyn had a hard time accepting that his attitude was anything more than temporary. He was going through a phase, and she still hoped that he would snap out of it eventually if she was patient enough.
“Rebecca is really upset about all of this,” she said. “I wish you hadn’t told them.”
“After you and I talked, I decided that it was best to be up front. I don’t like hiding things from them. She’ll be fine.”
“I’m not so sure about that. I worry that it’s going to affect her studies. Thank God she’s coming home in a couple of weeks for Bev’s wedding. I can talk to her in person then. We both can.”
He nodded silently.
“It would be helpful to us all if you would give an indication of where you’re going with this, Kevin.”
“And I will.”
“I know,” she said drily. “Soon.”
He smiled thinly. “What else can I say?”
“Nothing. If nothing is in your heart, then there’s nothing you should say.” Evelyn realized that the distant and uncaring expression on his face hurt her but not nearly as much as it had when she last saw him. She might be getting used to this. And that scared her more anything.
She turned on her heels and walked away.
Chapter 16
Evelyn descended the stairs slowly, and Beverly noticed that she looked even more morose than she had before she had gone up. Beverly excused herself from Valerie and went to her sister. “Is every
thing all right?” Beverly asked softly, even though she knew things couldn’t possibly be all right. You didn’t walk around looking like you’d just seen death when things were going well.
Evelyn tightened her lips and stared at the floor as Charmaine approached them. “Everything is fine.”
“Don’t lie to us,” Charmaine said bluntly.
“You know better than to try that with us,” Beverly said. “We can see right through it.”
“It’s just…” Evelyn paused. She knew she needed to tell them the whole story, despite the fact that it was hard to admit it, even to herself. But she didn’t have much choice at this point. Kevin was about to walk down the stairs with a bag in his hand, and the truth would be fairly obvious. She could lie and say he was going on a trip, but she was tired of being deceptive.
She beckoned her sisters into the family room, which was on a lower level next to the kitchen and far away from the crowd. She might as well get this done, and the quickest way was to come right out with the ugly reality. She faced them and squared her shoulders. “Kevin has left me.”
Beverly and Charmaine both gasped.
“Oh, my God,” Charmaine said.
Beverly covered her mouth with her hand. “Are you serious?” Beverly had figured that something was drastically wrong in the DuMont household but had never suspected this. Not with Evelyn and Kevin.
Evelyn nodded. “He left about two weeks ago. The day after your fitting, Bev.”
“Good grief,” Charmaine said.
“So when we met for lunch last weekend he had already left?” Beverly asked.
Evelyn nodded again.
“And you never said anything,” Charmaine said. “Not one damn word. We sat and talked all that time and you said not one word.”
“Sorry, but I was too embarrassed. And I didn’t want to burden anyone with my problems. I was so sure he would come back soon and I wouldn’t have to. Well, he hasn’t. And the truth is, I don’t have the faintest idea what he’s going to do. He doesn’t tell me much of anything anymore.”
“Oh, Evelyn,” Beverly said. “This is crazy.”
“I know,” Evelyn said.
“Where is he staying?” Charmaine asked.
“A rental in College Park.”
“But why?” Beverly asked. “Why did he leave?”
“I wish I could tell you, but I don’t really understand it myself. Like I said last week, it’s some kind of emotional thing he’s going through. A midlife crisis or something. We haven’t talked about it much at all yet. He won’t talk to me.”
Beverly could hardly catch her breath. She knew this must be extremely hard on Evelyn. Still, she was aware that even the best of couples quarreled, sometimes badly. In the end, they patched things up. Kevin and Evelyn probably needed a break from each other, and what couple wouldn’t after more than two decades of marriage? “He just needs some time to himself, Evelyn. He’s at that age where he’s worried about getting older and he’s doubting himself. I’m sure he’ll come around eventually.”
Charmaine nodded. “I kind of saw this coming, but that’s what I’m thinking it is too. A bad midlife crisis. I’m hoping he comes to his senses soon.”
Beverly stared at Charmaine. “You saw this coming? How?”
Charmaine shrugged. “The distance between them. I figured something was up. Look, I’ve been married four times. I’ve seen it all.”
“Well, it’s news to me,” Beverly said. “I had no idea. How are you dealing with it, Evelyn?”
Evelyn swallowed hard. “I’m not in the best shape, I won’t lie. But I’m hanging in there. What else can I do? The ball is completely in his court. I have to sit here and wait to see what he decides to do.”
Charmaine shook her head with doubt. “I got plenty of ideas about what else you can do. You might not want to do them but—”
“Charm,” Beverly interrupted. “She’s been married too long to just walk off at the first sign of real trouble the way you would.”
“I’m just saying. I agree she should give him some time, but if he doesn’t come around soon…” Charmaine brushed her hands together.
Evelyn shook her head. “Bev’s right. I have to give him the space he needs and hope for the best.”
“You two will work things out,” Beverly said firmly. “As long as you’ve been married, I have no doubts of that. Is there anything we can do in the meantime?”
Evelyn shook her head. “Not really.”
