Page 51 of When People Leave

Charlie

W hen Charlie dressed the next morning, she wore her favorite pink flowered dress.

She was happy that she had a good reason to wear it.

While Morgan made a vegetable frittata, Charlie arranged bagels, lox, and cream cheese on a platter.

Charlie knew her sisters were as overwhelmed as she was since the only sounds in the room were the steady whir of the coffee grinder’s blades crushing the beans into dust and the refrigerator constantly opening and closing.

The women had brought in some of Carla’s things from the garage so they could make brunch special. Although having empty counters worked for home buyers, Charlie felt the room was barren and cold, like she needed a blanket and slippers whenever she wanted a snack.

Abby put the ground coffee in the coffeemaker and hit start. Within thirty seconds, Charlie could smell the coffee brewing, and her mouth watered.

At ten o’clock sharp, when they opened the door to Brian, he smiled warmly.

He held a bouquet of white hydrangeas in one hand and a manila envelope in the other.

This time, he was dressed in jeans and tennis shoes.

Charlie noticed his Nirvana T-shirt. I like this casual father more than the one who was here yesterday. And he has great taste in music.

“It’s me again,” Brian beamed. “You said not to bring anything, but I didn’t want to show up empty-handed.” He gave Charlie the flowers and she thanked him.

“Come on in, breakfast is just about ready,” Morgan said. Since the vases were all in boxes in the garage, Charlie went to grab a tall glass from the cabinet.

On the table was a linen tablecloth the color of lush foliage in an emerald forest, Carla’s best china, and cream linen napkins at the side of each place setting. Silver candlesticks with candles to match the tablecloth sat in the center.

“Is all this for me?” Brian asked.

“No, we’re expecting the President of France,” Charlie said, and Morgan and Abby laughed.

“Cool, I’m honored to get to dine with him.”

Abby brought the platter of bagels in from the kitchen in one hand and the frittata in another.

“Can I help?” Brian said, jumping up.

“Thanks, but this is nothing. I feed four starving kids and a husband three meals a day. I could carry this, do laundry, and walk the dog at the same time.”

Brian sat back down and put his napkin on his lap. “I feel like a king,” he said.

“Then you’ll get along with the French President,” Charlie said.

“I hope he likes me,” he said.

“If he doesn’t, then you have to go.” Charlie chuckled, then froze and pressed her lips together in a slight grimace. I hope he knows I’m joking, she thought, then her shoulders relaxed when she saw he was snickering.

Morgan poured coffee for everyone and sat.

Charlie reached into the middle of the table for the creamer at the same time as Brian did, and their hands touched.

Brian’s strong hand made Charlie think about what it must’ve been like to have him hold her as a child.

Brian gestured for her to use the half-and-half first.

After brunch, everyone pitched in to clean up the table. Brian insisted on washing the dishes, so Morgan dried them, and Abby put them away. Charlie shook out the tablecloth and threw it in the washing machine.

“What’s in the envelope?” Abby asked.

“Pictures of Morgan and Charlie when they were little.”

“Oh,” Abby said, trying to hide her frown.

“I wish I had some of you too, Abby.”

“It’s okay, how could you,” Abby said.

Charlie could tell Abby was trying to rally back from the disappointment. Brian opened the envelope and scattered about twenty pictures onto the table. “This is everything I have. Carla took the rest with her when she left,” Brian said.

There were a few shots from Brian and Carla’s wedding, some of Brian holding Morgan the day she was born, some of him holding Charlie, one of Brian and Morgan in the park in Brooklyn, and one of Brian holding Charlie up to help her blow out the candles at her first birthday party.

When they got to the family photos of only the four of them, Charlie noticed Abby was barely glancing at them.

“Are you okay?” Charlie asked Abby.

“It hurts that you’re both in these pictures, and there aren’t any of me.”

“I hate that, too,” Brian said. “I would’ve been so proud to bring you home from the hospital when you were born.”

Morgan put her arm around Abby. “Mom has a lot of pictures of you,” Morgan said to her. “Why don’t you grab one of the photo albums in the garage so Brian can see what you looked like back then.”

“That would be great!” Brian said.

“Okay,” Abby said and went out to the garage.

“She was a cute baby,” Charlie said.

“She was. She looked just like me,” Morgan said.

“That’s so not true,” Charlie said, holding up a picture of Morgan as an infant. “Abby didn’t have your giant pumpkin head—that’s unique to you.”

“At least I didn’t have a big toe that was longer than all the rest,” Morgan said.

“You girls are a riot. I bet your mom had a blast watching you grow up.” He looked away, his eyes misting up.

Abby came back in carrying a couple of photo albums. She regaled Brian with pictures and stories of her from birth to college.

“Can I take a couple of these? I promise to give them back. I want to make copies.”

“Sure, which ones?” Abby asked.

Brian picked out all the pictures that were milestones in Abby’s life. “It’s heartbreaking knowing I wasn’t there for any of you. I couldn’t dry your tears when you were sad or laugh at your favorite jokes. And I wish I could’ve helped out financially. I would’ve happily paid for your education.”

“I still have loans from grad school,” Charlie said.

“How much?” he asked.

“I’m kidding; I paid them off a long time ago. You don’t need to give us anything,” Charlie said.

“But I have a lot to make up to you guys.”

“We’re fine,” Morgan said. “Our mom may have screwed up with you, but she was amazing to us. We had everything we needed.”

“Except a father,” Charlie said.

“Except for a father,” Abby conceded.

As the morning turned to afternoon and the clock struck three o’clock, Brian gathered all the pictures back in the envelope and stood up.

“I should get going and let you all relax.” As they walked him to the door, he asked if he could take them to lunch the next day, and they readily agreed.

“He seems like a good person,” Morgan said as the front door closed. “I wonder how different we would be if he’d been a part of our entire life.”

“If I could’ve gone to him for advice, maybe I would’ve had the self-respect to break up with Rick a long time ago,” Charlie said.

“And I would’ve had a dad to walk me down the aisle and dance with me at my wedding,” Abby said.

“I feel for him,” Morgan said. “It must’ve been heart-wrenching for him to know we were out there somewhere, but he couldn’t find us.”

“I judged him too quickly,” Charlie said. “Even though he made mistakes, I need to give him a second chance.”

“I can’t wait for him to meet his grandchildren,” Abby said.

“We just got him back. Maybe you should ease him in slowly,” Morgan said.

“You’re mean,” Abby said.

“Your kids are adorable,” Morgan said. Then, without Abby seeing, she shook her head at Charlie, who covered her mouth, trying but not succeeding in stifling a laugh.

“What?” Abby said.

“Nothing,” Charlie said. “I was agreeing with Morgan about how cute they all are,” Charlie said.

“So cute that I’m getting my tubes tied soon,” Morgan mugged and stuck out her tongue at Abby.