by Rachel Hanna
Danielle couldn't believe she had invited Bennett to come to dinner at her house. What had she been thinking? She could've just as easily sat in his office for another few minutes and gone over what they could do about getting Berta and Edwin out on a date together. Why had she suddenly invited him to dinner without thinking first?
She opened the oven door and checked on the Italian baked chicken one more time before going out front to get some air. Normally she liked to sit on the back deck and look at the ocean, but she needed to check on the plants in her front flower bed.
Her mother had never been much of a gardener, but Danielle enjoyed planting things. She enjoyed tending to something and watching it grow. The heat was getting progressively worse as summer approached, so she always tried to make sure that her plants had plenty of water each day. She stood out on the walkway, pulling the water hose over to the second flower bed, dousing them with plenty of water before turning off the spigot.
Just as she was about to go back into the house, she noticed Gladys walking alone down the sidewalk with her little white dog.
"Gladys!" she called, waving at her. She didn't normally see Gladys down the road this far, so she hoped everything was okay.
Gladys looked at her and smiled, waving her hand as she walked toward the cottage.
"I didn't know you lived here! I didn't know anybody lived here. Isn't this place kind of crappy?"
Danielle chuckled. "It was, but Bennett got it fixed up for me. It's actually pretty cute now."
Gladys scanned her eyes across the front of the house and then looked back at Danielle. "If you say so."
"Where’s your niece?"
Gladys rolled her eyes. "Watching some stupid television show that I didn't want to watch. Who watches other people look for houses to buy? I'll be glad when she leaves in a couple of days."
"You don't like having her here to visit you?" Gladys shook her head.
"Just because she's the only family I have doesn't mean I want to see her. She's never been nice to me. Of course, her mother was a horrible person, so that apple didn't fall far from the tree."
Danielle struggled to stifle a laugh. "Listen, do you have a few minutes to sit and have a cup of coffee?"
Gladys stared at her, a smile spreading across her face. "Really? Nobody ever invites me for coffee."
"Of course. I'm having Bennett over for dinner in an hour or so, but I have a few minutes. I need to check on my food. Come on in," she said, motioning for Gladys to follow her.
They walked into the cottage, and Gladys looked around. "This place isn't half bad. It's not as nice as my house but it's livable."
Danielle didn't know if Gladys said the things that she did because of medication, a brain disease, or she just spoke her mind. Sometimes it was refreshing, while other times it was worrisome.
"How do you like your coffee?"
"Black. My mama taught me to drink strong coffee. She said it might put hair on my chest, though I still haven’t seen any.”
Danielle poured a mug of coffee and set it on the breakfast table. Gladys sat down, still holding tight to her little dog’s leash as it laid down on the floor next to her feet.
"What's your dog’s name?"
"Her name is Delilah the Dog."
"Hi, Delilah," Danielle said, leaning down to pet the little fluffy pooch.
"No. It's Delilah the Dog. We don't shorten it. She hates that.”
"Oh, gotcha. Sorry about that," Danielle said, turning her head to avoid Gladys seeing her smile. Danielle picked up her own cup of coffee and sat down across from Gladys.
"So, are you staying here as the nurse?"
"Right now. I haven't made any future plans."
“Do you have commitment issues?”
Danielle laughed. “What?”
“I heard Dr. Phil talking about it one time. It sounds to me like you have commitment issues.”
She had a point. “I don’t know, honestly. I’ve been committed to things before that didn’t quite work out.”
“So you’re scared?”
Danielle reached over and squeezed her hand. “Maybe you missed your calling as a therapist.”
"Most people don't stay here because we can be a bit much to deal with,” Gladys said, veering off onto another topic of conversation.
"Oh, I like it here pretty well so far. It was a little rocky at the start, but I think I'm finding my footing."
"Good. Glad to hear it." She took a long sip of her coffee and stared out the window.
"So, Gladys, do you mind if I ask you some questions about your medical history?"
Gladys tilted her head. "Why?"
"I just want to make sure you're on the proper medications and that you don't have anything interacting. It's been on my mind."
"Shouldn’t I just make an appointment?"
"No need for that. We can do it right here."
Gladys shrugged her shoulders. “Okay. Fine by me."
"Why don't we start by talking about what medications you’re currently taking. Do you remember?"
"Well, I take a daily aspirin, vitamin D, B12 shots…” As Gladys rattled off all of her medications, Danielle typed them into her phone so that she could look at them later. There were a couple she wasn’t familiar with because they were newer on the market and not something she’d dealt with in the ICU.
"And what diagnosis have you been given about your issues?"
"Oh, I've been told everything from dementia to Alzheimers to just being a little crazy."
"Have you seen a psychiatrist?"
“Honey, I don't remember. I've seen so many doctors over the years. That silly niece of mine is trying to get me to go to some doctor that she's picked out. I know why. She wants him to proclaim that I'm a loony tune so that she can take all of my money."
She had to give it to Gladys. She was very observant of what was going on.
"Do you feel you have memory lapses?"
