by Cee, DW
“Jerry,” she mildly complained. “You’ve more than made up for it, though there was nothing to make up for. Being married to you, having five boys with you—life couldn’t have been scripted any more perfectly.”
“I thank God that you chose me over Roland or Harry. I am the luckiest man alive.”
“If you’re the luckiest man, then I’m the luckiest woman!” she declared.
“Though it’s nothing compared to the rock on your left hand, know that this diamond band comes from my heart. I love you, my sweet Estelle.”
(Thirty-plus-years-ago)
*******
Estelle
“Now that our kids are all settled with children of their own, shall we head back to our motherland, Estelle?”
“You mean you want to move back to London? What about the grandchildren? How will we be separated from Jake for that long?”
“You favor him way too much, Madame Reid.”
“Oh and you don’t favor him?”
“I love all my grandchildren equally. They each have a quality that tugs at my heart.”
“Yeah. Try telling that to Jane who’s always saying she prefers Gimpy over Grandpa.”
“Why the hell does Roland get a term of endearment when I don’t?”
“Probably because Roland adores Jane as much as you adore Jake.”
“Between you and me, Wife, my favorite right now is Delaney. She is absolutely stunning with the blonde hair and blue eyes. She’s like a precious doll.”
“She reminds me of your mother, Jerry.”
“I agree. I wish Mum could’ve been alive to have met Delaney.”
“Anyhow, back to this request of yours. Do you really want to move back?”
“Your parents left you the house in Belgravia. We have a house here. Why don’t we go back and forth and enjoy life? It’s a shame Lauren died so young. We could’ve been neighbors again, just this time in London.”
“Those were some fun times, huh, Jerry? After Roland married, it was nice to have fellow Brits as friends and neighbors. It was a shame they had to move back to London when Lauren’s mum became ill.”
“So are you up for it?”
Was I up for leaving our cul-de-sac and going back “home?”
“Let’s try it, Jerry. What do we have to lose? We can always come back when we miss Jake.”
“You took the words right out of my heart, Mrs. Reid.”
(Twenty-plus-years-ago)
*******
Jerry
“Donovan! What brings you to London?” Estelle and I received a surprise when Jake’s best friend and our adopted grandson showed up at our door.
“When did you cross the pond, Son? And why didn’t you bring my favorite grandson with you?” I asked.
“You favor your oldest grandson too much. He’s nothing special.”
“He’s pretty damn special in my book.” I embraced this boy who reminded me a lot of myself when I was younger.
“Why’s this place so big?” Donovan asked, surveying the room.
“It’s not much bigger than your parents’ home in LA.”
“Yeah, it is, Gram. This place looks like it has three stories.”
“Four, but who’s counting?” My Estelle adored this kid too. “You’ve yet to tell us what you are doing here. Are you in trouble?”
Donovan gave us a phony wounded look. “You think I came here to ask you to bail me out of something?”
“Then what the hell are you doing thousands of miles from home?”
“I came here with a friend. This friend is in a business meeting so I thought I’d come and visit my favorite grandparents.”
Shit. He was in trouble—big trouble from the looks of his guilty eyes. “Friend? Male or female?” I asked.
“Female?” Donovan answered like a school boy at the Principal’s office.
“Who is she, and what does she do?” I continued the inquisition.
“Are the twenty questions really necessary?” Now he really sounded like a little boy.
“Hell yes, they’re necessary.”
“All right, Grandpa Jerry. If you must know, her name is Kate Beauvais and she’s a lawyer-turned-CEO of a small hedge fund company.”
“How old is she?” Estelle and I had heard about her in passing. We were unhappy with the direction Donovan was taking.
“Um…thirty?” He, too, understood that we were not happy.
Estelle comically smacked him on the back of his head. “Why the hell would you date someone that old? Most men are dying to date twenty-year-olds, and you go and date someone in her thirties? What the hell’s the matter with you?” She showed him no mercy.
“Gram,” he pleaded. “Please. Like I told Ma, she’s thirty, not sixty.”
As upset as I was with our adopted grandson, I couldn’t help but laugh at my wife. She was irate. “So your sugar mama brought you to Europe? Are you staying with her in London?”
“Um…yes?” He croaked like a boy going through puberty.
Estelle stopped beating up on the boy and called her favorite grandson instead. “Jake?”
“Why are you calling Jake?” Donovan tried to eavesdrop but she pushed him aside.
“Can you get away from that bio-chem lab you’re working at for a few weeks?”
“What’s Gram doing?” Donovan looked to me for answers. My answer was to slap him a few more times on the head.
Donovan moved himself to the couch furthest away from us.
“You want to come out here for a few weeks, then escort us home? Your grandfather and I would like to head back to the States soon. It’s too hot and humid here.” Estelle gave us her radiant smile. Jake must have agreed. “I’ll have your grandfather send you a ticket. Can you leave tomorrow? Splendid. See you soon, Jake.”
“Jake’s coming?” Donovan asked.
