Serenity

by Dixie Land

  “You’re very kind. Today, I turn thirty; that’s why I have to chuckle when Charlie calls me ‘little girl’”.

  “That’s young to us. You’re still a little girl to him.” She smiled at Maggie then grew more serious. “Our Joy would have been twenty-five next month,” she said in a near whisper. Then, sounding more upbeat, “I’m so glad you’re here, dear, and that the four of us will celebrate together tonight. My goodness, where does the time get to?”

  “That’s what I’ve been asking myself these past weeks, Caroline.”

  “You ride with Charlie and me tonight, honey. We’ll leave about seven-fifty. Just come on down when you get ready.”

  “See you then,” Maggie said as she started for the back door. When she reached her apartment, she found a bouquet of crimson roses from the local florist sitting beside the door. She reached for the card and read it. They were from Michael. She left them on the stoop and hurried upstairs.

  …

  At seven-forty-five, Maggie took a final look at herself in the dresser mirror. She had decided on a pair of kelly green slacks and a cream colored pull over. The slacks had an elasticised waistband, making them one of the more comfortable choices in her wardrobe these days. She fastened the gold locket her mother had given her on her twenty-first birthday around her neck and chose gold dangling-heart earrings. Her hair was finally long enough to put up on her head. She gave the little tendrils that hung down on either side of her face a twist with her fingers then separated her bangs with an Efalock to give them a wispy look. She gave her hair a quick once over with hair spray and checked herself in the mirror. She was pleased. No one would look at her and think she looked four-plus months pregnant. Height certainly had its advantages.

  When she reached the bottom step, Charlie and Caroline stepped through their back door. “My, don’t you look pretty, little girl!” Charlie said with a grin that spread from one ear to the other.

  Caroline was all smiles too. She carried a large box wrapped in lavender and blue birthday paper and tied with purple curling ribbon. “This is for you, but you have to wait ’til after dinner to open it,” she said, still grinning.

  …

  Lil cooked another delicious meal; ham, sweet potatoes, fried okra, and homemade biscuits. She must have made four dozen biscuits.

  “When I bake, sometimes I go a little overboard. But it’s a big ham, so it’ll make good ham biscuits. You all can take some home if there’s any left.”

  Maggie rolled her eyes, “If there isn’t any left, we’ll all end up in the emergency room.”

  Caroline and Charlie looked at Lil, and Charlie gave her a little wink. They had finished the meal and were starting to clear the dishes when they heard a commotion out in front of Lil’s house.

  “Maggie, would you mind checkin’ on that for me?”

  Lil asked in the midst of taking a handful of dishes to the sink. “Sure.” Maggie reached the front door and opened it.

  There, huddled on the front porch, stood Doc, Kathryn,

  Mildred, Carl Lawson and his wife Irene, from the sandwich

  shop, Bobby Hensley, with his parents, and Ross. “Happy Birthday, Maggie!” They shouted in unison. Then, as Maggie looked on, eyes wide with surprise,

  they burst into a rousing rendition of Happy Birthday in at

  least four different keys. Somehow, they managed to end up

  all together and on the same note.

  “I’m speechless!” Maggie exclaimed.

  “That’ll be the day!” Doc said good-naturedly. Maggie leaned down. “And there’s my boy, Bobby.” Bobby ran into her arms. “Happy birthday, Nurse

  Maggie.” He planted a big kiss on her cheek.

  “I’m so glad you came, too.” She kissed him back. With a grin, he turned to his parents and held out his

  hand. Sarah Hensley produced a manila folder from behind

  her back and handed it to Bobby. It was tied with red yarn.

  With great pride, Bobby offered it to Maggie. “It’s for you. I

  made it for your birthday.”

  By now, everyone had gathered around Maggie. “Thank

  you, Bobby. You made it for me? I wonder what it can be,” she

  said, unfastening the yarn.

  “It’s a…”

  “Shhhh, Bobby,” Sarah coaxed. “Let Nurse Maggie open

  it and see for herself.”

  Maggie lifted the front of the folder, and there was no

  mistaking as to what the picture was.

