Joy Argento - Carrie and Hope

by Joy Argento

  “Sorry about that.”

  “Stop it. I’m glad you called, and now that I had to run up the stairs I have my exercise in for the day. So it’s a win-win situation for me. How are you doing?”

  “I’m doing all right. I went to visit my grandmother for a little while today after work and then came home and painted.”

  “What did you paint?” Hope asked.

  “I did the under-painting for a still life. I start out with two colors and just work on getting the shapes and values right. It doesn’t look like much at the moment.”

  “I would love to see your work sometime. Do you paint often?”

  “I usually paint or draw two or three times a week. I think I would go crazy if I couldn’t. It’s like meditation for me. It is a great stress reliever,” Carrie said. “How is your week going?”

  Hope let out a sigh that Carrie could hear through the phone. “That good, huh?” Carrie asked.

  “No, for the most part it’s been fine. Meeting you was definitely the highlight.” Carried could hear the smile in Hope’s voice, and it brought a smile to her own face. “My sister on the other hand was a different story.”

  “Why is that?”

  “She really lit into me about leaving that meeting.”

  “She was the reason you went in the first place, right?” Carrie leaned back on the bed, resting her head on her pillow as she talked.

  “Yes, she badgered me until I agreed to go, and she was not too pleased that I left. I tried to explain that I got more out of talking to you than I would have gotten out of the meeting.”

  “I feel the same way about talking to you. It really helped and I wanted to say thank you for that.”

  “You’re very welcome.”

  “I was wondering if you had any interest in coming over this weekend. I could make us dinner, and we could talk about having you pose for my paintings if you are at all interested.”

  “My son is coming home from college this weekend, but he will be heading back Sunday afternoon. So, we could do it Sunday evening if that works for you.”

  “That would be great. Are there any food restrictions that I should know about? Anything in particular that you like or don’t like?” Carrie asked.

  Hope paused, thinking about her answer before responding. “I am not crazy about anything hot, like hot sauce or hot peppers. Umm, and I don’t like peas. But just about anything else would be fine.”

  “How about Italian? Do you like Italian food?”

  “I love Italian food. I’m half Italian you know. The half that my mouth and stomach are in, so Italian food makes me very happy.” Hope let out a quiet laugh.

  “Happy is good. Italian it is then.”

  “Does six o’clock work for you?”

  “That would be fine. I’ll be coming from Pittsford. What’s the best way to get to your house?”

  Carrie gave Hope directions. They talked for another thirty minutes, like they were old friends. Carrie was in a very good mood by the time she hung up the phone.

  Chapter 5

  Hope wrapped the cord around the vacuum cleaner and put it into the laundry room closet. Derrick would be here shortly, and Hope had spent half the day cleaning up the house. Not that it was really messy, but it definitely had been a little neglected lately.

  Hope smiled to herself. It wasn’t that long ago that she was vacuuming up cookie crumbs or some other mess that Derrick had made. She found it hard to believe that he was nineteen years old and a sophomore in college now.

  Sometimes it felt like she was barely older than that herself. But, it had been eighteen years since Hope was a nineteen year old girl. That was the year her life took a major turn, a turn that she never would have predicted. She added a husband and a baby to her life. She dropped out of college after one semester to have Derrick, while Tom stayed in school and finished his last two years, earning a bachelor’s degree in business. Both Tom and Hope worked part time, struggling to afford baby food and diapers.

  It was funny how things worked out in life. Well, not really funny, Hope thought. I spent eighteen years in a marriage to a man that I didn’t love because I got pregnant with a child that I do love. And how does a thing like that happen? How does a good girl in her first year of college, technically still a virgin…I think technically a virgin…get pregnant by someone that she didn’t love? One word sums it up, I guess. Fear.

  She shook the memories from her head. She still had things to do before Derrick arrived.

  She was just putting a load of bed sheets into the dryer when she heard her son’s voice. “Mom? Are you home? I’m here. Mom?”

  He always was an impatient kid. Hope smiled and called out, “I’m in the laundry room. I’ll be right there.”

