Chapter 13
What had she done, Therese wondered, to deserve this?
She’d stolen some dime-store candy when she was around Rindy’s age, but her mother found the wrappers, punished her soundly. In a similar vein, when her mother was long gone, Therese had once let Eleanor Krakowski get blamed for an infraction of hers during her time at school. Ellie’s beating was severe, but she’d spent the next six months tormenting Therese in return, and Therese hadn’t put up much fight.
She had, by most standards, committed an unforgivable sin, and continued to do so, though Angie insisted that the Bible didn’t actually say anything about being queer.
Adultery, that was an unavoidable black mark, even if Carol’s divorce was ongoing at the time. But it was now common thought that Therese’s lover was her aunt, and that the girl who called her Mama was her cousin. Surely, she had paid for that one by now.
It seemed she hadn’t, because here she was, sharing an otherwise empty table with Harge Aird.
The restaurant bustled around them. Harge tapped his fingers against the table. “Carol still late all the time?”
It was just barely more of a question than statement, Therese thought. “She got held up at work. She’ll be here soon.” Not that he had much room for complaint, with how often he’d been late bringing Rindy over, early taking her back.
Harge nodded. His eyes kept darting, wouldn’t stay on hers for long. “Furniture thing?”
“Yes. A furniture thing.”
Did he think Carol had traded in her shop to go aid the scientists in their space race? The only solace Therese could take lay in the fact that, unless she was very, very mistaken, Harge didn’t want to be here either.
It started when Rindy won a penmanship award. From there, in some horribly misguided attempt to make up for the Easter meal Therese and Carol had very much enjoyed missing, Lilah suggested a joint celebration to Harge. Who was, it seemed, duty-bound to suggest it to Carol. Who told Therese that they really must go, because the newlyweds had once again shown the courtesy of inviting them both, not just Carol. Carol had to go because Harge and Lilah had already put the idea in Rindy’s head, now she was expecting them both, and it would be rude for Therese to beg off.
When Therese called her bluff, pointed out that Carol couldn’t care less about being rude to Harge, Carol caved. The last dinner with Harge was a nightmare, she admitted, and now he’d have someone else on his side of the table. It would be cruel to send Carol into that alone, especially when this was a substitute for that cancelled brunch, which Therese had already committed to attending.
She could not be alone with Harge again, Carol stated, and Lilah and Rindy didn’t count.
Therese sighed and gave in, made it clear that she couldn’t be alone with Harge either. Or Lilah, who she didn’t know at all.
And here she was, alone. With Harge.
A world-shaking furniture emergency had indeed come up. Something about very picky buyers with very deep pockets, and Carol was so, so sorry darling, she’d be there the moment she could.
Therese had reached the restaurant alone, seen Harge through the window, also alone. She’d had more than half a mind to dash around the corner, hide outside until Carol showed up so they could both suffer equally. And then Harge looked through the window Therese was looking at him through. Their eyes connected.
Therese had still considered running around the corner, for several more seconds, but ultimately decided against it.
He stood when she arrived, pulled out her chair. It was hard telling which of them was more uncomfortable with the action. He was not actually alone, he told her. Lilah had taken Rindy and Sascha to the restroom. Lilah was generally in charge of “things like that.”
Therese debated retreating there herself. But she had yet to meet Lilah, and according to Carol, the woman wasn’t shy about handing over her baby. The only baby Therese had any sizable experience with was Jake, whom she suspected was more durable than most.
Harge was the devil she knew. Also, it wouldn’t do to drop his child on a bathroom floor.
So, Therese sat with him now, musing over every terrible life choice that had led her here.
A server arrived, with menus. Harge grabbed his up, immediately hiding behind it. Which had to be a welcome change from looking in the direction of the restrooms every ten seconds.
“Can I offer some wine for the table?” the waiter asked.
“Yes,” said Harge.
“Please,” said Therese at the same time.
Harge lowered his menu just enough to raise his eyebrows at her over the top of it.
