A Family for Easter

by Lee Tobin McClain

  “I kissed her,” he said finally.

  Dion looked over, lifted an eyebrow. “That usually makes people happy, not miserable.”

  “It did, until our kids caught us.”

  Dion made a sound suspiciously like a laugh.

  Eduardo could see how it could be funny on a sitcom, but in real life, it was more complicated. “Sofia’s upset.”

  “Because...”

  “I’m not supposed to kiss anyone but Mom.”

  “Oh.” Dion nodded thoughtfully. “She’s not used to it because you’ve never dated much. How about Diego?”

  Eduardo shook his head. “He’s more thinking about how it’ll be when Fiona and I get married.”

  “Boy moves fast.” Dion clapped Eduardo on the back. “I’m sure they’ll get accustomed to the idea soon enough. And kids aren’t likely to be traumatized by a kiss. How’d Fiona’s kids react?”

  He wondered the same thing. “I don’t know.”

  Dion stopped, turned to him. “You don’t know? What did she say about it?”

  “We didn’t talk. Not really. I...I felt like that was best.”

  Dion turned to start walking again. “If you didn’t have the sense to... Come on, help me understand it. You kissed her but didn’t talk to her afterward? What’s going on?”

  “I’m a working-class landscaper who let down his first wife when she needed me. Fiona’s got a million more appropriate opportunities.”

  “What if she likes you, though?”

  “It’s a mistake she’ll get over soon enough.”

  Dion shook his head. “You’re a bigger fool than I thought. Don’t you know who you are in Christ?”

  Eduardo stared at him. “What does Christ have to do with it?”

  “You’re kidding, right?”

  “Well, sure, I know Christ has to do with everything, but specifically?” He shrugged. “I don’t know how He plays into my love life. Or lack thereof.”

  Dion threw his hands in the air. “I’m dragging you back to Bible study next week. But seriously. If you made mistakes in your past relationship, you’re forgiven. And as for money?” He shrugged. “Just not important. Not to a Christian. Not to Fiona, I’m guessing.”

  “Come on.”

  “I mean, sure. You’ve got to pay your way. No slackers in the Kingdom. But anything beyond that doesn’t matter.”

  “When she could afford to take me on twenty luxury vacations for every camping trip I can offer her?” Eduardo shook his head. “Uh-uh. I’m too old-fashioned for that.”

  “Maybe she likes camping,” Dion said mildly as they came out of the woods. “Ever think of that, my man?”

  In front of them, the pond was still lively with groups of kids, families and community people. Golden sun slanted through the darkening clouds. Hard to know if it was going to rain or be warm and sunny.

  “I’d better get back to my kids,” Eduardo said. “Thanks for the talk.”

  “Anytime. Think about that Bible study.”

  “I will.” Eduardo started to walk away and then turned back. “You listening to your own advice about women?”

  A half smile creased Dion’s dark face. “Touché,” he said. “Get to work.”

  * * *

  Fiona served up two more hot dogs from the concession stand and was about to turn away when she saw Sofia approaching, her forehead wrinkled.

  She leaned out and smiled at the sweet child. No matter what differences Fiona and Eduardo had, the kids were innocent. “What’s wrong, honey?”

  Sofia held out the front of her white T-shirt to display a bright red spot. “I got ketchup on my favorite shirt, and Daddy said it’s going to make a stain.”

  “Let’s see.” Fiona came outside the concession stand and knelt to study the stain. “He’s right, although if we worked on it fast...”

  Sofia’s face lit up. “Can we? Please? Daddy’s not good with stains.”

  How many men were? “Come on inside,” she said, “and put on one of the derby T-shirts. I’ll see what I can do.”

  Sofia changed in a corner, and Fiona went to work on the stain while Daisy and Susan handled the counter, fetching chips and drinks. A couple of minutes later, Sofia came up beside Fiona. “Is it going to come out?”

  “I think so,” Fiona said. “See, you rinse it from the back with cold water. That keeps it from setting. And then we rub in some dish soap, like this. And then—” she looked around and located a clean bucket “—we’ll let it soak in cool water for a while. I’m pretty sure we got it just in time.”

