by KG MacGregor
The young man looked up and eyed his cousin, who was already smiling in anticipation of the announcement that would mean the end of his dreams.
"And she said…no thanks. I couldn’t twist her arm to save my life, and she says she ain’t ever gonna change her mind. So, Perry…." He held out the packet of papers. "If you’re still interested in taking on this headache, it’s yours…all the stuff we talked about."
Perry sat stunned, reeling from the emotional swing of the last thirty seconds, when he thought he was losing everything to learning that he was finally being given what he’d waited for ever since he went to work for his uncle. When he turned to see how excited his girlfriend was for him, his emotions went on overload. Without even answering the offer, he dropped to a knee before Debbie and fished the ring box from his pocket.
"Marry me?"
The woman was clearly shocked at this turn of events, so much that her mouth dropped open to answer, but nothing came out. After what seemed an eternity to the man on his knee, she nodded vigorously and wrapped her arms around his neck. Perry responded with a passionate kiss that caused everyone in the room to blush.
"This is so embarrassing!" Kevin covered his face, but he couldn’t hide his smile.
Perry stood up and pulled the boy into a hug. "I hope this is okay with you, buddy. I can’t wait for us to be a family."
Thirteen-year-old boys didn’t do the hugging thing very well, but his face said everything that needed to be said. "Are we gonna live in your house?" He hoped so, because Perry had a lot more room than they had in the apartment.
"If that’s what your mama wants, then that’s where we’ll live. Debbie, right now, I’m the happiest man in the whole world." He turned back to his uncle and aunt. "And I can’t say thanks enough for all you two have done for me. I’m gonna take good care of that store. I hope to make you proud."
Carly jumped into the celebration. "Don’t worry about that. I think Daddy’s planning on showing up for work every day. Just don’t make him haul that furniture anymore, or I’ll have to come back here and kick your butt."
"I won’t let him do that. Ol’ Kevin here’s gonna be fourteen this summer. I’ll put him to work."
"Really?"
"Hey, Kevin. Let’s go in the kitchen and I’ll tell you all about what it’s like to ride on the truck," Carly offered.
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Lloyd and Nadine took their daughter’s cue and slipped into the other room as well, giving the newly-engaged couple a moment of privacy.
"It’ll be fun moving furniture. I can pick up our couch all by myself," Kevin boasted.
Carly chuckled, remembering the boy’s excited recounting of his video game exploits. He could talk a blue streak, but from what she saw, he wasn’t a bad kid at all. She was glad that he was going to have a guy like Perry in his life; and she was even happier that her cousin was getting what he wanted too.
During lunch, they told stories about their experiences at the furniture store over the years, including a couple of tales about some of their more difficult customers…like Marian Hall.
Perry added a story of Carly’s high school days. "I remember one time when we were taking this big dresser up the steps at Mrs. Corning’s house. She was the librarian at the high school, so she knew both of us. Anyway, she’s talking to Carly and asking her all these questions about school and Carly’s grunting and heaving and trying to answer.
Then this little yappy dog starts down the steps and he’s nipping at her feet…."
"I was scared to death I was going to drop that dresser and flatten the little pest."
"But Mrs. Corning can’t see her dog from the bottom of the steps and she’s still jabbering on and asking all these questions and Carly finally yells out, ‘Will you leave me alone, you stupid ol’ fleabag!’ I tell you, I thought that woman was going to throw a clot!"
"See what you have to look forward to, Kevin," Carly teased.
Lloyd chimed in with the story of the time when Carly was fifteen and they delivered a mattress to the Hobson residence. Old Mr. Hobson didn’t realize that his wife had shown them in, and he walked out of the master bathroom without a stitch of clothes.
"It was not a pretty sight," Carly recalled dismally. "Gave me nightmares for weeks."
Today’s gathering was probably the biggest celebration they’d ever had.
Perry and Debbie were still riding high from their engagement, and Perry was on cloud nine over the news about the store. Kevin was equally excited, but it was hard to tell if that was from getting a new step-dad or the looming possibility of getting to work on the delivery truck.
Lloyd and Nadine found themselves surprisingly relieved to be out of the furniture business, at least as owners. Lloyd especially was glad to see his wife so happy about giving it up, finally realizing what a burden it must have been for her. He would be forever grateful to his daughter for the push.
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Carly was happy for everyone…except perhaps herself. Despite the joy around her–or maybe because of it–she was feeling glum. She was leaving soon and life in Leland was going to go on without her. It was unlikely she would make it back for what Perry and Debbie were saying would be a March wedding. And she wouldn’t be around to see how her mom and dad adapted to life outside the furniture store.
The last time she was home for any length of time–almost four years ago–she’d been ready to go when her vacation was up. At times, it felt like the whole town was smothering her and she just had to break free. Now she realized that it probably wasn’t the town at all, but her own refusal to be a part of it. This time, she’d let go of that grudge she’d been carrying, that chip on her shoulder; and people like Justine, Perry, Rich and Daniel, and even some of her old classmates showed her what Leland was capable of.
