by Terri Thayer
“I want to thank you for taking me to your stamping group,” she said, eyes down. “You didn’t have to do that.”
April was surprised and felt a ribbon of warmth unfurl in her for this poor woman. Violet’s ravaged face and body gutted her. She was so far from the freckled-faced second-grader lisping through “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” at the holiday pageant. “Like a lightbulb,” they’d shouted together.
“I enjoyed having you with me,” April said.
Violet seemed to be tearing up. “No one’s treated me nice since I came back. It was like everything I’d done in my life, college, buying my own place in the city, going to law school, none of it mattered.”
Her voice got quieter, and the hubbub around them snatched her words away. She pulled off one bright blue mitten and shook out a pack of cigarettes. April leaned in closer so she could hear. “All I wanted was to keep up with the twenty-five-year-olds in my class. It was so much harder than I thought.”
Violet shrank back against the tent, finding a space out of the wind to light up.
“What’s done is done,” April said, hearing her mother’s platitudes come out of her own mouth. It was comforting in a way, bringing Bonnie into her thoughts. “You’re putting all that behind you now.”
April put a hand on Violet’s shoulder, breathing in smoke. Violet swiped at her eyes with the other mitten.
“I wish it was that easy,” she said.
April said, “You’re not using, right? And you’re going to your support meetings?”
Violet nodded. A group of loud teen boys went by, showing their love by hip- and shoulder-checking each other. One crashed into Violet’s side, nearly knocking her over. He apologized and quickly moved off, telling his friends to jet.
Violet ground out her cigarette. She pulled April in for a hug. “Anyhow, I just wanted to say thanks for letting me stamp with you.”
“I hope you’ll come again,” April said.
“I’m not sure your friends would like that,” she said. Violet’s eyes shifted to the crowd and she squared her shoulders. “We’ll see.”
She walked off with a flip of her mitten.
April reached down for her phone. It was not even three o’clock. She still had an hour before Mitch needed her back. She took a step forward, but her path was blocked.
Mark and Deana stood in front of her. “We’ve been looking for you,” Mark said, mock sternly.
April put her phone away. The voice mail light was lit, but she had ignored it. They’d probably been calling her. It was hard to hear the phone ring in the din of the Ice Festival.
Deana said, “We’re going for a late lunch. Care to join us?”
“Halupki and sausage rolls,” Mark said, rubbing the front of his coat. “You know you want some.”
He rolled his eyes. Deana nudged him and joined April laughing. The bite of cookie had just whetted her appetite. The sandwich Charlotte had left for her was long gone, eaten before Mitch had picked her up.
“I’d love to, but I’d better wait for Mitch. We’ll eat later.”
“We just went by there, looking for you. He said you should eat with us. He was working furiously. I don’t think he wants to be distracted.”
“Me? A distraction?” April tried on a femme fatale voice but dropped it.
Mark said, “Us manly men, we need our alone time, too, you know.”
“For what? To do your nails?” April asked. “Nice try. I’m starving. If Mitch says it’s okay to eat, then I’ll eat.”
She snaked her arm under Deana’s and the other under Mark’s, and the three marched toward the entrance of the food tent.
“By the way,” Mark said, “the temperature is twenty-nine. Chance of flurries tonight.”
April punched his arm lightly. “Thanks, Weatherman. Thanks for reminding me how cold I am.”
The tent was warm. Not enough to take off their coats, but several large heaters were working hard to keep the frigid air comfortable. Planks of wood had been laid down between aisles of tables to serve as a sidewalk. The noise from the diners was loud. April communicated with Mark and Deana by hand signals.
They loaded their plates with carbs as if they were bears about to go into hibernation. Mark led them to a long communal table with three empty seats. They greeted the people around them and tucked in.
April was mopping her plate with bread when she looked up to see an unexpected familiar face.
Tina Adama stood in front of them. “Mind if I sit?”
Deana looked at April, clearly questioning. Mark jumped up and pulled out the bench he’d been sharing with April. He kept his hand on it so she wouldn’t tip and fall off.
