Romance Through the Ages

by Amy Harmon

“You’re so pale. You’re not a hundred percent yet, are you?”

  “I am tired,” I said.

  “Take my car and go back to your hotel and rest.”

  “I’ll be fine,” I said.

  “I want you to go rest. Tonight’s a big night and I don’t want you to be tired. I’ll ride over with my parents to pick you up. Take a nap and relax. We’ll be by at about six.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “I’m sure.” Matt walked me to his car and kissed me. “Tonight’s going to be good,” he said.

  * * *

  I stepped off the elevator and paused to breathe. Just around the corner from this little hallway, Matt and his parents were waiting. I let out a slow breath and wiped my hands on the skirt of my black dress. It was the same dress I’d worn to the Keller’s open house but in an effort to make Matt happy, I was wearing plain black pantyhose, black flats and a simple silver necklace.

  “Here she is,” Matt said and put his arm around my waist. “Mom and Dad, this is Elizabeth. Elizabeth, my parents.”

  Matt’s dad shook my hand. His mom kissed the air over my shoulder. “It’s nice to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Dawson,” I said.

  “Just call us Paul and Ellen,” Mr. Dawson said.

  Paul was tall and elegant, just what I imagined Matt would look like in another quarter century. Ellen was a beautiful woman—perhaps a little too polished and a little too smooth. Her eyebrows were more arched than a woman her age could manage on her own and her lips were a little too plump.

  After a few pleasantries, we walked through the revolving door and a valet soon delivered the Dawsons’ car. “You drive, Matthew, since you know where we’re going. Your mother and I will sit in the back.”

  The drive was pleasant with most of the conversation centered on the grand opening. The conversation continued after we were seated at the lovely crystal and silver-laden table.

  “I really don’t know why you put up with Alan dressing like a peasant,” Ellen said.

  Matt laughed. “Alan dresses how he wants. There’s not much I could say that would make him try harder.”

  “Well, you and Meg looked stunning.”

  “I guess Alan takes after his father,” Paul said. “Jim never did worry about his appearance.”

  “Maybe if he had tried harder, Alice wouldn’t have taken up with that realtor.”

  “Now we’re sharing Alan’s sordid family life,” Paul said. “And he’s not even here to defend himself.”

  “Alan doesn’t need defended,” Matt said. “He knows about his family’s failings. Why do you think he wanted to move to Seattle?”

  “Well that might explain why he wanted to move away but I’m still not sure why you and Meg had to leave,” Ellen said. “You could have opened a lovely bookstore in Arizona and then I wouldn’t be without my son and Margaret wouldn’t be without Meg.”

  “That’s true, but Portland was calling my name,” Matt said. He rested his arm on the back of my chair his fingers touching my neck just behind my ear.

  “And you were calling Meg’s name,” Ellen said. Matt’s hand stopped moving on my neck. An awkward hush fell over the table. Matt and his father exchanged a meaningful glance. “I still don’t know what happened between you two.”

  “Mom, not now,” Matt said.

  “Not now what? Surely your new girlfriend knows you and Meg were as good as engaged.”

  Actually, the new girlfriend didn’t know anything of the sort. I took a sip of water, not sure what to say or even how to act.

  “We were never engaged.” Matt’s voice was quiet. Paul coughed behind his napkin.

  “Well, there might not have been a ring, but we all expected it any time.” Ellen looked from me to Matt and back to me. When the discomfort had reached its boiling point, she smiled. “But that’s clearly behind us now, isn’t it. Tell us about your family, Elizabeth.”

  It took a focused effort on my part to sound relaxed and normal. “My dad is an accountant and my mom is the office manager for a doctor’s office.”

  “How nice,” Ellen said but she didn’t sound impressed. “And where did you go to school?”

  “I graduated from Oregon State.”

  The waiter saved me from elaborating on my schooling by bringing us bowls of wild mushroom soup. It was delicious but I struggled to enjoy it. We ate in silence but it wasn’t a comfortable silence. Judgment and snobbery sat at the table with us and I struggled to keep my hand from trembling. I should have stayed home. Which was worse—a raging fever and chills or enduring this meal with people who thought I was inferior?

