Breaking up is hard to do

Texas

“Is the air conditioner on?”  Susan leaned over to check the controls for the second time in five minutes.

“Yes, it’s on.  It’s just not very effective today that’s all.”

Robert surveyed the traffic around him.  In typical Texas style, bigger is better, the State of Texas had managed to construct one of the biggest interstates in North America.  With multiple lanes fashioned out of concrete, the Texan was designed to move more cars quicker than any freeway in the country.   On most days, it could cut a commuters drive time in half.  That was on most days but not on this day.  Cars were stalled bumper to bumper in all eight lanes making the freeway a virtual parking lot.  The traffic jam combined with the bright Texas sunshine, hot even on a January day, proved to be more than a slight challenge to the Lincoln’s air conditioning.

“Why is it not working?”  Susan picked up her newest edition of Southern Living and began to fan herself.

“It’s all these cars and all this concrete.  I swear the engineer that designed this monstrosity must have been a moron.” 

Robert glanced up at his rear view mirror.  He spied a hole in the traffic and quickly moved into it.  In the process, he cut off a little brown sedan.  When he looked into the mirror again, he noticed the driver of the sedan appeared to be quite angry.  Robert only smiled as he waved back to the man.  Robert’s little victory wave infuriated the other driver and he honked the sedan’s horn loudly.

The noise caused Susan to turn around.  “Did you cut him off?”

“No.  I saw this spot and took it.  It’s not my fault he wasn’t fast enough.”  Robert gloated.

“Well, I don’t think he’s too happy.”  Susan turned back around. “Did you call Helena and let he know that we are going to be late for John’s reception?”

“Yes, I called her while you were napping.  She said that Rebecca will be at the house with Tori and she can let us in to change.” 

Robert inched toward the ramp that would get them off the freeway and on their way to John and Helena’s.  As he looked in the rear view mirror he noticed that the brown car was also taking the same ramp.  He watched the car ease into the next lane.  With the flow of traffic, the brown car was slowly approaching the passenger side of the Thompson’s Lincoln. 

“This could get interesting.”  Robert said aloud with a cocky smile.

Susan looked up just as the brown car pulled even with the Lincoln.  She was expecting to see a young kid or middle aged man.  Instead the driver of the brown car turned out be a distinguished looking older gentlemen with carefully coiffed silver hair.  From his reaction, Susan was the last person he expected to see in the car.   She watched his expression change from a scowl to a soft smile when he made eye contact with her.   They continued to smile at one another for several minutes.  Susan assessed the handsome stranger.  From her viewpoint she could tell he was wearing a starched white business shirt and navy tie.  Susan briefly wondered what kind of slacks he was wearing.   She noticed how his large hands gripped the steering wheel, strong but gently.  His nails were perfect manicured and he wore no wedding band.  Twice she noticed his sparking blue eyes and full lips.  His lane of traffic moved and Susan gave him a little wave. He waited more than a few seconds to move with the flow of traffic causing the cars behind him to blow their horns causing Robert Thompson to notice this stranger flirting with his wife.   As the man’s car began to creep by, he waved to Susan.  When he managed to catch Robert’s attention he promptly shot him a go straight to hell look.

Susan watched wistfully as the brown sedan move away. 

“What are you smiling at?”  Robert asked.  He more than miffed.  He didn’t really care for the stranger’s reaction to his wife.  Furthermore, he didn’t care for Susan’s reaction.

“Oh nothing.”  Susan said quietly. 

Robert eyed her suspicious.   Was she blushing?  She seemed to be daydreaming.

“Susie?”

No response.

He tried again.  “Sue?”

Nothing.   She just continued to watch the brown car move ahead of them through traffic.

Robert had reached his limit. 

“SUSAN!”  He barked.

Her response was slow almost as if she was moving in slow motion.  “Did you say something, dear?”

Robert watched her for a moment.  “Where are you?  You looked like you were daydreaming.” 

Susan blushed.  “I’m here with you, Robert.”  She reached over and patted his knee.

She cracked smile when she took in his demeanor.  Was it her imagination or did Robert’s skin have a slight green tint?  Clearly, he was uncomfortable with the attention given to her by the passing stranger and Susan liked that.  Other men’s attention usually kept Robert on his toes.  However, sometimes Robert’s reactions would cause them to fight. . Having been through countless episodes of Robert’s jealousy, Susan knew exactly what to do.  She reached over and kissed him on the cheek.  “I’m right here where I belong.”  Susan graced him with a smile.

Robert smiled back before returning his full attention back to the traffic.   Secretly, Susan continued to wonder about the handsome stranger.  Who was he?  Where was he going?

Two hours later, the Thompsons stood in the foyer of John and Helena’s house reviewing the directions to the reception.   Rebecca had assured them that it wouldn’t take them long to get to the hotel.

