by Debbie White
“We got hit with a double whammy, didn’t we?” Mary took the lead and moved out of the kitchen toward the living room.
“Yes, but I’m so thankful we had them,” she said, motioning toward the two women looking at pictures and other memorabilia.
“I’m thankful I have you,” Annie said, fighting back tears.
“Ahh. That’s sweet. I guess I’m thankful for you too. Although I’d wish you weren’t quite so bossy.” She winked.
Both women took a deep breath and then, with heads held high, entered the room.
“Here we go,” Mary said, handing Grandmother a glass of wine.
Patty gripped her glass with two hands and took an immediate sip.
“Look at these oldies but goodies,” Lilly said.
Over the course of the next four hours, the women went through two bottles of wine while going through four boxes. They made piles of pictures for Mary and Annie to scan, a pile of stuff to toss, and a pile of letters that also brought back a lot of memories.
“To my Dearest Lilly. I miss you more each day. My days are kept busy, but my nights are lonely, and I long for the day I’m home and in your arms.”
“Ahh. That’s so sweet, Grandmother,” Mary said.
“Yes, that’s so long ago, though. I don’t need to keep love letters from Chester.”
“Oh look. A picture of Grandfather,” Annie said, holding up a picture of a dashing man in a uniform.
“Now that I will keep,” Grandmother said, snatching the picture out of Annie’s hand.
The women broke out in laughter.
“Are you sure you can preserve these by scanning them?” Lilly asked.
“Yes. I’ll take them to Costco. They do a fabulous job. They’ll put them on a disc. Then we’ll have them to pass down to Ashton and Carolina.”
“And any grandchildren from Mary and Danny,” Patty said.
“Yes. Of course.” Annie looked at her watch. “It’s getting late. I need to get back to Magnolia and save Jack from the children.”
“We can’t just leave everything in disarray.” Lilly looked around at the piles of pictures and boxes stacked along the wall.
“It’s okay, Grandmother,” Mary said. “We should set up another time to finish going through the boxes.”
They all agreed they’d meet again the following day, but after Annie got them home, and she and Jack were catching up, the phone rang, and in a matter of five seconds, everyone was back on the hamster wheel.
Chapter 7
With the phone plastered against her head, her pulse thumping loudly inside her ear, she listened to Mary. Pausing a moment, she gathered her thoughts.
“Mary, are you sure this is what you want, and not the wine talking?”
“The wine may have amplified my feelings, but it’s the right thing to do. The house means so much to Grandmother. Her entire life was spent here. Some of our saddest times were spent here, and some of our happiest times were here.”
“What about the drafty windows, and the outdated furnishings?”
“I can wait on all of that. Grandmother won’t be here forever. I can live with it the way it is. It brings her joy, and at her age, what else can she ask for?”
A small tear dribbled down Annie’s cheek. Mary sounded so grown up. And she was so caring. It made her heart swell with love.
“Mary, that is so sweet of you. But if you and Danny decide to stay there, we can’t have a bunch of back and forth on this. It’s not fair to them. If you stay on, you stay on until…until I say you can move on.” She gulped, waiting for Mary to become outraged at her stance.
But Mary didn’t argue one bit. In fact, she was more than agreeable, surprising Annie once again with her new and improved little sister attitude.
“I agree. I promise to stay until you say I can move. I won’t make any drastic changes. I also contacted the charity I gave the chairs to after you all left. They still had them. I explained everything, and they said if we pick them up, we can have them back. Danny and I are going tomorrow.”
Annie recalled how upset Grandmother was over the chintz-covered chairs. “That’s great news. I wish we had extra wallpaper.”
“I think I can salvage that too. There might just be a small sliver of damaged paper. I think I can cover it up with paint. Feather it in somehow. I’ll put a tall houseplant up against it, or maybe a piece of furniture. I’m good at hiding flaws. It will be all right.”
