“I think this is between you and Sonny,” Kay said, although she was trembling with anger at being spoken to so rudely. “You should be talking to him, not me.”
As Kay turned and walked away, Karla laughed.
“Oh, I’ll talk to Sonny, all right,” she said to Kay’s back. “And that’s not all I’ll do.”
Kay’s retreat ended in the kitchen of her own little house, standing in front of the refrigerator, looking for something with which to smother the screaming she wanted to do.
There were Girl Scout cookies in the freezer, put there to keep her from eating them all right away. She dumped a whole box of the peanut butter and chocolate ones in a ceramic bowl and stuck them in the microwave. Oops. That was too long. Oh well. With vanilla ice cream on top it was like a new Ben and Jerry’s flavor.
“Girl Scout Heartache,” she would call it.
Kay locked the front door and drew the curtains. She curled up on the couch with her big bowl and a spoon, and ate as if it were a job she had to finish. As soon as the warm, fuzzy, sleepy feeling came over her, she put on her jammies, got into bed, rolled herself up in a blanket like a burrito, and went to sleep.
Kay woke up with a headache and a horrible taste in her mouth.
She looked at the clock.
Oh my goodness, she had to be at Delvecchios in twenty minutes.
Kay tore off her jammies. After a quick shower and tooth brushing she put on the first thing she found in her closet that was clean and didn’t need pressed. It was a sensible-looking navy blue linen jacket which she wore over a sleeveless white blouse and accessorized with pearls. She couldn’t button the matching linen pants so she prayed they would stay zipped; at least the hem of the blouse covered the waist band.
Ordinarily she would have spent hours agonizing over what to wear, would have blown out her hair and carefully applied her makeup. She didn’t have time for that. She blew her hair almost dry, pulled it back into a stubby ponytail, and tied it with a white silk scarf. She swiped her face with powder, dabbed at her lashes with mascara, and applied some lipstick. She wore navy blue flats but took the car so she wouldn’t be an even bigger sweaty mess when she got up there.
The Delvecchios lived up on the highest point of Morning Glory Avenue, in a large, comfortable home that overlooked all of Rose Hill. The men of the family were all on the front porch, watching Pauly’s four boys, ages ranging from four to sixteen, running around on the front lawn.
The patriarch, Sal, was there on the porch, tiny compared to his strapping sons, his rocking chair situated next to an oxygen tank that was connected to his nose by a long thin tube. He looked sad and kind of out of it. He briefly raised his hand and smiled at Kay, but there was none of his old enthusiasm, his hearty charm. This was all that was left of that former man, the one who had loved his life and everyone in it.
Sonny was the first to get to her and hug her.
“You look beautiful,” he said.
Matt looked irritated, which made her feel awkward. Pauly and Anthony both hugged her, told her they were voting for her this fall.
“The girls are inside,” was all Matt said.
Kay instantly recognized this reminder of the antiquated gender norms by which this household was run. As a guest, she was obligated to observe family protocol, so she went inside. As expected, all feminine activity was taking place in the kitchen and dining room.
In the foyer, Pauly’s wife, Julie, greeted her, handed her their newest offspring, the fifth one, who was around twelve months old, and based on the profusion of pink ruffles in which it was dressed, a girl.
“This is Giada,” Julie said. “You have to watch her; she’s going through a biting phase.”
Kay and Giada considered each other, Giada with a serious frown on her chubby little face. She was drooling, so Kay suspected the issue must be teething.
“Do you bite?” Kay asked her with a smile.
Giada’s serious expression collapsed into a big, partially toothy smile. She had her mother’s dimples and her father’s big brown eyes. What hair she had was clasped on top of her head in a big pink bow.
“I bite,” Giada said.
“It’s not nice to bite,” Julie told her.
“Is Karla here?” Kay whispered to Julie.
“Heavens, no,” Julie said. “Their mother would kick her down the hill into the river.”
“I bite,” Giada said again.
She opened her mouth and showed Kay her teeth.