  “A black widow spider!” Maggie exclaimed. It was a watercolor painting and very accurate. At the

  bottom of the picture, the boy had scrawled his name in bold

  black lettering.

  “Bobby. This is excellent! Thank you! On Monday

  I’m going to frame this, and I think I’ll hang it at the office

  so everyone who comes in can see what a wonderful artist

  you are.”

  “Good idea,” Doc put in. “That’s a fine picture, Bobby.” Bobby beamed with pride. “Welcome,” he said shyly

  casting his eyes toward his feet.

  Ross stepped up to Maggie as the others passed Bobby’s

  gift among them. “Happy Birthday, Maggie,” he said quietly.

  “I think your young admirer has just stolen the show. Kids and

  dogs,” he added, chuckling.

  The doorbell rang. Doc looked toward the door then

  back over the group that had gathered. “Who’s late? I thought

  we were all here.” He went to the door and opened it. Kevin Williams peered back at him through an armload

  of roses. He stepped into the room and over to Maggie. “These

  are for you, birthday girl. I hope I’m not too late.” Maggie

  looked stunned!

  ChapterEleven

  he room hushed for a moment. Even Lil’s surprise looked genuine. Doc broke the silence by stepping up to Kevin.

  “I’m Doc Miller. Do you remember me, Kevin?”

  “I do. Good to see you again.” Kevin shook Doc’s hand. The others followed Doc’s lead. Those who didn’t know

  Kevin introduced themselves. Lil introduced Ross. “This is my boss, Kevin. And he’s a treasure. Best man

  I ever worked for, bar none.”

  “Don’t let her kid you, Kevin.” Ross took Kevin’s outstretched hand. “And, I’m the boss as long as I do things

  Lil’s way.”

  “Come on out to the kitchen everyone, and get yourselves something to munch on,” Lil invited. “Now you know

  why all that ham and biscuits,” she said, turning to Maggie.

  “Dig in folks, we’ve got cake and ice cream, too!” Maggie noticed that Ross’s demeanor had become considerably more reticent since Kevin’s arrival. After the crowd

  had made the trek through the kitchen and everyone was milling around the living room eating and chatting once again, Maggie found herself in the company of both Ross and Kevin. A few minutes later she excused herself to visit with Carl and Irene. It wasn’t long until Kevin had worked his way through the guests to Maggie, Carl and Irene. Within seconds, Ross joined them.

  As Kevin relayed how he had ended up in Williamsburg and later in Law School, Ross interrupted. “How could you have been so thoughtless of Lil all these years? Once you knew Henry was no longer in the picture, why didn’t you contact her?”

  Kevin looked stunned but was at a loss for words for only a moment. “Well, Ross, none of us is perfect. And, yes. It was thoughtless, but I’ve told Aunt Lil how sorry I am. And, I do intend to make it up to her. I’m going to spend as much time as I can with her now. Thanks for bringing it to my attention here and now though.”

  Now, words failed Ross. His face flushed. To relieve the tension, Irene made small talk, and Maggie joined in. Maggie was surprised and a bit curious at Ross’s behavior. It seemed so out of character for him. Perhaps Lil had told him more of the situation than she’d
told Maggie. Maybe he was just feeling protective of this woman who was a very close friend. Within moments, Ross excused himself and joined another group, but his eyes kept returning to Maggie, Kevin and the Lawsons.

  Several had brought gifts for Maggie and, as she opened them, she graciously thanked each. The last package in the pile was from Caroline and Charlie. When she removed the gift-wrapping and lifted the lid, she drew in her breath. It was an exquisite hand made quilt in delicate pastels. Caroline had embroidered her initials into the one of the corners and had dated it today, Maggie’s birthday.

  Touched, Maggie hugged its softness against her, and her eyes moistened. “Thank you,” was all she could manage. But, her reaction left no doubt in anyone’s mind as to how

  Caroline’s offering had moved her.

  Across the room, Maggie saw Ross approach Kevin and

  speak to him briefly. Then he joined Maggie. “I’ll say goodnight

  now, Maggie.”

  He stood looking at her for a moment, and she thought

  that his eyes looked as melancholy as they had the first time

  she’d met him. It saddened her.