“I warmed it up,” he said, indicating that Tina should sit in his place. He took his plate and moved to the opposite side next to Deana. She took his hand in hers. They both looked to April for answers.
Tina settled on the bench, unbuttoning her coat and taking off her gloves. She set them on the table and unwound her plaid chenille scarf.
April took in a breath. She hadn’t told them about Tina’s existence. She’d been hoping to tell Mary Lou first.
“Deana, Mark, this is Tina Adama.” She leaned across the table to avoid revealing her identity to everyone around them. She knew she could count on them for discretion. “J.B.’s girlfriend.”
Mark’s eyes went wide. Deana tightened her grip on her husband’s hand but otherwise didn’t flinch. April admired her ability to look unsurprised. Tina reached across to shake hands.
“We’re so sorry for your loss,” Deana said. Mark nodded and shook her hand.
April turned to Tina. “What are you doing here?”
“I saw a flyer for the festival at the drugstore. I knew that Peter Rosen was one of the judges.” She saw the question in April’s eye. “What? They’ve got a website you know, Rosen Realty. It’s very informative.”
April had seen the website. Plenty of pictures of Peter and Mary Lou, Kit and her brother. Even the twins. Information about their civic duties, their volunteer work. It was all laid out there in an effort to entice the buyers and sellers of homes. Everything a person would want to know about a family.
“I thought there was a chance I could meet Jimmy’s people,” she said, her eyes straying down. She settled a hand on the gentle curve of her stomach. April glanced at Deana. It wasn’t easy to tell under the bumpy contours of Tina’s down coat that Tina was pregnant, but something in the way her hand moved told the story. Tina could not stop touching herself.
Deana gave April a sharp look. April nodded slightly. Deana’s eyes widened. Death of a loved one, pregnancy, all Deana’s buttons were being pushed right now. She snuggled in closer to her husband. April knew she was hurting.
“I couldn’t stand it if he was buried without me,” Tina said, sounding more macabre than she’d intended.
Deana straightened. This was something she could help with. Mark looked down at his wife as if he knew what she was thinking. They believed in the value of rituals surrounding the dead. They also knew the complications of families.
Tina shrunk down in her seat, swallowed by the wide quilted collar of her coat. Her face was even rounder than April remembered. The bulky coat made her look little and vulnerable.
“I haven’t had a chance to tell the family about you,” April said. “They might not be all that thrilled to meet you.”
“She’s carrying his child,” Deana said loudly. April looked at her friend, knowing she’d decided to help Tina. Once she’d made up her mind, nothing stopped her, but she didn’t know about April’s doubts.
“I know that but . . .” April began. She lowered her voice.
Deana cut her off. “What is it you’d like to have happen?” she said to Tina.
Tina sat up straighter. Her hand clutched her stomach as she looked at Deana hopefully. “Just to be there. If they don’t want to meet me, I won’t make trouble. I just need to be present.”
“Let’s call Mary Lou right now. She�
��s here somewhere. I’m sure she’d be glad to meet you.”
April had to stop this. She wasn’t sure Tina was who she said she was.
She put her hand over Deana’s phone. “Why don’t we just let Tina know when the service is? I’ll make sure she gets to it. What do you think, Tina? I can even pick you up.”
Tina considered.
Deana looked to Mark. He’d caught his breath through his teeth. “Looks like you won’t need the phone,” he said.
The three women followed his gaze. Mary Lou and Peter were making their way into the tent. In two more steps, they’d see them.
April stared at the plate in front of her, now empty except for her dirty plastic silverware. A lull in the conversations around them brought quiet. April heard Mary Lou call out to Deana and Mark.
“Peter has to eat and run,” she cried, pointing at the buffet. She steered her husband toward the goodies. Her hand gestures made it apparent she’d seen the two empty seats next to Deana and Mark and wanted them saved.
April saw Violet and Paula seated on the other side of the tent, watching them.
