Page 41 of Maybe Some Other Time

Chapter sixteen

Sin-plicity

T helma was in the front garden, tending to the bushes and flowers, when Gretchen approached her for the first time in weeks.

“Hey.”

Her shadow announced her before her voice did—and Thelma would recognize either anywhere. I think about them enough. Particularly that voice. And that presence. Both drove her crazy to linger on.

“Hello.”

She attempted to sound cheery, but it was easier said than done when she was still incredibly embarrassed to remember how she kissed-and-ran back in June. It was October now. What was the statute of limitations on such mortification, anyway?

“Saw you out here.” Gretchen, who needed a haircut, kept her hands in her denim pockets as she stood a few feet away.

Thelma put down her spade and placed her own hands on her own denim.

She had to admit, jeans were perfect for working outside.

The boys really had it figured out back then.

“Thought I’d see how you were doing. Been a busy summer. Guess it’s fall now.”

Thelma shielded her eyes against the sun that began its descent behind Gretchen’s head. “Yes. Halloween soon. I’m looking forward to it.” She wouldn’t recognize most of the kids’ costumes, but she always loved it when groups of children had fun. “In another life, I’m a schoolteacher, you know.”

“I could see it. Bet you’re good with kids.”

“Oh, yes, kids I’m good with.” Thelma hoisted herself up without touching her hands to the driveway. “It’s when they grow up that I begin to struggle.”

She didn’t get an immediate reaction out of Gretchen, who continued to breathlessly look at her as if there was plenty to say, but no concrete way to say it. “So, um…” Well, that was one attempt. “You have a good summer? Saw you stepped out for a while a few times.”

Thelma laughed louder than she intended. “You keeping an eye on me, Ms. Stewart?”

“No, I just mean it was… I noticed when you weren’t around for a few days at a time.”

“I’ll take that as you being sweet.”

“That’s gracious of you, for sure.”

Thelma angled herself so the sun no longer shone directly into her eyes.

She must have just gotten home from work.

Gretchen was also in a heavy Carhartt jacket zipped up to her chest. Signs of reapplied sunscreen dotted her cheeks, yet there was a tan at her hairline.

Her hands were beautifully calloused—and Thelma couldn’t help but think about how they might feel against her skin.

Come on, Thel, keep it together. You had your chance.

“I did some traveling this summer. Went with a group up to Tahoe.” She referred to the chronoauts who always went somewhere twice a year, winter and summer.

Shasta for winter, and Tahoe for summer.

Everyone in the group encouraged her to join them in Tahoe for a week’s worth of “disconnecting” on the lake.

“Making S’mores and telling stories around the fire. You know. Practically Wolf Cubs.”

“Wolf Cubs?”

“Surely, you know them.” Thelma knew for a fact that Scouts were still around. She had seen them in the neighborhood, all dapper in their uniforms. “Boys who go out in the woods to learn survival skills. My son… he was about to join up when I had to leave.”

“Oh. Like Cub Scouts. Yeah, I remember.”

Is that what it’s called now? Like most other things, Thelma had to simply “roll with it.” “Got some plans for this fall, too. I like to keep busy.”

“I saw you were volunteering at the library. Where you going? If I may ask…”

“Sure.” Thelma eased into the conversation like warm butter sliding across hot toast. “Megan’s turning twenty-one in a couple of weeks and is insisting on taking me to celebrate.”

“Oh, man. Are you gonna be okay?”

“I better be. Because it’s happening.”

They continued to stand awkwardly, staring each other down as more shade gradually took over the neighborhood.

“Did you have something else you wanted to talk about? It’s been a while,” Thelma said.

Gretchen looked over her shoulder, as if any of the neighbors driving by in their giant vehicles could hear her. “I just wanted to apologize.”

“For what?”

“For whatever happened last time we… hung out.”

“Nothing happened, Gretch. I mean, nothing bad. Nothing to apologize for.”

“Sure, it’s just, you were quite adamant about leaving, and then we didn’t talk for weeks and then months. I thought I must have done something. So, instead of letting it get worse as Christmas comes and goes, I thought I’d just apologize. So we could start over. Assuming you want to.”