“Then let’s get you something for you to bite other than me,” Kay said, and entered the kitchen.
Antonia was at the stove, an apron tied around her tiny waist, her high heels kicked aside.
“Kay, welcome,” she said, and hugged her warmly. “Watch this one; she bites.”
“Do you have something frozen she could chew on?” Kay asked.
“Good idea,” Julie said.
She rooted around in the freezer, came up with a frozen bagel, and wrapped a paper towel around it. When she handed it to Giada, the baby considered it with a serious expression and then asked Kay, “Bah?”
“She calls everything that goes in her mouth ‘bah,’ ” Julie said.
“It’s good,” Kay told her. “Yummy.”
Giada put it in her mouth, decided it was good, and began to chew on it.
“When my boys were teething, I rubbed whiskey on their gums,” Antonia said.
“That explains so much,” Julie said, while rolling her eyes at Kay.
Matt and Diedre’s daughter, Tina, was seated at the kitchen table, cutting vegetables for a salad. She greeted Kay, albeit a bit frostily.
“I’m so sorry for your loss,” Kay said.
“My husband stayed home with the kids,” Tina said, as if Kay had asked. “I don’t think children should go to funerals; they didn’t know my mom very well and I was afraid it would freak them out.”
“Of course,” Kay said. “I understand.”
“It’s a part of life,” Antonia said with a shrug. “I always took my children, even the babies; it’s a sign of respect.”
Tina closed her eyes and gritted her teeth. Kay could tell she was fighting the urge to respond. When she opened her eyes, Kay smiled at her kindly, but she looked away as if unwilling to accept anyone’s support.
Kay then turned to address a young woman whom she didn’t know. She was standing at the sink, peeling potatoes with a paring knife, and cutting off more potato than skin.
“Hello,” Kay said. “I’m Kay Templeton; I don’t believe we’ve met.”
The girl wiped her hands on a dish towel and shook Kay’s; she had a strong, firm handshake.
“I’m Kimberly,” she said.
“I’m so sorry,” Antonia said. “I should have introduced you two. Kimberly is Anthony’s girlfriend.”
Kay hoped her shock didn’t show on her face.
Julie, standing behind Kimberly and Antonia, pretended to stick her finger down her throat.
“It’s nice to meet you,” Kay said. “I’m sorry it’s in such sad circumstances.”
“You’re the one running for mayor, right?” Kimberly said.
“Yes,” Kay said. “The election is this fall.”
“I’m sorry I can’t vote for you,” Kimberly said.
Her tone was sweetly regretful but the look in her eyes was not. Kay thought she must be one of Marigold’s supporters.
“You’re free to vote for whomever you choose,” Kay said. “That’s the beauty of our democratic system.”
“I’m not voting for Marigold, either,” Kimberly said. “I don’t think a woman should take a job a man is supposed to do.”
“You have got to be kidding me,” Julie said. “What year is it again? 1955? ’56?”
“Miss Julie,” Antonia said. “Those are Kimberly’s beliefs and you will respect them in my house.”
Kay was used to responding to any outrageous thing anyone said with grace and equanimity. She just pushed her real f
eelings down and put on a pleasant face.
“I admire the courage you have in your convictions,” Kay said. “Julie, I think this one needs a diaper change; I’ll be glad to help out.”
Julie led Kay into the front hallway and then upstairs to a bedroom, where the diaper bag was stowed.
“Can you believe that Kimberly?” Julie whispered. “Everyone in the family knows Anthony is gay, but they’re letting him ruin his life, not to mention that stupid girl’s life, as if everything’s just fine and dandy.”
“It’s sad,” Kay said. “Poor Anthony.”
“I want Pauly to do something about it, but those boys … that mother …”
“I know,” Kay said.
“I hear Sonny’s been calling on you all hours of the day,” Julie said with a sly grin. “He’s my favorite, you know. Matt seems like the jolly, nice one, but that’s an act he puts on down at the IGA. He’s really a miserable prick.”
“Julie!”