  Sofia hugged her. “Thank you sooo much,” she said, letting her head rest against Fiona’s side for an extra moment.

  Fiona wiped her soapy hands and hugged the little girl close. “Sure, honey,” she said, her throat tightening.

  Like all little girls, Sofia needed a mother’s love. A mother’s guidance as she grew toward womanhood and started to face a woman’s issues.

  But Fiona couldn’t let herself get too attached to the child. Or the reverse. Especially the reverse. It would be a disaster if Eduardo’s kids got attached to her. “Go on out, catch some more fish,” she urged. “Look, there’s Lauren, and she wants to show you something, it looks like.”

  As Sofia ran down toward the pond, Dion came back to the grill and immediately he and Daisy started bickering. Susan was fretting because her husband had insisted on taking charge of Sam Junior, who, at four months, hadn’t spent a lot of time away from his mama’s side.

  As for Fiona, after a sleepless night, she wanted nothing more than to go home, plunk the kids in front of some engrossing movie and block out the previous evening.

  She’d been so happy, so sure that something wonderful was going to happen with Eduardo. His kiss had been tender and strong, everything a first kiss should be. And despite the semi-disaster of their kids discovering them, she hadn’t been too worried. Her kids liked Eduardo and his kids, and the idea of the two families getting closer and spending more time together made them happy.

  It had made Fiona happy, too.

  But his kind, sober rejection in the garden had swept the rug out from under her, restored her idea of her own romantic future to the same unhappy condition she’d always known it was.

  Dion brought in a plate of burgers. “Voilà, ladies! Perfection from the grill.”

  Daisy leaned over to study them. “Are you sure they’re done?”

  “Of course I’m sure. I’ve been grilling since you were in primary school!”

  Daisy lifted her hands, palms up. “I was just asking! Why do you always have to bring it back to the age difference?”

  Susan lifted an eyebrow at Fiona as she took the burgers from Dion and nodded toward the lake. “Thanks, Dion,” she said. “This might be enough for the rest of the day. People are starting to pack up and go home.”

  “I may just do the same.” Dion eyed Daisy. “It’s feeling kind of cold in here.”

  “Fine.” Daisy started wiping up the counter with unnecessary vigor. “Do what you want.”

  “Ladies.” Dion gave a mock-salute to the three of them, spun on his heel and walked out of the concession stand, his back straight.

  Daisy watched him go, her mouth twisted to one side. Fiona put an arm around her friend.

  Eight-year-old Mindy came running in and tugged Susan’s arm. “Mama, listen!”

  Susan bent down, and Mindy whispered into her ear.

  Susan’s eyebrows lifted almost into her dark hair. “Is that so?”

  “That’s what Ryan and Lauren and Sofia and Diego said!”

  Susan looked over at Fiona.

  Fiona’s heart sank. “What’s wrong?”

  Susan knelt in front of Mindy. “I want you to go on back outside, but don’t talk about other people’s business again. That’s called gossi
p, and we don’t do it.”

  Mindy stole a glance toward Fiona, looking stricken. “I’m sorry, Mama.”

  “Run and show Daddy the picture of you and your fish. I know he’ll want to get copies for all the relatives.”

  “Yeah!” Mindy dashed out.

  The moment she was gone, Susan grabbed a sign that said Be Right Back! and closed the front of the concession stand. Then she turned to Fiona. “You kissed him?”

  “What?” Daisy squeaked. “Who? Eduardo?”

  “Of course Eduardo,” Susan said. “And in front of the kids, apparently.”

  “That part was a mistake,” Fiona said as anxiety squeezed at her stomach. “But I’m sure the whole town knows about it by now.”

  Daisy opened a couple of folding chairs in the darkened end of the concession stand and gently pushed Fiona into one of them. “Sit.”

  Susan perched on the counter. “Tell us everything.”