Thelma grinned.

“What?”

“You are adorable when you’re flustered.”

“Aw, come on.” Gretchen kicked a pebble in the driveway as Thelma continued to laugh. “You’re making this worse!”

“ How? ”

“By making me think I coulda have been talking to you this whole time as if nothing happened!”

“What if that’s true?”

“Then I’m the biggest damn idiot in Van Nuys, Thel. Possibly all of LA.”

“At least you’re cute when you’re an idiot.”

“Not helping.”

Thelma brushed some hair off her cheek, not realizing that there was still dirt on her fingertips. “I should be the one who apologizes. What I did back then was born out of confusion and fear of moving on too quickly from my marriage.”

“I kinda got that feeling, yeah. Look, I don’t wanna rush you or anything. I just like hanging out with you. And, um, kissing you. I’m still thinking about it, Thel.”

She mimicked the carpenter’s stance by looping her thumbs in her pockets and cocking one knee out to the side. So wonderfully casual. I love it. “I’m still thinking about it, too.”

“So?” Gretchen’s arms flapped at her side. “You wanna go out again?”

“Well, now, that depends.” Thelma told her heart to calm down before it got overly excited. “There’s something you need to know about me since we last went out.”

“Oh?”

“Yes. I recently joined a Lutheran church.” She held up her hand. “You don’t have to join, obviously. But it’s important to me. And I can’t date someone who doesn’t understand.”

“You’re still Christian, huh?”

“This church is pretty great. Female pastor.”

“Oh?”

“Right? I was shocked, too! Things are so different from how I grew up and the last church I was in. I’ve got this friend named Mick there who moonlights as a ‘drag queen.’ Maybe we can go to one of her shows sometimes.”

“Sounds pretty progressive for protestants. You sure they’re not Unitarians?”

“They’re a fun bunch. Exactly what I needed for some volunteer opportunities that make me feel like I’m doing… something. Anyway, we’re doing a ‘Trunk or Treat’ thing this weekend, if you would like to come help out.”

“Oh, well, that’s…”

“Absolutely no pressure. No proselytizing. Just a fun place for kids to dress up and play some games for candy before the main event on Halloween.”

“Thel, I haven’t done a church thing since I was a little kid and didn’t have a choice.”

“Just come meet them, huh? I bet they’ll love you.”

“I’m butch as fuck, Thel.”

“So? So’s Pastor Liz’s sister and some woman named Tina.

Only issue I have with her is that I tried to sit in her row the first time I went, and she chewed me out like I needed my hand swatted.

So, we don’t really get along, but she and her wife fit right in.

Plaid flannel and all.” Thelma had learned that it was a big lesbian fashion thing now and couldn’t wait to collect some for winter.

“Well, maybe…”

“Oh!” Thelma pulled her phone out of her pocket. “I’ve got one of these now. How about you give me your number? I can text now!”

“That’s… adorable… and a Nokia?”

“Tell you what.” Thelma approached, the natural flirt in her finally flexing some muscles now that she and Gretchen were talking again. “Let’s exchange numbers. You come with me this Saturday. And I can almost guarantee you’ll get a kiss for your troubles.”

“Okay, but…”

“Hm?”

“I gotta kiss you on church grounds. Dunno, Thel, there’s some part of me that’s gotta be transgressive if I’m going out with a church girl. Macking on her there would be so dope.”

Thelma had no idea what those words in the last sentence meant… but she got the message, loud and clear.

“Can’t wait.”

“Wouldn’t mind doing some other things behind that church, too.”

Thelma took a step back before Gretchen could brush a hand against her. “Can’t wait,” she repeated in a sultry whisper.

“My God, woman… the things I could do to you…”

Thelma choked on what that did to her. Sandy once said something just like that. “You remind me of someone,” she said.

“Who? Don’t say your late husband.”

“No, no. Just… someone I enjoyed sleeping with. Someone with a death grip like the Devil who wouldn’t let me go.”

She winked. Gretchen almost passed out on the pavement, and that was the image Thelma took with her to her bedside prayers that night.

“Forgive me, Lord…” she whispered. “For I have sinned, and will do it again!”