“I’m sorry, but I call ’em like I see ’em,” Julie said. “I know he was your high school sweetheart, but he’s had his head up his own ass for years. He’s still mad at me for being on Sonny’s side when he got divorced. And that Diedre, God rest her soul. They couldn’t go on vacation on account of her agoraphobia; they couldn’t have people over on account of the hoarding; she wouldn’t even go to her own daughter’s wedding on account of it wasn’t in a Catholic church. She held them hostage for all those years, and now we’re supposed to be sorry for their loss? I’m glad about it. It’s just a shame all that time got wasted.”
“Even if they didn’t get along while she was alive, they will still grieve her loss,” Kay said.
“Well, just so you know, I’m all for you and Sonny getting together. Besides my Pauly, he’s the best one of the bunch. Karla made an ass out of herself and there will be no going back.”
“She definitely wants to.”
“Sure she does,” Julie said. “She’s all the time calling me, asking me how Sonny’s doing. Left him for some no-good bum who goes around breaking up marriages like it’s his hobby or something. She’s burned that bridge, though; don’t you worry about that. Their girls are on Team Sonny, and they’ll be happy as long as he’s happy.”
“Where are they today?”
“They weren’t that fond of Diedre, as you can imagine,” she said. “Definitely not fond enough to purchase plane tickets at the last minute, for a thousand dollars a pop.”
“Sonny adores his girls.”
“They’re sweet, like him,” she said. “Their mother broke their hearts, but does she care? She calls them selfish for not being happy for her. Can you imagine? She’s the type of mother who wanted to be a friend to her kids instead of a parent. She wore their clothes and flirted with their boyfriends; it was embarrassing.”
The diaper had been changed, and now they were sitting on the bed, talking. Giada fussed, and Julie started to unbutton her blouse.
“Do you mind?” she asked Kay.
“Do you want me to leave?” Kay asked her.
“Hell no,” Julie said. “I don’t care. Antonia doesn’t like me to do this downstairs; she thinks it might upset someone to see me feed my child in such a natural manner.”
The baby latched on and sucked hungrily, while looking up dreamy-eyed at her mother.
“How is Sal?” Kay asked. “He doesn’t look good.”
“He could go any minute,” Julie said. “It’s going to devastate this family, but look at him; it will be a blessing he won’t suffer anymore.”
“He adores Antonia,” Kay said.
“You mark my word; she’ll go back to Italy.”
“No,” Kay said. “With all her boys here?”
“There’s a man,” Julie said. “A childhood sweetheart, recently widowed. They’ve been emailing. She was sixteen when she married Sal, and he was twenty years older. There’s a lot of life left in that woman and I doubt she wastes a minute of it.”
“Oh my goodness,” Kay said. “Who’d have thought?”
“It might be the best thing for the boys,” Julie said, “speaking of hostages.”
Antonia called up the stairs that dinner was ready. She sounded irritated. Kay felt guilty, as if she had been caught doing exactly what she was doing, which was gossiping about Antonia and her family.
“You go on,” Julie said. “I’ll put her down for a nap and then join you.”
“Thank you, Julie,” Kay said. “I’ll keep everything you said in confidence.”
“No worries,” Julie said. “Everybody downstairs knows exactly how I feel; I don’t bottle it up.”
Kay reflected that was probably why Julie didn’t weigh fifty pounds more than she should, didn’t smoke, drink to excess, or gamble away the family grocery money.
Dinner began with grace, during which Kay found herself holding hands with both Sonny and Matthew. In a wheezing whisper, Sal thanked the Lord for everyone, became tearful, and by the end of his prayer, there wasn’t a dry eye at the table.
The food was delicious looking, and there was plenty of it, but Kay only took a dab of everything.
“That’s a pitiful helping,” Sonny said, as she put a few gnocchi on her plate.
“Kay’s probably on a diet,” Matt said. “We could all stand to lose a few pounds.”
Kay felt her face grow warm. She felt as if everyone was looking at her, judging her.
“But not today,” Sal said. “Today we enjoy life, for tomorrow we may be gone.”
