by T. L. Hayes
“I forget about Uncle John sometimes. MIA, right?”
“Yes. It broke your father’s heart, but it gave him a cause, and he fought diligently for it. I took one look at him, standing there in his bell-bottoms, with his long hair, and I thought he was so handsome. I knew I wanted to know him, and it struck me out of nowhere—that’s the man I’m going to marry. I don’t know where it came from. Before that, marriage was not something I thought too much about, other than to dismiss it as something I didn’t want to do for a long, long time. But I knew someday that man would be the father of my children, and we would grow old on the porch together. I guess I was half right.” Her mother dabbed at the corners of her eyes and turned to look out the window.
Steve reached over and patted her on the leg. She tried to make her mother laugh. “I can’t imagine Dad with long hair. I don’t even remember him having hair.”
Steve’s attempt to divert the heavy emotions her mother’s story evoked worked and her mother laughed. “I know. He started losing it when you were a baby and had a bare dome by the time you were in junior high. He used to say marriage and fatherhood were rough.” Lorraine laughed again.
“Mom, was he…was he…was he really proud of me when I joined the Army?”
“Didn’t I tell you he was? He didn’t understand your choices, maybe, but he always supported you. When you explained to him that you believed in what you were doing, that you felt that everyone had a right to be free and that no one had the right to dictate over anyone else, he understood that. You have to know, when he was standing on campus protesting the war, he was not against what the soldiers were doing, some of whom felt they were fighting the good fight. He was against our government’s involvement in a war we shouldn’t have been in, that was killing innocents on all sides. I think he was afraid for you. He knew it meant risking your life. He told me once, I just don’t want to get a telegram from the war department. Do you think they still do that? But he was so proud, just the same.” She sniffed back tears again and Steve did the same.
“Dammit, can’t cry and drive. Good thing we’re almost home.”
“Then don’t ask the tough questions when you’re driving. You should know better.”
Steve chuckled. “I’ll invite Lou for Christmas, but you have to promise me something.”
“And what would that be, sweetness?”
“Don’t pull out my baby photos and show her all those pictures with me in red velvet dresses. It’s undignified.”
“You were so adorable. I don’t know what happened.” Her mother gave a sideways smirk and Steve laughed in surprise.
“What happened is I grew up and realized I look stupid in dresses. I was so happy when you started letting me wear suits on the holidays. You can show her those pictures, if you like.”
“You were my little Idgie Threadgoode. You were adorable in suits too.”
“Still am.”
“And I’m sure Lou agrees. I saw the way she drooled over your graduation photo.”
“Mother, behave.”
“I will not. As long as she’s drooling over my daughter, I’m all for it.” As they pulled into the driveway, she said, “Oh, and ask her if she likes cranberries in her stuffing. I’m perfectly fine making it without. I know some people aren’t into that sort of thing.”
Steve just smiled. “Will do. See you later, Mom.”
Her mother kissed her on the cheek. “Yes, you better. Now, go buy my future daughter-in-law some flowers before you see her again.”
“Mother…”
“Don’t take that tone with me, I know what I know.”
“Good-bye, Mother.”
As she was getting out of the car, she heard her mother grumble, “Raised by wolves, I swear.”
Steve watched her mother walk up to her door and hollered out her window right before her mother went inside, “I love you, you pushy old bat.”
Her mother turned and gave her a smile and a wave. “I love you too, you stubborn brat.”
Steve laughed as she pulled out after her mother had gone into the house. She just had to shake her head. Marriage? It was way too soon to be thinking about that, but flowers were a great idea.
* * *
When Lou opened the door, all she saw was a bouquet of red roses being held aloft by a hand with no owner. She giggled. “Aw, thank you, Thing.” She took the flowers from the outstretched hand and sniffed them. As she did so, Steve stepped into view with a smile on her face.
“I knew you’d find a disembodied hand romantic. All the books said so.” She gave Lou a meaningful kiss that almost took Lou’s breath away.
