“I’m trying not to. But I know how much I loved coming home from school and having you here. Mike’s mom worked and he was forever complaining how much he hated going home to an empty house.”
“And he turned out all right,” Mom said. “In fact, he turned out more than all right.”
“I know what you’re saying, Mom. I do. I just don’t know why Tess wants to work so much. She doesn’t have to. People will think she has to.”
Mom placed her hands on her hips. “Is that what’s this is about? You’re worried people will think she works because she has to?”
I shrugged. “Maybe. A little. Sort of.”
“Jeremy,” Mom said in a stern voice I hadn’t heard since I was a teen. “Get over it. If your wife wants to work because it makes her feel more complete, the least you can do is support her. I try never to get involved in my children’s marriages, but when I see one of you acting stupid, you damn well better believe I’m going to tell you about it.”
Mom had a few other choice words to say before we were interrupted by Tess.
***
Tess
I found Jeremy in the kitchen with his mom, Diana. They looked like they were neck deep in a serious conversation. “Are you ready to go?”
Jeremy nodded. “I’ll get the kids.”
Once Jeremy was out of the room, Diana waved for me to sit at the table with her.
“Jeremy tells me you’re looking for a job,” Diana said.
“Oh he did, did he?”
“Well, actually, Katie mentioned you two were fighting and when I asked Jeremy about it, he said you wanted to work outside the home. And I told him if you wanted to work outside the home, he should support you.”
“Thanks. I appreciate your support. I know one of the things Jeremy is concerned about is having someone in reserve if the kids are sick and need to stay home from school.”
“I’ve told you both over and over I’d be glad to help out. All you have to do is ask.”
“That’s what I told him, but you know your son. He can be pretty stubborn.”
“Can’t say he doesn’t come by that honestly. Still, a relationship takes work. Tess, you’re like a daughter to me. Like I told Jeremy, couples go through rough times. Heaven knows Harry and I had our share of rough times.”
“Really?”
“Of course. I don’t know a couple who hasn’t. The big thing is to communicate. Don’t hide your feelings. You aren’t always going to agree on everything, but you both need to respect how the other feels.”
“Thanks. I’m not sure what kind of job I’m looking for. I’m exploring some different options.”
Harry walked into the kitchen. “There’s my best gal.” He smiled and kissed Diana on the cheek.
His romantic gesture made me smile. “You two are the most romantic older couple I know.”
Harry frowned. “Who you calling old? There’s still a lot of spring left in this chicken.”
Diana laughed. “That’s not what that girl in the grocery store thought earlier today. She thought your spring had sprung! Go ahead. Tell Tess about the stripper girl.”
“There was a stripper in the grocery store?”
“Well, not quite,” Harry said. “Although I wouldn’t be surprised if she were in that line of work.”
“So what happened?”
Harry rubbed his bald head. “Well, Diana and I were in the checkout line at the grocery store.”
“I was reading a magazine,” Diana interrupted.
Harry looked at Diana. “Are you telling this story or am I?”
Diana mashed her lips together.
Harry looked back at me. “We were in line when Peroxide Girl wearing jeans that had more holes than Swiss cheese walked toward us.”
“And she had a tight shirt on,” Diana jumped in.
Harry glared at Diana.
“Well, you didn’t mention the tight shirt and that’s an important detail.”
Harry looked back at me. “Yes, big knockers stuffed into a shirt that looked like it was made for a puppy.”
“And piercings,” Diana said. “Lots and lots of piercings. And black nails.”
Harry made a mean face at Diana.
Diana pretended to zip her mouth.
Harry continued. “All of the sudden the girl stops. Guess she could tell everyone was looking at her. It was hard not to. She was like a blue light special. She shouts, ‘Why’s everyone looking at me?’ And she looked right at me, like she wanted me to answer. So I told her it was because she was the color of a carrot, which she was. Next thing I knew everyone was laughing.”
“Everyone but her,” Diana said. “The girl had obviously worked hard on her fake tan.”
I laughed. “So what did the girl do?”
“She pointed to me and said, ‘I’d rather be orange than old.’ And she walked away.”
We laughed and when Jeremy returned, Harry repeated the story.
***
Jeremy
Tess was quiet on the drive home and the kids fell asleep. It’s not often the car is this quiet. I was thinking about what Mom had said when I heard Tess stir.
Tess sat up and looked out the window. We were stopped at the square in town. “I didn’t know the old bistro building was for sale,” she said.
“It was just listed. I noticed it the other day on my way home from work.”
“I always loved that place—the exposed brick walls and wooden ceiling beams and the old stone hearth that’s big enough to stand in. I wonder what business will go in there?”
The light turned green and I slowly drove by it. “Hopefully something good.”
I could tell by the way Tess bit her lower lip and stared she had something on her mind.
“So what are your plans for tomorrow?” I asked.
“Going to cycle class, then I might do some job searching.”
My cellphone rang. It was on the console between us. “Can you answer that?”
