by Linda Ellen
Rrraahh, he growled, before releasing a string of colorful words and rifling a hand back through his hair as his irritation increased a few more notches. He had gone over and over the same turf so many times and the result was always the same. There was no going back – he had even trained his own replacement! He shook his head and sighed tiredly. There was no crying over spilt milk. What’s done is done.
Glancing at the tall, elegant doors once more and deciding to take a chance, he took the key from the ignition and climbed out, walking up the sidewalk. Approaching the entrance, he reached out and gripped the knob, and was surprised when it turned. He pushed it open and walked in, the silence enveloping him, the atmosphere inside the foyer peaceful and serene. Since he’d been attending services there, it had been giving him a growing sense of familiar security, and longing for its comfort more than ever, he moved on to the doors of the sanctuary. Slipping inside, the only light coming from the stained glass windows high on either side, he allowed the cool and shadowy interior to wash over his tense muscles. For a moment, he stood with his hat in his hands, wondering just what the heck he was doing there. He was on the verge of turning back when he heard the sound of a door open and footsteps. Then Doc came around a corner up front carrying some books in his hand.
The imposing preacher immediately noticed the church had a visitor and he grinned in recognition, calling out, “Well, hello, son. What brings you here on this fine Saturday?”
“Hey Doc,” Vic responded, moving down the aisle as the other man walked to intercept him and shake his hand. “I was just…I just…” he stammered, casting around in his mind for a way to tell what was on his mind without sounding pathetic.
Doc took a good look at his young friend and could see he was obviously troubled, so in his customary cheerful manner, he clapped an arm around Vic’s shoulders. “Well, son – you hungry? I think there just might be a few things in the kitchen refrigerator left over from last night’s elders’ meeting…”
Vic nodded and allowed himself to be swept on into the back part of the church and lowered himself onto a stool at the center island. It brought to mind a time years before when he had sat on that very stool, tormented about his life, and the kind ladies had pampered him with loving attention, as well as delicious culinary items.
Doc kept up a steady stream of casual conversation as he laid out several tasty treats such as apple pie, potato salad, cold cuts and bread to make sandwiches. For the next twenty minutes, the two friends spent time catching up on their daily lives as they partook of the impromptu feast.
Then, as Vic and his wise mentor and friend leaned back and wiped their mouths of the crumbs from slices of the delicious apple pie, Doc thought he would shake things up a bit, murmuring, “So…are you having second thoughts about your girl?”
Vic’s eyes shot open wide and he stared at the man for a moment, totally surprised. “No! ’Course not!” he finally exclaimed. “Why would you ask that? I love Louise with all my heart – always have and always will! I can’t wait ta marry her.”
Doc pursed his lips and nodded, his young friend’s answer exactly what he’d expected to hear. He waited to give Vic an opportunity to share the trouble on his heart.
Once his outburst was over and his thoughts settled back down to the problem at hand, Vic visibly withered, lowering his head almost in defeat. “It’s just…I feel like such a failure, Doc. It’s gallin’ me that…that she’s making more dough than me,” he admitted shamefully.
Doc sat back and folded his arms, perusing his young friend. He knew Vic was the kind of man that felt things deeply, that took things to heart, perhaps more than he should. And, he knew that making light of this ‘problem’ was not the answer. He sent up a short silent prayer for wisdom.
“Son,” he began softly. “I’ve learned over the years that things happen at the proper time. Sometimes…many times…they don’t happen with the speed with which we would like them to happen, but…” he paused, then asked softly, “Has Louise made you feel as if…”
Vic shook his head before Doc could even finish the sentence. “No, sir. She’s great. She hasn’t said a word. It’s just…”
“It’s just that it pinches your pride for your girl to make more than you,” Doc supplied. Vic’s eyes briefly met the other man’s as he gave a shrug of affirmation.
