Page 23

Part K

“About Damn Time”

August

The smells of spiced apple cider and freshly baked pastries filled my nostrils. I looked around and saw that I’m standing near Norway in the middle of World Showcase at EPCOT, which is decorated for the holidays. I must have been at their Festival of the Holidays celebration, which is something I’ve always wanted to see.

“Try this,” a voice said in my ear as they embraced me from behind and offered a Scandinavian pastry to me. I took a bite and it’s like a cinnamon and cream-filled wonder, wrapped in very thin dough. When I turned around, I saw the faceless woman there, back in her tuxedo, taking her own bite of the treat.

She took my hand and pulled me off to try more delicacies of the event. We ate and laughed and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves, to the point where I forgot she has no face and just reveled in her company.

As we were exiting the park, she turned to me in front of Spaceship Earth and kissed me. Her lips tasted of cinnamon, even though I couldn’t see them.

* * *

“It’s not too late to turn around,” Abby says as we pull into the parking lot and see the red walls and white roof of the Angus Barn.

“Well, considering I see your mom waving to us from the entrance, I think it is,” I reply, waving back at Mrs. Cassidy.

“Damn,” Abby says. Once she parks, she looks at me sincerely and adds, “Have I thanked you enough for coming with me?”

“Yes, but you’ll really clinch it when you take me to Element for a proper dinner I can actually eat next week.” The Cassidys have a penchant for selecting restaurants with hardly anything I can eat. At least the last one had a few options. At this one, I can only get one thing.

“And you can order anything you want. Appetizers, entrees, desserts. Get something to take home for the next day. I’ll get you anything you want for eating with them again. Especially here.”

We gather our things and reluctantly walk to meet up with Abby’s parents. Abby’s mom is all dressed up like she’s going to a formal event with a red cocktail dress complete with beaded clutch and stiletto pumps. Mr. Cassidy is wearing a full suit with a tie that matches Lynnette’s dress perfectly and pristinely shined wingtips. On the other hand, Abby and I are both wearing dress pants with nice blouses like we’re just here for a nice dinner and not heading off to meet foreign dignitaries.

“Hello, dear,” Lynnette says to Abby, then leans forward to give her a quick air kiss.

“Hi, Mom and Dad.” Abby grudgingly turns to her father and gives him a hug.

Jack pats Abby’s back once, then releases the embrace. “Hello, Abigail.”

I also exchange pleasantries with the Cassidys, then we head into the restaurant for our reservation. We’re led to our table by the fireplace and handed menus by the hostess. Jack immediately hides behind his menu, perusing all the offerings of meat. As I take a quick glance at the menu I’ve already surveyed online, I can’t help but think about how Abby called this place “Big Steak Meat Palace” the other day, and I start to giggle to myself.

“Clare, that’s a lovely top,” Lynnette says. “Where did you get it?”

I look down at my blouse as if I’ve forgotten what I’m wearing. “Oh, I think I got it at Torrid. But that was ages ago.”

Lynnette frowns as if that’s not a shop she’d ever conceive of shopping in, but she says, “If they have things as cute as that, I’ll have to check it out sometime.”

I hear Abby mutter, “Sure you will, Mom,” under her breath.

After several moments of complete silence from the table, I attempt another ice breaker. “So, what is everyone going to get for dessert?”

“Dessert?” Jack says with barely disguised disdain. “Who is thinking about dessert right now? I haven’t even ordered my steak yet.”

Abby grabs my hand under the table. “I think Clare was just trying to make conversation, Dad. Also, as you know, she’s vegetarian, so there’s not a lot she can eat on the menu here.”

“Good thing you brought her, then,” he replies.

Both Lynnette and Abby seem poised to come to my defense, but the server appears to take our orders. Thankfully, Jack doesn’t try to steamroll the ordering process this time and we each get to order for ourselves. I order the three-cheese ravioli and a side salad, while Abby gets the grilled chicken, and Lynnette and Jack get some kind of extremely expensive steaks. They, of course, order a whole bottle of wine to share, even though Abby and I say we’re going to stick with water.

“And we’ll get the chilled seafood tower for the table,” Jack says.

As the server walks away, I surreptitiously roll my eyes and keep my mouth shut because I really don’t care. The main thing is to get through this evening as calmly and quickly as possible, then hope to not have to repeat this nonsense for quite some time. Considering the emotional abuse piled on by her father especially, I wish Abby would cut them out of her life completely, but I also understand how that would be very difficult since they’re her parents.