  The waiter took our bowls and the interrogation continued.

  “Matt has been so secretive about this little affair. You’ll have to fill us in on the details,” Ellen said.

  “Mom,” Matt said at the same time that Paul said, “Ellen.”

  “What?” She looked hurt. “A mother shouldn’t know about her son’s life? We were in Portland just weeks ago and hadn’t heard a word about you,” she said to me. “And now I find out my son is head over heels for you.” She made quotation marks with her hands. “I just want to know more, that’s all. Can you blame me?”

  “Of course not,” I said. The storm clouds that blanketed the evening parted just a crack and showed a tiny sliver of silver. Matt had told her he was head over heels for me. That was such a romantic phrase and one I wouldn’t have expected Matt to use no matter how he felt.

  Jumping at that, Ellen asked, “So tell me how you two met.”

  I looked at Matt. He’d told them I was a designer. Did he want me to tell them he’d come through my line at the bank? Matt put his arm around my shoulder. “We met at work,” he said.

  “Your work or his?” she asked me.

  I hesitated so Matt could jump in if he wanted. “Mine,” I said when Matt didn’t respond.

  “At your design company?”

  I glanced at Matt’s face. He was staring into his water glass, his jaw clenched. Surely he didn’t expect me to lie.

  “At the bank,” I said.

  “You work at a bank?” Paul asked. “I thought you were an interior designer.”

  I glanced at Matt again. “She is. She was just waiting for that to become a full-time job,” Matt said. “In the meantime, she was working at the bank.”

  Matt’s use of the past tense bothered me and I was tempted to correct him just on principle. Then I looked across at Ellen’s “caught you” expression and I had a sudden realization. Matt wasn’t enjoying this interrogation either. He was barely surviving it and while he struggled not to drown in the ocean of his parents’ expectations, he was trying to hold my head above water, too. If I fought against him we might both go down.

  Emma had said I could tell people I worked at her design house. She wanted me. It was just a matter of time. I threw out a life preserver I hoped would save both Matt and me.

  “I work for Emma Cho Designs. She’s one of the best-known designers in Portland. In fact, she was hired to renovate several rooms in the Governor’s mansion last year. She’s quite brilliant.”

  “And Emma was so impressed with Elizabeth’s work that she practically begged her to come work with her.” Matt barely squeezed my shoulder but it was enough that I knew he was grateful. “If we were smart, we’d hire Elizabeth to redo the house in Carmel before she gets so busy she can’t squeeze us in.”

  “We haven’t been to the house in Carmel in over a year,” Ellen said.

  “Maybe you’d want to go more often if you had it renovated.”

  “We might. I’ve just enjoyed Cumberland Island so much more lately.”

  “Then we should sell the house in Carmel and buy something on Cumberland,” Paul said. “It hardly makes sense to rent a house there while the Carmel house sits empty.”

  “Would you want to buy something on Cumberland?” Ellen’s mood suddenly lifted.

  “If we’re going to go there every few months, it makes sense,” Paul said.

/>   “You know, I adore Cumberland. We should call a realtor and see what’s available.” The thought of another house made Ellen more generous. “If we do sell the house in Carmel, maybe you could do some work on it to make it show better. Stage it or something.”

  “Maybe so,” I said.

  The waiter brought out a roasted duck dish with a rich plum sauce. “Matt, did you know the Emerson’s bought a second house in Belize?”

  “I think it was either a third or fourth house,” Paul said.

  “What made them go to Belize?” Matt asked.

  “George said it was because he needs a place to get away from the stress of his job but I think it had more to do with the stress of his taxes.”

  “I love to travel to those little countries but I’d never want to live there. I’d be afraid I’d die of some disease or some drug cartel would come and murder us in our sleep,” Ellen said.

  Paul rolled his eyes. “Always so dramatic.”

  “You say that but you don’t want to go there either. Admit it.”

  “You’re right, dear, I don’t. But it isn’t because I’m afraid we’ll be murdered in our sleep.”

  “Have you ever been to South America, Elizabeth?” Paul asked.

  “I haven’t.”

  “Have you traveled out of the country at all?” Ellen asked.