“Pride is a strong animal, Vic. And that strength can work for a man’s good…or for his downfall. Son, often times man is tested, to see what he is made of, to see what he will do in certain situations.” He paused, straining to hear from his Heavenly Boss. “You’re still driving the cab?” he asked after a moment. Vic nodded. “Still searching out opportunities?” Another nod. The man smiled and reached to give Vic a pat on the back. “Well, son. You just hang in there. Things will work out, you’ll see. And an opportunity will present itself soon, I’m sure.” Then he bowed his head and murmured a heartfelt plea for God to help.
Feeling a bit better, Vic smiled and disengaged himself from the stool. “Thanks, Doc. I…I’d better go, I…I’ve got some fences to mend.”
The other man let out one of his belly laughs and slapped Vic on the back good-naturedly.
“You’d best be going then, son. The sooner those kinds of fences are mended, the better.”
Vic chuckled and left the pastor there to clean up from their lunch as he made his way to the front of the church and out the door. Set on his mission, renewed hope filled his heart and gave his step a definite spring.
*
It was a pensive Louise who had let herself into the apartment, changed out of her good clothes, and ate lunch with her family; all while troubled thoughts regarding the scene with Vic swirled around in her mind. Lilly had no trouble guessing from Louise’s downhearted mood that something was amiss, and asked what was wrong and why she was back so soon. However, Louise didn’t elaborate, not wishing to set in motion ill feelings that would later need to be smoothed over. Instead, she merely shrugged that Vic had something he had to go do, and detoured the subject to details about Earl and Ruth’s wedding and the antics of their friend Gerald.
As they were finishing up some thirty minutes later, there was a knock on the door. Thinking it was Vic, Louise hurried to the foyer and opened the door with a thumping heart and a relieved smile, only to falter for a second when she encountered a totally different person standing on the porch. Her smile brightened again, however, and she leaned out to give the visitor a hug.
“Miss Irene! What brings you here? Come in,” she gushed, stepping back to allow the older woman entry.
“Tommy, come see who’s here,” she called to her little boy as she and Irene stepped into the living room.
The child came trotting down the hall from the kitchen, with Lilly and Billy following, the latter with several oatmeal cookies in one hand.
“Miss Iwene!” Tommy squealed, running headlong at the lady’s legs and wrapping his little arms around them in a bear hug. She chuckled and bent down to return the affection.
“Mama, Billy, this is Irene Waller that I’ve told you so much about.” Indicating the neatly dressed woman, her silver gray hair fixed in its customary bun, Louise stood back enough to allow greetings to be exchanged.
As she and Irene made themselves comfortable on the settee, Irene murmured, “I apologize for this unannounced visit, but I stopped by to see a friend from church who lives a few doors down and decided on the spur of the moment to drop by…I hope you don’t mind,” she added, gauging Lilly’s facial expressions. Louise’s mother nodded once to indicate she had no objections, yet there was a definite wariness between the two women.
Switching her eyes to the lanky, dark haired, blue-eyed teen in their midst, Irene continued, “And you’re Billy. My, I’ve heard many good things about you, young man.”
Billy grinned broadly, pleased that he had been the topic of conversation. “And I’ve heard a lot about you, Ma’am,” he answered politely, casting a quick look at Lilly.
Irene smiled in acknowledgment as Tommy climbed up on her lap and she helped him to get settled. Lilly watched as the other woman held her grandchild, gently stroking his light brown wavy locks and hugging him closely, her arms securely fastened around his sturdy little body. Irene glanced at Louise, her smile loving and genuine.
“I’m afraid I’ve missed you two, very much. Even with Betty back from St. Louis, the apartment seems much too empty and quiet without you – and this bundle of joy here,” she added, bouncing Tommy on her lap and pressing a kiss to the top of his head as he giggled and leaned back comfortably against her chest.
Louise returned her smile, feeling exactly the same. She had missed Irene’s calm, even-tempered presence, and her always-sunny disposition. However, she reminded herself to give credit to Lilly for being much more amenable of late…
“We’ve missed you, too,” Louise rejoined, then added quickly, “But we really like this big apartment…and it’s nice to have Mama and Billy back in town.”
