Summer Wine

by Barbara Winkes

  With the smile spreading on her daughter’s face, Rebecca finally relaxed a bit too. Callie wished she could tell them what she saw, the genuine affection behind the somewhat awkward interaction.

  Her own experience growing up had been very different. Her mother had never hesitated showing emotions or asking questions that made Callie blush. Rebecca’s parents seemed to have decided at some point that they should stay out of her business. Callie recalled what Rebecca had told her about getting engaged at nineteen. Rebecca had always been good at projecting the image that she had everything under control, even when she didn’t. If anything, they might be glad that she’d been reaching out to them.

  “I’m sure that thought never occurred to Maggie.” Rebecca chuckled. “We could go sometime next week.”

  “Yes, but before that, it’s a weekend of celebration,” Callie reminded her. “There’s no way you’re getting out of that.”

  The reactions she got were all smiles, even if Rebecca’s was a bit self-conscious which probably had to do with this morning’s activities.

  “Speaking of which, I’ve got a few more preparations to do, and we haven’t even let you check in yet. How about we meet for dinner? You know the way.”

  That might be a little forward, but Callie was getting somewhat impatient with the extremely polite way everyone treated each other.

  “We sure do,” Margaret Salter said. “We’d love to come.”

  So far, so good.

  * * * *

  Maggie, delighted to show her grandparents her room, had turned into a chatterbox, something highly unusual for her. Dina was more likely to play it cool, but there was no doubt that she, too, enjoyed seeing them after over a year.

  Rebecca wasn’t sure how to feel about the scenes unfolding in her home. Surprised, relieved, guilty, because all that time, she hadn’t had a clue.

  “You’ve got a beautiful home here,” her mother told her when they found themselves alone in Maggie’s room, a quiet moment while in the kitchen, Callie and her father shared opinions on sports and gravy. Dina and Maggie were setting the table, judging from the clinking of dishes and cutlery.

  “I’m sure this can’t have been easy for you, but it looks like everybody’s doing great, you and Callie, the girls…I won’t lie, it was quite a surprise when you told me. I had no idea.”

  “Well, neither had I.” Rebecca straightened a pillow on Maggie’s bed.

  Margaret sat, obviously searching for words. Rebecca was uncertain if she wanted to hear them, but she leaned against the edge of Maggie’s desk, waiting, anyway.

  “You were always so smart and confident in your decisions. College, marriage, children, buying a home...It seemed like you had everything planned through and through. There was no arguing.”

  “You think that now, I’m not so smart anymore?” The question wasn’t serious, was it? There was no need for the edge to her tone. Her mother gave her a wistful smile.

  “No, not at all. It takes courage and smarts to be happy. I just wish you had told us right away. You are an adult. What do you think would have happened?”

  “Well, how was I supposed to know? We went to church every Sunday. Your uncle was a priest. I’m sure he wouldn’t have approved.”

  Margaret sighed. “No, probably not, and that’s a shame, but do you really think we would disown you to humor Uncle Ed? Your life is here in Autumn Leaves. I always had the impression your church was a little more inclusive and welcoming.”

  Not anymore, was on the tip of Rebecca’s tongue, but she had to admit that her mother had a point. Father Langdon hadn’t had any problem with letting her confront the hypocrites among her neighbors, but she couldn’t know until she opened her mouth to speak, and he did stand by her.

  Again, she had assumed. That seemed to have been an unfortunate pattern—to question the people who cared about her, and to fear their judgment without good reason.

  “I cheated on David,” she confessed. Why not go for the final test? “Which, come to think of it, I shouldn’t feel so bad about, because as it turns out, the nice lady he’s living with now, has been in his life since before the divorce. It doesn’t matter. We’re even. It’s just…”

  Hard to trust. It was different when she was with Callie. Rebecca had felt safe with her from the moment she’d met her, and if she was honest, from that moment, there was no turning back. All else had been negotiation of details and circumstances. However, when the time came to take a look under the surface, everything she’d taken for granted over the years, her marriage, her friendships—the results had been scary.