“Just take Appleside Drive and you’ll see it on the right.” 

“I think I have it now.”  Robert replied as he fidgeted with his tie.  “Damn, tie.  It’s too hot for this thing.” 

“Well then go without it.”  Susan stepped up and pulled Robert’s tie off, throwing it over her shoulder in the process.  She opened up the first two buttons of his white shirt and pulled the collar slightly apart.  “You’ll be fine without it.  Besides, this is the new look for men.”  She tugged gently on his collar. 

Robert smiled down at her.  Susan was always up on the latest styles and she’d been dressing him for years.  “Thank you.”  He said softly as he kissed her cheek.

Susan handed his tie to Rebecca before moving to the mirror for one more check of her makeup.  Her fuchsia raw silk pantsuit fit her like a glove making her look twenty years younger than her actual age.  She turned and checked her shoes.  Her matching pumps had been quite expensive but Susan had no intention of telling Robert. He would only blow a gasket if he knew.   It would be her little secret.  She graced him with a smile that told him she was satisfied and ready to go.

They followed Rebecca’s direction and made it to the reception without getting lost.  The party was being held in one of the hotel’s largest ballroom.  Susan knew immediately upon entering the room that it was all wrong for this party. In her mind she began to make mental notes.  The room was too big and roomy for the planned gathering.  The wallpaper was terrible-- it was orange.  Susan immediately hated it.  The ice sculptures were incorrectly placed on the main table.  The centerpieces didn’t match.  There wasn’t enough silverware on the buffet table.  The whole thing was just wrong.  It was certainly no way to welcome a distinguished scientist to the space program.   Susan shook her head as she eyed the room.  This room would simply not do if she were throwing this party. 

Robert stood watching her.  He knew what she was thinking.  He stepped up behind her and whispered.  “It’s not your house or your party.”    

She turned to face him smiling,  “How did you know what I was thinking?”

“Because I know you, I love you and I’ve learned a few things about hosting parties having been Lisa’s son-in-law, your husband, and Helena’s father.  You girls know how to throw a party.”  He reached for her hand and winked.  “Forget about that butt ugly wallpaper.  Let’s go find our kids.” 

Susan laughed and let him lead her further into the room.  Sometimes, it still surprised her how in tune with each other they were after all these years together. 

From across the room, they spotted John talking to the man they assumed to be the guest of honor.  John waved them over.  Robert placed his hand on Susan’s back and steered her in John’s direction.  Helena stopped her parents and pulled her father over to meet a new doctor friend.   Robert kissed his wife and moved along with his daughter.  Susan continued in the direction of her son in law..  John noticed her and smiled but kept talking with his friend.   The man was facing the other direction and did not turn around instead he carried on his conversation with John.   Susan noticed something familiar about the man from behind.  He was tall and wore a dark suit similar to Robert’s.  His hair was silver and perfectly styled.  His hands were large and he used them to gesture while speaking.  When she reached John, the man turned around and smiled. His sparking blue eyes met hers and in an instant she recognized the man.

“Dr. Gary Cartwright, I’d like to introduce you to my mother-in-law, Susan Thompson.”  John put his arm around her as she stuck out her hand.

“ Susan, this is Gary Cartwright.  He’s just signed up to help us analyze some of the information we brought back from Alpha.” 

“I see.”  Susan retuned Cartwright’s smile.  “Welcome to Texas, Mr. Cartwright.”

“Thank you and call me Gary.”  Cartwright spoke while still holding Susan’s hand.

 “Okay, Gary.”  Susan slowly realized that he was still holding her hand.  As she pulled her hand back, Cartwright’s fingers caressed the inside of her palm.  Susan immediately blushed.

“Would either of you like a drink?”  John asked as he scanned the crowd for a waiter.

“Susan?”  Cartwright allowed her to go first.

“It’s been so warm, I think I’d like something light.  How about champagne?” 

“That sounds good.”  Cartwright looked at John. 

“Looks like I’ll have to go to the bar to get the drink.  I’ll be right back.”  John patted Susan’s elbow then moved off toward the bar.

“So…” Susan said slowly.   “We meet again.”

Gary flashed her a brilliant smile,  “Only this time, we aren’t in traffic.”

They both laughed.   They continued to talk until John returned with the champagne.

Across the room, Robert stood with Helena as she chatted with some of the party guests.  After a few moments he excused himself and headed toward the bar.  He scanned the room looking for Susan.  He spotted her from across the room.  He watched her converse with the man standing in front of her.   Susan really knew how to make a guest feel welcome whether she was attending the party or throwing it.  He decided to skip the drink and headed toward his wife.  Susan tossed her blonde locks over her shoulder.  It was a little gesture she used often when trying to win over a guest.  He could tell by the guest’s demeanor that it worked.  Whomever this man was, Susan had him wrapped around her little finger. Robert smiled.  She certainly had him there.

