She’d meant to drop by her house and see how she was doing. Now Angie pondered if today was a day she could be of help. Or maybe she’d blown the scene out of proportion. Her own concerns fled as she grasped her cell phone, dropped it into her pocket and stepped outside.
As she crossed the street, she faltered a moment, trying to decide if her action was a good one or a bad choice. Whichever, she pushed herself forward and rang Rema’s bell.
The door flew open, and Angie wanted to run. Rema looked at her, eyes red-rimmed and glassy with tears that clung to her lashes.
Rema pushed open the screen door and waved her in. Though Angie hesitated, she stepped forward, already having made the decision to visit despite the situation she’d witnessed. “I’ve come at a bad time, Rema. Maybe I should—”
Rema closed the door behind her. “No time’s a good time anymore, Angie. Please come in.”
Angie followed her into the living room and sat on the edge of an easy chair, telling herself to be more discerning when she made choices. “I saw Trey fly out of the house and, for a moment, I thought something had happened to you. I was relieved when I spotted you closing the door.”
“In a broad sense, something did happen to me. I’ve had enough.”
Biting the inside of her lip, Angie monitored her question, and without asking, she sensed she knew the answer. Enough of Trey’s carousing. “Can I help? If nothing more, Rema, I can listen.”
“I blinded myself for years, Angie. Not really blinded, but turned my head and didn’t say a word.”
Rema closed her eyes and remained silent, and for once, Angie did the same.
“Trey’s long work hours and numerous weekend business ventures fooled me for a while, and though he paid the bills and tried to cover his expenditures, I found them and saw meals for two, massages for two, tickets for two.” She closed her eyes as she released a poignant sigh. “I wasn’t one of the two, obviously. I sat home, lonely, bored, wishing his job didn’t take him out of town so often. But finally, I took off the blinders and faced the truth.”
“I’m sorry, Rema. I can’t imagine...” Words failed her. She rose and wrapped her arm around Rema’s shoulders and held her as she wept. Rema’s tremors ebbed, and when she lifted her head, her soft voice sent sorrow down Angie’s spine.
“I haven’t been hugged in years. Trey dashed in and out, complained about my restlessness at night and slept in the guest room, and all but removed me from the house. Yet he stopped me from getting involved in activities, so I could fill my boredom with something worthwhile.”
“You mentioned that a while ago.”
“I haven’t really talked to you since I decided to take a yoga class. One night after we were done, one of the women suggested we go out for dinner since we’d both skipped eating before the class. Though I worried about what I’d do if Trey came home and I wasn’t here, I was brave and we went to a café not too far from the fitness center.”
Watching Rema’s expression, Angie surmised what had happened.
“We were seated at a small table away from the door, and for some reason, I looked up during our meal and almost choked.”
“Trey was with someone.”
“Right. She was an attractive woman, dressed in a tight outfit with a neckline that left little to the imagination. As they followed the hostess toward the back of the café, he held her hand. I could see the look on his face and wanted to die.”
“Rema, no. Never say that. You wanted to live a life of fulfillment as he seemed to be doing. You’d have been stifled and—”
“Held prisoner in a way.” She shook her head. “Believe it or not, Angie, one time I was a fairly vibrant woman. I had dreams and plans, but Trey wanted a wife who would stay home and take care of the family—him and the children I never had.”
“I don’t understand. Do you mean you could never have children? And if not, are you sure it’s you? Maybe Trey’s the one with the problem.”
Her eyes widened as if she’d never considered the possibility.
“I didn’t mean to startle you, but often women assume the problem is theirs and it can very easily be the husband. Did you have tests and—”
“No. Trey said no.”
Her brusque response threw Angie off kilter. “And that was it.”
Rema nodded, averting her eyes.
Possibilities filled Angie’s mind. Trey may have known he couldn’t have children from the beginning. She shifted her gaze to Rema. “What will you do now?”
“I confronted him when he came home to change his clothes for another meeting.” She dragged air through her lungs, her head rocking from side to side. “Meeting. Shmeeting. I’m tired of his lies. I’ve been made a fool, and now I wonder how many people knew about this and just haven’t said anything. I could be the laughingstock of—”
“Don’t think that way. No one of value would laugh at you. I’m sure people avoid telling the wounded party, but they’re not laughing. They’re more likely sick.”
“Do you think so? Really?”
She sighed. “I would be. If I’d witnessed him with someone, I doubt if I could have told you, but I would probably do something to steer you in that direction to investigate. You know, give you the momentum to investigate.”
“Truthfully, I knew. The blinders made it insubstantial.”
“But now it’s real, Rema. I can only hope...pray that you find a solution.”
“I will. It will be what I should have done years ago. I’ll give him an option to either be a faithful husband or leave. Maybe then he’ll give it a second thought and things will be different.”
Angie heard the words but didn’t believe it any more than Rema did from the expression on her face. Angie rose and drew Rema into her arms. “If you need me, I’m right across the street.”
“Thank you. I wanted to come over a couple days ago while I was trying to decide what to do, but I knew I had to make the decision on my own.”