  “I’m sorry we made you think that because of one mistake, we wouldn’t love you anymore.” Rebecca let herself be embraced, her vision blurring. She would have liked to fool herself into thinking it was a bit of a hangover after all making her this emotional.

  “We’re glad that everybody’s happy, you know? When you see David, tell him we wish him all the best.”

  Rebecca held on for a moment, amazed and a little sad about how long they’d been skirting around these subjects, but glad they were having this conversation while there was still the chance to do so.

  “Thank you, Mom. I guess it’s time now to check what’s going on in the kitchen.”

  “One more thing. We got distracted the last time...I think you should get married when you feel it’s the right time. If the people in this state, or the lawmakers, are still dragging their feet, at least you have other options.”

  “We’ll think about it,” Rebecca promised.

  * * * *

  The parent’s visit had been going better than expected. Rebecca was finally a lot more relaxed than she had been in the past few days. On the day of the party, it was Callie’s turn to be nervous, as she’d never been responsible for an event this size that hadn’t been a casual get-together of friends sharing beer or wine and snacks. After a mostly sleepless night, she sat at the kitchen table while outside, the day was dawning.

  This was Autumn Leaves. This was a real dinner party, and most of the guests were women who excelled at this sort of thing, Betty, Roz, Delia, Jenny, and Francine. The caterer came recommended by Eve and Susan. Dessert would be provided by Roz. What could possibly go wrong?

  “You’re up and dressed already—and there’s coffee.” Rebecca raked a hand through her disheveled hair, stifling a yawn. “Is everything okay?” They shared a kiss, and after leaning into Rebecca’s warm embrace for a few moments, Callie could convince herself that she could answer with a yes.

  “Sure. I hope I didn’t forget anything—or anyone—but the girls have been a great help. Happy Birthday again.” Another kiss was interrupted by Dina, also still wearing PJs, walking into the kitchen.

  “Oops. Should I come back in a minute or so?” she asked. Her teasing tone revealed a good mood, even though the light had stayed on quite long in Maggie’s room that they shared while Dina stayed here.

  “Very funny,” Rebecca remarked, finally pouring herself a cup of coffee. “No, you can stay here. There’ll be gifts sometime soon, right?”

  “We can give them now if you like.” Maggie followed on her sister’s heels. “Happy Birthday, Mom.” They both embraced Rebecca, and Callie could tell that she was tearing up, like Callie herself.

  “Come on, no crying,” Dina admonished. “Callie’s throwing you a kickass party, and after that, we’ll finally get away. I can’t wait.”

  “Dina,” Rebecca said after cringing slightly at her daughter’s choice of language.

  “What? It’s a compliment! It’s actually a good idea to give you your gifts now, because otherwise they’ll get lost in a pile.”

  “I don’t think that will happen, but how about we have breakfast first?” Callie asked. Everyone whole-heartedly agreed, and they set the table together. In her mind, Callie went over the final list once more and concluded it would be a good mix of small groups in which everyone knew one another.

  In the middle of the table, she set the bouquet
she’d gotten this morning when Rebecca was still asleep. The sun was already high in the perfect blue sky. It would be a good day.

  The girls finally got their chance to give Rebecca their gifts. Dina had bought a carafe with beautiful glasses, and a bottle of wine for them. “Don’t worry,” she said, before Rebecca could raise any concerns. “Susan bought the alcohol.”

  “That’s nice of her. Both of you. Thank you.”

  Everyone knew the significance of this gift went deeper than the obvious. After the divorce and house sale, Rebecca had brought some dishes with her, left some for David and Susan. It wasn’t like they were in desperate need, but the sparkling crystal also was part of a new start. Maggie’s gift was clearly Italy-related—a cookbook with mouth-watering pictures. Callie suppressed a smile, thinking that at this age, it wasn’t uncommon to give a gift to your mother, with love, that effectively created more work for her. Then again, both Maggie and Rebecca were happy, so who was she to argue? She had a big job to do today, after all.