“You know this place better than me. Whatever you think.”
Harge liked being deferred to, Carol said, especially about food and drink. Hopefully this would improve his mood.
Also, Therese would take anything alcoholic at this point, and thought the same would be true for Carol. If it wasn’t, well, sometimes lateness came with penalties.
Harge ordered and the waiter left. He went back to hiding behind his menu, and Therese followed suit.
Six items to choose from. Six. It didn’t take long to read, then reread, then memorize six items. What the hell were Harge and Lilah thinking when they chose this restaurant?
Therese scoured the menu with the same thoroughness she used when Dannie sometimes snagged her away from her own job so she could search his copy for typos. There were none.
“You’re old enough to drink?” Harge asked after over a minute of silence.
Therese couldn’t help it, she had to look at him. She was almost sure he was joking, or attempting it. Still, who was to say with Harge? “I’m twenty-two.”
Harge lowered his menu, looked genuinely surprised. “I thought you were nineteen.”
If he’d thought that, it meant he was joking about her legal status. Small comfort. “I was nineteen when Carol and I met,” Therese explained, trying not to speak slower than normal. “Now I’m twenty-two.”
“Oh.”
They were quiet.
“I’ll be twenty-three in October,” Therese offered, for no fathomable reason.
“Oh.” Harge flipped his menu to study the empty side of it. “Rindy’s birthday is in August.”
“I know.”
They were quiet again, until Harge shifted in his chair, his expression showing something like relief. He was facing the direction of the restrooms, she the door, so Therese heard Rindy before seeing her, heard eager feet rushing forward. Therese barely had time to turn before Rindy was hugging her.
“You’re here!” Rindy said, probably too loudly.
“I am!” Therese’s returned enthusiasm wasn’t false, other dinner companions not withstanding. She hugged Rindy back, kissed her cheek. “Hi, sweetheart. I’m so proud of you,” Therese said, talking about the penmanship award.
Rindy grinned. “Mouse helped me. Cursive’s hard, but she had to learn it in English and German, so she’s got the best handwriting. Isn’t that great?”
“It is. She did a great job teaching you.” Therese pulled Rindy in for another squeeze, spoke close to her ear. “Mommy’s on her way. She’s helping Abby with something, but she can’t wait to see you.”
“Okay.” Rindy broke the hug, sat down.
Therese was glad Carol hadn’t heard the casual response. She might misinterpret it as lack of interest in Carol’s whereabouts. Therese thought it simply meant that Rindy knew Carol would come for her, and wasn’t worried. And that she’d heard enough people throughout her entire life complain about Carol being late, Therese among them. Carol always arrived, if fashionably tardy. Hopefully Rindy knew that.
“Mouse’ll be here soon too,” said Rindy. “She’s fixing Sascha. He’s gross.”
“He’s your brother,” Harge said.
“Yeah, but he’s gross too sometimes,” Rindy said.
The waiter arrived with the wine. He poured two glasses partway, promised to come back with juice when Rindy asked for it.
“Such a sweet girl,” he said as Rindy scooted her chair closer to Therese’s. “And you look just like your mother. You and your wife must be so proud.”
Harge, who hadn’t wasted any time starting in on his wine, choked on it.
“Oh,” Therese said as Harge coughed, “oh, I’m not—”
“Thank you,” Rindy said with an absolutely charming smile, squeezing Therese’s hand under the table. She leaned in for a stage whisper after the waiter left. “Sometimes people get confused, but we’re never going to see him again, so it’s rude if we say something.” She looked at Harge. “Right, Daddy?”
Harge, coughing into one hand, raised the other in what Therese guessed was agreement.
Therese looked at him.
“Don’t ask. Please.” Picking up the bottle, he poured into both glasses until they were much closer to full, starting with Therese’s.
That was something, at least.
A few sips in, Therese saw Carol enter the restaurant. In her haste to raise her hand, get Carol’s attention, Therese almost hit Rindy with an elbow, which Rindy laughed at.