  “I’m sorry I was rude to Kevin. I don’t know why I said

  what I did to him. I was out of line. I’ve apologized to him,

  and I’m apologizing to you, too.”

  “Don’t worry about it. It’s forgotten. I’m so glad you

  were part of my surprise party, Ross. Thanks for coming.” He stood looking down at her, and she found his expression quite poignant. Then, as Ross turned from her and

  left the party, another pang of sadness swept through Maggie.

  …

  Ross’s departure had started the exodus, and, within ten minutes, most of the other guests had left. Caroline leaned toward Maggie and whispered, “My dear, you look exhausted. Charlie and I are ready to leave whenever you are.”

  Maggie was suddenly aware of how right Caroline was. “I am tired. I guess it’s all this excitement. I’m ready now.”

  They Thanked Lil and said their good-byes. That left only Kevin with his aunt. Charlie had made a prior trip to the car with the gifts, so Maggie had only the roses to carry with her. Kevin and Lil walked to the door with them.

  “I hope to see you next time I’m in town, Maggie,” Kevin told her.“ Even though I had to crash your party, I’m glad I didn’t miss it.”

  “Thanks, Kevin. I never did find out how you knew about this surprise party.”

  Lil looked questioningly at Kevin awaiting his answer.

  He ignored Maggie’s query. “I hope you’ll enjoy the roses,” he called out as Maggie, Charlie and Caroline descended the porch steps.

  His attention still made Maggie feel uncomfortable. She didn’t want to hurt his feelings, but she wasn’t interested in any kind of involvement if that was what he had in mind. She certainly didn’t want to encourage him. She probably should have a hear- to-heart with Lil. Or perhaps the situation would take care of itself when she made her announcement. He’d most likely scramble for the bushes then. It was different with Ross. She was completely at ease with him. There was no pressure there; they were coming from the same place, and to each other they were the friend they needed.

  Charlie opened the car doors as she and Caroline approached. As she leaned down to get into the back seat, Maggie noticed Ross’s car parked across the street. He opened his door and stepped out.

  “Maggie,” he called. “I waited for you. Could I talk to you please? If it’s alright with you, I’ll drive you home.”

  Maggie didn’t respond immediately.

  Without hesitation Caroline said, “Go on if you want to, honey. We’ll take your things in for you.”

  “Thanks.”

  Maggie handed Caroline the roses and walked over to Ross’s car. He went around and opened the door for her. As she got in, she glanced back at Lil’s house and saw Kevin watching them from the window. Ross, no doubt, had noticed too as he walked back to his side of the car and got in.

  “Do you feel as if our every move is being scrutinized?” He mumbled.

  She let his comment pass without reply.

  Ross pulled his silver Buick Electra down the street far enough that he was sure they’d be undetected then parked and turned the engine off.

  “I have a little gift for you, but I wanted to give it to you without the crowd.” He handed her a small rectangular package. It was rather clumsily wrapped in blue and tied with white curling ribbon in a single bow.

  “Thanks, Ross.”

  “I’m not much good at gift-wrapping,” he told her as she began to open it.

  She laughed. “Oh, Ross, I love it!” she exclaimed as she unfolded the last double flap of paper revealing a DVD of You’ve Got Mail. “I only have one problem with this.”

  “You don’t like re-runs?” he asked.

  “No. I love re-runs. I don’t have a DVD player, so I won’t be able to watch it.”

  “That’s not a problem. You can bring it out to my place. How about tomorrow night? I’ll cook dinner for us.”

  “That sounds great!” She noticed that his eyes had brightened.

  “I have to warn you though, I cook only a little better than I gift wrap.”

  “I’m not worried. I’ll help with dinner. Four hands should make it at least twice as good.

  “No way am I going to turn that offer down. “

  “Can I bring anything?”

  “Only yourself. I make pretty good spaghetti. I’ll fix that and a salad, if it sounds good to you.”

  “Sounds great.”

  “I’ll get everything. I have a bottle of wine I’ve been saving for a special occasion. We can open that.”

  “Let me bring some vegetables from Charlie’s garden. They’re going to spoil if I don’t quit eating out, and no wine for me,” she added quickly. “I’m strictly a teetotaler, milk to be more exact. But, I’ll have it in a wine glass, and I’ll drink a toast with you.”