  Derrick was sitting at the kitchen table eating cookies when Hope came into the room and gave her son a hug from behind. “Hi,” a voice off to her left said. She let go of Derrick and turned to the voice. She looked into the bright blue eyes of a young woman, petite and cute with light blond hair that hung several inches below her shoulders. She was about Derrick’s age.

  “Umm, hi,” Hope said to the stranger. She reached over and smacked her son on the arm. “An introduction would be nice here, Derrick. Where were you raised? In a barn?”

  When Derrick didn’t respond quickly enough, Hope put her hand out to the young woman. “Hi, I’m Hope. I’m Derrick’s mother. I tried to raise him right, but apparently he has no manners.”

  The young woman shook her hand. “I’m Erin. I’m sure Derrick’s rude behavior doesn’t reflect poorly on you.” She smiled warmly.

  Derrick swallowed a mouthful of cookies and turned around in his chair. “Mom, Erin.” He waved his hand in the air. “Erin, Mom. Erin’s my girlfriend. I was going to introduce you but I had food in my mouth. You always told me not to talk with my mouth full.”

  “Nice to meet you, Erin,” Hope said. She was surprised not only that Erin was here, but also that Derrick had a girlfriend. He hadn’t mentioned her at all. “How long have you two been together?”

  “Mom,” Derrick said. “I’ll fill you in at dinner. Are we still going to Super Steak? You’ll love it, Erin. Stupid name but great food.”

  Hope roughed up Derrick’s dark curly hair. He had gotten his brown eyes from her, but that hair was definitely from his father. “Yes, we are still going to Super Steak for dinner.”

  “Mom,” Derrick said loudly. “It took me an hour to get my hair just right and you messed it up.”

  “Oh, so sorry, poor baby.” She roughed it up again. Both Derrick and his mother laughed. “Better get up to your room and get all freshened up if you expect me to take you out in public, kiddo. You can show Erin the guest room and bathroom.”

  “Erin can just sleep in my room with me,” Derrick said, not looking at his mother.

  “Um, I’m thinking no, she can sleep in the guest room.” Hope kept her voice calm and even. She knew this wouldn’t escalate to an argument, and that although he might push a little, Derrick would respect her wishes. She also knew he would do his best to get his way before giving in.

  “Come on, Mom. Erin’s twenty and I’m almost twenty. We are old enough to sleep in the same bed if we want to.”

  “You have eight months before you’re twenty. And besides that’s not any sort of magic number that you get to do whatever you want to do in my house. So Erin is more than welcome here and she will have a lovely night’s sleep in the guest room.” Hope paused to let it sink in. She had made her point, careful not to belittle her son in front of his girlfriend. “Now, would you like to show Erin the room or would you like me to?” Her voice remained calm.

  “I’ll do it,” Derrick said to his mother. “Come on, Erin. I’ll show you your room.” Derrick gave his mother a sheepish grin. He took Erin’s hand and began to lead her upstairs.

  “Hey!” Hope called after him. “Make sure you comb your hair while you’re up there. It’s a mess.” She shook her head and smiled to
herself.

  *****

  The waiter refilled Hope’s water glass. “Is there anything else I can get for anyone?” he asked.

  “Thank you, no. I think we are all set,” Hope told him. She sipped her water, and then cut into her steak. A small amount of pink showed in the middle, just the way she liked it. A baked potato and buttered carrots sat on the plate next to the meat.

  “So, what are you majoring in, Erin?” Hope asked, turning her attention to Derrick’s new girlfriend.

  “Education,” she answered. “I want to be an elementary school teacher.”

  “That’s great, Erin. I always thought that Derrick would make a great teacher. He’s really good with kids.” Hope took a bite of her steak. It tasted as good as it looked. “And how long have the two of you been together?” Hope couldn’t help herself. She had never heard Derrick mention Erin’s name before and she wanted details.

  “Two weeks,” Derrick said through a mouth full of food. “Erin picked me up in a bar,” he laughed.

