The Empty Nesters

by Brown, Carolyn

  “Maybe we’re having second thoughts about that dating business.” Diana toyed with the napkin dispenser.

  “We’re not getting into any more of that right now.” Tootsie waved her hand around. “These two days are for us girls, with no relationship problems, moving issues, or divorce troubles. We’ll have our empty nesters’ meeting tomorrow night in my room and discuss all of it then. That way we can have two whole days to clear our minds.”

  Diana sure wished she could wipe away all thoughts of everything but buying Christmas gifts for the next couple of days, but it would take more than the holiday music playing everywhere to make her believe in miracles.

  “Okay, now what?” Joanie asked when they reached the fairgrounds and Carmen had parked the truck. “Do we all stick together or go our separate ways?”

  “Let’s split up and meet back at Smokin’ Bob’s Barbecue Wagon at noon,” Tootsie suggested. “Smokey and I always ate there when we came here.”

  “See you in a couple of hours, then.” Joanie took off in a fast walk. It sure made shopping for the other three easier since they weren’t right there. She inhaled deeply when she bypassed a caramel-apple-and-fried-pickle vendor and almost stopped at a cinnamon-roll wagon but forced herself to stay on track. She stopped at a handmade bracelet place and had just bought one for Zoe when her phone pinged. She pulled it out of her purse and read a message from Brett saying that his retirement papers had been filed, and as of December 1, he would be officially retired from the army. The rest of the month would be spent in meetings and helping Gerald choose two new team members. And he’d called a real estate agent so that they could get a jump on selling the house.

  She sat down at a picnic table under an awning beside a taco wagon and sent back a heart emoji with a message: Can we talk?

  Immediately a sad face appeared. Am with Gerald right now, so no.

  She sent a GIF with a bear hugging a heart.

  Putting the house in the hands of a real estate agent seemed to finalize the whole thing in her mind. Maybe over the next few days, Zoe would be able to call again, and they could discuss everything rather than waiting for letters to go back and forth.

  “I miss hearing her voice,” Joanie muttered.

  Tootsie sat down beside her. “If you’re talking about Zoe, so do I.”

  “It’s a done deal now. December first is the official retirement day for Brett, and he’s even called a real estate agent already,” she said. “I can’t wait to tell Zoe. She’s going to be so happy that her dad is retiring and will be home every night.”

  “Did you already let her know about Brett getting out of the army?”

  “In a letter, but—”

  “It’s not the same as hearing her voice.” Tootsie finished the sentence for her. “When Smokey was deployed, we wrote to each other nearly every day, but it wasn’t the same as hearing him. For one of his last deployments, I bought us each a tape player, and we made cassettes. Felt really strange at first, but I put his picture in front of me and talked to it, and I listened to those tapes he sent over and over. Sometimes I even put them on continuous play and went to sleep to his voice. I bought all three girls a new leather wallet with lots of compartments. Zoe’s looked pretty pitiful last time I saw it.”

  That was Tootsie—always observant and buying something useful rather than something frivolous. “We’ve got fifteen minutes before we go to the barbecue wagon for lunch, so I’m going over there to that vendor.” She pointed across the gravel pathway. “See that black lace parasol? Abby carries one like it on NCIS, and Zoe loves it. I’m getting her that for her second present.”

  Scratch the idea of always being practical. “She’ll squeal when she opens it,” Joanie said. “I’m going to check out the scarf vendor right next door to the umbrella one. See you in a few minutes.”

  Tootsie waved over her shoulder. Thank goodness she always had her cell phone in her pocket and kept it charged. As tiny as she was, she would have been hard to spot in a crowd if they all went looking for her. Joanie found a lovely red-and-green plaid scarf to give to Tootsie at the end of the trip as a small token of her appreciation. Then she bought three more in different colors for the girls. With her luck, Natalie and Rebecca would spend the winter in Florida or California for their training, but like the old adage said, it was the thought that counted.

  “Hey, it looks like y’all have got some of your shopping done,” Carmen said when they reached the barbecue wagon. “Diana got here first and saved us a table. Are we ready to get in line to order?”