“You tell that cradle robber of yours that you’ll be staying with your grandparents from here on out, and we’ll be taking you on a tour of Europe once Jake gets here.” My wife made Donovan call his “Sugar Mama” now.
“Gram, she’s in a meeting. I don’t want to bother her.”
“But you will stay with us for the next few weeks and travel back to the States when our trip is done!” I repeated, just in case he hadn’t heard or understood.
“All right,” he cowered and did as was told.
“What are we to do with him?” Estelle asked after we’d all retired for the night. “Shall I give Jamie and Scott a call?”
“He’s good-looking, smart, driven, and a hell of a ladies’ man. Let him have some fun.”
“You mean you approve of him and this older woman?”
“Hell no! But he has to make his own mistakes, Estelle. There’s nothing we can do to force him to grow up. He’s a smart boy. He’ll figure it out.”
“I should tell Babs and Henry to bring the kids to Europe. Our Delaney would love to hang out with Donovan and Jake.”
I laughed. “Our baby girl is going to hang on that Lothario’s every word. I don’t want her to be any more obsessed with that boy than she already is. Don’t bring her here.”
“She’s adorable around Donovan.”
“Our Delaney is adorable—always. After we spend a few weeks here, we’ll see her and the rest of the grandchildren.”
“I can’t wait to be with family again.”
“They all can’t wait to be with you, either, my sweet bride.”
“You say the darndest things, Jerry.”
“Do you know that this fall will be our sixtieth anniversary?”
“Of course I know, Jerry. How those years have sped by. There has not been a year that wasn’t memorable.”
“I can honestly say that I have loved you more with each passing year. I hope we’ll have another sixty years together.”
My wife shook her head in laughter. “Um, I think that’s impossible, but we can try.”
> “Thank you for an amazing ride, Mrs. Reid.”
“I love you, Jerry.”
“And I love you, Estelle.”
Estelle. Roland.
Harry
“Are we finally done with stories of Jerry ‘Perfect’ Reid?”
My wife rolled her eyes at me. “Tell me, Harry. If you supposedly loved me for seven decades, why didn’t you court me after Jerry died?”
“Because I...” I stopped to find the right words. “I guess I didn’t know how to properly court you.”
“What does that mean?”
“While Roland stayed your friend since the house party, I’d never really had a conversation with you after Fife.”
“But we lived within walking distance of one another. You could’ve come by and said hello and reacquainted yourself.”
“I tried.”
She didn’t believe me. “When?”
“Every time you had left for the States. It appears I had a knack for visiting when you weren’t home. I’d get the gumption to come talk to you and renew our friendship, but you wouldn’t be home for weeks. Then, I’d lose my courage and I’d hear rumors that you were back.”
“By the time I’d decided enough was enough—that I needed to be a man—you had decided to fall prey to Roland’s charms.”
“Which one of my husbands bothers you more? Jerry or Roland?”
“Yes!” I answered with a pout. “They both bugged the hell out of me.”
“So shall I not tell you the next phase of my life? Are you tired of hearing about me and my husbands?”
“Yes, but like I said, until you finish off your first two, I can’t show up. Keep talking, Woman, and talk fast. I’d like to arrive before we both die.”
“You definitely have a way with words, Harry. It’s a wonder you never remarried with the way you charm the ladies.” Her sarcasm was in full effect.
I chose to answer in earnest. “Estelle, my wife, my love, I waited for you to belong to me one day. I couldn’t marry again and lose out on that chance.”
“There’s the Harry who baffled me during the house party—hell on wheels one moment, and a complete charmer the next. I don’t know which man I love more.”
“Hell yes! I knew you loved me more than the other two.”
My wife couldn’t stop the cackling. “I think we need to get you hearing aids, Dear.”
“I heard you fine. Start the story again, Estelle, and rush through your days with Roland. That bore couldn’t possibly take up more than five minutes.”
“One last question before I eventually arrive at the great Harry Bennington?”
“If you must...”
“How did you know to send foxgloves after each birth?”
I chuckled. “Your mother.”
“Mother? Oh my goodness. I would have never guessed. She was still stuck on you even after I married Jerry?”
“No. I think she felt pity on the man who couldn’t forget you.”
My wife leaned over and kissed me lightly on the lips. “You are no longer forgotten. We will have many wonderful years together.”
“Does that mean you can skip over your years with Roland and talk about me?”
She rolled her eyes. “Finish packing and listen carefully to the next great love of my life!”
“Damn. I should’ve had you stop when I had the chance!” I declared.
I did as was told and drudged through the next phase of Estelle’s life.
(Ten-plus-years-ago)
*******
Estelle
“You miss him.” Roland knew me well.
“I do. It’s been two years since he left me. After sixty years of marriage, it feels as if he’s still right here with me.”
“Damn lucky bastard had sixty years with you.”
I smiled at the thought of more than half a century with the man I loved. “He was so good to me, Roland. There wasn’t a woman more loved than I.”
“You were and still are a lovable woman. Any man would’ve enjoyed the privilege of loving you.”