Angie stepped toward the door. Dusk had fallen, and she needed to breathe. Rema’s sadness had wrapped around her own confusion and weighed her down. “Just call or come over.”
Rema nodded as Angie stepped onto the porch. She waved and crossed the street, recalling her own struggle with Cal and their different lifestyles and dreams. Though not married, they had lived together as if a married couple. She’d envisioned it would become a real marriage and that had helped wash away her guilt, but Cal’s death ended her plan. The memory dampened her spirits. A time when she tossed her values and upbringing into the ditch had turned into a nightmare as far as it could get from the kind of dream she’d longed for.
Before she opened the door, her cell phone rang, and her mother’s ID showed on the screen. “Mom.”
A sob split the line, and Angie shrank into a child again, knowing she’d hurt her mother. She pushed open her door and sank into the nearest chair. “Mom, what’s wrong?”
Her mother described her father’s lecture to her and Connie about pushing their desires on Angie, and as she listened she wanted to run into Rick’s arms and hear his wise solutions to the problem.
“It wasn’t your fault, Mom. I need to be less ready to jump on everyone. I came there expecting the battle between my wants and Connie’s. And your desire for another grandchild. Please forgive me.”
“Angie, I always forgive you no matter what. We’re wrong not to listen to you. We just don’t understand why you want to stay single and why—”
“Listen, Mom. I’ve never said I wanted to remain single forever. Marriage and children have not been part of my thoughts for a long time, but—”
“Not since Cal. Am I right?”
“Yes, you’re right.” Rick’s solution came to mind. “But life is changing and I need time to sort through my thoughts. Pressure doesn’t help me th
ink clearly. You don’t want me to marry without love, do you?” She thought of Rema’s sad situation. “You and Dad have a faithful, devoted relationship. One I’ve admired over the years, and I—”
“You’ve admired us, Angie? I had no idea, and I understand that you want love before marriage. It’s Connie who thinks that you can’t find love if you’re not dating and meeting people who are marriageable.”
“But I am dating. Rick and I have a wonderful friendship, and friendships can grow deeper and become something more than just friends. But I get the feeling you and...” She swallowed. “It’s my feelings that are significant, Mom, not Connie’s or yours. Do you understand? We have the work issue that has been a blockade, but I think we’ve both dismissed that. If they want to do something about it, there are other places to work.”
“Oh, Angie, I’m so happy. So you and Rick have talked about it. Then that means—”
“You jumped ahead of me again. No, we haven’t discussed it, but I can tell how we feel, and that isn’t as much of a problem. Give me time, Mom. That’s all I need.”
“I feel lots better, Angie. I thought you’d never want to come over again, and I thought Rick was a nice man. Your dad seems to think he’s a keeper.” She tittered. “That’s what he called him.”
“Dad has good taste, and one day I may have a surprise for you.” Carly’s face blossomed in her mind. “But don’t hold your breath. I said time. That’s what I need.”
“Thank you, sweetheart. I feel so much better.”
“I’m glad, and thanks for calling. I’d been thinking about calling you, too.” But mostly she wanted to talk to Rick. Her pulse skipped as she recalled the gentle touch of his lips and her eager response. She couldn’t deny it. She’d wanted his kisses for so long, but had denied it to herself.
Chapter Seven
When Rick arrived home on Tuesday, his phone rang again before he could open the refrigerator to decide what he would have for dinner. He checked the caller ID, expecting it to be Glenda, but instead he saw his parents’ phone number. “Mom?” He sank onto a kitchen chair, anticipating a long call.
“Ricky, I didn’t expect you to be home. I planned to leave a message and tell you Rene is coming for a visit. I figured you’d want to know.”
His sister. He blew out a stream of air. “It’s been a while, hasn’t it? Is anything wrong?” She’d had a tense marriage for a while, but as far as he knew, everything was great now.
“Why would you think that? She has a few days off during the week. They’re closing down the agency for an upgrade on their computers or something, so she’s getting time off. She said they decided it best to work with only a skeleton crew.”
He’d love time off with pay. “I’ll have to come by and see her, or maybe she’d like to come here. I don’t think she’s seen this apartment, and maybe I could pick up Carly for a few hours to visit with her.”
“How nice. I’m sure she’d love to see Carly. And so would Grandma.”
“I know, Mom. For a while you were doing so much babysitting, I thought you’d had enough.” He chuckled, knowing how she would respond.
“Me? I’d take that girl in a moment if you’d give her up.”
“Not on your life, Mom. Maybe one day I’ll come over with a friend of mine and bring Carly, too. I recently met her parents, and we—”
“Ricky.” Her pitch rose. “Are you telling me this is serious? Are you thinking of getting—”
“Right now she’s a friend, but I think you’d like her, and she adores Carly.”
“Who doesn’t? Anyway, I’m glad I caught you. You know I don’t like to use that other phone of yours, Ricky. You might be in a meeting or—”
“If it’s important, call.” He shook his head. His mom had no idea about the work world or cell phones. “Don’t worry about that. I would call you back as soon as I could if you called at an inconvenient time.”