“Mary Powell. I’m so proud of you at this moment. I’ve always admired your spunk and tenacity, but sometimes you can be a bit selfish. But not today. You’ve come out in true McPherson fashion. I think Grandmother would love to hear about your decision in person. You and Danny come over tomorrow for Sunday dinner. It’s supposed to be a beautiful evening. We’ll toss a few logs on the outdoor firepit. It’ll be fun.”
“I love you, Sis,” Mary said.
“I love you too,” Annie said, wiping another stray tear as it slid down her face.
Grandmother and Auntie showed up promptly at six. As long as Annie could remember, those two ladies were never late for anything, especially an invitation to dinner. Dressed in dark jeans, plaid flannel shirts, and suede boots with a small heel, Patty sported the cutest red beret while Grandmother wore a more traditional tam in plaid. Drawing off their woolen capes from their shoulders, Jack quickly hung them up at the coat rack near the door.
Grandmother casually entered the kitchen and lifted the cover off the pot on the stove and peered in.
“Beef stew?” She wrinkled her nose before lowering the lid.
“Yes. I hope that’s all right?” Annie said.
“It sounds delicious to me, Annie,” Patty said, coming into the kitchen.
Lilly raised her brow. “I didn’t say it didn’t.”
“I wasn’t sure when you wrinkled your nose.” Annie flashed a half-cocked smile.
“I don’t know why she did that. She loves beef stew,” Patty interjected.
“I never said I didn’t.” Lilly crossed over to Patty and stood nose to nose with her.
Annie whirled around, placing her hands on their shoulders. “Ladies. Let’s take a seat and have a glass of iced tea while we wait for Mary and Danny.”
“Iced tea. I need something stronger than that. My arthritis is flaring up again. It must have been from searching through all those boxes,” Grandmother said.
Annie let out a long breath while she led them to the table. Looking over her shoulder at Jack, she shrugged. He read her mind, rushing toward the counter where the bottle sat.
Jack filled the ladies’ glasses and made sure he handed Annie hers first. While she sipped, she finished dinner, putting the salad mix in a large bowl, and popping the biscuits into the oven.
A whoosh of air came inside as Mary and Danny came laughing in.
“The wind has picked up. I’m not sure if we’ll be able to have the fire tonight,” Mary said, walking over to Grandmother and kissing her on the cheek, then turning to Auntie and planting a big kiss on her mouth. Patty giggled. “Your lips are cold,” she said.
“It’s a little chilly outside, Auntie Patty,” Mary said, shivering.
“Well, we’ll see how it is after dinner. Help me dish up the stew,” Annie said.
Annie listened as Jack, Danny, Grandmother, and Auntie talked about various topics. Those two were well versed in countless topics, keeping up to date with politics, weather, and the stock market. In between their discussion, Ashton screamed for attention. Carolina was fast asleep in her cradle, and Annie was finding she was getting used to Ashton’s loudness, sleeping through most of it.
The lively conversation continued around the dinner table, when Mary suddenly blurted out her news, making Grandmother drop her spoon into her stew and splattering brown gravy everywhere.
“You’re going to do what?” Grandmother squinted her eyes.
“We’ve decided to stay in the house. It’ll be fine. I shouldn’t have been such a whiney baby abo
ut the wallpaper and all. It’s actually growing on me.” She shrugged.
“Let me get this straight. You’ve put me through hell for the past few weeks, giving me total anxiety of what to do regarding my things and property, and now, you suddenly have an epiphany moment where it might not be in the best interest of the family to move out?”
Annie switched her gaze back and forth without moving her head. Should she soften the blow, intervene on Mary’s behalf? She sank into her chair and watched as it unfolded.
“I thought you’d be pleased,” Mary said, barely above a whisper.
“Well, I’m not.” Grandmother harrumphed.
“Grandmother, if I may. I think what Mary is trying to say, she has had time to think about it. All of what it entails, and she’s willing to stay on. I thought you’d find it comforting,” Annie said, tipping her head as she smiled at Auntie Patty.
“I would have found it comforting had she not thrown a total hissy fit from the beginning. How do we know she won’t change her mind again?” Lilly spat she was so angry.