  So, Fiona did. When she’d said it all, even the humiliating rejection in the garden last night, she found herself grim and dry-eyed. “So, it was nothing to him. He’s so horribly kind, and he wanted to let me down easy. Keep me from making a fool of myself. Which would be fine if my kids weren’t set on telling the whole town we’re getting married.”

  “Zero to one hundred, that’s kids,” Susan said, frowning.

  “That conversation in the garden was weird.” Daisy reached out to squeeze Fiona’s arm. “I’m sorry, hon, I can tell you’re upset. But think about it. Could he really have meant it as bad as it sounded?”

  “Judging from the way he’s avoided me today, yes.” Tears pushed at the back of her eyes and a couple escaped, which was ridiculous. Angry at herself, she brushed them away.

  Susan grabbed a napkin and handed it to her, just as wind gusted through the half-open window of the booth, blowing over the cardboard stand that held candy and bags of chips.

  A father and daughter peeked inside. “Any burgers left?” the man asked.

  Susan threw a couple together in record time and shoved them toward the customers. “Donate what you want. Condiments over there.” And she hurried back down to the spot where Daisy and Fiona were sitting. “What are you going to do?”

  Fiona blotted at her eyes. “What can I do? He’s made his decision, apparently.”

  Daisy scooted closer to put an arm around her. “I’m so sorry, honey. How do you feel about Eduardo?”

  “How was it, kissing him?” Susan asked, waggling her eyebrows.

  “Stop it!” Daisy scolded. “This is serious.”

  Fiona blew her nose and waved a hand, half laughing. “It’s fine. To answer your question first,” she added to Susan, “it was...fabulous, sadly.”

  “Sad because...” Daisy prompted.

  “Because I was starting to like him, and kissing him made me like him even more. And so—” She raised a hand to keep Susan from interrupting. “So it’s good he stopped me in my tracks. I should have known a guy like Eduardo wouldn’t go for someone like me. I did know that, but I...I kind of forgot.”

  Susan and Daisy glanced at each other. “What do you mean ‘someone like you’?” Susan asked.

  Fiona gestured at herself. “Tall. Carrying extra weight. Not the sharpest...” She cut off the words, frowning. Maybe it wasn’t that she was stupid, as she’d always thought. The moment of insight she’d had watching Diego and the things she’d read last night online came back to her mind for the first time since the miserable talk in the garden.

  She was going to pursue that, she vowed to herself. She was going to find out if she had a learning disability and see if she could get help. And that was one good outcome of the whole Eduardo fiasco.

  “You’re totally insane, thinking that you aren’t attractive,” Daisy was saying. “Do you know what most of us would give to have your height and your looks?”

  “Oh, well—” Fiona waved a hand. Women always said things like that. Women looked at the world differently than men did, looked for different things in people.

  She was going to stick to women friends and not venture into the world of romantic love again.

  “I’m not even going to dignify the whole extra-weight thing with a response,” Susan said hotly. “I’ve told you and told you about our culture’s crazy fixation on women being ultra slim, how it impacts us and hurts our self-esteem. You have three daughters, woman! You’ve got to stop!”

  “You’re right. I’ll try.” Fiona drew in a deep breath and reached out a hand to each of her friends. “You guys are the best. I don’t know what I’d do without—”

  But her words were cut off by the loudest clap of thunder she’d ever heard. There was a simultaneous flash of lightning, and then rain drummed sudden and hard against the concession stand’s metal roof.

  “My kids!” Fiona jumped up and ran to the window, peering out through the wall of pelting rain.

  “Go, find them.” Susan was texting and didn’t look up from her phone. “I’m sure Sam has Sammy Junior. We’ll clean up here. Go!”

  “Bring that shirt from the bucket, would you?” Fiona ran out of the concession stand and was instantly soaked.

  * * *

  Eduardo shepherded the last of six soaking wet kids into the cab of his pickup and scanned the nearly empty parking lot. He’d been mildly worried as the skies had darkened and people had started to pack up and leave, but now... Where was Fiona?

  “That came out of nowhere!” One of the remaining dads was throwing buckets and fishing tackle into the back of his truck. “So much for the awards ceremony.”