No one says anything for the longest time, but you could cut the tension with a knife. I take a sip of my water and survey the interior of the restaurant. The walls are dark brown paneled wood, as you’d expect from a barn, and all the tables are clothed in gingham. The chandeliers are made of antlers, and there’s various country décor and hunting memorabilia decorating the walls. It’s homey and the fireplace adds a nice ambiance.

The server arrives back with the seafood appetizer and everyone else tucks in. Abby gives me an apologetic smile as she takes a couple shrimp from the platter, and I just nod for her to enjoy her food.

“How did your date with Belinda go, dear?” Lynnette asks, finally breaking the silence.

Abby swallows her bite of shrimp and wipes her mouth before responding. “It was fine. She was nice and all, but we didn’t have a lot in common.”

“Typical,” Jack coughs around a mouthful of crab.

Lynnette puts a hand on Jack’s arm. “Did you make plans to see each other again?”

Abby shakes her head. “No. Like I said, we didn’t really hit it off.”

“That’s a shame. I was so sure she’d be perfect for you.”

“Well.” Abby shrugs.

“Well, what?” Jack asks. “Your mother found you a wonderful girl with a future and all you can say is ‘well’? Did you at least get some tips from her on planning for your future? Going back to school? She went to Duke, you know.”

“No, we didn’t really talk about our jobs that much,” Abby responds meekly.

Every time I see her around her parents, I’m surprised by how much she lets them get away with. Why can’t she just stand up to them? She’s not this timid in her day-to-day life. She stands up to people all the time in her line of work and has no problem with it. But get her around these people and she’s a mouse.

“Well, have you even given any further consideration to law school?” Jack asks. “Let me just take a wild guess at that answer: no.”

Abby looks down at her plate.

“Your father and I only want what’s best for you,” Lynnette chimes in. “We’re only concerned for your future. We won’t be around forever to bail you out.”

“I haven’t ever needed bailing out, Mom. I’m doing just fine,” Abby replies.

“Fine is just not good enough. We set you up with that college fund for you to go to law school. I went to law school. Your grandfather went to law school. Your great-grandfather went to law school. There’s a legacy there and you’re not living up to your potential.” Jack grabs his wine glass too forcefully and some of it sloshes onto the tablecloth. “I knew we should have tried for a boy,” he mutters.

That’s the last straw. “What did you just say?” I ask.

Jack looks taken aback. Apparently, he thought none of us heard his last comment. “Nothing.”

“I heard what you said, and it was far from nothing.” I set my water glass down deliberately and look directly at Jack. “This woman”—I put my hand on Abby’s shoulder—“is perfect just as she is. She has a heart of gold, and she would do anything for her friends and her family, even though you’ve never supported her in the slightest. She works hard at her job, and she’s been promoted several times to become one of the most trusted property managers at Marshall Realty. Her apartment is beautifully decorated because she has an eye for design—but you wouldn’t know that because you’ve never seen it. She manages her money well so she will have money for retirement but still be able to enjoy her life now. Which, again, you wouldn’t know because you don’t take the time to know anything about your daughter’s actual life, just the life you decided was right for her. Most importantly, she has done all of this on her own, without even touching your precious money.”

I don’t know how, but Jack looks like he’s shrunk about two feet, and Lynnette won’t look up from her plate. But, when I look at Abby, she’s smiling but also looking at me like she’s never seen me before. And maybe she hasn’t.

Abby stands up and throws her napkin on the table. “We’re leaving.” She puts her hand out for me, and I take it. “Clare is right. You don’t know or understand my life because you’ve never tried to. And I’m tired of it. When you come to your senses, you know where to reach me. Until then, I’m done.” She pulls me to my feet, and we walk hand-in-hand out of the restaurant. On the way out, she grabs one of the mints on the host station, unwraps it and pops it into her mouth in triumph.

Once we’re out in the parking lot, I gush, “Oh, I’m so proud of you. You were absolutely brilliant. The way you stood up—”

All of a sudden, she pulls me to her with such force that I forget to breathe for a second. Then, suddenly, her lips are on mine, and they taste of cinnamon, just like in my dream. And I know she’s the one in the dreams, beyond a shadow of a doubt now. There’s the very real feeling that we’ve both been longing for this for ages, and embers have ignited into flames.

When we pull apart, we’re both panting like we’ve run…well, any distance really. She smiles at me, and I smile back.

“Clare,” she whispers, “will you be my girlfriend?”