  That made him laugh. “Why not?”

  She was acutely aware of how comforting it was to hear him laughing again. He started the car and drove her home. He parked right outside her door and waited until she waved at him from her window before he pulled away.

  Maggie let the curtain fall as Ross drove away. She went into her bedroom. She felt tired, but she wasn’t sleepy after she got ready for bed. She decided to slip into her robe and listen to a tape. She and Ross had stopped in at a Founder’s Day celebration in Fayetteville a while back, and there was a young entertainer performing, Brad Alan. He sang, his group playing his original music, and they had thoroughly enjoyed his show. Afterward Ross bought one of his tapes for her. A few days after that, she turned the radio on and recognized his voice. The Fayetteville station was playing one of his recordings.

  She started over to turn the tape player on, but, before she reached it, her phone rang. She had half-a-mind to let it ring, but her curiosity got the best of her. Whoever it was, they were persistent. She lifted the receiver on the seventh ring.

  “Hello.”

  “Maggie, please don’t hang up.”

  It was Michael! What on earth could he want? Her stomach started doing flip-flops.

  “I couldn’t let your birthday pass without calling to see how you are and to wish you happy birthday. Did you get my flowers?”

  Now as before, when he had shown up at her door, she struggled to keep the timbre of her voice steady.

  “I did. Thank you, Michael. But you shouldn’t have sent them.” she said icily.

  “Brrrrrr. Give me a minute to run get my overcoat,” he said. He laughed a nervous laugh. “I don’t blame you, Maggie. I wish I could undo everything that’s happened these past months.”

  “For some things, there are no second chances, Michael.” She could see his face in her mind’s eye, and she could picture that little boy expression he must be wearing. It had served him so well in the past. “Good-bye, Michael.” “Wait! Please. Just gi
ve me a minute.” He persisted. Maggie remained on the line.

  “I feel like we do have a second chance on this one, Maggie. Robyn isn’t pregnant. It was a false positive…on the pregnancy test that she did. In fact, I think she lied to me from the start. I don’t think she ever did a test. Anyway, it’s over between us. So, we were lucky this time. And you and I deserve to give us a second chance. I still love you, Maggie, darling, and I miss you so much. Nothing’s the same without you.”

  Maggie felt nauseated. She had to get off the phone. “I can’t talk now, Michael. But, no! We can’t try again. I—I have to go now. Please, don’t call me again.”

  “I’m coming to see you, Maggie. We have to talk face to face. I know I can change your mind. I’ve got tomorrow off, don’t have to be back ‘til Sunday afternoon.”

  “No!” she snapped. “Don’t do that! I won’t be here. I’m leaving town in the morning. I’m going to visit my aunt,” she lied. “Good bye.” She slammed the receiver down and dashed for the bathroom. She barely made it before she lost her birthday dinner.

  Afterward, she began to sob. Why did he have to call, why couldn’t he just leave her alone? Why did he have to intrude himself in her life tonight and spoil a perfectly lovely birthday? She had reached the point of being able to go for several days at a time without thinking of how he had hurt her. Now, he was trying to undo it all. And damn, even with the rotten thing he’d done to her, when she heard his voice and pictured his face, she went all mushy inside. “What on earth is wrong with you, girl?” she asked aloud.

  She splashed cold water on her face and looked at herself in the mirror. She took a jar of night cream out of her medicine cabinet and smoothed it over her face and neck.

  She decided not to answer her phone the rest of the weekend. Her first order of business on Monday morning would be to call the phone company and ask for an unlisted number.

  And, she couldn’t take a chance on Michael showing up here and having to face him again. She would talk to Caroline and Charlie in the morning and ask them to say she was gone if Michael should show up asking for her. That wouldn’t be a lie; she would be gone from the apartment. She’d have to park her car elsewhere, and she would stay away from the house for most of the day. Then she’d be at Ross’s tomorrow evening. That left only Sunday morning to worry about. She could spend the day with Lil. Michael would have to be back at the hospital sometime Sunday afternoon. Why, oh why, couldn’t he just leave her alone? The break had been made; why didn’t he just get on with his life?