  “I always get a pulled chicken sandwich with a dill pickle and chips.” Tootsie set her bag on the table beside two others. “Smokey liked their brisket, so I can vouch for that, too.”

  Carmen remembered that Eli loved smoked brisket-and-coleslaw sandwiches. She closed her eyes and made herself think of Natalie, who always thought her father’s sandwiches were gross. When she opened her eyes, she was looking up into the aqua-colored eyes of a soldier dressed in camouflage. For a split second, she thought it was Eli, with his close-cut hair and round face.

  “Do I know you?” the guy asked.

  “I’m sorry. The sun was in my eyes, and I thought you were someone else,” she stammered.

  “Daddy, Daddy, look what I got!” A little girl with a swinging blonde ponytail danced across the path and tugged on her father’s arm. “It’s a purple unicorn. Mama got it for me for my birthday.”

  “Unicorns aren’t purple,” he teased his daughter.

  “Mine are,” she protested.

  Carmen blinked away the tears that were welling up behind her eyes. There was a purple unicorn on Natalie’s bed at home. Eli had brought it to her the last time he was home. So much for forgetting about divorce troubles over the weekend.

  “Hey, you all right?” Diana nudged her on the arm. “It’s your turn to order.”

  “I’m fine. Just wool gathering,” Carmen said. “I’ll have a pulled pork sandwich, a pickle, and corn chips, please, and a tall sweet tea.”

  She took her food to the table and sat down beside Tootsie, but her eyes kept darting back to the guy and his family, who’d ordered their food and were heading toward a table across the way.

  “Looks a lot like Eli from a distance,” Tootsie said. “You want to talk about it?”

  “Not until tomorrow night—remember the rules? But I do want to talk about this amazing little vendor who had handmade jewelry that she’d made from natural materials.” She dug around in her bag, brought out three small velvet pouches, and opened one. “Look at this beautiful blue necklace with brown streaks that I got for Natalie’s Christmas.”

  “She’s going to love that. What’s that braided rope made of that it’s hanging on?” Joanie asked.

  “I don’t know, but it sure caught my eye. They’re all so modern looking, and the girls might like something pretty to wear if they get to go out during their last weeks of training,” Carmen said.

  Diana hadn’t gotten a lot of shopping done, other than a small cross-stitched piece for Joanie to hang on her wall in her new house. It simply said “Bless This Home,” but the fall colors and tiny leaves that were scattered around the letters would remind her of the time they all shared in Scrap.

  Mostly, she’d wandered around or sat on a bench and watched the people, but that little piece of needlework brought to mind the difference in a house and a home. She’d done her best to keep a home for Rebecca, especially after the divorce. Now she’d have to be careful, or with just her rattling around in their place alone, it could easily turn into nothing more than a house.

  Conversation among the four of them had come to a halt while they ate their food. That was fine with Diana because she was trying to analyze the maternal feelings that had washed over her when she’d seen a gangly little girl with dark braids and big brown eyes earlier. In that moment she’d wished that she still had a daughter in the house, one who’d throw her backpack down inside the door instead of taking it to
her room and who never got the cap back on the toothpaste.

  Rebecca had been gone only two nights when they’d left on their trip—and the first one, Diana had stayed at Carmen’s house. The second she’d spent packing and getting ready to leave, but when she got back to Sugar Run, she’d really feel the emptiness. Not that she was ready to change her mind about adopting a child or children. No, sir! But she’d been consumed with her daughter’s life since the divorce, and now Rebecca was gone. She thought about the empty house with no one to keep her company—well, that was downright scary.

  Joanie pointed at her. “You’re awfully quiet.”

  “It’s not polite to talk with your mouth full of food.” Diana stood and started putting all the trash in one disposable tray to throw away. They’d run from their empty nests by taking this trip, but they were waiting for them when they got home—Carmen’s maybe even more than the others because she had to face hers with no husband or daughter in the house. But then maybe Joanie would have a tough time, too, since she’d be faced with leaving. Diana had heard all her life about how change was good, but that didn’t mean it wouldn’t be painful.