Lou recovered to ask with a wry look, “Just what kind of books are you reading, anyway?”
“The Adams Family Guide to Love and Romance. It’s been in the family for years.” Steve reached out for Lou’s arm and started hungrily kissing it. “I adore you.”
Laughing, Lou said, “Je t’aime, tu dork.”
Steve stopped what she was doing and looked at Lou with renewed, albeit comedic, passion, said, “Lou, that’s French,” and began kissing up Lou’s arm again. Lou gently pulled her arm free and put both around Steve’s neck. Steve responded by putting her arms around Lou’s waist. “So, what did you just say to me, anyway?”
“I just said, I love you, you dork.”
“Oh, that’s all right then. Ready to go out?”
“Yes. I hope it’s indoors. I didn’t exactly dress for a picnic.” Lou was dressed much as she had on their first date, in slacks and a blouse. She was a lot less nervous this time. Getting dressed hadn’t been as complicated.
“It is indoors. Four walls, a ceiling, tables and chairs—you’ll love it.”
“Mm, sounds romantic.”
“Nothing but the best for you, baby.” Steve grinned as she put her arm around Lou’s waist and led her to the car, then walked her around to the passenger side and opened the door for her.
She took Lou to an Asian restaurant on the north side of town that she had been wanting to try. It had a hibachi grill with a chef who served good food and put on an even better show. They were seated at a table with only one other couple, even though there was room for four more people. Steve was glad it wasn’t full. Apparently their tablemates were too, as they sat on the far end, giving both couples as much privacy as possible.
The show was as entertaining as she’d heard. Lou was able to catch the shrimp, the only one at the table able to do so, which made Steve smile. The chef looked at Steve and Lou and asked Steve, “First date?”
“No.” She looked at Lou in question. “I think it’s our third, wouldn’t you say?”
Lou gave her a skeptical look. “Seems like more.”
Steve laughed. “Very true.”
The chef smiled big. “You two in love?”
Steve looked at Lou and they both laughed nervously. Lou grabbed Steve’s hand and squeezed it. She was looking into Steve’s eyes when she said, “Very much.”
“Ah, good, good. I serve you first.” Then the chef turned to the couple at the end of the table and said with a wink, “You’re married—you should be used to waiting. Young love comes first.” The couple, who were holding hands, laughed, and then the husband met Steve’s gaze and lifted his glass and inclined his head. Steve lifted hers as well and returned the toast.
When the meal was prepared, the chef left them to their food. The food was as good as Steve had heard it was. As they ate, Steve looked at Lou and said, “Oh, if I don’t want to be disinherited, I am to invite you to the Adams family Christmas dinner. It’ll be at Mom’s house. It’s not required that you bring anything but yourself.”
Laughing, Lou wiped her mouth with her napkin before she spoke. “The Adams family Christmas? Ooh, will we get to dump a cauldron on the carolers?”
“How could it be Christmas without that?”
“Well, count me in. So what should I bring your mother so that I can continue to make a good impression?”
“I don’t think you need to worry about that. Just keep showing up—that’ll impress her.” Steve leaned in and gave Lou a sweet kiss, then leaned back and smiled at her.
“Well, that seems easy. I think I can manage that.”
“Good. But if you’re thinking presents, because there will be a gift exchange, anything book related is always a good bet. Just not actual books. I couldn’t even begin to tell you what to buy. She usually doesn’t even buy books, just brings them home from work.”
“Understandable. I’ll think of something.”
“So could you give me a clue?” Steve asked.
“I would think you’d know your mother better than I do.”
She laughed. “No, I mean for you. We haven’t known each other long, and I’m not sure what to get you. I want it to be right.”
Lou’s look softened and she caressed Steve’s face. “You’ve already given me the best gift you could.” She moved her hand down to Steve’s heart and rested it there. Steve covered her hand with hers.
She broke the spell, however, by smiling and joking, “Yes, but that’s not going to work every year.”