Tess picked up the phone. “Hello? Oh, Mike. It’s you. Is everything okay? You sound excited.”
Tess leaned toward me. “He took Gina to the hospital. Says she’s having contractions.”
“Let me talk to him.” Tess handed me the phone.
“Do you want me to come to the hospital?” I asked Mike.
“Okay. Keep us posted. And, Mike, good luck. Tell Gina we’re thinking of her and the baby.”
I ended the phone call. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard Mike sound so nervous. I hope everything goes okay.”
“Yeah,” Tess said. “I never went early. In fact, I was late with both of ours.”
“Do you ever think about having another one?” I asked.
“Sometimes. But never for very long. Katie and John fighting all the time makes me realize two is enough.”
“My sister and I were the same way. We fought all the time. But now look at us. Good friends. I even like her enough to let her run my office.”
Tess smiled. “That’s true. You and Jen are good friends. I hope one day John and Katie will be.”
***
Tess
“You’re on my side,” Katie said.
“Mom, she kicked me,” John said.
“I kicked you because you were on my side.” Katie said.
I turned around. “Stop fighting! We’re almost home. Each of you stay on your own side and don’t touch one another.”
I sighed. “So much for good friends.”
Jeremy laughed. “Believe me, it’ll take another decade or two until that happens.”
When we returned home, the kids got their showers and went to bed. Jeremy checked in with Mike before calling it a night, but there was no news. I grabbed my laptop and went to find a cozy spot on the couch. I was interested in the old bistro property. I wondered about its list price. Maybe I’d check it out tomorrow after cycle class. No harm in looking, I thought.
I also did some research on Yorktowne Builders. There were photos of comp
leted renovations, which included before and after photos, on its website. The work was impressive. And it didn’t just renovate homes, it also renovated commercial spaces.
I couldn’t wait to meet with Richard. I was excited to share my ideas and see what he thought. We planned to have dinner tomorrow night. I would just tell Jeremy I was going to the gym, but secretly I’d meet my mentor Richard. If things went well, then I’d talk to Jeremy about my plans and our future.
Chapter 13
Jeremy
As soon as I woke up, I checked my voicemail to see if there was a message from Mike. There wasn’t. I thought I’d check in with him after I showered and ate breakfast.
Tess was already on her second cup of coffee when I stumbled into the kitchen. “What time did you go to bed last night?”
“I fell asleep on the couch. I was up late reading.”
“Reading anything interesting?”
“I looked up some stuff about Yorktowne Builders. There’s a photo gallery on its website of work they’ve done. It’s pretty impressive.”
I poured some granola into a bowl. “Do you like living here?”
“Of course,” Tess said. “Why would you ask that?”
“Sometimes I wonder if we should build a new house. You know, instead of constantly fixing up this one.”
“But I thought you liked living here?”
“I do. But when I think of sinking thousands of dollars into a major renovation, I wonder if it’s worth it.”
“You have a point. Let’s just see what Cole comes up with. Maybe we won’t like the plan or the price. By the way, have you heard from Mike yet?”
“No. I thought I’d call him after breakfast.”
“I checked my messages and no word from Sue yet, either.”
As if almost on cue, my cellphone beeped. I had a text from Mike.
“Damn,” I said.
“What’s wrong?”
“Gina. She’s having problems. Her blood pressure is up. They’re going to do an emergency C-section.”
I texted Mike back. Told him to call me if he needed anything.
***
Tess
I got the kids up for school, and while they were eating breakfast, I talked to Sue. She told me Gina went to the hospital yesterday after her water broke. She wasn’t progressing, so they put her on pitocin to induce labor, but her blood pressure shot up and she felt nauseated and was vomiting.
I told Sue to let me know if there was anything she needed me to do. Katie overheard my end of the conversation. “Is Gina going to be okay?”
I nodded. “I think so. Probably by the time you get home from school the baby will have been born.”
“I hope it’s a girl,” Katie said.
“Bleh!” John said. “Too many girls.”
I sipped my coffee. “Jack doesn’t care if he gets a brother or a sister.”
“Maybe we can swap if he gets a brother,” John said.
Katie stared John down. “Pig face.”
“Monkey breath.”
“Stop it!” I yelled. “No name calling.”
“She started it.”
“Did not.”
“Did, too.”
“Go. Both of you. Get your backpacks and get to the bus stop.”
As soon as the kids were out the door, I took off for the gym. I wanted to talk to Maggie about instructor training.
***
Jeremy
I checked the schedule when I got to work. It was packed. And old Mrs. Harris, who still thinks of me as a snotty nosed kid, was my first appointment. Great way to start off a Monday. The old woman always complained about my prices; she thinks she should get everything for damn near nothing.
I walked into the room to examine her teeth after the dental hygienist who cleaned her teeth told me she was ready to be checked.
“There you are,” said Mrs. Harris, grabbing my arm as I walked past the chair. “How’s your mom?”