But what was any of it worth with Justine holding her at arm’s length? Carly knew that was the real source of her melancholy. It was almost like she could taste what being happy was like, but it was just out of reach. She didn’t want to leave Leland if there was a chance she could be with Justine…and she didn’t want to stay if there wasn’t.
**********
Justine pulled into the carport, still fighting the tears that had threatened to fall all night.
Christmas dinner at her mother’s had been the usual elaborate affair–a fat turkey, the good china, extravagant gifts for everyone, and songs around the piano. It was like every other year, except for the empty place at the table. Trey hadn’t called at all, not even to arrange to pick up his gifts. JT said the boy had hardly been at home all week; he was spending his days and evenings with Melissa. He came home after midnight, and left before anyone got up. Even when he was there, he’d been in a quiet mood…somber and distracted.
There had to be a way to reach him, a way to reassure him. Trey’s life was good; he just needed to see that. His future was secure at the university, and if he went on to law school as he planned, there would be a job waiting at his father’s firm. Unlike a lot of kids his age, he didn’t have to worry about money or having the right things. And he had a girlfriend who was crazy about him. Surely, the idea that his mom might be having a quiet relationship with another woman wasn’t enough to bring down his whole world!
Lugging the gifts from her family, she unlocked the back door and pushed into the kitchen, dreading how quiet the house would be without Emmy there. In the short time her daughter had been staying with her, she’d grown used to having her around. It was fun to cook together, and to talk into the night in front of the fire. After their revealing conversation on Sunday afternoon, there was a new intimacy between them. She still hadn’t shared much about her feelings for Carly, but it was now a given between them that the feelings were there. And Justine had even heard a little about Dale Farlowe.
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But tonight, Emmy was back at her dad’s, getting read
y to head out tomorrow with her church group to the ski slopes in West Virginia. The big house on Sandstone was lonely again, and the New Year would bring more of the same.
And if all that weren’t enough, Carly Griffin would soon be gone.
**********
Carly stepped out onto the porch and drew in a deep breath of cold air. Christmas Day at the Griffin house was a quiet affair. They’d opened gifts together last night and slept in, enjoying a big breakfast together about ten.
All day, Carly had pored over her feelings for Justine Hall, unable to shake the belief that her old friend was the key to what happened next in Carly’s life. One thing was increasingly clear: Carly didn’t want to spend the next two years in Madrid, no matter what. She had a dinner appointment with her boss in Louisville tomorrow to talk about a permanent transfer to corporate. Heck, if she lived in Louisville, she and Justine could see each other on the weekends. Maybe that could lead to something down the road; the kids weren’t going to be around forever. And if she lived in Louisville, she could come back to town often enough to keep up with everybody.
Normally, this was the time of night when Carly would creep up the ridge to peek down at Justine’s house. But she’d been up there twice already today and the blue car was gone.
"Carly?" That was her mom at the front door. "Your cell phone’s ringing."
She jumped up and stumbled down the hall, but was too late to catch it. The missed number that showed up made her heart skip a beat, and she quickly redialed.
"Hey, it’s Carly…I was out on the porch." She sat down on her bed and started to unbutton her leather jacket.
"Sneaking a cigarette?" Justine teased.
"No, I was not smoking! I’ll have you know that I’ve been smoke-free for twelve days, two hours…and forty minutes. Not that I’m counting or anything." She flopped back onto the bed, happy just to hear her friend’s voice.
"That’s great. I’m really proud of you."
"Yeah, yeah. So are Mama and Daddy. Except if I stay here much longer, I’m going to eat them out of house and home."
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"Well, when the cupboards are bare over there, you just come on down and I’ll feed you."
"Right, I’ll just waddle over the ridge."
They kept the conversation light, both content with knowing that their friendship was still on solid ground. Carly had almost expected Justine to push her away again, but that hadn’t really happened. They hadn’t seen each other since Saturday night, but that was understandable, since Emmy was staying over there.
"So…did you get things worked out with Trey?"
Justine sighed heavily. "No. I haven’t seen him since Saturday. He didn’t even show up at my mother’s house today to open presents. He must…really be mad at me right now."
"I’m really sorry. I know how much that hurts you...." Carly remembered that Justine’s greatest fear wasn’t losing Trey and Emmy, but losing control of herself again. "But it’ll be okay this time, Justine. You’re a lot stronger now…and you can always tell him that he got the wrong idea. All he saw was two friends sharing a hug." Three seconds later would have been a different story altogether.
"I know. That’s what I’ve been telling myself. I’m sure he’ll come around eventually to talk…probably with a list of things I can do and can’t do. He just isn’t capable of dealing with that kind of stuff, and if I try to push it on him, he’ll just get that much more stubborn." Her voice was full of frustration.
"You can’t really blame him, Justine. Those are the rules for living in a place like this."