Mary Lou started toward them, obviously not seeing April. Or ignoring her. And not knowing who Tina was. April felt her scalp turn hot despite the cold. This wasn’t going to end well.
Tina stood up from the bench, nearly dumping April in the process. Her presence had been anchoring one end. April caught herself and stood, just as Mary Lou arrived.
“Oh,” Mary Lou said, spotting April. She looked at Deana as if she was disappointed in her. She adjusted the brim of her floppy wool hat. April couldn’t see her face very well now.
Tina took a step forward. April grabbed the back of her coat, but Tina twisted away. She’d obviously recognized Mary Lou.
“Hi, I’m Tina Adama. Your brother and I were involved.”
Mary Lou’s face had gone pale. Tina put out her hand.
“I’m happy to meet you,” she said. “Jimmy talked about you all the time.”
“Jimmy?” Mary Lou said stupidly. That was so unlike her, April knew just how flummoxed she was by Tina’s presence.
“J.B.,” April said. “Tina knew him as Jimmy.”
Mary Lou recovered a bit, color returning to her cheeks. “And you knew this how?”
This was the woman April knew. Never without a come-back. April couldn’t tell her that she’d been to Mountain Top twice in the last week, seen where J.B. lived.
“She’s a pharmacist,” she said, hoping to focus the attention back on Tina.
“Not a drug addict?” Mary Lou said. Her face said she didn’t believe it. “A fellow alcoholic?”
Tina’s mouth fell open. “Your brother was clean and sober when he lived with me,” Tina said, her voice tight. Tina stepped around the bench and moved closer to Mary Lou.
The tinny music that had been playing stopped. The crowd noise died down some. The Ice Festival announcer came on to say that the sculptors had ten minutes to finish. He encouraged spectators to gather round for the judging. April had to be at Mitch’s station before that time was up or they would be disqualified. It would take her half that time to get over there.
She looked from Mary Lou to Tina. They hadn’t taken their eyes off each other’s faces. J.B. had two strong women in his life, that was for sure. April suspected they were more alike than they knew.
“Lived with you?” Mary Lou said, her words clipped and cold. April felt another chill. It was her fault Tina was here. She’d brought this woman into their lives and now she wasn’t even sure J.B. had loved her.
“Listen, why don’t we get together and talk this out?” April said. “You can come to the barn a little later. After the Ice Festival. The Campbells are away, and I’ve got some great wine. We can talk . . .” She glanced at Deana.
Deana smiled at April. She liked the conciliatory tone April was trying out. Mark’s hands were crossed in front of his body, and he had on his neutral funeral-director face. Ready for anything. Peter was coming toward the table with a plate of food. He was grousing that he had no time to eat. He’d heard the announcement, too.
April glanced out of the tent. Streams of people were heading toward the ice-sculpting area. She would never get over there in time unless she left right now.
“I’ve got to get back,” April said. “Mitch . . .”
Tina and Mary Lou ignored her.
“We’ll be there for the judging,” Deana said.
She started to move away. “Okay, how about it? Say, eight o’clock, my place?”
Mary Lou seemed to be waiting for Tina to agree first. Tina appeared to be thinking about it. She placed her hands on the front of her coat. One on top and one on the bottom, cupping her belly. Mary Lou’s eyes widened.
The air horn blew a two-minute warning. April had to fly.
As she snuck through the stakes at the back of the tent, she heard Mary Lou say, “You’re pregnant?”
CHAPTER 17
April raced back to their station, skidding into it seconds before the final air horn sounded the end of the contest. She saw Kit on her way to the food tent.
Mitch put out his hand to stop her.
The announcer said, “Chain saws down. Cutting tools down.”
“Glad you could make it,” Mitch said.
She bent over to catch her breath. “Oh man, you won’t believe what’s going on in the food tent. Tina, J.B.’s girlfriend, is talking to Mary Lou. Mary Lou just noticed she was pregnant. I think I saw Kit heading there, too. It’s going to be a bloodbath.”