  * * * *

  The backyard was considerably smaller than the one that came with Delia’s house, Rebecca’s old home. It was enough to set up the buffet and hold most of the guests, though, with more space left in the living room area.

  Callie surveyed the space critically, trying to assure herself that everything was in place, decoration, glasses, plates, and napkins.

  “It looks amazing,” Rebecca’s father told her. “Knowing Rebecca, the hardest thing for her is having nothing left to do, but once all the guests arrive, it’ll be busy, according to the list Dina showed me. She loves that. It’s a great gift.”

  “Thank you.” Callie sighed. “I’ve been questioning the wisdom of my actions a few times.”

  “It looks like you’ve got many friends here. That’s not a bad thing.”

  “True. I hope we have enough chairs though. The Saturday brunch group is the most people we’ve ever ‘entertained’ in this house.”

  “If all else fails, I can get you some of ours. Hey, Callie.” Delia, their neighbor had arrived with her family. She embraced Callie. “Just let me know.” She went back to her conversation with Rebecca’s mom while Callie breathed a sigh of relief. “I suppose it’s really going to work out.”

  Jim Salter chuckled. “I grew up in a small town like this, couldn’t wait to get away from it. Some might think of everything as a test, especially when you’re new, but I can assure you that as far as Rebecca is concerned, you already passed.”

  She might have gotten a flustered with the praise, but since the doorbell rang, Callie gave him a grateful smile and went to answer. Roz and Betty arrived, carrying a big box with a ribbon on top. Callie greeted them, Roz’s boyfriend Jamie and Betty’s husband, and directed them to the living room where Rebecca had joined her mom and Delia.

  Behind them, a new car arrived, the girls from Marin County.

  “Relax,” Betty told her. “At some point, these events are out of control. You just have to let it go.”

  “Thanks so much,” Callie murmured, waving at Amber. She hadn’t met the other women, except from Sara but she could guess from Rebecca’s description. Mona, Cathy—the regulars. Jenny’s Kia was right behind them. As planned, she had brought Stella. It would be less boring for both girls to each have a friend of their own.

  Together with the new guests, she went inside to start passing out the champagne. Rebecca appeared by her side. “This is all beautiful, thank you so much,” she whispered. “I don’t have to give a speech though, do I?”

  “No. Don’t worry.” Callie took Rebecca’s hand, startled to realize how cold her own hand was. Rebecca had noticed it too.

  “Don’t be nervous. Everyone’s in a great mood, I love you, it will all be fine. Okay?”

  Callie managed a smile. “Okay.”

  “Good.” Rebecca took the bottle out of her hand and poured two glasses, one of which she handed to Callie. “To us—and our summer. It will be fabulous. I’ll go,” she said when the doorbell rang once more.

  A few minutes later, she returned with Father Langdon who turned out to be a welcome surprise guest. Callie figured that most of the congregation missed him, and many of those who had been attending his service on a regular basis, were here today. He was also friends with Amber, and had obviously met Jim and Margaret Salter on a couple occasions. From across the yard, Rebecca gave her a happy smile.

  When the caterer arrived only a few minutes later, the Italian buffet didn’t disappoint. If anything, she’d have to ask Delia for another small table. The plates looked delicious. The warm food was covered in heated containers. Roz’s contribution to the perfect evening was a few dozens Tiramisu cupcakes.

  Callie felt her face relax into a smile, finally, relieved that everything was going according to plan. She saw Betty talking to Mona, Roz and Amber in deep conversation that might have to do with upcoming church events and cupcakes. She allowed herself a moment to watch Rebecca, at the center of it all, unpacking gifts, sharing jokes with her friends.

  The scene reminded Callie of the dinner parties she’d been invited to early after her arrival in Autumn Leaves, when Rebecca had still been with David. Callie had been an observer, studying the psychodynamics of neighbors in a small town, against all odds and reason falling in love with the woman next door. Attraction turned to longing, an idea into a fantasy that seemed so real it pained her to wake up from it…

  That was all over though. Rebecca was with her. The guests, eager to share good food and conversation, had come to their home. Callie had come to Autumn Leaves with many questions, and she’d been confronted with even more while trying to adjust to the small town life and writing another book.