Susan tossed her blonde hair off her shoulder unaware that Robert was moving toward her.   Gary reached out and took her empty champagne glass slowly moving his fingers across her had.

“How about another drink?”  Gary motioned to a passing waiter.  He put Susan’s empty glass on the tray before handing her another drink.  As he handed her the glass, he again brushed his fingers against hers. 

“Thank you, Gary.” She answered sweetly.

“Yes, thank you.”  Robert growled from behind the man.

Susan immediately pulled her hand away from Gary.  She prayed that Robert would not make a scene.

“Ah…Robert…Honey…this is Gary Cartwright.  He’s here to help John.”  Susan quickly moved to Robert’s side.

Robert eyed Cartwright long and hard.

“Gary, this is Robert Thompson.”  Susan stammered.  “My husband, Robert Thompson.”  She finished.

Cartwright eyed Robert.

“Cartwright.”  Robert said stepping close to Gary.

“That’s right.”  Gary closed the distance.

“You drive a brown sedan?”

“Yes.  You drive a white Lincoln?”

“I do.” 

“Hmph” Gary responded then moved away.

Susan stepped into Robert’s personal space.  “I don’t know what you’re thinking but I’m warning you.  This is John’s party and you will behave.”

Robert looked at his wife.  “I’m going to the bar.”  He announced gruffly and walked away.

Susan sighed. This was going to be a long night.

For the most part the evening progressed peacefully, Robert stayed on one side of the room and Gary on the other.  Neither one spoke to Susan.

John stopped the party to introduce Gary to the Space program’s elite.  Cartwright smiled graciously to the crowd as he made some obligatory comments about his future with the program.  As he scanned the crowd, he spotted Susan standing beside Helena.  He smiled in her direction.  On the other side of the room, he spotted an inattentive Robert who appeared to swirling the liquid in his drink.  Cartwright looked back toward Susan.

“And from what I’ve seen of the people here, especially the ladies, I’m going to like it in Texas.”  Gary smiled at Susan then looked back at the crowd.  He felt Robert’s glare without looking toward him.  He thanked the crowd again and turned the microphone back over to John.  Koenig called for the lights to be turned down and the music turned back on.   He headed off the stage with Cartwright. 

“Do you dance, Gary?”  John asked as they approached Helena and Susan.  John took Helena’s hand and began to slowly lead her to the dance floor.

“I do.  Now if I only had a partner.”  Gary smiled at Susan.

Susan looked around for Robert.  

“He’s not around. Dance with me?  Please.”  He held out his arm.

She knew she shouldn’t.  She heard that voice in her head saying ‘don’t do it’.  But before she realized what was happening, she had linked her arm with his and was being escorted out onto the dance floor.

Susan smiled at Cartwright as he held her to him.  A steady mantra of ‘this is so wrong’ kept running through her head.   But she just couldn’t help herself.  She wanted to dance with this man.  As they began to move around the floor, Cartwright held her closer to his body.  They fit well together-too well.  “Don’t do this, Susan.” The voice called.   Gosh, he smells good.  “This isn’t right, you’re married…happily married.”  The voice called.  But oh, he’s a good dancer.  “Susan, you are asking for trouble.”  The voice was now screaming.

Cartwright watched her face as they danced with silent amusement.  He could see her internal struggle.  Finally, he pulled her close enough to whisper in her ear.  “It’s just a dance, Susan.  Relax, I’m not trying to get you into my bed or make Robert jealous.  I just want to dance.”  He shifted back and smiled.

Susan couldn’t help but laugh.  “How’d you know?”

Cartwright held her close again.  “I can see it on your face and in your eyes.  Does he usually control you like this?”

“He doesn’t control me.”  Susan answered. 

“Really?  Then why won’t you relax?”

“I am relaxed.”

“Trust me, I know when a woman is relaxed and you, my dear, are not relaxed.”

“You hardly know me.”  Susan pulled away.

 “Let me guess then.   You’re worried because you know that Robert’s a hot head and that right now he’s probably mad enough to blow a gasket.  However at the same time you are attracted to me and perhaps a little curious about what would happen between us if you weren’t married.”

Susan stopped dancing and stared at him.  Gary chuckled and enfolded her back into his arms and began to move them around the floor.  “Guess I was right.”  He said smugly.

“You are a presumptuous man.”  Susan said hotly. 

“Am I right?”

Susan remained silent.

“I thought so.”  Gary said.  He began dancing them toward the corner where he knew Robert was standing.

“Let’s see if I can peg my new found buddy, Robert.”  Gary’s hand moved lower on her back.