The optimism Carly had begun to feel for Leland had slipped some since Saturday night.
In twenty-five years, the attitudes here hadn’t really changed at all. Kids like Trey might grow up over time and learn to behave themselves in public, but the changes were barely skin-deep. "Kids aren’t ever going to learn to accept people who are different because their parents don’t. And it’s not just gays…It’s the people who don’t have money, or the ones who just don’t know how to dress or who aren’t jocks."
"But I don’t want my own son to be like that! He wasn’t raised by his friends and their parents. He was raised by me!" Justine was surprised by the anger in her voice, anger not at Trey for how he felt, but anger at herself as she realized that she’d let him get away with it. "I can teach him not to lie or steal, and not to mouth off to his teachers. But I can’t teach him the most fundamental things he needs to know to be a good person…that you have to respect everybody." She was up and pacing the den now, the picture getting clearer on what she had to do. "You’re absolutely right, Carly. This isn’t Trey’s fault at all. It’s mine."
"Yours?" Carly hadn’t meant to send that message. Justine didn’t need to add guilt to what she was already feeling.
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"Yes, mine! Who else’s would it be? I should have beat it into his head when he was little, but JT and I both thought that we were teaching him more by letting him pick his own friends. I didn’t know my son was going to turn into such a little snob."
Justine was so adamant and forceful that Carly grew nervous about where she was going with all this. If she went on a tirade like the night they didn’t come to her birthday dinner, she might do more harm than good. "Listen…calm down okay? You need to think all this through. You don’t want to say or do something that you’re going to regret later."
"I know…I know." Justine realized that she sounded like she was about to go off half-cocked. "But I really do have to talk to him about all this. I’ve been so worried about how the other kids would act that I didn’t stop to think about what I was saying about myself. I need to quit acting like I’m doing something so awful."
Carly was relieved to hear the voice of reason return, but she was still worried that Justine wasn’t seeing it all the way through. "And what about Emmy, Justine? You were just telling me that you feel really close to her again. You don’t want to risk that."
"Emmy’s okay with everything. We talked about it on Sunday." Justine hedged on saying exactly what her daughter had asked. "She asked me point blank if I was a lesbian. I couldn’t lie to her. And you know what she told me? She said it was okay, that she wanted me to be happy."
"Wow!"
"It’s amazing sometimes to think that those two grew up in the same house, huh?"
Carly relaxed. "So what are you going to do?"
"I need to find a way to talk to my son, so I can tell him what I expect of him. JT will back me on this. But Trey needs to understand that he’s not going to act like this without consequences."
"Wow," Carly said again. In light of all Justine had gone through over the past few years, this was a huge step. "I’m really proud of you for this, Justine."
Her voice went soft. "Well, I want to raise my kids to be good people. It’s time I stepped up and did my job."
"You really are a great mother, you know."
"Thank you…that means a lot." It was time to lighten this conversation. "So, are you going to the reunion Saturday night?"
"You know, I think I will. But don’t let me get drunk and start talking to Sara McCurry.
I’m afraid of what I might say."
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"You and me both. I just hope her husband doesn’t ask me to dance. I don’t want to smell like him all night."
The two women eased into their friendly banter, talking about all of their old classmates, and trying to guess what everyone was doing now. After more than an hour, Carly’s phone beeped its warning.
"My battery’s dying. I guess I should go."
"Okay…merry Christmas, Carly."
"It is, Justine. Talking to you tonight really made my day. I’ve really missed you this week." Thinking back to how she’d felt when she was sitting on the porch, Carly realized the truth of her words.
"I’ve missed you too. You want t
o come for dinner tomorrow?"
"I can’t. I have to go to Louisville tomorrow. I’m having dinner with my boss."
"Then I guess I’ll see you Saturday night?"
"I’ll be there." Carly smiled into the phone. "Merry Christmas, Justine."
Chapter 19
Carly shifted on the leather couch, growing more irritated by the minute at Jim Fitzpatrick. Her appointment was for six, and according to his secretary, he’d gone out at five for a quick haircut. It was a quarter to seven, but he’d called to say he was running late. No shit.
Jim was three years younger than Carly and joined the company on the labor team she put together for Estonia. He accompanied her on the second tour in Bolivia, then on to Peru, but got married and requested a job at corporate.
Carly had put in for a job stateside that year too, but she’d been given a hefty raise and shuffled off to Johannesburg instead. She was too important to them in the field, they said, and they didn’t want to lose her experience and know-how.
After two years in Shanghai, she asked again, mindful of an opening that popped up when one of the project managers left the company for a competitor. Again, one of the women on her team–who happened to marry someone at corporate–was hired for the slot, and Carly was given a sizable raise to go to Jerusalem. But that time, she was promised the next opening. Wade Morrow was that opening, due to retire in May when he turned sixty-five. She wanted to be certain that Worldwide Workforce remembered its promise, and that they knew she was still interested.
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