  Everything made sense now.

  Over the chatter and laughter and clinking of glasses, she barely heard the doorbell. When she finally hurried to answer, wondering who was missing from the list, Callie was taken aback to see David standing in front of her, dressed up in suit and tie as if he’d just come from work.

  “Hey, I’m sorry, I didn’t know you had guests…”

  For a moment, Callie looked at him in confusion. David looked equally as confused, until the reason for the many cars on the street dawned on him.

  “Oh damn. I was going to write a text, but I spent pretty much all of that day at the airport. It’s Rebecca’s birthday party.”

  “Yes. Don’t worry though. Susan gave a gift from the both of you.”

  “That’s good,” he said, and then paused.

  “Well…would you like a glass of champagne?”

  “No thanks. I need to talk to Rebecca.”

  Sure you do. Callie was aware her irritation had to do with insecurities of her own that were hard to completely eliminate, given the circumstances, but some of it was justified. David had yelled at her more than once, ignored her when it suited him, and he kept picking a time to call when Rebecca wasn’t there. She guessed it wasn’t even his intention to make things more complicated, but he certainly felt entitled. There was a limit as to how far she was willing to accept that.

  “Can’t it wait?” Dina was in the backyard chatting with Sara, so there was no obvious reason for him showing up here today—and Callie was getting tired of it.

  “No, I’m sorry, it can’t. Could you…?”

  “Of course. Come on in, I’ll get her.”

  And don’t you dare rain on my parade.

  “David. I had no idea you’d be here today.” While Margaret’s tone was friendly, the implied question was unmistakable.

  “Marge, it’s good to see you. Rebecca told me you and Jim would come for her birthday. How’s Florida?”

  “It’s been good to us, thanks—but I guess there’s something important you need to discuss with Rebecca, when it has to be on a day like this.”

  “It’s about my job,” David said, sounding defensive.

  Margaret shrugged. “That’s what I figured.”

  It wasn’t the first time Callie had the impression th
at Rebecca’s parents had caught up on a lot more of the family dynamic than Rebecca thought.

  “Let’s go find Rebecca,” she said.

  “I’m right here. What’s the emergency? Oh. David. Thanks for the spa day. We’re going to enjoy it.”

  “You’re welcome.” David’s frown revealed that Susan had not conferred with him on the gift. Whether the omission was about giving it in the first place, or the content, remained unclear.

  Callie caught Margaret trying to suppress a smile, not quite succeeding. “Okay, kids, I don’t think you need me for this conversation. Nice seeing you, David.”

  “Yeah, you too, Marge.” To Rebecca, he said, “I can’t stay long, but I wanted to let you know I got the promotion.”

  “Congratulations,” Rebecca said. “By all means, come on in and have a glass of champagne.”

  “Rebecca, I’m aware it’s not the best moment for this conversation, but we do have to talk. This promotion is a great chance, but it will require me to move. There’s not a lot of time.”

  To another state? Callie tried not to let her surprise show on her face. It wasn’t entirely happy news, as Dina would likely move with him and be further away from Rebecca. He was right—today wasn’t a good day to approach the subject.

  “I don’t understand.” Rebecca sounded wary. “What exactly does that mean? You’re going to Boston, or New York?”

  “Hong Kong.”

  “What?”

  Callie could sympathize. This was not a conversation that would be short or easy. Pressure or not, she resented David for bringing it to their home today. What was he thinking? Or, better, why couldn’t he have taken a moment to remember that Dina was with them for the weekend to celebrate Rebecca’s birthday?

  “I’m leaving in two weeks.”

  “Does Dina know?”

  David looked guilty. “I didn’t want to tell her before it was official. There wasn’t time to work out any details yet, hell, I came home from Boston a few hours ago. I’ll meet the landlord early tomorrow.”