Anne, Owen, and Sylvia returned blank looks to him. Bill sighed.
“Garret is the guy who talks about the eight-dimensional universe! He’s a particle physicist and when they look at the particles smaller than atoms, they are finding they fit into a pattern!” He said excitedly before he turned to Sylvia and said, “You know what it is, Sylvia.”
“The Flower of Life?” she asked.
He nodded enthusiastically.
“Yeah!” Bill continued, “Check out his TED talk. He talks about the E8 pattern and how nature keeps a perfect balance. But, what the really neat thing, Sylvia, is that the flower of life pattern is at the smallest, most microscopic level!”
“So everything, everything, everything, fits into this pattern?” Sylvia questioned.
“Yes!” Bill almost shouted in his excitement.
“And the pattern moves, and always changes and keeps a perfect balance, right?” Sylvia asked.
Bill turned to Owen, “Where have you been hiding her?” he asked, jerking his head in Sylvia’s direction, “she should be in physics!”
Owen raised his eyebrows at Sylvia and smiled.
“Well, it just makes sense,” Sylvia insisted. She was relieved to find and learn that the pattern that the Green Man referred to, or the pattern she thought he referred to, was something like what Bill was talking about. But, she couldn’t help but think it was even more than this.
“This is fascinating,” she told Bill. “You said it was particle physics?”
“Yup!” Bill told her. “I think you need to get a masters degree in physics.”
“I don’t think so,” Sylvia replied. Sylvia changed the subject and asked, “What about a talk on fractals?”
Bill pondered for a moment, “Not a bad idea. I think I could find a guest speaker to talk about them.”
“But, aren’t fractals more a math concept than science,” argued Owen.
“Math and science,” Bill corrected.
“And art,” Sylvia added.
“Fractals would fit in well with Lisi’s theories,” Bill said thoughtfully.
“How?” Owen challenged.
“Fractals are part of every living thing,” Bill insisted. “They are the poetry of mathematical language. They’re part of the new geometry. There’s order beneath the chaos of fractals,” he said.
“So it all fits,” Sylvia established. “It’s part of the code in nature?”
“And that’s where it bleeds into science,” Owen said.
“Exactly,” Bill repeated what Sylvia said, flashing her a grin.
“Exactly,” Sylvia agreed.
“Whew!” Anne said, “This is a pretty heavy conversation! Boys, eat up.”
“Anne, this French toast is amazing! I could eat the entire pan, but I wouldn’t be able to fit into my wedding dress.”
“As I just said, boys, eat up!” Anne insisted.
“Speaking of the wedding,” Owen started with a slight hint of trepidation. “You’re okay with not being a groomsman?” he asked Bill.
“Oh, my God, yes!” Bill exclaimed. “I haven’t been in a monkey suit in…in…, well, I can’t remember. I can’t stand the things.” He rubbed around his neck as if he was wearing a tight collared shirt and tie. “I will be a happy, audience participant,” he told them brightly. He said he had received the invitation and would send back the confirmation.
Anne began talking to Bill about academia and Sylvia started to clear the table. The academic politics bored her to tears. Owen said he grew up with this kind of conversation and he participated on the fringe. Sylvia was so tired. She put the things in the dishwasher and made a pitcher of Bloody Mary’s and took it into the table along with a beer for Bill. He gladly accepted.
Even with the food, the other Bloody Mary hit Sylvia hard. She had a hard time keeping her eyes open.
“Would you excuse me?” she told the group? She kissed Owen and gave Bill a one-armed hug. “Thanks for cooking brunch,” she told Anne. “It was yummy.”
“She’s exhausted, poor girl,” Sylvia thought she heard Anne, in a stage whisper.
She was exhausted. Sylvia went upstairs and lay on the bed. What she thought was only a couple of minutes, turned out to be hours. She woke up briefly when Owen asked if she wanted dinner. She mumbled ‘no’ and only wanted to go back to sleep, but he insisted on pulling off her dress and tucking her in bed. Percy came up a bit later and she felt the comforting weight of the dog against her legs. Sylvia didn’t remember Owen coming to bed. She slept like a baby.