"Not a lot. I remember to feed my dog, what time Judge Judy comes on TV, when to go to dinner. I remember my childhood. I even remember what I ate for breakfast this morning. Of course, it's the same thing I eat for breakfast every morning - oatmeal with blueberries and bananas. Have you tried that?"
Danielle nodded. "I have. One of my favorites." The truth was, she hated oatmeal, but that wasn't the point of this conversation. "Do you ever feel you see things that aren't there?"
Gladys giggled. "Well, if I see them, doesn't that mean I think they are there? How would I know they weren't there? I mean, if I knew they weren't there, then why would I see them?"
Danielle felt like her head was about to spin around. "I mean, do you sometimes see things and tell others what you see but they don't see it?"
She nodded. “Sometimes. Like I’ve seen those aliens at the marsh.”
"And why are you out at the marsh?"
"I go down there to watch the sunset."
“I see. And you see aliens?"
"Sometimes. They aren’t always there.”
"Makes sense."
"No, it doesn't. It doesn't make sense at all! I know it sounds crazy, but I see them. I don't like it."
"What do they look like?"
"People think they’re green, but they're really not. The ones I see are more gray, and they don't wear any clothes. They don't have the same… stuff… that we have on our bodies. The male ones have these things that look like…”
Danielle realized they were way off track, so she quickly stood up before Gladys could finish her sentence. "Well, I better get working on finishing the food before Bennett gets here. You've given me some great information, Gladys. I'm going to work on figuring out the reason you're seeing things that maybe aren't there."
"You mean you're not going to just write me off as crazy like everybody else has, including my niece?”
She stood up and walked toward the door. "No, I don't think you're crazy. I think something else is going on, and I'm going to help you figure out what it i
s. I promise. I won’t just write you off as crazy."
Gladys turned around and smiled gratefully. "Thank you. It's been a long time since I felt like somebody was in my corner." Unexpectedly, she hugged Danielle before turning and walking down the walkway toward the street.
Suddenly Danielle felt overcome. She felt like she might burst into tears right then and there. Here was a woman who had felt abandoned, alone, like nobody was listening to her. Now she felt comforted that Danielle was in her corner. It was enough to make her cry.
"Have a good night, Gladys. We’ll talk soon."
She watched Gladys walk down the sidewalk with her little dog, and she felt pride in her heart that she was trying to fix what was going on with a woman who was basically alone in the world. Maybe she would and maybe she wouldn't, but at least she could go to bed at night knowing that she had tried to do something for a woman who deserved it.
“Whoa! Dinner at Danielle’s? How’d you score a date with her? She’s a looker!” Eddie said as they rounded the corner in his golf cart. Why on earth he’d agreed to accept a ride from Eddie was beyond him. He always regretted rides with Eddie because they resulted in mild whiplash.
“It’s not a date. She wants to talk about work stuff.”
Eddie chuckled. “It’s been my experience that work stuff is discussed at the office, my dear friend. That lady invited you to her house, and she’s cooking? You might as well buy a ring and propose!”
Bennett rolled his eyes. From the day he’d hired Eddie, he’d questioned his judgement. Eddie did a great job, no doubt about that. Still, he was the biggest busybody on the island, and there’d been so many near-misses with him driving the golf cart that Bennett had lost count.
“Don’t you go around spreading false rumors about me and Miss Wright.”
“Miss Wright. Even the name has ‘future wife’ written all over it!” He cackled at his own joke before coming to a screeching stop to let some very slow bingo players cross the street. Janice, with her big pink bun, stopped in the road and shook her finger at Eddie.
“How many times have I told you to stop speeding around this island? I swear, I’m going to find a switch and skin your hide, Eddie!” She held up her shiny silver cane and waved it in the air before finishing her walk across the street.
Eddie sheepishly looked over at Bennett. “She has a point.”
“Maybe so,” Eddie said, as they continued - albeit a bit slower - down the road. “So, do you like Danielle?”
“Of course I like her. She’s an exceptional nurse and a nice person.”
Eddie looked at him and laughed. “You know exactly what I mean, boss. Do you like her?”
“She’s my employee, Eddie.”
“You’re not answering my question.” He pulled up in front of Danielle’s cottage and looked at Bennett.
“My life is Wisteria Island. You know that. Romantic entanglements are not my thing.”
“You’re a young guy, Bennett. It’d be nice to see you happy with a good woman and maybe some kiddos.”
Bennett smiled and smacked Eddie on the shoulder. “Well, my friend, I’ve learned that we can’t always have what we want. Money definitely doesn’t buy happiness and believe me I’ve tried.”
He stepped out of the golf cart and waved at Eddie as he flew off down the road and out of sight. As he looked at Danielle’s door, he steeled himself for whatever she had up her sleeve.
“That chicken was amazing! Where’d you learn to cook like that?” Bennett asked as he leaned back in his chair.
“Lots of cooking shows on TV,” she said, laughing. “My mother is a terrible cook. Like, she could literally burn anything, and her sense of what spices to use was always wrong. One time, she made an Italian pasta dish but accidentally put cumin in it. Trust me when I say she won’t be winning any awards for her culinary skills!”