  “Just to Canada.”

  “Well, if you and Matt get married…”

  “Ellen, don’t get ahead of yourself,” Paul said.

  “I said ‘if.’ I’m not getting ahead of myself. If you and Matt get married, we’ll have to send you to Europe. Everyone should see Europe.”

  I didn’t know what to say.

  “This duck is delicious,” Matt said. I looked at his plate. He’d hardly had a bite.

  “I’m surprised you’re eating the duck,” Paul said.

  “Elizabeth is helping me be less of a snob when it comes to food,” Matt said.

  “And other things, too, I guess,” Ellen said softly under her breath.

  Suddenly I knew I was going to cry. It was the same feeling I’d had as a kid when I’d run over a nail on my bike. I’d seen the nail go into the front tire and I’d hopped off the bike only to find it embedded in the rubber. If I pulled it out the air would escape in one giant gust. If I rode like crazy, maybe I could make it home before it was too late. Either way the air was escaping. I’d pumped as fast as my legs would go and by the time I made it to my driveway, the tire was sad and empty.

  “Would you excuse me for a minute,” I asked but I was already out of my seat. I didn’t make it quite to the ladies’ room before the tears started. I sat in the stall trying to make them stop as fresh tears followed the ones I’d wiped away. When I finally felt empty, I splashed some cold water on my face—thank goodness for waterproof mascara—and walked back out to the table. I felt as empty as that flat tire and no amount of assorted treats would fill me up.

  Twenty-nine

  “LIZZIE, THIS IS fantastic,” Laura said. She and James had brought Jonah to Bradley Oakmont’s book signing, which was also the day of the public unveiling of The Children’s Room.

  “I didn’t know you were coming,” I said and gave her a hug. Having some of my family there lifted a cloud I hadn’t known I was standing under.

  “Jonah is a little young for Oakmont’s books but we wanted to see what you’ve done,” James said.

  “And as long as we’re here, I’m getting a head start. Jonah will be the first kid his age with Super Nerd books in his library,” Laura said.

  “I’m so glad you guys came.” I knelt down by Jonah who was sitting in one of the multi-colored chairs I’d painted. “Do I get a hug from my little peanut?”

  Jonah looked up from his dragon picture book. “Aunt Lizzie.” He wrapped his chubby arms around my neck. “Will you read to me about the dragons?”

  “She can’t right now,” Laura said. “But we’ll buy that book and the next time Aunt Lizzie comes over, she can read it to you.”

  “Okay.” Jonah sat back down with his book and I stood up.

  “How are you feeling?” I asked Laura.

  “Like I’m about to burst. But she’ll be here in the next few weeks, so I’ll survive.”

  “You look good,” I said.

  “Yeah, right!”

  “I’m serious,” I said.

  “I feel pretty good. Better than I did with him, that’s for sure.” Laura had been confined to bed for the last month of her pregnancy with Jonah.

  “I’m proud of you, Lizzie,” James said. “This place looks great. You turned out way more talented than I expected.”

  I rolled my eyes. I saw Matt across the room with Bradley Oakmont. His eyes met mine and he nodded and smiled. A few minutes later he came up beside me.

  “Matt, this is my brother James and my sister-in-law, Laura.”

  “Good to meet you,” Matt said, shaking their hands.

  “And this is Jonah.” I ruffled Jonah’s curly blond hair. He looked up at Matt for a second and then returned to his book.

  Matt chatted with us for a few minutes before returning to Mr. Oakmont.

  “I see what you mean,” Laura said quietly. “He looks just like Mr. Darcy.”

  “This is clearly a conversation not meant for me,” James said. “Jonah, I’ll read you that book.” James sat down cross-legged on the floor by Jonah’s little chair.

  “I know. It’s crazy, isn’t it?” I said.

  “I guess your dreams have come true.” I shrugged. “Lizzie?”

  “I don’t know. I guess I’m not so sure.”

  “What do you mean?”

  I was afraid to say more. I felt like my dreams were a shiny balloon I held in my hand. In my other hand was a pin. If I told Laura the truth about my reservations and my confusion, I’d be sticking the pin into the shiny surface of the balloon. Maybe the balloon would just bend under the pin and would hold up. But maybe it would burst, leaving my dreams in ruins. I wasn’t ready to take that chance yet.