Chapter 23
“Life is not a problem to be solved, but a reality to be experienced.” Sonje Kierkegaard
Sylvia woke the next day feeling a million times better. Sylvia gave Percy a resounding smooch on the top of his head when he put his nose in her hand in the morning. The alarm was about to go off and she silenced it before it woke Owen. She took Percy out through the French doors in the living room and had him gambol, do his business on the front lawn while she made coffee. Being able to come out on the deck in her nightgown in the early morning was an incredible luxury in the summer. Sylvia appreciated the time, and the moment as she sipped from her steaming cup. It was still warm and humid. Sylvia knew thunderstorms were predicted in the evening. Percy was panting after a few minutes of play, leaping to catch the small insects that flew up from the grass.
The grass. She would need to mow it very soon. She had become used to Owen doing the job. Today was the day Anne was taking him to the doctor to look at his wound. She wished she could go, but she had missed so much time with the emergency last week. She wanted to save her vacation for their honeymoon.
Percy ran himself out and came onto the deck. Sylvia settled in an Adirondack chair and looked out over the water. A bald eagle sat in Kim’s tree and stared at the bay while blue heron flew in to stalk the water at the shoreline. She heard the newspaper lady zip through the neighborhood at a speed faster than she was supposed to and heard the occasional slap of a newspaper hitting the ground. Songbirds twittered from the bushes and the grove next to the house. Percy sat quietly beside her. Sylvia was at peace. This time of the morning was almost like a meditation. Its subtle perfection entirely filled her. She sighed in contentment as she sipped her coffee and relished the quietude.
Sylvia went inside and made a second cup of coffee, looking at the time. She was running late. Percy climbed into bed with Owen as she dressed for her workday. She didn’t take time for breakfast but instead promised herself a drive-thru sandwich. Rushing out to the car, Sylvia stopped. Her front tire was flat! Really flat! What had happened?
“Shit!” she said involuntarily, using the swear word she seldom used. “Shit!” she said again and she stomped her foot. She went to find the passenger side front tire was flat as well. “Shit!” she said a third time.
She ran back inside and up the stairs. She shook Owen gently and called his name.
“Owen!” she hissed. “Owen! Wake up!”
He rolled over and opened his eyes. “Hi,” he said sleepily and reached for her.
Carefully she moved his hand. “No, Owen,” she said succinctly. “Listen, my two front tires are flat!” Hysteria now edged her voice. “I need to take your car to work. I need you to call someone today to get it fixed.”
Owen was awake now. “Tires?” he asked. “That’s weird.”
“I’ll say. I don’t remember running over anything. Sorry to have woken you, but I needed you to know and I need your keys,” she told him.
He pointed to the bureau where his keys were in a small, carved wooden holder. What had Owen called it? A valet tray, she remembered.
“Thanks,” she whispered and gave him a swift kiss.
Owen turned over and fell asleep again almost immediately. Percy had only cracked one eye open. He nuzzled her briefly and she gave him a pat and a kiss before going back down the stairs.
Owen’s car was in the garage. She opened it and backed it out carefully. His was a standard tr
ansmission. She knew how to drive one, but, after driving an automatic for a long time, she jerked a little. She didn’t want to hurt his car. After a rough start, she got the hang of pushing in the clutch and changing gears by the time she left the neighborhood.
She was only a couple of minutes late to work. Sylvia explained to Mr. Carter and Carol what had happened. Carol looked worried.
“You don’t usually have this much vandalism in Bayside, do you?” Carol asked Sylvia.
“It’s usually seasonal,” Sylvia told her. “Likely, teenagers getting their kicks. But, I’m pretty upset about this little trick, I can tell you.”
“I told Joe about the mailbox. He agreed with you that it was kids,” Carol said. “I’m just going to text him about the tire thing,” she told Sylvia.
“Okay,” Sylvia said. “Thanks. Owen and Anne are there now. They have a late morning doctor’s appointment. Gosh, I hope Anne’s car is okay. I never checked. Owen’s car was in the garage and that’s the one I took.”