“You, too, Roland, were good to your wife. It’s a shame she died so early. You should’ve married again.”
“Maybe I will—now.”
I knew where Roland was heading with this conversation. The past years, he’d been a good friend and a trusting confidant. After Jerry died, I chose to stay in London to be near him, but also because Roland was so much comfort during my time of need.
“I need to head into Paris, Roland.”
“When?”
“Now. I’m meeting Jake.”
“How’s he doing without Emily?”
“He’s a mess from what Sandy tells me. He misses her terribly.”
“Ah...young love...what I’d do to go back to his age...” Roland mused.
“What would you have done differently?”
“You want to know the truth?” Did I? He didn’t give me a chance to answer. “I would’ve pushed off Harvard Law School for a year and pursued you instead.”
“Roland...” I didn’t know what to say.
“That’s a big regret, Estelle. Had I been a little smarter, that’s what I would’ve done.”
“If you believe in fate, then you know that wouldn’t have mattered. It’s a good thing you studied hard, made a name for yourself, and had your blessed years with Lauren.”
“Yes, but I never had the kind of bliss Jerry had with you. You’re a smart woman, Estelle. You know what I want.” He didn’t have to say anymore. I understood all the unspoken words.
“I’m not ready yet, Roland. It would be unfair for you to have my body but not my heart.”
“All right. I’ll wait. What’s another few months when I’ve waited all these years?” I appreciated this man more than it was proper. “I assume you don’t mind a chaperone to Paris? You’ll need a place to stay for the night.”
“I was thinking I’d come home after dinner with Jake. It’s an early one.”
“Nonsense. You know I have an apartment there. We’ll stay there and come back to London in the morning.”
“All right. I’ll pack an overnight bag, then.”
*******
Roland
“What will you tell your family about us, Estelle? You know they’ll have a lot of questions concerning their beloved Gram attending her grandson’s wedding with a date.”
Estelle laughed at me. “I thought you were my ride home. That’s what I’m telling my kids and grandkids.”
“You wound me, Madam. Basically, it’s the plane and not the man?”
“Something like that,” she teased.
Jerry passed a few years ago and I’d had the pleasure of keeping Estelle company since that time. About a month ago, she finally agreed to consider a relationship beyond friendship with me. At our ages, that pretty much meant I’d be her next husband. This came late, but it was better than never.
“I want full billing as your boyfriend.” She blushed at my words. “You may not introduce me as a friend of the family.” She kept mum. I knew she wasn’t ready to tell her family anything. Honestly, I wouldn’t push her.
“Gimpy!” Jane, my favorite of Estelle’s grandchildren, came running to embrace me. “I’m so glad you’re here.”
“How are you, my spitfire? Have you found a man whose life you’ll drive insane?” The blush on this girl was identical to her grandmother’s. “Have I told you how much you resemble Stella when she was younger?”
“Who’s Stella?”
“That was what I called your Gram when she was in her twenties.”
“How sweet. Why don’t you call her that anymore?”
“She told me it’s a name only for young girls. She wanted to be called by her given name.”
“So...what’s going on with you and my Gram? I know it’s not just a simple friendship. I assume you’ve been the utmost gentleman with her?”
I gave this girl my
most stern look. “I think it’s you we need to worry about, not me. Have you given up your wild ways?”
She rolled her eyes at me. “Like I have the time! I don’t think I’ve slept more than five hours on any given day since entering AAP. Can’t you cut me a little slack, Gimpy? They’re killing me.”
“I was told you’ve put in for a request to transfer to LA?”
“Yeah, but who knows what will happen? I think they’re going to bounce me back and forth between LA and New York.”
“I’ll see what I can do about having you here for good. Your Gram would like to have you nearby.”
Jane didn’t agree. “She has Jake. He’s all she needs. Wait until the great-grandchildren arrive. It’s game over for the rest of us,” she spoke with a chuckle. “It’s all right, Gimpy. I’m used to it. Besides, I have you. You’ve always loved me as much as any grandparent. I’m content!”
“I think there’s a boy over there who’s looking to catch your eye. He can’t stop staring at you.”
Jane turned and gave him her dazzling smile. “That’s Max, Gimpy.”
“Is this Max, someone I should get to know?”
“Maybe...” she thought about her Max while giving me her answer. “If he is, you’ll be the first to know.”
“Be careful not to break his heart, Spitfire. He looks like a nice guy.”
With another hug, she left me to deal with her potential future.
*******
Estelle
“Roland, I think it’s time to head back to the cul-de-sac. My family needs me.”
“What’s the matter, Estelle? Is it urgent?”
“It’s the grandchildren. They’re in all kinds of trouble.”
“Tell me.”
Since Jake’s wedding, Roland and I came back to London for a while until I was summoned back to the cul-de-sac to greet my first set of great-grandchildren. It was difficult leaving Elizabeth and James, but I knew I needed to come back to London to take care of business before making that final move back to my family. Last night’s conversation with Emily solidified what I already knew needed to happen. The next phase of my life would be back where my family life began.