Danny cleared his throat, his mouth gathering as he formed sounds.
Annie’s heart began to beat hard, and knowing what was about to happen, she tried to head it off, but it was too late. She sighed.
“Lilly. Please don’t be so hard on Mary. She was torn between wanting her own place and preserving the old homestead. It doesn’t matter when her realization came, does it?” Danny said.
Grandmother cut her eyes to Danny, her jaw dropping as she stared at him.
Jack slid out his chair and announced he was getting more wine. “Danny, can you help me, please.”
Annie knew exactly what Jack was doing. Giving her more time to smooth things over.
“Auntie Patty, how do you feel about all of this? You’re being rather quiet,” Annie said.
Patty tilted her head and let out a deep breath. “Actually, I don’t know why your grandmother is making such a fuss over this. This is what she wanted. Mary is staying on in the house. We’re staying put at the cottage. All is well that ends well.” She turned her head toward Lilly and raised her brows. “Don’t you think, Sister?”
Lilly pointed her spoon at Mary. “Mary McPherson Powell. Let this be a warning. Don’t come to me next week or next month and tell us you’ve changed your mind. My emotions cannot handle that.”
“I promise. I wanted to let you know that we got your chairs back, and Danny and I’ve repaired the wallpaper. There’s just a tiny spot that we weren’t able to salvage. I moved the potted palm over to cover it.”
“That palm will not survive there. It likes to be over by the window,” Lilly spouted.
“Grandmother. Mary is trying. Please meet her halfway,” Annie said.
Jack and Danny came back to the table and sat.
“I’m tired of this conversation. Let’s move on. I can feel my blood pressure rising.”
“I do think it’s a good idea we continue to go through boxes and things,” Mary said.
Grandmother’s glare sparked a quick response from Mary.
“At your leisure, of course,” Mary added.
After dinner, Annie loaded the sink with the dishes and ushered everyone outside, after Danny and Jack had determined the wind had died down, and it would be perfect for a fire.
Bundling up the women with their cloaks, Annie also pulled out a few lap blankets to take outside.
“I’ll be out soon. I need to feed and change Carolina. Can you handle them and Ashton?” Annie nodded toward Grandmother and Auntie.
“Of course. Ashton, take my hand,” Mary commanded. Grandmother, place your arm through Patty’s, and Auntie, you hold my other hand.”
Annie helped them out and down the stairs then went back inside to attend to Carolina.
When Annie finally made it outside with Carolina, the fire was roaring, and flames about two feet high danced in the night air. Bundled up under their blankets, Grandmother and Lilly shared a comfortable wooden bench with a back that Jack had made, and cushions that Jack’s mother made especially for it. Mary sat in one of the Adirondack chairs with Ashton on her lap. Danny and Jack sat near each other, poking the fire, laughing and talking.
Annie sat in the other Adirondack chair, making sure Carolina was covered head to toe. Snuggling her tightly toward her chest, she watched the flames flicker in the dark.
“What a gorgeous evening,” Patty said.
“Kiawah in the late fall. It doesn’t get much better than this,” Jack said, looking up.
“I love this time of year. Less heat and humidity,” Mary said.
“The older I get, the less I like of the humidity,” Annie said, agreeing with Mary.
“Oh, please. You crybabies. Back in the day, we didn’t even have air conditioning. August was so hot and humid, and opening the windows did very little to help us escape the horrific heat. So instead of complaining, we used to strip down to our undies and sleep out on the porch under the veranda. We’d splash cool water on us and fan our faces with homemade fans. When we were able to get air conditioning, we had it installed, but I sort of miss the good old days of sitting out on the porch during the night and watching fireflies, and taking in the sweet aroma of mock orange and tea olive plants in the garden.”
“I have to say, Lilly, I agree. Those were simpler days, were they not?” Patty shifted her weight on the bench.
Annie could see their expressions as the glow of the fire lit up their faces. They were happy, and Annie had a difficult time hiding her emotions.