He winked at Kay, and she smiled back at him.
“This is just my first go round,” she said. “I’m pacing myself so I have room for dessert.”
It was then she realized, ‘Oh my Lord, I forgot to bring the dessert.’
“I’m going to check on Julie real quick,” Kay said. “See if she needs anything.”
“That’s kind of you,” Antonia said. “I hadn’t noticed she was missing.”
“The peace and quiet should have been your first clue,” Matt said. “Let’s enjoy it while it lasts.”
“My wife does not suffer fools gladly,” Pauly said, “so unless you’re some kind of fool, brother dear, you’ve got nothing to worry about.”
Kay went to the upstairs bathroom and used her cell phone to call Fitzpatrick’s Bakery. She was so relieved when Melissa answered, and said she’d bring something right away.
Kay looked in on Julie and Giada, and saw that they had fallen asleep together. Julie’s shirt was still open, and Giada was nestled up against her breast, her little mouth making nursing motions in her sleep, even though she was no longer nursing. Kay took a woolen throw off a nearby chair and draped it over them.
‘I missed out on this,’ she thought.
Kay had provided a safe, loving refuge for multiple foster children over the years. Soon Grace would be her daughter, and she looked forward to living vicariously through her, and any eventual grandchildren she might produce. No, it was fine that this was no longer an option. She had made her choices, and if she made up her mind to, she could live quite happily with the consequences.
Back downstairs she could tell there had been an argument; the air was thick with tension.
“You missed the good news,” Kimberly sang out, oblivious to the atmosphere. “Anthony and I are engaged!”
She held out her hand, which now sported a modest diamond ring. Kay glanced around the table and absorbed the many emotions she saw reflected in the family’s faces. Antonia was irritated, Sonny and Matthew seemed angry, Pauly looked like he might cry, and Sal looked worn out.
“Congratulations,” Kay said. “Have you set a date?”
“No hurry,” Sonny said. “There’s nothing wrong with long engagements.”
“It’s up to them,” Matt said. “We should stay out of it.”
Pauly’s tears spilled over and he left the table. Kay could hear him bound up the steps to where his wife and baby slept.
“You must excuse us, Kay,” Antonia sai
d. “We’re such an emotional family.”
To Anthony, Antonia said, “You could have waited a few days, out of respect for your brother and his daughter.”
Anthony’s face was blotchy with shame, and he hung his head.
“I don’t mind,” Tina said. “I’m glad somebody’s happy.”
“We thought it might cheer everyone up,” Kimberly said, still determined to get the elated reaction she had anticipated. “We thought you’d be glad to have something to look forward to, didn’t we, honey?”
Anthony looked the most miserable of anyone. He looked up and caught Kay’s eye. She thought, ‘Oh, Anthony, don’t do this,’ and it must have shown on her face, because he quickly looked away.
The doorbell rang and Kay jumped up, offering to answer it.
“How bad our company must be that she keeps finding reasons to leave it,” Antonia said as she left the room.
Melissa was at the door with a coconut-covered chocolate cake in a bakery box.
“It’s Sonny’s favorite,” Melissa said with a wink. “You can pay for it tomorrow.”
Kay wanted nothing more than to take the cake home and eat the whole thing. Instead, she took it to the kitchen and looked for a cake plate to put it on. Antonia came in and looked at the box.
“I thought you were going to make one of your homemade specialties,” she said, as she removed a cake plate from a high shelf in one of her cupboards. “Sonny says you’re quite the cook.”
“There was no time today,” Kay said. “I promise I’ll bring something homemade next time.”
“I’m happy to hear you say there will be a next time,” Antonia said with a mischievous smile. “I’d like to see my boys all settled before …”
Kay thought she was about to say, ‘before I leave,’ and gave Antonia a sharp, questioning look.
“Before their father passes away,” Antonia said. “He would like to see them settled and happy. He doesn’t care which one you end up with, so long as it’s one of them.”
“Mrs. Delvecchio,” Kay started.
Hollyhock Ridge Page 18