Lou gently took her hand away and laughed with her. “True. I guess you’re just going to have to figure that one out on your own.”
“Why do I feel like this is a test?”
“Clever girl.” Lou winked at her, then said with a sly grin, “Once you figure that out, you’ll have to start thinking about my birthday. It’ll be right around the corner, you know.”
Steve stopped eating and panicked. “Oh God, I should know this, shouldn’t I?”
Lou said nothing, just raised an eyebrow in expectation, then started humming the Jeopardy theme song.
“Crap. I think you told me this once.” She started shaking her head back and forth in exasperation at her own forgetfulness. “Oh, I feel horrible. I just flunked Girlfriend One-Oh-One.”
Lou laughed. “Nah, you’re off the hook. I grade on a curve. I haven’t told you my birthday yet.”
Steve let out a sigh of relief. “Thank God.”
Lou leaned in and gave Steve a quick kiss, then whispered, “It’s April 4.”
“Woman, you had me worried.” Lou giggled. “That’s plenty of time. So do you? Grade on a curve, I mean?”
Lou gave her a smile that held a very clear intention and traced a finger up Steve’s thigh. “It depends on the curve.”
“Why, Dr. Lou, I do believe you are learning how to flirt.”
“Hmm. Sometimes we just need a good teacher.” They kissed again, then rushed through their meal and hurried home.
Chapter Nineteen
Lou texted Steve: Heard from Bill. How do you feel about going over to his and Dix’s place after we leave your mother’s?
Oh God, I hope they don’t want to feed us. I don’t think I can take it.
LOL They did, but I said we can only do so much. We’re just having wine and maybe butchering some Christmas carols.
Drunk karaoke? I’m in!
Christmas morning found Lou attempting to wrap Steve’s and Lorraine’s presents with shiny dark blue paper. Wrapping presents wasn’t her best skill, but she put the effort in when it mattered, even though she was rarely happy with the finished product. She tried to tell herself that that didn’t matter, that they wouldn’t care, but it was no use. She just shook her head at her clumsy attempts to line up the paper and cut a straight line, just happy that she hadn’t cut it too short. When she finished, the gifts looked passable, at least.
Steve had asked if she wanted her to pick her up on the way, but she knew that Lorraine wanted Steve to cook with her, so she had said she was happy to come over to the house on her own. Lorraine’s house had lights strung around the roof and windows, which Steve had done the weekend after Thanksgiving, as well as lights in the trees and a lovely wreath on the door, replete with a red bow and pine cones. Nothing overdone. Lou smiled. It reminded her of her childhood home. The Christmas tree, with blinking lights and all the trimmings, held pride of place in the picture window. She knew Steve had helped set that up too. She and her mother had spent a day decorating and sharing memories of years past. Steve had told her it was an emotional day and she could believe it.
Now, standing on Lorraine’s doorstep, she rang the bell. She could hear Christmas music playing inside. It sounded like “Jingle Bells.” This time, it was Lorraine who opened the door and when she did so, she pulled a surprised Lou into a hug. Lou smiled and returned it with feeling. “Oh my God, it smells delicious in here.”
Lorraine pulled her inside and closed the door behind them. “Thank you. Now come on inside, it’s freezing out there. Would you like something to warm you up?”
“You mean like cocoa? Sure,” Lou replied, as she set her presents under the tree, then took off her coat and put it where Lorraine instructed.
“No, dear, I meant like my loaded eggnog,” she said with a wink.
Steve poked her head out of the kitchen. “She’s driving, Mom. You put a full bottle of Myer’s Dark in there—I saw you.”
“She can handle it. I’ve seen her put a man twice her size flat on his back. I think she can handle a little rum.” Lorraine took Lou by the arm and led her into the kitchen.
Laughing, Lou went along. She said to Steve on the way by, “She exaggerates.”
“Like hell! You’re a fierce warrior and it’s my honor to learn from you,” Lorraine said with sincerity.