“Yes, of course. I know you missed them terribly once you came back from Bowling Green.” Irene returned her attention to Lilly, meeting her eyes and noticing the woman had sat down in an adjacent chair and was leaning back, her arms crossed over her chest. “I haven’t seen you since your husband’s funeral, Mrs. Hoskins. How have you been doing? I’ve been praying for you.”
At that, Lilly’s eyes flickered in surprise. Appreciating Irene’s obviously genuine sentiment, she relaxed somewhat. “Thank you. It’s been difficult, but we’re managing,” she said, pursing her lips together and trying to keep her voice from breaking.
Irene leaned forward a little further, her empathy evident in her posture. “I remember the weeks and months after my own husband’s untimely passing, and I was quite thankful for the support of my church family. Matter of fact, I’ve thought about him a lot in the past few days…today marks fourteen years since I lost him. So…my visit today does have several purposes. I wanted to invite you to a ladies’ meeting at the church on Monday night.” When Lilly merely squinted a bit in puzzlement, Irene continued, “We meet once a month for food and fellowship. We exchange recipes, have a small Bible lesson, share burdens with one another, or perhaps work on seasonal projects…and pray for one another…”
Lilly had never been a part of such a gathering, and hadn’t been to church in many years. Indeed, not since she had lived back home in Bourbon County before she had married the first time. And even then, it had been a very small Catholic parish that did not offer opportunities of fellowship such as Irene was describing. Lilly didn’t know what to say.
Irene smiled warmly, understanding the other woman’s hesitation. “Well, you think on it, and if you should decide to come, we meet at seven in the basement of the church.” Then holding Lilly’s gaze firmly and sincerely, she added, “You would be most welcome. We would all love to have you join us.”
Lilly, who had until that moment been nursing an unreasoning dislike of the woman that her daughter and grandson had been so taken with, couldn’t help but warm up to Irene’s friendly nature. There was a glow about the woman that Lilly had never seen before, as if she were lit from the inside with unquenchable radiance. It seemed to draw anyone in the vicinity into her warmth. Finally letting go of her defiance, Lilly opened her mouth to formulate an answer, but was thwarted by a knock on the door.
“I’ll get it,” Billy offered, rising quickly and opening the door. They heard him say, “Oh hey, come on in.”
Louise looked over at the doorway and her eyes met her sweetheart’s beloved brown ones as he stood there quite uncertainly, his hands worrying the brim of his hat. “Vic,” she acknowledged.
He greeted everyone, especially Irene, but his eyes immediately returned to Louise. “Can I talk to ya a minute?”
“Of course,” she murmured, glancing at the others as she rose to go with him. Walking out on the porch, they paused as if to sit in the chairs. However, a rather chilly wind had begun to blow that made Louise shiver.
“Let’s go sit in the car where we can be alone,” he offered, taking her hand and leading her down the steps. Once settled inside out of the breeze, Vic turned toward her and took her hands in his.
“I’m sorry I acted like a jerk a while ago,” he mumbled softly, feeling quite embarrassed about the whole situation.
“That’s alright…I’m sorry I made you mad…”
He shook his head, meeting her eyes. “It wasn’t you. It’s just…I been feelin’ down lately, cause I ain’t makin’ much money drivin’ that stupid hack. It’s…kinda hard on my pride I guess.”
Louise smiled lovingly, wishing he could see inside her heart and know that it didn’t matter to her how much or how little money he had, her feelings for him would never, ever change. Still, knowing how sensitive the subject was to Vic, she skirted around tackling the issue head-on and merely asked in her softest voice, “Where did you go…after you dropped me off?”
He let out a soft chuckle, his mouth curling into that dimpled grin she adored. “Drove around for awhile. Ended up sittin’ outside the church. Went in,” he enumerated laconically. “Doc was there. Ate lunch with him…” he paused, his mind recalling Doc’s words.
