“I can, but there’s no guarantee I’ll sell anything. There are a lot of great photographers out there. Matt happened to like my particular style. It could take months for me to break in somewhere else. At some point I have to make a living. My stock sales aren’t going to be enough to pay the bills.”
Josie felt a cautious smile form on her face. “You always have been the dreamer of the family, Nat, but you always manage to land on your feet. If nothing else you have your teaching job waiting for you next fall.”
Natalie didn’t look convinced by her optimism. “That’s nine months away! What am I supposed to do now?”
“I don’t know, stick around here?”
“And do what? Freeload off you?”
“No. Be my roommate. Keep taking care of your nephew--I know Mrs. Ramsey wants to move to Colorado. Maybe you can find some photography work around here.”
“Josie. I don’t think you want me just hanging around.”
“What are you talking about? Of course I do! Ever since you went away to college I’ve been hoping to have more than a week here and there with you. The last month has been one of the best I’ve had in a long time.”
“Are you sure that’s because of me? You and Brandon seem to be moving awfully fast.”
“It’s both. You and Brandon. Come on, Nat. If anyone deserves a break, it’s you. You’re a workaholic like Dad, and you’re always saying how he needs to slow down.”
The phone ringing interrupted them. Josie went to answer it, expecting it to be Brandon. They were supposed to be leaving for their date soon. She had taken Tommy to Nick’s house for a birthday party, and she and Brandon had scheduled some time for just the two of them after spending most of their time together with Tommy during the last few weeks.
“Hey, sweetheart. I’m afraid I have some bad news.”
“What’s that?” she asked, hoping it wasn’t anything major. She had enough to deal with right now.
“I’m going to have to cancel our date. I have a problem to fix with one of my client’s web sites, and it’s going to take several hours to correct. I’m sorry.”
“That’s all right,” she replied, glancing back into the living room and seeing that Natalie had disappeared momentarily. “Natalie is a bit stressed. I think it’s better if I hang out with her today.”
“Okay,” he said. “But I’ll make this up to you. I promise.”
Although she had been looking forward to this afternoon with Brandon, she wanted to do anything she could to convince Natalie to stay. She finished the last of her turkey sandwich and iced tea and then asked Natalie if she wanted to go shopping or something.
Natalie was anxious to get out, and the cool November air kept them walking at a fast pace but was also refreshing. They hadn’t had a lot of time to hang out together between her work schedule, Natalie’s tendency to get out to take pictures whenever the weather allowed, and with Tommy and Brandon around the rest of the time.
Natalie had her short blond hair pulled back into a ponytail and a denim baseball cap on her head. She looked fifteen again, and she had the disposition of a teenager that had just gotten her heart broken by a guy. She started to cheer up after about thirty minutes. Finding a good sale on shoes helped.
“Don’t you have some like those already?” Josie asked about a cute pair on clearance that Natalie was going gaga over.
“No,” Natalie said. “I have a pair with a thin buckle in this style, not a wide one like this.”
“I stand corrected,” Josie said with a smirk. “Does that complete your collection of every shoe made this season?”
“Ha, ha. Very funny,” Natalie said. She purchased the shoes plus a pair of boots that she liked. Once they were back outside, she took her camera out of its case. She had spotted a small statue with a fountain across the street, and she wanted to get a few quick shots.
“I’ve always wanted to ask you something,” Josie said.
“What’s that?”
“How did you get interested in photography? From taking some classes at Stanford?”
“That wasn’t where I first learned,” she replied. “Daddy taught me. In fact, this is his camera. He gave it to me for my fifteenth birthday.”
“I didn’t know he had a camera.”
“I found it.”
“You did? Where?”
“In the basement at Mom’s. I was down there looking for something one day, and I came across this camera and two others. I found a bunch of film-developing supplies down there too.”
“Dad’s?”
“I asked Mom about them. She said he had been into photography when they were first married. He took pictures, developed them, the whole works.”
“Why did he stop?”
“Got too busy with work, I guess,” she said. “I know he missed it because he always seemed happy when we would be in the darkroom.”
“The darkroom?”
“At his place. He turned a room in the basement into one when I told him I wanted to learn. After that, whenever I spent the weekend with him, he would take me out and teach me how to take shots, and then we’d come back and develop them.”
Josie didn’t realize Natalie had spent so much time with their dad. He hadn’t been around much after the divorce. Apparently Natalie had managed to find a fair amount of time with him.
“So, when is Mom flying in?” Natalie asked, changing the subject.
“A week from Monday.”
Natalie didn’t reply.
“What’s wrong?” Josie asked, noticing Natalie biting her fingernails.
“It’s been a long time,” Natalie said. “I’m not sure how happy she will be to see me.”
“She was hoping you would still be here.”
“I’d think she would prefer that I remain on the other side of the world.”
“No she wouldn’t. Mom loves you. You’re her baby.”
“You don’t know how I treated her after you left for college. I was horrible. Things have been strained between us ever since. Every year it seems like we grow further apart.”