Lou felt tears come to her eyes. “Thank you, Lorraine. That means a lot.”
“You are welcome, dear. Now, help yourself to some ’nog, if it appeals to you, and let my prodigal child and me finish up.”
Steve handed Lou a glass and kissed her on the cheek, then pretended to glare at her mother. “I did not blow all my money on prostitutes, so how can I be prodigal?”
Lorraine winked at Lou and playfully elbowed her. “Just some of the money, I guess.” Lou snickered.
Steve looked horrified. “Mom, I have never spent money on prostitutes. Why do you say such things?”
“Because you are my only child and I have to pick on someone.” She went up to Steve and took her chin in one hand. “Give me grandchildren, and I can have someone else to pick on.” She kissed her daughter on the cheek, then turned to Lou with a questioning look, as if to say, Well, how about some grandchildren?
Lou thought her eyes might roll out of her head, and Lorraine threw back her head and laughed. Finally, Lou found her voice and said, “Lorraine, you’re a pushy woman.”
“You got that right,” Steve agreed.
“Yep, I am pushy and proud. Maybe we pushy moms should start our own parade.”
“No, Mom, that’s a bad idea.”
“You’re the reason I can’t have nice things.”
“That’s my job as your one and only child—to make your life hell.” Mother and daughter exchanged grins.
Lou just sat back and enjoyed the show. She appreciated the love that was behind the banter but always close to the surface. It made her miss her own mother and the Christmases they had shared over the years, both before and after her father left. Her mother decorated traditionally, yet simply, just as Lorraine did. The smells were also the same, and those alone brought back memories of her mother preparing the turkey and all the trimmings, as well as baking pies. She’d started cooking with her mother when she was little and after a few years her mother let her be in charge of the stuffing, with her mother’s recipe, of course. When she was in junior high she finally got to try baking an apple pie on her own. It was Dutch apple, she remembered, because she had always liked the crumbles on top more than the lattice crust. The memories came, and this time she couldn’t stop the tears when they fell and she sniffed and wiped them away with the back of her hand.
Steve must have heard her, because she turned around, saw her wiping the tears away, and went to her. She leaned in and asked softly, “Baby, what’s wrong?”
Lou wiped both eyes at once and then forced a smi
le. “Nothing, just reliving pleasant memories.”
“Are you sure? I mean, were they all pleasant?”
Lou nodded. “Yes, I’m sure. Memories of my mom and me at Christmas. It’s okay—those are good moments to remember.” Lou gave Steve a peck on the lips to assure her that she was fine. She patted her on the shoulder and said, “Now go help your mother.”
Steve gave her a smile and brushed a hair off Lou’s forehead, then kissed her there. “Okay.”
Lorraine had noticed the situation, but kindly ignored it. The only acknowledgment she made was when she came to set a dish on the table, and she gave Lou a reassuring pat on the shoulder and a warm smile.
After dinner and dessert, they gathered in the living room for presents. Steve handed Lorraine her present first, and when she unwrapped it, Lorraine held up a square piece of wood and looked at her daughter in confusion. Steve just stood there grinning. “Ah, Stephanie darling, I know they say it’s the thought that counts, but I have to ask, what the hell were you thinking?”
Lou burst out laughing and looked at Steve expectantly. Steve took the wood from her mother and flipped it over and handed it back to her. “Read this.”
Lorraine read aloud, “Dear Mother, this represents the reading nook I’m going to build for you in the front window. Please don’t throw this at my head. Aw, you really are a sweet child.” She stood up and hugged her and kissed her on the cheek.
“Well, you’ve been talking about wanting one for years. I figured it’s about time you got one.”
“It’s never too late.” She grinned at them both.
Steve looked at Lou but pointed her thumb at Lorraine. “This one never misses an opportunity.”
“Nope, I take advantage of them all.”
Lou placed the gift she had brought for Lorraine on Lorraine’s lap and said, “Well, spoiler alert, it’s not a piece of wood, but I hope you like it. You earned it.”