“She’s well. I’ll tell her you asked about her.”
“Are you still with your wife?”
Sandy, my dental hygienist, coughed.
I put down the X-rays and turn to Mrs. Harris. “What did you just ask me?”
“I asked you if you were still with your wife.”
Sandy, who was standing behind Mrs. Harris, mashed her lips together and rolled her eyes.
“The last time I checked I was,” I laughed.
“Good. That’s good. Because when I saw her out to dinner with that older man the other night, I was worried. Their heads were really close, and they looked like they were having a serious conversation.”
I tried to keep from looking surprised. “Well, you have nothing to worry about.”
I checked Mrs. Harris mouth. “We talked about gingivitis before. Make sure you’re flossing every day and using antiseptic mouthwash.”
“Do you know how expensive floss is?” Mrs. Harris said.
“I’ll tell you what: Sandy will make sure you get a bag full of samples to take home. That should hold you over for a while and you won’t have to buy any.”
Mrs. Harris patted my hand. “That’s why I like coming to you. You understand what it’s like being on a fixed income. Do you think she could throw some extra toothpaste samples in the bag, too?”
I nodded and glanced at Sandy, who was filling a bag with floss samples. “Hear that Sandy?”
“I’m on it,” she said, stuffing a handful of small boxes of toothpaste into the bag.
I bolted from the room as soon as I could and went into my office to take a deep breath and collect my thoughts. Mrs. Harris’ revelation bothered me. What was Tess keeping from me? Do I confront her about what Mrs. Harris said or let it go? I wasn’t sure what to do.
***
Tess
I felt him before I saw him; Cole slipped in next to me in cycle class.
“Hi, Tess. It was great seeing you yesterday.”
I could see Hillary, who was sitting in front of me, lean back so she could hear our conversation better.
“It was nice seeing you, too. I almost didn’t recognize you.”
Cole laughed. “Yeah. I can’t wait to see you again. I have a million ideas of what we could do. I can’t wait to share them with you.”
“Great. I’ve liked everything you’ve done so far. I’m sure you’ll be able to wow me when we get together.”
The music started and Maniac Maggie hopped on her cycle seat. “Let’s get ready people. You shouldn’t be talking. If you’re talking, you’re not working hard enough.”
I became lost in the music as my legs became a blur.
“Add resistance!” Maggie shouted. “Push through it people!”
I added resistance and visualized the hill Maggie was describing.
“Dig, people!” Maggie yelled. “You’re not going to get to the top unless you dig. You’ve got to want it. Come on. We’re all doing this together. Add more resistance.”
“Ugh!” Hillary moaned.
“Can we stand yet?” someone in front yelled.
“Not quite,” Maggie said. “Almost.”
I felt like I was riding through thick mud. The more resistance we added the harder it was to make the damn pedals go around.
“Okay, add more resistance and stand.”
I put down the resistance and pushed the rest of the way to the top.
I could see Cole out of the corner of my eye. He was pushing, going twice as fast as I was. But it made me want to go faster, so I tried to match his speed.
“That’s it, Tess,” whispered Cole. “Keep up with me. Let’s finish together.”
***
Jeremy
I called Mike the first break I had. He and Gina had a daughter and he was over the moon about it.
“Daisy is beautiful,” Mike said.
I could hear the excitement in Mike’s voice. They named the baby after Gina’s great-grandmother.
“And Gina was incredible,” Mike said. “
God, I love her so much. I still can’t believe all of this has happened to me.”
“You deserve it, Mike. After all these years, you guys are finally together, having the family you always wanted.”
“Thanks. How are things with Tess?”
“We’ll catch up later,” I told him. “My next patient’s here. Tell Gina I said congratulations and if you need anything, call me.”
I wanted to tell Mike about what Mrs. Harris told me and get his advice on how to handle the situation, but I didn’t want to be a downer on one of the most important days of his life. I figured we’d connect later.
My sister Jen walked into my office. “It was a girl, right?”
“How’d you know?”
“Just a lucky guess.”
“Well, Mike is on cloud nine. I don’t think I’ve ever heard him sound so excited.”
“Well, he’s been waiting pretty much his whole life for this,” Jen said.
“Yeah, guess you’re right.”
Jen laid some paperwork on my desk. “Mom told me about your talk last night.”
“Surprise! Surprise!”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means you and Mom tell each other everything.”
“Do not.”
“Do, too.”
“Anyway, I think you should support Tess if she wants to work. I work and you don’t have a problem with that.”
“Yeah, but you’re my sister, not my wife.”
“Yeah, and I can still kick your ass, so be good to your wife so I don’t have to.”
Jen left the room and I texted Tess to tell her about Daisy, just in case she hadn’t already heard.
***
Tess
When I walked into the locker room after class, Hillary and some other women were huddled in the corner. I could tell by their whispers and glances in my direction they were talking about me.
I opened my locker to get out my soap and shampoo.
Tess and Jeremy Page 8