  “I’m not sure what I mean. I guess it’s hard to know.”

  “Everyone has doubts sometimes,” Laura said.

  “Are you trying to tell me something?” James said from the floor, proving he’d been listening after all.

  “I haven’t had any doubts since long before we got married,” Laura said.

  “That’s what I like to hear,” James said and kissed Laura’s knee.

  “How romantic,” I said.

  “Hey, it’s all I can reach right now,” James said.

  Laura patted my back. “You’ll figure things out.”

  * * *

  Trees were budding, tulips were blooming and sunshine came to visit every day in April. I crossed my fingers it would continue all the way through Janessa’s wedding. The bridal shower was a small, cozy luncheon at Janessa’s favorite Mexican restaurant with the guests being those who loved Janessa best—our mothers, a few cousins, some co-workers, and me.

  I went with Janessa for her final wedding gown fitting and then we celebrated with pecan sticky buns and hot cocoa at Elrod and Evelyn’s bakery, the same bakery where we ate pecan sticky buns when we skipped biology in high school.

  I was buckling my turquoise sandals when my phone rang.

  “Hi Matt. You almost here?”

  “Babe, I’m so sorry. I meant to call you earlier and then I got tied up here and I forgot.”

  “So when will you be here?” I looked at the clock. It was almost time to leave for the wedding rehearsal and dinner. If he was running too far behind, he’d have to meet me there.

  “I’m in Seattle.”

  I deflated on the edge of the bed. “What? Why are you still there? You were supposed to leave this morning.”

  “Like I said, I got involved in some things here and I didn’t get away.”

  “But Matt, this is a big deal. This is Janessa’s wedding rehearsal. And dinner. And I’m supposed to bring a date.”

  “I kno
w. I’m sorry.”

  “What about tomorrow? Will you be here for the wedding?”

  “I promise I will. I’m finishing up these books with Alan and then I’m driving home tonight. I promise I won’t leave you hanging.”

  A little breeze of sadness blew through my heart. Why was it so easy for Matt to blow off things he knew were important to me? Janessa was my best friend. She was more like a sister to me. This was an important time and Matt was in Seattle helping Alan with some books. Did they really have to be gone over today?

  I applied some lipstick and straightened my pink shift dress before putting on a white cardigan. I looked pretty. Matt was missing out.

  The rehearsal at the church went off without a snarl. The cheerful mood was like a warm fire on a cold day and soon my disappointment that Matt wasn’t coming disappeared and I joined in on the fun.

  Ben and Janessa beamed. I choked back tears when I saw how Ben looked at Janessa. The minister teased them by making them practice their kiss several times and the room became more and more jovial as each kiss became longer and more dramatic. After the last kiss, one that had Janessa bent backward nearly to the floor, she came up with tears of laughter streaming down her face.

  “The bride’s crying and she’s not even married yet,” Ben’s father said. “This isn’t a good sign.”

  When the minister determined they were proficient enough kissers, the party convened at a private room at Torta-Landia, the site of Janessa and Ben’s first date.

  When the meal was finished, Ben’s father stood and tapped his glass. “Don’t anyone think you’re leaving. We’re just getting started.” A few people cheered and he continued. “Before they bring in our dessert, I thought we could share some of our favorite memories of Ben and Janessa.”

  I laughed more than I had in ages as stories were told of Ben and Janessa. Some stories were from before they met. Others had happened in the last eighteen months. With each story, jokes and teasing and laughter followed. It was obvious Ben and Janessa’s families liked each other and an easy rapport filled the room. I wondered how they knew each other so well.

  When it was my turn, I stood, a little nervous. “Janessa has been my best friend forever. I’ve watched her learn many skills but one she will probably always struggle with is cooking.” Several people voiced their agreement and laughed. “After Janessa had been dating Ben for a couple of months, she decided to cook him a special dinner. She bought steaks and marinated them to grill. She saute’d mushrooms, baked potatoes and even made a salad that didn’t come out of a bag.”