“How are the kids handling it?” Charmaine asked.
“Andre seems fine, but Rebecca is having a lot of trouble with it. Now that I think about it, there is one thing you can do for me. Please don’t say anything to Mama. Let me tell her later.”
“Fine,” Charmaine said, nodding. “I understand.”
“No problem,” Beverly added.
Evelyn let out a deep sigh. “I’m so glad I finally told you all the truth. It’s a load off my mind.” She smiled.
“That’s what we’re here for,” Charmaine said.
“You bet,” Beverly added.
Evelyn touched Beverly’s arm. “I’m really sorry this came out now. This was supposed to be a day for you to celebrate getting married, and here I am going through this stuff.”
Beverly waved her hand. “Don’t be silly. It’s hardly your fault.”
Charmaine shrugged. “This is life, you know? We sure as hell can’t control when these things happen. Men are so unpredictable and sometimes they can be such…”
They heard laughter coming from the kitchen, and Charmaine paused midsentence. Beverly listened and then smiled. She would know her best friend’s loud cackle from a mile away.
They all walked up to the newly updated kitchen to see Kevin and Valerie standing around the table. Kevin must have just said something hilarious, because Valerie was having a hard time shaking the giggles. The smile faded from Beverly’s face when she noticed a black leather duffel bag on the floor next to Kevin and was reminded that he had his own place.
“Hello, ladies,” Kevin said. He nodded at Beverly and Charmaine.
“Hello, Kevin,” Beverly and Charmaine said in unison.
“Kevin was telling me about some customers that came into Blockbuster last week,” Valerie said. “What was it, Kevin? Some teenage guy whose mother caught him watching an R-rated video with his girlfriend and brought him into the store and made him return it. It was so funny.”
The three sisters stared at Valerie blankly, obviously not getting the joke.
Valerie waved an arm. “You had to be here to hear him telling it.”
“Uh-huh,” Beverly said, folding her arms across her chest. Sometimes her girlfriend could be so frivolous, especially after a couple of glasses of wine. Still, Valerie understandably had no clue that Kevin and Evelyn had separated, and it was making for an awkward moment.
“Oh, good luck to you on your upcoming nups, Bev,” Kevin said as he bent down and reached for his bag.
“Thanks.” Normally, Beverly would have been eager to catch Kevin up on the plans for the wedding. She had come to think of him as a brother, someone who would always be in the family. She couldn’t be sure of that any longer and as a result wasn’t so sure how to act around him.
“I only met Julian a few times,” Kevin said. “But he seems like good people.”
“He’s very nice,” Evelyn added. “Bev’s lucky to have him.”
Beverly smiled. “I hope you see him again some time soon, Kevin, so you have a chance to get to know him.”
Charmaine listened in silence to the small talk but kept her eyes glued on Valerie, who in turn couldn’t seem to take her eyes off Kevin. Charmaine knew flirting when she saw it, even subtle flirting, and it looked like Valerie was being a bit coquettish with Kevin, batting her eyelashes and smiling at him like a fool. Charmaine didn’t trust any woman besides her sisters around an attractive man.
She glanced at Beverly and Evelyn to see if they were picking up on the signals,
but they didn’t seem to have noticed anything unusual. Maybe she was imagining things, Charmaine thought, because of what Evelyn had just told them. And even if Valerie was flirting with Kevin, it was probably no big deal. It made Charmaine a little uncomfortable to think that Valerie would flirt with her best friend’s brother-in-law, but it wasn’t exactly going to start World War III. Valerie and Beverly had been friends for years, and Valerie should know better than to step over the line.
“Well, I’m out of here,” Kevin said. He kissed Beverly, Charmaine, and Valerie on the cheeks and split, and the four of them went back to the party. As Evelyn and Charmaine moved off, Beverly thought now was the time to get her friend caught up.
“Kevin and Evelyn are separated. I just found out.”
Valerie’s eyes widened. “You’re kidding!”
“I wish. Unfortunately, it’s true.”
“I wondered why he had the overnight bag. I thought maybe he was going on a business trip or something, until he told me he worked at Blockbuster, and then I didn’t know what to think. When did this happen?”
“A couple of weeks ago,” Beverly said.
“That’s a shame. Whose idea was it for them to split up?”
“His. And no, Evelyn is not sure what’s going on with him. Midlife crisis or something maybe.”
Valerie nodded. “That probably explains the shaved head. And why he left his law firm to work at Blockbuster, of all places.”
“I know. Crazy, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, but it happens,” Valerie said. “He’s probably searching for the meaning of life. Why he’s here on earth. That kind of thing.”
“He can do that shit with his wife.”
Valerie chuckled. “True. How is Evelyn handling it?”
“She’s okay. Not great, but okay.”
“I hope she bounces back quickly. She’s been married so long that being single will probably be a big adjustment for her.”
“Slow down, girlfriend,” Beverly said. “They haven’t signed any papers, so I wouldn’t give up on them just yet. They had a good marriage for a long time. I happen to think they’ll work things out.”
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