“And…”
He smiled bigger, loving how she just knew that Doc had straightened him out. “Yeah, we talked. He set me straight on a few things.”
Louise bestowed upon him that sparkling smile that always melted his heart. “He’s good at that.”
Vic nodded in total agreement. “Yep. That he is.”
Their angst from earlier now totally smoothed and healed, they leaned toward one another simultaneously for a warm kiss, and then Vic wrapped his arms tightly around her, cherishing her uncomplicated affection.
Against her hair, he whispered, “I love you so much, Mary Lou.”
“I love you, too,” she answered as she nuzzled against his neck.
“Things are gonna work out,” he encouraged, unconsciously echoing Doc’s earlier words.
“I know it. As long as we’re together, that’s all that matters.”
He nodded and closed his eyes as they sat together, wishing the waiting to be over, as both felt more than ready to become husband and wife.
‡
CHAPTER 12
The Confrontation
Louise stepped out of the Washington Building with a smile on her face, clutching the receipt for the final payment toward her divorce. A loud wolf whistle sounded from somewhere on her right and she turned her head, her smile broadening to a happy grin as a familiar voice called, “Hey cutie, need a ride?”
Giggling happily, she hurried over to the familiar B-Line cab waiting several spaces down and met the twinkling brown eyes of its driver. Playing along, she answered, “You’re just in time, driver. Can you take me to my home on Brook at Breckinridge?”
“Well, I sure can. I’ll even put on my hat for a special customer like you,” he answered with a flirtatious wink.
“Oh, don’t cover up all of that beautiful wavy hair on my account,” she quipped right back.
He laughed and leaned over to unlatch the passenger door as she made her way around and slid quickly inside. Leaning toward her, he cupped the back of her head with one hand and captured her lips with his for a kiss loaded with pent up longing on both their parts.
Finally he drew back and put the taxi into gear, easing out onto the street as he glanced at her lap. “Is that it?” He’d known she was going to make the final payment that day and he’d made sure he was in the vicinity when she came out from seeing her lawyer. His plans had worked perfectly.
Louise nodded ecstatically, holding the slip of paper up where he could read it. It was a receipt for five dollars and it was stamped “PAID IN FULL” in the center. Then she carefully stashed the important item inside her purse and firmly snapped the closure shut.
“Mr. Muir said he’ll go down Monday morning and file the papers.”
Vic’s lip curled a bit as he n
egotiated a turn. “I think he’s a jerk for not filin’ ’em sooner. It’ll take a while to get ’em signed by a judge.”
Louise nodded, but added, “He said they’d been looking for TJ to try and set up a support schedule and to get him to sign the papers, but they’d had no luck. His parents still claim they don’t know where he is. Mr. Muir had to file an extra something or other to make the divorce go through without TJ’s signature. Personally, though…it’s worth it just to finally be free.”
Vic glanced at her, reaching for her hand and giving it a gentle squeeze. “True.”
“I just wonder where he is. He sure don’t care about his son, that’s for sure. He hasn’t seen Tommy once since the night he and that woman he’s with came to Irene’s, just a few days after he dumped me out of the car when he talked me into coming back with him from Bowling Green…” she mused, shaking her head at the memory.
Vic remained silent for a moment, tamping down the anger that rose within him every time he thought about the incident. He was thinking that if he’d been the one to come upon them…if he’d been the cabbie to take her to Irene’s that evening, old ‘T-Jerk,’ as he privately called him, wouldn’t have gotten away unscathed. For a few moments, he allowed himself the pleasure of fantasizing about working the other man over. His fists gripping the steering wheel nearly tingled in response.
Shaking off the thoughts, Louise glanced at her companion. “I feel like celebrating. Want to go on a date with a soon-to-be divorced woman?” Then, thoughts of Vic’s lack of funds came to mind and she amended, “Um, I mean, we could…”
He interrupted, bringing their joined hands to his chest. “I was just gonna ask ya, matter of fact.” Meeting her eyes, he answered her unspoken query, “Had a pretty good day.”