Natalie’s words didn’t surprise her. Their mom had called Josie’s dorm room many times, upset over Natalie’s rebellious behavior. Josie knew from talking with Mom that they were not exactly on speaking terms.
“I blamed her,” Natalie admitted, looking away and fixing her gaze on the obscured horizon. “I knew the divorce wasn’t her fault, but Daddy wasn’t around enough to take it out on him.”
“I think she forgives you,” Josie said.
Josie could see tears forming in Natalie’s eyes. Her lashes blinked them back.
“If you don’t believe me, you should ask her yourself. Thanksgiving would be the perfect time to set things right between you.”
Natalie didn’t comment further and took some pictures of the fountain and surrounding foliage. They continued down the street headed for no place in particular, and after several silent moments, Natalie spotted a gallery she wanted to check out. They went inside and remained beside each other as they wove their way through the various displays.
“You didn’t seem too upset about Brandon canceling on you today,” Natalie commented. She had been too depressed in her own little world earlier to say anything, but she brought it up now.
“No. I spent almost all afternoon with him yesterday,” she laughed, thinking how that had been unplanned but very fun. Natalie had been with them, so she didn’t need to explain.
“What were you going to do today?”
“See a movie. I’m sure we’ll find another time.”
They came to a section of the gallery that had some framed photographs of various Oregon landscapes. Natalie took particular interest in them, and Josie thought they were beautiful also. But Natalie had a more technical eye than she did.
“I would love to be this good,” she said, looking at a large wide-angle view of the Oregon Coast. The colors were vibrant. The focus crisp and clear.
“I’ve seen your
work, Nat. You are this good,” Josie said. “You’ve been published in a major magazine!.”
“I have a lot to learn,” Natalie said. “I did manage to get some of my work placed in a few shops in Tahoe. Maybe I could do the same here.”
Hearing Natalie say something to indicate she might stick around made Josie smile. Heading back to the apartment, they went by way of the park and walked along the waterfront. Josie decided to ask Natalie if she wanted to go to church with her in the morning. She had said no the last time.
Natalie said she would think about it. Josie didn’t push any further, knowing she had to leave the decision up to her. She couldn’t force Natalie to make God a part of her life, even if she knew His love could heal her wounded heart.
A message from Brandon was waiting for her when they returned. He said he had finished his work and wanted to take them all out to dinner. After Nick’s mom dropped off Tommy, the four of them left and walked to a nearby restaurant.
After dinner, Brandon suggested they all go swimming. Natalie said she didn’t feel like going but told them to go ahead. Brandon, Josie, and Tommy were on their way as soon as their food had time to settle and they had changed their clothes.
Entering the pool area, Josie breathed in the pungent smell of chlorine hanging in the air. She draped their towels over a plastic chair, then turned to watch Brandon pick Tommy up and carry him to the water’s edge.
“It’s the human cannonball!” Brandon shouted, swinging Tommy like he planned to throw him in.
Tommy giggled and tried to wrestle out of Brandon’s arms, but Brandon held him firmly.
“What? You don’t want to be the first six-year-old to be shot from a cannon?”
“No!” Tommy shouted.
“All right,” Brandon said, setting him down.
Josie watched Tommy jump in on his own, and Brandon followed. She felt self-conscious stripping down to her bathing suit to join them. It was the first time they had all gone swimming together and the first time Brandon would see her in her suit, a one-piece design of turquoise tones. She loved the colors and the way it shaped her body, but she couldn’t help but wonder how Brandon would see her. She thought she had decent legs and a relatively flat tummy, but her curves were nothing to brag about. She had filled out some since her teen years, but not much.
“Come on, Mommy, get in!” Tommy called.
She avoided Brandon’s eyes as she walked to the edge and lowered herself into the tepid water. She knew that Brandon liked her. They had fun together and could talk forever. They had an emotional connection she had rarely experienced, and she knew Brandon felt the same way. But she wasn’t certain how he viewed her in a physical sense. He only spoke in general terms, and she appreciated that about him, but she wished she knew what he was thinking. Or maybe she didn’t want to know.
She watched Tommy swim to the other side of the shallow end and back. Then he began practicing his backstroke that Brandon had taught him. Brandon suddenly popped up out of the water next to her, startling her and splashing water into her face.
“Hey, gorgeous,” he said, smoothing back his wet hair. “You come here often?”
She gave him a playful shove, but he caught her and pulled her close. They had been dating for three weeks now, but his touch still felt electric, and he always held her with gentleness that melted her heart.
“How was your time with Natalie today? She seemed in pretty good spirits at dinner.”
“It was good. We had a chance to talk about some things. I don’t know how much she listened, but--”
“She listens more than you think. She looks up to you.”
“You think so?”
“Yes. I don’t think she would be here otherwise, do you?”
“Probably not. She’s talking about staying.”
“That’s good.”
“Yes,” she agreed, feeling encouraged by Brandon’s insight. He was someone who could look at her relationship with Natalie from a more neutral standpoint.
He glanced back to check on Tommy and changed the subject. “What are we doing for Thanksgiving?”