  “I’m plumb worn out,” Tootsie said on Sunday evening when they reached the hotel after the second day of shopping. “I barely have enough energy for our meeting, but we all need it, and besides, the wine will give me a fresh burst. Should we get some pizza delivered to go with it?”

  “I’ve eaten too much for two days,” Carmen said with a groan. “But I did buy some pecan tassies from a vendor that will go well with the wine.”

  “And I bought some brown-sugar fudge to take home, but if we want to sample it, there’s plenty,” Joanie offered.

  “I could toss some chocolate-covered pretzels into the mix,” Diana suggested.

  “Y’all save all that to take home and share with Luke. I tucked a package of Oreos into my suitcase, and since they’re dark, I brought red wine.” Tootsie got into the elevator. “We’ll meet in mine and Carmen’s room in half an hour. That’ll give us all time to get a shower and into our comfortable pajamas.”

  “I’m glad we’ve got rooms right across the hall from each other. My pajamas are pretty ratty,” Joanie laughed.

  “Sounds like that would be a good present for you.” Tootsie was first out into the short hallway when the elevator doors opened. “Which reminds me, Diana and Luke both have a birthday while we’re in Scrap. Luke’s is on Thanksgiving this year. We’ll have a party for Diana on the fifteenth, but we’ll combine Luke’s with Thanksgiving.” She touched her key card to the device on the door. “See y’all in a little bit.”

  “You want the first shower?” Carmen asked when they were in the room.

  “No, you go on ahead. I’ll sit down and catch my breath. I’d forgotten how tiring two whole days of shopping can be.” Tootsie dropped her loaded bag on the floor and slumped down on the end of the sofa.

  She waited until she heard the water running in the shower and then grabbed her phone from her purse. Luke sounded out of breath when he answered on the third ring. “Hello. Y’all havin’ fun?”

  “We’re plumb tuckered out,” Tootsie answered. “How’s Dolly? Is she missing me?”

  “She sits in your recliner and pouts,” Luke chuckled. “So what’s been going on? Y’all got lots of shopping done?”

  “We decided not to talk about our problems for the whole two days,” Tootsie said, “and we haven’t, but I guess Joanie’s move is really happening, because Brett called a real estate agent and got things started. I thought they might back out and he’d decide to get a job in San Antonio, but no.”

  “Does that make you sad?” Luke asked.

  “A little. I’m happy for her, but it’s going to be an adjustment for all of us, and right here on the heels of their girls all leaving and Smokey’s death. Seems like it’s a lot to handle at once.” Tootsie kicked off her shoes and propped up her feet on the coffee table.

  “How would you feel about me buying Joanie’s house?” he asked.

  Tootsie almost dropped the phone. “Are you serious? I’d love to have you close by. You don’t even need to ask such a thing.” She wanted to squeal, but if she did, Carmen would come rushing to see if she was hurt.

  “It’s just something I’ve been thinking about this weekend. Don’t say anything to Joanie yet, until I make up my mind. But I would like to know who the real estate agent is so I can be first in line to make a bid,” he said.

  “Oh, Luke!” Tootsie sighed. “That’s just the best news I’ve had in a long time. I’ll find out for you. Got to go now. It’s my turn for a shower, and then we’re all meeting in my room for a glass of wine. See you tomorrow by noon.”

  “I’ll have dinner ready, so don’t eat more’n a snack on the way. Good night,” he said.

  “Good night to you. Kiss Dolly for me,” Tootsie said.

  “You got it,” he said. “And y’all drive safe.”

  Carmen came out of the bathroom with a towel around her head and wearing a pair of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer pajama pants with a bright-green tank top. “Your turn.”

  Tootsie danced a little jig in the bathroom when she kicked off her sweats and underwear. If Joanie had to leave, then the best new neighbor ever would be Luke. She just had to figure out how to get the name of that real estate agent without causing suspicion. When she came out of the bathroom in her royal-blue silk pajamas, the other three were already sitting on Carmen’s queen-size bed. They’d already gotten the wine from the refrigerator and four plastic hotel cups. The package of chocolate cookies sat on the nightstand between the two beds.