  Erin slapped his arm. “I did not.”

  “I’m really hoping that you didn’t meet in a bar considering you are both too young to be drinking.” She looked at her son and then at Erin. She didn’t really want to know the answer. She had given Derrick enough lectures on underage drinking and she was sure that another one now wouldn’t make any difference.

  Hope reached for a piece of bread from the bowl in the center of the table. She picked the basket up and offered it to Erin. Erin took a piece and buttered it generously.

  “We met at a party off campus, Mrs. Garret, and I certainly didn’t pick Derrick up. He came over and started talking to me. I had no interest in him at first. I mean, look at him.” Erin grinned at Hope as she spoke. “He has a face only a mother could love.” She giggled.

  I like this girl, Hope thought. She is a good match for Derrick and his off beat sense of humor.

  “Hey,” Derrick said.

  “Oh, baby, I’m just teasing, ya.” Erin reached over and patted his hand.

  Derrick grinned at his mother. “I asked Erin to go out for burgers the next night and we have been together since. I’m starting to think she likes me.”

  “Yeah, I like him,” Erin said. Hope had no doubts that they liked each other.

  “Where are you from, Erin,” Hope asked her.

  “Near Buffalo.”

  “So, you do you live at home or on campus?” Hope soaked up some of the steak’s juice from her plate with a chunk of bread.

  “I live on campus. My dorm is right next to Derrick’s,” Erin told her.

  Hope continued to ask questions while they enjoyed their food. Erin told Hope some of the details of college life and a short history of her time with Derrick.

  Derrick leaned over and kissed Erin on the cheek. Erin blushed.

  “So tell me some of the embarrassing stories of Derrick’s childhood, Mrs. Garret,” Erin said to Hope with a smile.

  Hope smiled back. Oh yeah, I like her. “Call me Hope. Mrs. Garret sounds so formal…and old.” Hope laughed. “Hmm, let’s see…embarrassing stories about Derrick. There are so many.” Hope thought about it for a moment. “Oh, I know. There was this one time when Derrick was three and we all went camping…”

  “Mom,” Derrick said, “not that story.”

  “Yes,” Erin said. “Let’s start with that story.”

  Hope not only continued the story, but told Erin several more. Derrick pretended to be annoyed but Hope knew that he enjoyed the attention.

  “Go ahead and order dessert,” Hope said to Erin after they had finished their meals. “I know Derrick will.” Hope looked over the dessert menu in her hands. “I think I’ll have a little something, too.”

  The waiter returned with his order pad in hand. “Are we ready?” he asked.

  Derrick didn’t hesitate. “I’ll have the Oreo Cream Pie.” He handed his menu to the waiter.

  “Can I get the vanilla cream cheesecake? Please?” Erin said.

  “Oh, that sounds good,” Hope added. “I’ll take that too.”

  They continued their casual conversation until they had finished their desserts and Hope paid the bill.

  Chapter 6

  Carrie looked at herself in the mirror while she brushed her hair. Hope was due to arrive in twenty minutes. Dinner was in the oven, the house was straightened up and Carrie was now primping to look her best when her company arrived. She poured an inch of mouthwash into a paper cup, swished the liquid around her mouth and silently counted to thirty before spitting it into the sink. Her mouth felt cool and hot at the same time. She wondered if the blue cable knit sweater she wore over a light blouse would make her too warm, and decided she could always remove the sweater later if that became an issue. Her best jeans topped off the outfit. Satisfied with the way she looked, Carrie went into her art room.

  She was still thumbing through a stack of drawings, when the doorbell rang. Hope was a few minutes early. She put the drawing she was holding back into the big drawer and pushed the drawer closed.

  She went to door to let her company in. “Hi,” she said to Hope.

  “I brought wine,” Hope said, handing Carrie a bottle of red wine. “I hope red goes with Italian food.”

  “Come on in,” Carrie said, stepping back to let Hope pass. “I thought you didn’t drink.”

  “I don’t, but I didn’t want to come empty handed. So I got you a bottle of wine.” She took off her coat. “Is red all right?”