We? She pondered his choice of words before replying.
“Faith is having a turkey dinner on Friday since I have to work Thursday. I told her I’d help, so I’ll have to go over as early as I can manage. Were you planning on coming?”
“Am I invited?”
“Of course,” she said. “I just assumed you would be going home.”
“Well, I’d rather spend the day with you, if you don’t mind.”
“But what about your family? Won’t they be disappointed?”
“I could go down on Thursday and be back to spend Friday with you. Actually, I think Mom and Dad are coming up to spend the weekend with Ellen and Uncle Bob. We could see them then.”
“We?” This time she spoke the words out loud.
“You, me, and Tommy,” he said.
Alarms went off in Josie’s head. Last spring when she and Mark had gone to California to visit his family, things had not gone well. His mother had been very disapproving of her status as a single mother. That had changed somewhat later, but it had been difficult for her to shake the initial sting of judgment.
She suddenly felt queasy. Fortunately Tommy saved her from having to respond.
“Hey, Brandon!” he shouted from the other side of the pool. They both turned to him. “I made it!”
Taking quick strokes, Brandon swam to his side and lifted Tommy out of the water, holding him up like a champion. The smile on Tommy’s face made Josie’s smile emerge too, but her anxious thoughts about meeting Brandon’s family remained, and she couldn’t help but wonder:
How am I going to get out of this?
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Josie’s mom arrived at the Portland airport the Monday before Thanksgiving to a large welcoming committee. It was the first time in several years that she had seen her three children and her three grandchildren all at once. Josie thought she looked radiant, like she had never seen her before. She knew the man at her side had something to do with that. Seeing her mother with someone besides her father had been difficult at first but got easier each time.
“Have you had dinner?” Patrick asked after all the hugs had been exchanged.
“Only a snack on the flight from San Francisco,” she replied.
“Let’s go somewhere then.”
Walking toward the parking garage, everyone seemed to be talking at once. Josie couldn’t get over how good her mom looked. Her face, smile, skin, trimmer figure, clothing, and even her walk seemed fresh and alive. She wondered if Natalie and Patrick noticed.
“California has been good to you, Carolyn,” Faith said to her after they had been seated at a nearby restaurant. “Your skin is luminous and your hair--are those natural highlights?”
“When you have sunshine nine months out of the year instead of rain, it’s amazing what a difference it makes,” she replied. “I swear, I have never felt better.”
Josie discovered other reasons for her mother’s vivacity in the days that followed. She had lost thirty pounds by eating healthier and walking every morning before breakfast. Her marriage seemed happy and solid. Warren Maxwell, a kind and gentle man, treated her like a queen. Despite Josie’s adolescent fantasies that her parents would someday get back together, she couldn’t be happier for her mother now.
The ultimate shock, however, came on Friday evening when they were all gathered around Patrick and Faith’s dining room table. Josie sat in between Brandon and Tommy. Her mother and Warren were across from her, and everyone took turns sharing what they were thankful for.
Although Holly had been invited to join the family celebration, she and the baby were not there. Holly’s aunt had learned of the situation a few weeks ago and had told Holly she could come to live with their family. Holly didn’t know her that well, and they lived in Hood River, an hour and a half away from Portland. She wanted to think about the offer and had agreed to spend
the long holiday weekend with them and consider the possibility.
“I’m thankful that Natalie is back with us,” Josie said when her turn came. Thanksgiving had always been a special holiday for her. Even after her parents had divorced, Mom had invited Dad over for Thanksgiving dinner and it had remained the one day of the year they were all together. And although her dad had not joined them today, she could picture him carving the turkey and complimenting her mother on the delicious meal. She took a measure of comfort in those good memories.
“I’m thankful for Natalie too,” Tommy said. “She’s the coolest baby-sitter ever!” Everyone laughed. “And I’m glad our soccer team won first place.”
Holding Josie’s hand under the table, Brandon said he was thankful for her and Tommy. “Two special people in my life.”
Josie almost cried at the warmth in his voice. And she probably would have if she wasn’t already used to it. Everything he said regarding their relationship had that sincere quality, and she always felt the same way, so she simply accepted his words as the honest truth, but hearing him say something endearing for others to hear did unique things to her heart. She barely heard what Aleisha or Faith said next, but her mother’s words brought her back.
“I have been waiting for this moment all week,” she said, rising from her chair. “I wanted to tell you all the moment I saw you, but I decided to wait until now when we were all together and not talking all at once.”
Josie saw her mother reach for Warren’s hand. His smile urged her on, and Josie knew her news must be special. Caught up in the anticipation, Josie couldn’t imagine what it might be.
“About six months ago I went in for a mammogram, and it was abnormal.”
Complete silence surrounded the table, and Josie held her breath. Why hadn’t she told them? How could this be something to be thankful for?
“Now before you start thinking the worst,” she went on. “It turned out to be a benign lump, and I’m fine.”
Josie took a deep breath of relief and wondered where her mother was headed.
Baby's Breath (Garden of Love 2) Page 20