  “I’m calling this meeting to order.” Tootsie took her place in the circle. “Old business?”

  No one said a word.

  “Okay, then, let’s get on with the new business. I’ll go first this time. These past two days haven’t been easy on me. Smokey wasn’t there beside me to help me pick out presents, and he won’t be in Sugar Run when I get there to fuss about how many Christmas cards I send out. We’ve all escaped the pain of the empty nest, but in about four weeks, we have to go home and face it. I’m not sure I’ll be ready for the first Christmas without him.”

  Diana poured wine for all of them and held up her glass. “I’ve been thinking the same thing all day. We needed to escape. That’s a fact, but when we get home, the nest is still going to be empty.”

  “Okay, go on. What’s going on with Luke now? Seemed like he was quick to make an excuse not to come with us on this trip,” Joanie said.

  “I’m glad he didn’t come. We both needed to be away from each other for a while.” Diana told them about their conversation concerning kids during the Halloween event at the church, but she didn’t mention his problems with conception.

  “That’s a pretty serious discussion before y’all even have a first date.” Tootsie broke the cookie apart and ate the icing first.

  “We’re old enough to know that it’s a waste of time and effort to start something that can’t be finished.” Diana sipped at the wine.

  “Well, then it’s a good thing that you had these days to think.” Tootsie nodded. “Have you changed your mind about starting all over with kids?”

  Diana shook her head. “Nope, and I really don’t expect that he’s changed his.”

  “You’ve kind of gotten past the age difference, though, haven’t you?” Carmen asked.

  “I guess I have.” Diana nodded. “Your turn, Carmen.”

  Carmen took a deep breath and let it out very slowly. “I called Sharlene at the base today. Remember, I told y’all about her offering me a job? Well, I finally got in touch with her. I’ll be helping take care of kids who are in the after-school program on the base,” Carmen explained. “She says that in the next year or so, she’s putting in a day-care center where the base personnel can leave their preschool-age kids. They’ll need at least one certified teacher to run it the way she wants to, so it’ll work out perfect because I can have my degree by then.”
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  “You think you’d like that?” Tootsie asked.

  “It’ll pay the mortgage and keep the lights on, and I love kids; plus, I’ll be a teacher.” Carmen finished off a cookie and reached for another one.

  “Joanie, do you want to share?” Tootsie asked.

  “I talked to Brett again today. He thinks we should go ahead and send the house key to the real estate agent. The market isn’t very good right now, and that would give her a whole month to show it. I keep trying to remember if I left everything in order, because buyers will be opening closet doors. Thank goodness Zoe had just cleaned her room up before she left,” Joanie answered.

  Diana laughed out loud. “I’m glad I don’t have to let a buyer into my place. They’d run for the hills if they saw Rebecca’s messy room.”

  “Is he listing it exclusively or with several Realtors?” Tootsie asked.

  “Exclusively with the wife of one of the guys on the base.” Joanie divided the rest of the wine between the four of them. “Lindsey’s Real Estate out of Sugar Run. They live on the other side of town, and she works out of her garage. He says if we haven’t had any bites at all on the place in a month, that we’ll go wider when he gets home.”

  “Sounds like a plan to me. Is that all the new business?” Tootsie yawned.

  “Well, I do have one more piece of new business,” Carmen said. “I make a motion that we all sleep in tomorrow morning and don’t hit the hotel dining room until nine o’clock.”

  Diana raised a hand. “I second the motion.”

  “And I third it,” Tootsie said. “Now let’s join hands, and, Carmen, you can read the sign tonight.” She pointed to the little plaque that was now lying on the end table beside Tootsie’s bed.

  When they’d finished, Diana and Joanie hurried across the hall to their room, and Tootsie sent Luke a text telling him the real estate agent’s name. Then she closed her eyes, snuggled down in her bed, and dreamed of Smokey. In the dream, they were sitting on the porch of their house in Sugar Run watching little children run and play on the front lawn. She awoke at midnight with a smile on her face. Maybe the dream meant there would be more children on her block after all.