She looked up. Mitch was not listening at all. He was fussing with the blue tarp he’d thrown over his work. She looked around the circle. The judges were making their way around the circle. Peter Rosen must have skipped his meal and taken a shortcut.
What was going on between Tina and Mary Lou? April couldn’t stand the suspense. She strained to see the food tent. The sun had set quickly and it was completely dark. The lighting around the ice sculptures didn’t put a dent in the black.
Mary Lou was bound to be unhappy when she realized Kit knew about Tina’s existence. Because of April.
A round of applause brought April back to the contest. The first sculpture had been uncovered. April’s breath caught in her throat as she saw an icy locomotive with realistic steam rising from the stack.
She put her hand through Mitch’s arm. “Wow, that is something. Let me see ours.”
“Not yet,” he said, unhooking himself from her.
He was acting so weird. He must be really nervous, April thought. He walked several steps away from her and back again. He cracked his knuckles loudly. She remembered the treats in her pocket. Maybe if he stopped long enough to eat a cookie, he wouldn’t implode before the judges got there. She tried to get close to him, but he stepped on her foot.
“Ouch,” she yelled, louder than she’d intended, but her extremities were so cold already that his misstep really hurt. She hopped on the other foot, futilely rubbing her toe through her thick boots. “I was just trying to give you these cookies I bought for you.”
“Careful!” Mitch warned. He ran behind her, making sure she hadn’t rattled his sculpture. She’d gotten too close.
Tears sprang to April’s eyes. Her big toe throbbed. Her face hurt from being outside in the cold all day. Mary Lou and Tina were having it out, and she wasn’t there. Mitch had worked on his mysterious piece all afternoon without her.
“Pardon me for living!” she yelled.
Mitch turned back to her. “No, no, I’m sorry.”
“We’re here,” Deana called. She and Mark were in front of them. Mark was filming with his little video camera.
“Smile for me,” he said. “How about a picture of the happy couple?”
Mitch grabbed April in for a hug. She slipped on a piece of ice on the ground, her boots going out from under her. She lost her footing and began to slide precariously close to the statue. Mark reached in and grabbed one arm. Mitch got the other and they righted her.
/>
She stood still, brushing off both men. Mitch looked at her pleadingly. He pouched out his lower lip. “Sorry,” he mouthed. She took in a breath. All she wanted now was to go home.
“Where are those judges?” April said. She looked, but instead of judges, she saw the local TV station coming her way. Jocelyn Jones was the same reporter who had come to the corn maze event at Suzi’s last year. The spectators shifted, following the news crew. Suzi and Rocky were in the crowd behind the reporter. April watched to see where the crew was headed. Probably going to film the winner for the six o’clock news.
To her surprise, they stopped at her station. Her heart skipped a beat. Had Mitch won? Her spirits lifted. She looked at him, ready to forgive him.
“April Marie Buchert,” Mitch said. His voice sounded unusually loud. April looked at him. Behind him, the crowd was getting bigger.
The light on the TV camera came on, blinding April. She turned her head away. “What’s going on?” She turned back, her vision slowly righting itself. The spots grew farther apart.
To her shock, Mitch was on one knee, in front of his piece, which was still covered. April looked to Deana and Mark, who were grinning widely. Rocky elbowed her way to the front of the crowd.
The announcements that had been ongoing were silent, and she could hear Mitch’s loud breathing. He was miked. She saw the black thing attached to his collar. She looked at the TV reporter. She waved, grinning widely.
“April Marie Buchert,” Mitch said again. His voice was so loud, she put her hands over her ears. The cameraman raised his camera again.
“Get up,” April whispered. She leaned into Mitch and tugged at his arm. “Please get up.”
To her horror, her voice was amplified through his mike. Panic clawed at her throat. What was he doing? Had he lost his mind?
“What? I’m going to ask you to marry me.” He looked bewildered. He pushed off one knee and stood, taking her hand in his.
She held her hand over his lapel mike. “What makes you think this kind of public proposal is what I would want?”
“Every girl likes a grand gesture.” He wasn’t getting how far off the mark he was.