“What does your mom do for a living?”
Danielle drank a sip of her wine. “She’s an epidemiologist.”
Bennett’s eyes widened. “Wow. That’s impressive.”
“My dad was a brain surgeon. Ironically, he died of a brain tumor a few years ago.”
“I’m so sorry.”
“What about your parents?”
“I never really had a father, so we lived a single parent lifestyle.”
“Was it tough?”
“Well, I grew up in a single-wide trailer directly across from the town landfill, if that gives you any idea.”
“Really?”
“Yep. We were that family that people had to help at Thanksgiving and Christmas. We’d get groceries on our doorstep from strangers, and my toys were always things I didn’t exactly ask for. I learned early on that writing to Santa Claus wasn’t something I should do because I would only be let down.”
“I guess I imagined you grew up in a different situation.”
He smiled. “You mean rich? Yeah, not even close. Most of the time, we didn’t even have a car. My mom worked two or three jobs and our electricity was off more than it was on. We always had water because we had a well, so I guess that’s something.”
Danielle had a whole new perspective about him now. “You must be so proud of what you’ve accomplished in your life.”
“You’d think so,” he said, taking both of their empty plates and walking to the sink.
“You’re not proud?”
He turned on the water and picked up the dish soap, dripping some onto each plate before he started washing them. “I’ve never really thought about it. My whole life was eat or be eaten, if you know what I mean. Bill collectors calling the house, if our phones were even turned on. People my mom borrowed money from banging on our door at all hours. My grandmother was my only saving grace. She was a saint.”
Danielle wiped the table with a wet cloth. “She’s the one who inspired this island, right?”
“Yes. I wish she’d lived to see this place.”
“You’re doing great work in her name. Be proud of that.”
He rinsed both plates and put them on the drying rack before turning around and leaning against the counter. “So, what are you most proud of?”
Danielle sighed. “I don’t know.”
“Oh, come on! You were a highly skilled ICU nurse, right?”
“I was.”
“Can I ask you something?”
She crossed her arms, a defense mechanism she’d used since childhood, usually to protect herself from her mother’s emotional jabs.
“Go ahead.”
“Why did you come here?”
She chuckled. “To take a job as a nurse on an island full of crazy people.”
“You know what I mean, Danielle. Why leave a prestigious job like that? Something must’ve happened.”
She sighed. “Listen, I’m not a person who enjoys discussing her personal life.”
“Oh. Sorry.” He walked back to the table and sat down. She paused a moment and then did the same.
“I hope I didn’t offend you, Bennett. You’re a very nice person, but I’m kind of a closed book. I’ve never been great at talking about personal things.”
He smiled. “And yet you invited me here to orchestrate a love connection for two people you barely know.”
Danielle shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t like talking about myself. Other people are fair game.”
“Fair enough. So, what’s this big plan?”
“I don’t exactly have a big plan. I was hoping you could help me devise one.”
“Why is this important to you?”
“I don’t know. I guess I want these people to have a second chance. I was watching Berta look across the room at Edwin, and I can’t explain the look she had on her face.”
“Like she was longing to be with him?” Bennett said, his voice softer than Danielle expected. The moment was both awkward and sweet.
“Something like that.”
“What if we just talk to Edwin and convince him to ask her on a date?”
&nbs
p; Danielle rolled her eyes before getting up to retrieve the cherry cobbler Bennett had brought. She put it in the center of the table and handed him a spoon.
“That’s not very romantic.”
Bennett dug into his side of the cobbler, taking a large bite. He’d admitted to Danielle that Esther Wilson had made it. She ran the island bakery, and he felt like no one could do a better job on dessert.
“Okay, so what would you find romantic? As a woman, I mean.”
She took a bite from her side and thought for a moment. “Something surprising.”
“They’re elderly people, Danielle. I don’t think surprising them is a good thing.”
“I don’t mean a surprise, like jumping out from behind their shower curtains. I mean why don’t we set up a date and bring them both there.”
“How do we know Edwin is even interested?”
She took another bite and stared at him. “Seriously? Edwin isn’t exactly a looker, and this island isn’t a hotbed of romantic options.”
“Still, maybe he enjoys being alone.”
“Do you?”
“Do I what?”
“Like being alone?”
He looked down at his cobbler and then took another bite. “Sorry, but I don’t like discussing my personal life.”
“Touche.”
“And no, I don’t like being alone.”
A long silence hung between them. “I don’t think Edwin likes it either,” she finally said.
“How about this? We’ll set up a romantic dinner on the beach at sunset and then lure each of them there. Thoughts?”
Danielle smiled. “That’s actually a great idea. When?”
“As soon as possible. How about tomorrow night? At sunset?”
“Sounds great. I’ll get Berta there, and you handle Edwin.”
“Okay. I’ll get Naomi to help us get the groceries. We’ll do it on the beach behind my house.”
Danielle grinned. “This is so exciting!”
“I just hope it works or we might have two very upset people to deal with.”
She hadn’t thought of that, and she wasn’t going to. Somebody should have a beautiful romance on this island, she thought, even if it would not be her.
