Angelina's Oak

by Jesse Reiss

Chapter 20

  Paula was nervous about Lee coming home, reminding her of times she would be cooking dinner, awaiting Jeremy to return from his long work shifts at the hospital. This, she reminded herself, was different. She was cooking as an exchange for the hospitality — not to try to win over or impress a man. Regardless, she found herself putting in the extra touch, designing garnishes for the meal and adding dishes.

  Neil buzzed in and out, commenting several times that the house has never had such tantalizing smells in it before.

  Lee came in the door around five thirty, dressed in his LAPD uniform. He stepped into the kitchen and observed the creations in progress “Wow! You two are hired!” They smiled sheepishly and continued their work.

  After Lee had changed they sat around the dining room table, which had been filled with trays of hot and delicious foods.

  “Feels like Thanksgiving at Grandma’s,” Neil commented.

  “We really appreciate you doing this. It isn’t often we take the effort to cook ourselves a real meal. And this is quite extravagant. Mostly it’s local take-out or the microwave,” Lee said.

  “Just a way to pay back for helping us,” Paula said quietly.

  Lee nodded. “I understand your daughter attends an all-girls Catholic school so I’m assuming you have a strong faith. You prefer we say grace?”

  “She attends for the education benefits, not for a religious preference,” Paula answered, nervous to be jumping into religion in the first non-work related discussion they’ve had.

  “Well, we’re sort of heathen, but not atheists — more deists. If you don’t mind, I’d like to say a few words, maybe not in thanks, but in reflection of recent days.” Paula nodded approval. They bowed their heads in silence.

  A moment later Lee spoke, his voice having dropped an octave. “Through life we experience many losses and tragedies. Paula and Angelina here have no doubt experienced their life’s share and the past week has shown them a good sampling of the travesty of which the human soul can become.” He paused and let the words sink in. “It is the urge and struggle towards happiness that drives us to carry on and lift ourselves back up and keep trying. Whether this is God’s will upon us or something innate within everyone, it is evident that it is each one of us and our individual actions that decides whether one achieves or doesn’t achieve that happiness we seek. We do our best to lift one another up morally and spiritually in hopes that the joys will become more frequent and the tragedies less. We live our lives and do our work seeking to help others as a prime duty as this act alone brings the most pleasure and satisfaction to the soul. We have reached out a hand to help Paula and Angelina and pray that they are able to move on with their lives, experiencing again the joys of peace and happiness.”

  He finished and looked up. “Amen,” Angelina offered quietly.

  Paula wiped tears from her eyes and smiled. She reached out a hesitant hand and gave his a squeeze. “Thank you.”

  With that they dug in and the tone lightened considerably with small talk back and forth as they got to know each other more.

  Nearing the meal’s end Angelina decided to ask the more serious question. “Okay, Mom and I would like to hear the story as to how you became father and son and…where’s mom?”

  Paula rolled her eyes, wishing her daughter had a little more tact.

  “You mean you don’t see a resemblance between us?” Lee asked and he and Neil laughed.

  “Your last name is the only resemblance,” Angelina added.

  “Right. Yes, Neil is adopted as you could presume. I used to be married to a woman named Taryn and we lived in Eagle Rock. She worked for a stockbroker way up in those big high-rises you see downtown. After a miscarriage she was too afraid to try again and so we were open to adopting. But she was too afraid to try that and so we dropped the idea until an awful accident happened to our neighbors down the street, leaving this good looking young boy alone without any parents at a very young age. Taryn agreed to adopt him and so we did. About five years ago she got pregnant,” he took a breath for pause, “but not because of anything I did. Turned out the pay raises she was getting from her boss weren’t because of hard work. So here we are now.”

  “But you stayed with your Dad and not with her?” Angelina asked, curious about the arrangement. Paula glared her eyes again, wishing for her daughter to shut up.

  Neil finished the story. “Yeah, Taryn moved in with her boss, Larry, who was already mid a divorce from his wife, with whom he had three spoiled kids who are a horror to be around. Taryn and Larry can’t seem to get along with each other, the baby they had was born autistic and the ex-wife is suing and — and — and — total soap opera. Here we get along and life is peaceful.”

  “You know there’s that old oxymoron that says the best way to get back at an unfaithful spouse is to let the other guy keep her,” Lee said with a laugh.

  Angelina giggled and Paula smiled, not thinking it was so amusing.

  “And you,” Neil asked, “what gives your eyes that slightly Asian hint?”

  “My Dad was half Japanese. I have Grandparents who live in Japan.”

  “And where is Dad now?”

  Angelina looked over at Paula, knowing this was a line she shouldn’t cross without her mother.

  “He left us last year…in a freeway accident,” Paula said and with a slight tremble in her voice, asserting that was the conversation’s end.

  There was silence as Neil and Lee exchanged heavy glances, wondering how much more trauma these women could take.

  “I’m really sorry to hear that,” Lee said sincerely.

  Paula and Angelina nodded, heads down, looking for something on their empty plates they could distract themselves with. Angelina didn’t like the somber feel to the atmosphere. “Officer Stanley, how long have you been a police officer?” From there the conversation went into his work and Paula explained hers, lightening the feel and bringing smiles back to everyone’s faces.

  The boys insisted on doing the dishes while Paula and Angelina lounged together in the living room. Paula spoke quietly to her daughter, “I called and arranged for Charles Tompkins to pick you up tomorrow and take you to the Currys’. I would feel a lot better with you there than hanging out here or in school because I’ll be at work and there will be no one here.”

  “That’s okay with me. I can help Sam with his school work.”

  “And I think we should go back to our home tomorrow morning.”

  “Okay, but why? I mean not that we shouldn’t or can’t.”

  “I don’t know that it’s right to be living here with these two like this. I understand the precaution aspect after what happened yesterday, but I feel strange, like I’m rushing into something I’m not ready for and you and Neil don’t seem to be faring any better.”

  Angelina wasn’t sure what Neil’s take on her was either and thought he still looked upon her as something cute or curious — not at all in a romantic way. The initial crush she felt in first meeting him hadn’t worn off and she still avoided looking directly into his eyes for fear it would reveal her thoughts. “I guess you’re right. We can always invite them over to our place though, can’t we?”

  “Of course. They are friends now and good people too.”