“I know we have our disagreements. What family doesn’t? But I want everyone around this firepit to know, I love you, can’t imagine my life without you, and I hope we have many more nights sitting around, laughing and reminiscing about the good old days,” Annie said.
“Mommy. Do I have old days?” Ashton said.
Everyone’s jovial outbursts made Carolina jerk in Annie’s arms, her little hands flailing out of the blanket, followed by a small whimper. Annie immediately began rocking her. Everyone stopped making a single sound, and all eyes were on Carolina. The fire snapped, crackled, and popped. Ashton shushed the fire. Grandmother smirked, Patty sniggered, and Annie beamed with happiness as she studied her somewhat opinionated, sometimes cranky, but in the end, always supportive family.
When everyone agreed they’d have enough bonding, Grandmother and Auntie stood and announced they were ready to retire to the cottage.
Jack doused the flames with a little water and poked the logs around. Mary helped Grandmother and Auntie into the cottage, leaving Annie and Danny and the children behind to clean up.
“It’s past these kiddo’s bedtime,” Annie said, taking Ashton by the hand as she held Carolina tightly to her body.
“I know I married into the family, but Mary is my wife,” Danny said.
Annie stared at him. “What do you mean, Danny?”
“I just feel that sometimes y’all gang up on her. That’s why I spoke out about the housing arrangement,” he said.
“We don’t gang up on Mary,” Annie said, perturbed. “Most of the time, she asks for it.”
“So, do you or don’t you gang up on her?” Danny stepped closer toward her.
Jack dropped the poker stick and moved in between them. “Danny. Back off. This is my wife you’re talking to.”
Annie stepped out and around the men and headed toward the house. She was in no mood to defend her sister, especially to Jack’s cousin. As she made her way toward the steps of Sweet Magnolia, the cottage door flew open and out danced a laughing Mary.
“Hey, Sis. Do you need any help putting the children down?”
“No, but your husband may need some help.” She motioned her head toward the men.
They both could hear their voices elevating in the darkness. “What happened?” Mary asked.
“He felt he needed to come to your honor. He got a bit accusatory in his tone, so Jack is giving him a dose of it back, I’m afraid.”
“Is
this over the house?” Mary asked
“I think so. I don’t know. He thinks we gang up on you.”
“You do.”
“Mary McPherson, err, Powell. We do not.”
“Please. I can never do anything right. I’m the younger sister, the flighty one. Isn’t that what you all call me?”
Annie’s gaze flitted to the guys then back to her sister. “Mary. Don’t. I’m tired, the children are tired, and it’s cold outside. Take your husband home and get some sleep. I think the wine is talking for the both of you tonight.”
Annie moved a few more steps toward the house.
“I’ve never been good enough for any of you. I don’t care how you see me, what you think of me, or any of that. I made a promise to Grandmother and Auntie about staying in the house, and I will. Danny and I have some plans of our own. You just wait and see.”
Annie whirled around, dragging Ashton while holding his hand.
“Don’t threaten me, Mary. It won’t work. Now go home. Tomorrow I’ll be waiting for my apology. Jack! Time to come in. Danny and Mary are leaving.” Annie’s voice carried deep into the woods.
“Danny, come on,” Mary echoed. “I’m ready to get the heck off this island.” Mary crossed her arms and glared.
“Auntie Mary, are you mad at Mommy?” Ashton said.
Mary dropped down to his eye level. “No, honey. We’re just a bit tired and cold is all. Sweet dreams.” She kissed him on his cheek.
Annie twisted her mouth tightly and squinted at Mary. “Good night, Mary.”
“Good night, Sis.”
Jack rushed up beside Annie and pulled Ashton up and over his shoulders. Annie could hear Danny whispering as they veered into another direction to where their car was parked.
“I’ll get this all ironed out tomorrow. I’ll have a little come to Jesus with old Danny Boy,” Jack said, opening the screen door.
“I think they just had a bit too much wine to drink and felt froggy. Mary has always felt like we were challenging her on things. She has a vivid imagination.”
“I’m just glad Lilly and Patty weren’t around to hear all of it.”