“Okay, if you’re sure, but today I just wanted to leave a message. Rene should be here tonight, and I’ll have her give you a call so you can make plans. And I’d love to meet your lady friend.”
The way his mother said “friend” had a definite lilt to it. “Great, Mom. Talk later.” When she disconnected, he chuckled. Ricky. He’d outlived that name to the world but not his mom. Angie would never let him live it down.
Angie. He closed his eyes, reliving the kiss they’d shared. He’d been unsure how she would react to it, but he’d longed to kiss her that way for too long, and he’d had to try.
Angie’s response had been far more amazing than he had anticipated. She’d seemed as eager as he was. Except... He hadn’t seen much of her since Sunday. She hadn’t eaten lunch when he did, and today she had been leaving when he’d walked into the lunchroom. She’d stopped a moment to say she’d talked with her mom and all seemed well, but other than that she’d given him a fleeting smile and headed back to her desk, leaving him clueless.
His head spun with questions. Was she sorry for the kiss, sorry for her reaction or afraid of where the kiss might lead? How would he know without asking her? And he couldn’t do that.
He wanted to call her, but he also wanted her to call him. He’d feel more confident that everything was okay between them. His indecision wavered.
When his stomach rumbled, he rose and headed for the refrigerator. Nothing looked appetizing, but he settled for a sandwich and a bowl of canned soup. He never claimed to be a gourmet cook. He chuckled and the sound lifted his spirits. Before sitting down, he grabbed the newspaper from the living room, said a blessing and opened his mouth to take a bit of his ham and cheese on wheat. Instead, the house phone jarred him again. He lowered the sandwich, this time sensing the call was from Glenda.
When he looked at the caller ID, he grimaced. “What’s up, Glen?” Glen? How long had it been since he’d called her that?
“I want to give you a heads-up and ask a favor.”
Favor. That caught his attention. “Okay, shoot.”
“I’ve been told that I may have to take another business trip, and I need to take care of some business on Thursday and Friday, so could you take Carly the extra days? She can stay longer at day care after school, and you could pick her up on the way home from work.”
Tension filled her voice and he wanted more details about the trip, but asking now would only cause problems. “No problem, Glenda. I’m always happy to have extra time with Carly. Where are you going on the trip?”
She remained silent and he continued to wait.
Finally she released a sigh. “Europe. Germany.”
“Germany?”
“Yes, and I’m getting a passport for Carly.”
The words rushed from her mouth and charged through him. “For Carly? Why?”
“I’d like to take her to experience another country, Rick. Wouldn’t that be a nice experience?”
“Not if you’re working, Glenda. She’d miss school and who would take care of her while you’re—”
“I’ll take care of that, Rick. It’s not your problem.”
Fire rose up his neck. Not his problem? “You’re talking about Carly. She’s our daughter. Yours and mine. So it is my problem, too.” His stomach hitched. “How long are you talking about, Glenda? A week? It’s hardly worth taking her for a week since you’ll be busy.”
Again she didn’t speak, but he heard her breathing.
“You’re talking about more than a week, aren’t you? How long, Glenda?”
“I’m not sure. If I were I’d let you know.”
“You certainly will, Glenda. I have a say in where Carly goes if it’s out of state.”
“Come on. Don’t be a child. Would I do anything to hurt Carly?”
“Not intentionally. And before I say more, I’m no more a child than you are, Glenda. We’re both adults a
nd we need to act like adults. Would you want me to announce to you that I’m making plans to take Carly away to Europe for a few weeks? Maybe a month?” Maybe many months. He sensed something going on with Glenda. His hand trembled, and his frustration peaked. “Once you have details, let me know before you make any plans. I don’t want to argue about this, but we both have custody of Carly. Both of us. Remember that.”
“I should have known.” She hung up before he could finish.
He stood beside the phone, his body trembling. He knew Glenda well enough to sense she was making big plans for Carly. To agree to anything that wouldn’t be good for his daughter was ridiculous. Never. He would fight Glenda if necessary.
* * *
“It’s not a mansion, but it’s a pretty nice place.” Rick stood in the kitchen giving his sister the apartment tour. “I decided to take off work tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow? Then I could have come on Thursday instead of today.” Rene gave him a coy look he’d seen on his mother’s face, as if her imagination meant more to her than what he said. “I was surprised when Mom hinted that something’s going on with a woman.”
“The woman is only a good friend.” But he hadn’t seen her since the kiss. Today at work he’d given in and gone to see her, but she’d left early for a dental appointment. Now he was left in limbo. “I’ve known her for about four years. We’re coworkers.”
Rene arched an eyebrow. “But I thought—”
“Company policy? Yes, although most of us think that’s an outdated policy, but she and I are only friends...for now. But Angie is a woman I can see in my future, Rene. It’s a long story. In fact, I have a list of things I’d like to talk to you about.”
“Then let’s talk. Tomorrow you might be with the family, and I don’t think you want to talk then.”
“You’re right. How about the balcony?” He motioned toward it. “It’s small, but I have a couple chairs out there, and the weather is gorgeous today.”
A Mother to Love (Love Inspired) Page 10