  “You didn’t have to bring anything. But, that was very sweet of you. Yes, red is great and this is a very good wine,” Carrie said, reading the label.

  Carrie took Hope’s coat and hung it on the tall wooden coat rack that stood behind the door. Carrie noticed Hope’s pink button down shirt tucked neatly into her dark denim jeans. “I love that shirt,” Carrie said.

  “Thanks. It’s new. I don’t usually wear pink but I liked this shade.”

  “Very nice. Come on in. Can I interest you in a glass of red wine?” Carrie asked, with a smile, holding up the bottle that Hope just brought.

  Hope laughed. “No, but a glass of water would be great.”

  “I can do better than that. How about some juice or soda pop?

  “I actually prefer water, if that’s all right.”

  “Of course that’s all right. Would you like ice and lemon in it?” Carrie asked.

  “Sure,” Hope answered.

  “Make your self comfortable,” Carrie told her waving toward the living room. “There are some appetizers on the coffee table there so help yourself, and I will be right back with your water.”

  Hope went into the living room and looked around. Several pieces of framed art hung on the cream colored walls. Two were still life paintings and another was a painting of an older woman sitting in a wooden rocking chair. Her gray hair and wrinkled skin gave away her age, but her eyes still held the wonder of youth. A collie sat beside her, her hand gently resting on the dog’s head. A framed photo of the same woman standing beside Carrie hung on another wall. Carrie looked about ten years younger in the photo.

  “Is this your grandmother?” Hope asked as Carrie returned to the room and handed her one of the two glass of water that she held. “Thanks.”

  “Yes,” Carrie answered. “That picture was taken when I graduated from college. The painting of her,” Carrie said turning towards it, “I did a few of years ago. That was her dog, Duchess.”

  “It’s beautiful. All of these paintings are. You are very talented.”

  “Thanks. I have some drawings in the art room that I wanted to show you, too. Some of them are figure drawings. They are really rough, but it will give you an idea of what I want to do if you decide to pose for me. We can take a look at them after we eat. Supper is in the oven now.”

  “It smells wonderful,” Hope said as she sat on the loveseat. Carrie sat down across from her on the matching blue couch. She sipped her water before setting the glass down on a coaster on the coffe
e table.

  “It should be ready soon. Help yourself to some cheese puffs. It’s my grandmother’s recipe.” Carrie nudged the plate closer to Hope. “How did your visit with your son go?”

  Hope picked up a warm cheese puff. She held it in her hand while she answered Carrie. “It was really nice. He surprised me by bringing home a new girlfriend.” She took a bite of the food she held. “Mmm, this is so good.”

  “Thanks.” Carrie helped herself to a cheese puff. “So, you didn’t know he had a girlfriend or you didn’t know he was bringing her home?”

  “I didn’t know about her at all. He changes girlfriends as often as I change my underwear…and I do that at least every week.” Carrie laughed. “He doesn’t usually bring anyone home with him.” She thought about it for a second. “In fact, I think this is the first one. He would bring girls around when he was in high school, but hasn’t brought one home from college before.”

  “So, was that okay with you?”

  “It was fine. She seems like a really nice girl. I like her. I wouldn’t mind him hanging onto this one for a while.” Hope helped herself to another cheese puff. “Derrick has a really off beat sense of humor and she seems like she can keep up with him just fine.”

  “Oh, I wonder where he gets that from,” Carrie said with a grin. “That’s good. Humor is important.”

  The two new friends talked without so much as a lull in the conversation until the timer went off on the stove thirty minutes later.

  *****

  “This is delicious,” Hope said after taking a bite of lasagna. Is this your grandmother’s recipe, too?” She cut into her food and watched a piece of cheese oozed out onto her plate.

  “No, I got this recipe online.” Carrie sipped her wine and dabbed at her mouth with her napkin. “My grandmother is…was…is…more of a baker than a cook.” She hesitated. “It sounds stupid to talk about her in the past tense when she is still around.”