  “I wanted to get my award!” Diego’s mouth compressed into a thin line. “I earned it and I want it.”

  Eduardo gave him a warning look. “The awards will be figured out later. Right now, we need to focus on staying safe and getting dry and finding Fiona.”

  “I hope she has my shirt,” Sofia said. “She’s good at fixing stains.”

  “It’s more important that she’s okay,” Lauren said from the crowded back seat.

  “Yeah!” Ryan added. Then Poppy started to cry.

  “I need for all of you to be very mature.” Eduardo got in the driver’s seat and wiped a hand across his wet face. “I’m going to pull over to your car. Maybe she’s inside.” Although, she wouldn’t be. She’d be looking for her kids rather than trying to keep herself dry.

  “There’s Mom!” Ryan shouted.

  Eduardo screeched to a halt beside Fiona’s SUV. “Where?” But even as he asked, he saw her, or a flash of her. Running, but down toward the pond rather than toward the nearly empty parking lot. And then he lost sight of her in the dark downpour.

  “I’m gonna go get her,” Ryan said.

  “Me, too.” Lauren reached for the door handle.

  “No.” He turned in the front seat to make eye contact with all the children. “You need to stay here. Lauren and Sofia—” he eyeballed the two older girls “—you’re in charge. You make sure everyone stays inside the truck. Sing songs or something. Got it?”

  They both nodded, eyes wide.

  “Is our mommy going to die like our daddy did?” Maya asked.

  Poppy started crying louder.

  “No way,” Eduardo said. “She’ll be fine.” He jumped out and slammed the door, then started running toward the spot he’d last seen Fiona. Rain pelted his head and shoulders and ran into his eyes.

  Fiona would be fine. She was probably just looking for the kids. They’d have a good laugh about how wet they’d all gotten.

  “Eduardo!”

  He blinked and saw someone running in his direction. Two people. Susan and Daisy.

  He pressed the keys into Daisy’s hands. “Can you watch the kids? They’re in my truck. I’m looking for Fiona.”

  “Will do.” She ran in the direction of his truck.

  �
��Did you see Sam and my kids?” Susan sounded half-hysterical.

  His impulse to help a woman in distress conflicted with his desire to find Fiona. He hesitated, automatically putting an arm around Susan’s shoulders, and squinted around the parking lot. The rain stung his eyes.

  A pair of headlights cut through the rain. There was a flash of red. Sam Hinton’s Lexus?

  “That’s our car! I have to—”

  “Go.” He pushed her lightly toward the car that held her family. And then he turned toward the pond. “Fiona! Fiona, I have the kids!”

  No answer. Where was she? He ran, his heart pounding, eyes scanning to the right and the left. His feet splashed in instant puddles and he nearly lost his balance. Had she fallen, too? “Fiona!”

  Why had she been running toward the pond?

  He zigzagged down that way, searching. And then a flash of lightning illuminated the area.

  He saw Fiona lifting the rowboat the kids had clustered around earlier, the one Mercedes had said she’d hidden under when she’d gotten lost.

  How was she strong enough to lift it by herself? She was going to hurt her back. He sped up.

  “Fiona!”

  A sickening pop, a flash and a large tree exploded into flying limbs and branches. Lightning!

  He didn’t see Fiona anymore. Had she been struck?

  He ran faster than he’d ever ran in his life, arms and legs pumping, water and mud splashing up into his face.

  Steam rose from the tree, but all Eduardo could think of was how hard and fast those branches had flown—like a bomb. “Fiona!”

  He got to the spot where the rowboat lay half in the pond. Debris from the lightning-struck tree covered the surrounding mud.

  His heart thudding, he lifted the boat. She wasn’t under it. He ran along the shore to the right but didn’t see her.

  Ran to the left. Looked at the now-murky water and felt a moment’s pure terror.

  The thought of her four kids losing another parent warred with his own fear. He shoved it all away. Focus. Find her.

  He spun and ran in the other direction, past the rowboat, scanning both the shoreline and the water now. “Fiona!”