“Oh thank God,” Harge said under his breath.
For a bizarre moment, Therese thought he was verbalizing her thoughts about Carol. Then she realized he was looking in the other direction, at Lilah and Sascha. Lilah had the baby held securely against her chest. There were no overt signs of whatever horrible catastrophe she’d tended to in the bathroom for so long.
With Lilah and Carol approaching from opposite directions, Harge stood, edging away from the table as Carol reached the table. Carol’s eyes landed on the wineglasses, nearly filled to capacity. “Is it going that well already?”
“What did you expect?” Harge asked, a mutter without any real heat as he stepped around Carol to help Lilah.
Carol rested a hand on the back of Therese’s char. On the back of her neck, very briefly. “I’m so sorry.”
Therese pasted on a smile, spoke quietly enough that Rindy couldn’t hear. “I hate you.”
“Hate Abby, she’s the one who scheduled the meeting.”
“I’ll hate both of you, thanks.” She stood from her chair, but didn’t move.
“Okay,” Carol said. She mouthed the words ‘I love you,’ just before Rindy pulled her into a hug.
“Hi,” Rindy said, all smiles.
“Hello, my darling. I’m so sorry I’m late.”
“It’s okay,” said Rindy as Carol kissed her cheek. She pulled Carol down for another one of her whispers that wasn’t a whisper. “You can’t be Mommy today, because Daddy is married to Mama, and it’s rude if you’re Mommy.”
The look on Carol’s face was almost worth being left in the lurch with Harge, Therese decided.
“Don’t ask,” said Harge. He had returned with Sascha, carefully setting him in a tiny basket tucked near the table.
“I’m afraid to,” said Carol.
“So don’t.”
Lilah joined them, and there was a flurry of greetings. She clasped Carol’s hand, offered a warm hello. Therese got a slightly shorter handshake. Lovely to meet her, Lilah said, Rindy talked about her often. Harge helped Lilah into her chair, pushed it in. Carol was quick to get herself settled which saved Carol and Harge both the ordeal of doing the same for her. Rindy was grinning as though her August birthday had come early, and looking at them expectantly.
This resulted in Harge coming over to their side of the table to kiss Carol’s cheek, or mimic it, because there was no skin to skin contact. It reminded Therese of those quick, two cheek kisses Abby sometimes greeted people with at parties, except Abby’s gestures didn’t typically involve barely-concealed horror from both parties.
It seemed to make Rindy happy though, and when Harge glanced back at his wife as if to check that he wasn’t in trouble, Lilah wasn’t concealing her amusement.
The four adults settled on opposite sides of the table. Rindy was somewhat in the middle, between them. Up close, Lilah’s resemblance to Carol was both more and less striking than any photos had shown. Her face was a little rounder than Carol’s, they weren’t the exact same shade of blonde. Lilah’s nails were painted pink, not red. There was still enough similarity that Therese glanced away when Lilah touched Harge’s hand, scooted her chair closer to his. She looked at Carol, next to her, reminded herself that Carol was next to her.
Carol, who’d picked up the wine bottle first and her menu second, met Therese’s gaze, looked perplexed by it.
Carol didn’t see the resemblance. She still didn’t see it. Therese had no idea how that was possible, none at all, but these were strange times. She sipped from her wineglass until Rindy tugged on her arm, asked what she thought of the baby.
The tiny being at the center of so much controversy was resting comfortably in his little basket, utterly unaware of what a bizarre gathering he was at the center of. All this fuss over him, and he really was just another baby. And yes, Carol was right, a slightly pudgy one.
Panicking at Rindy’s question, and desperate to say anything that didn’t involve the word “fat,” Therese blurted out the next thing that came to mind. “He’s very blond.”
Harge groaned. Carol chuckled. Lilah laughed, a full sound that was almost musical.
“That he is,” said Lilah. She picked up her menu, smiled over the top of it at Carol and Therese. “So. Where shall we start?”