Her day didn’t go from bad to worse, but it was challenging. The Board of Directors liked her idea of the teacher grant but were balking at the idea of two dinners for the educators. Sylvia thought this was silly, but she was able to get prices from caterers and sample menus for the board to make a decision. It took her the entire day and she was frustrated and tired when she left.
It was one of those days that if Carol had breathed the word ‘happy hour,’ Sylvia would have jumped at the chance. But, Carol was in her happy place of moving in with Joe. She hummed to herself, most of the day, oblivious to the carnage from the Board of Directors. Mr. Carter had been busy with other meetings, so Sylvia had to handle this on her own, and she did. She was happy to climb into Owen’s car at the end of the day and head home.
She had promised Owen and Anne she would pick up Chinese food on the way home. She had called in the order from the office and it only took moments, once she arrived at the restaurant. Owen’s car was filled with savory smells and her stomach rumbled.
Shiny, new tires graced her car, she noticed, when she pulled into the driveway. Percy, hearing Owen’s car, started barking his happy bark. Anne let him out the door to greet her. She claimed Percy as her first grandchild and she smiled fondly at his antics. She was definitely spoiling him while she was here, giving him a beef bone on a nightly basis. He happily chewed away and now bones littered the house.
Once again they ate on the deck. When they were nearly finished with dinner, Joe and Carol surprised them. Percy had barked and wagged his tail happily when Carol’s car pulled in.
“Hi!” Sylvia greeted them. She stood up to give them both a hug. “Come and sit. I’ll get you a couple of beers.”
Joe and Carol sat at the table. They all sat and sipped at their drinks, making small talk for a while.
“It’s lovely to see you, but what brings you here?” Sylvia asked.
Carol looked guilty. “I told Joe about your tires,” she said, “and he’s a little worried.”
Joe had his ‘cop face’ on. He had shaken his head before he said, “Sylvia, you have a way of begging trouble. The mailbox was one thing, but I’m a little concerned that you’ve had this second incident. No one in the neighborhood has reported any other vandalism. Do you know if other neighbors were hit with this?”
Sylvia shook her head. “Not that I know of.”
Anne spoke up, “The tire repair people caused a stir in the neighborhood. No one else had their tires slashed.”
Carol looked at Joe. Joe put his hand on her knee.
“So, what’s going on?” Joe asked them.
“Nothing that we know of,” Owen told Joe. “We haven’t heard from the police or Coast Guard about the shooting in Worton Creek. Jon said it would likely be awhile. They didn’t stick around, nor did we, after I was shot. I don’t think they know who we are.”
Joe nodded. “I think I’ll put a couple of feelers out,” he told them, “for everyone’s peace of mind.”
“Now you’re getting me a little worried,” Sylvia said.
“Me too,” Anne added.
“I think Tony has some clout, even from prison. He would be my main cause of worry. And, I think he’s crazy enough to try something. Remember the elaborate schemes and the dirtbags he hired last year when he murdered Joyce and has similar plans for you, Sylvia,” Joe added.
“What’s that old saying,” Carol intoned, “better safe, than sorry?”
Sylvia shivered at the thought that Tony might try something. She wouldn’t be overly surprised. His obsession was indeed irrational. If he got wind of the engagement and wedding…well, it could be something that would put him over the edge. She voiced those fears out loud. Joe nodded.
“We really don’t have the resources to have a protection detail to be with you without more concrete information. I’ll make sure a car comes through on a regular basis. That might deter whoever is doing this. And, I’ll check out what’s going on with Mr. Capaselli,” Joe assured her.
“Thanks, Joe,” Sylvia said. “You’re wonderful.”
They left a few minutes later. Percy needed to be walked.
“Are you up for a little walk?” Sylvia asked Owen. “I think I’m a little spooked.”
He nodded and said, “Let’s go.”
“How did your doctor’s appointment go today?” she asked.
“Mmm,” Owen grumbled, “they called to reschedule it for Thursday.”
“Sorry,” Sylvia said. “I know you want to get back to work.”
They walked on in the gathering twilight. The air was getting heavier and brief, yet intense bouts of little breezes turned the leaves so that you could see their backs. Whitecaps were beginning to form on the bay.
“Hurry, Percy,” Sylvia told the dog. “I think that storm is coming up.”
They continued their walk toward the marina and passed by Tony’s house. It was a large, dark, shadowy lump on the shoreline. Sylvia shivered.
“Do you think it’s Tony sending someone to harass us?” Sylvia asked Owen, her voice barely above a whisper.
Owen ran his good hand through his hair before he answered, “I really don’t know,” he said, “but, if Joe thinks it’s a possibility, I believe him. Tony is really, really delusional.”
“You don’t need to tell me twice,” Sylvia replied drily.
Lightning flashed in the distance and a few seconds later, they heard thunder.
“C’mon, Percy,” Owen ordered, “let’s turn around and go home.”
They hurried back to the house with the storm on their heels. The clouds were getting darker and darker over the water and the wind had picked up more. Sylvia gave a sigh of relief when they were all inside safe and sound.
Anne rushed into the kitchen, “I’m so glad you’re back,” she cried. “I was worried when I saw the lightning and heard the thunder. The television is sending out that horrible alert sound about a severe thunderstorm.”
“Then we need to batten down the hatches,” Owen told his mother.
“I’ll work on the windows upstairs,” Sylvia told them. “Anne, if you can get the ones down here, it would be appreciated.” She glared at Owen, “No and no!” she ordered him. “You can’t do anything to help with that shoulder injury. We can handle it.”
“Hen-pecked and not even married yet,” he teased her.
She swatted him on the bottom before heading upstairs.
“Promises, promises,” she heard him mutter so that only she could hear as she passed him. She shot him a smile and winked at him.
“Maybe,” she teased. “Maybe when you’re all better.”
Sylvia scooted up the stairs before he could reply.
The storm hit with full force. Wind and rain lashed the neighborhood. Lightning lit the sky like it was daytime. When the lightning blazed and the thunder struck immediately, Sylvia knew the storm was right above them. Percy crawled low to be close to them. They heard another loud crack, and the lights went out. The storm r
aged directly above them.
“Never fear,” Owen said, “the trusty cell phone light is here.”
Sylvia used his cell phone to help her dig for candles and matches in the drawers under the bookshelves. Some candles were already on the dining room table and she lit those as well. They sat in the living room and looked out at the riotous, uninhibited waves crashing against the shoreline when the lightning lit up the sky. Small bits of branches and leaves struck the window. They heard the loud crack of a larger branch that hit the roof.
They sat, while the storm raged, conversing about whether or not the mailbox incident or slashed tires could have been due to Tony Capaselli hiring more goons to do his dirty work. Owen was insistent it was. Sylvia was confused. Anne had no idea as she had only heard portions of the entire tale with Tony. Sylvia was already weary of the talk. Tony was someone she definitely did not want to think about.
The storm abated. It moved on. Sylvia found herself counting the seconds between the lightning and the thunder. The electricity returned. Each, in turn, breathed a sigh of relief. Even Percy.
“After that excitement, I think I’m ready for bed and an excellent book,” Anne commented.
“Sounds like a plan,” Sylvia said.
“I’m restless,” Owen told them. “I’ll be up in a few minutes.”
“Will you be all right?” Sylvia asked him.
“I’ll be okay,” he told her. “I’m going to check my email and play a game or something.”
“Okay,” Sylvia said. “Good night.”
“Cabin fever,” Anne whispered to Sylvia as they went upstairs. “I’ll need to find something for him to do to distract him until this doctor’s appointment.”
“I’ll think about it too. Good night, Anne,” Sylvia told her future mother-in-law.
Percy followed Sylvia into the bedroom and promptly jumped up on the bed and turned three circles before settling down.
“Leave some room for us, boy,” Sylvia told him.
His head was between his paws. He just looked at her with his big eyes. He blinked in a doggy wink.
The Blossoming: The Third book in The Green Man Series Page 18