”He married you when you were young.  He didn’t have money and you did.  Your parents never liked him but you were and still are completely devoted to him. His lack of money caused him to work long and hard until one day he made it.  He’s a good provider and a good father.  He’s intelligent.”

Gary spun her around.  They were within steps of Robert.  Cartwright kept talking.

“He’s an average dancer and maybe an above average lover.”

Susan looked up sharply.  Gary only smiled.

“He is completely devoted to you and he can’t stand the thought of another man’s hands on his wife. It drives him mad with jealousy.”

“He’s not like that.”  Susan protested.

Gary turned her around and she saw Robert’s face.  He was mad and didn’t bother to hide it from her.

“See that look?  He’s jealous.  Jealous of another man dancing with his beautiful wife.”

Susan dropped her arms.  “I need to go.”

“Not yet, let’s finish this dance.  It would look rude if the mother-in-law of the Commissioner left the honored guest on the dance floor.”  He moved them back out into the middle of the floor.

“Relax, Susan.”  Gary pulled her closer.  “Ah, that’s better.”

They danced for several minutes. 

Gary leaned down toward her ear.  “Hmm…you smell good.  The women I’m usually seeing don’t smell like this.”

Susan didn’t say anything. 

“You’re skin is so soft.”  He whispered in her ear, smiling as he felt Susan’s body tremble against his.

“Susan, you are so beautiful.”  He said softly as the music ended.  “If you were free, I’d sweep you up into my arms and carry you away from here.”

Susan remained silent.  Her senses were in overload.  She shook her head to clear the cobwebs then thanked him for the dance. She had to get away from this man before she allowed herself to do something foolish.

On the other side of the room, Robert watched Cartwright whirl his wife around the room.  When Cartwright pulled her up against his body, Robert’s blood pressure hit the roof.  He slammed his glass down on the bar.  He saw Susan’s face blush pink as the song ended.  He’d seen enough.  Robert headed in her direction.

“Just what the hell was that?”  Susan heard Robert’s voice as he approached her from behind. She turned around to find her irate husband.  He cupped her elbow with his hand and directed her out of the reception and into a nearby room.

When they were inside, Susan pulled her arm away from his grasp.  “It was a dance.  He needed a partner.  You saw him.  He came over with John.”

“What I saw was a man I don’t know whispered into my wife’s ear and I saw my wife blush like a school girl.  What was that all about?!”  Robert demanded.

“He did not whisper and I do not blush...blush…what did you say…like a school girl!”

“The hell you don’t.”

Susan flung her hands in the air.  “I give up.  You’ve already made up your mind about what you think you saw…”

“Think?  I know what I saw. He was coming on to you and you were letting him!”

“I was not!”

“Bullshit!  I saw where he had his hands!  I saw him whisper in your ear. And furthermore, I saw you press your body to his.”

“His hands were in a perfectly respectable place, he didn’t whisper and for Christ sake, Robert, we were dancing.  That does require that two people stand in close proximity to each other!”

“Maybe, but it doesn’t require them to be practically glued together.”

“Oh, I give up.  Let’s just go home.  This is ridiculous.”

“I’ll take you home, but this isn’t over.”

They made their way back into the main room and said a their goodbyes to John and Helena.

It was raining when they reached the lobby.  Robert told Susan to wait inside and he’d go get the car.  As soon as Robert was out the door, Gary appeared in the lobby.

“You left without saying goodbye.”  He saw the frustrated expression on her face.  “It’s because of me. I didn’t mean to cause you trouble.”

Susan exhaled slowly,  “It wasn’t just you.  After all it takes two to tango or whatever you call that dance we were doing.”

“Do I need to apologize to Robert?” 

“No, I think it’s just best if you go back inside.” 

“Okay. I’m sorry if it caused a problem.”  He was moving closer to her.

Susan felt her pulse quicken.  The voice in her head was back and this time it was screaming and holding a sign,  “DON”T LET HIM KISS YOU!”  But it was already too late.  Gary had leaned down and kissed her cheek.

“I hope to see you again, Susan.”  He said as he slowly made his way back to the reception.

Susan stood completely still as she watched him close the door.  In the distance she heard a horn honking.  Startled she turned to see that Robert had pulled up and was waiting for her.

She dashed to the car as quickly as any dazed individual could.  As she reached for her seat belt Robert turned to her.  “Something wrong with your cheek?”

“No, nothing.”  She answered a little too quickly.  “Why do you ask?”

“When I pulled up you were holding it like you had a tooth ache or something.”  Robert put the car into gear.

Susan was glad it was dark in the car so that he couldn’t see her flushed face. 

The car ride home was quiet.  Robert concentrated on the road since it was raining.  Susan stared out the window and thought about Gary.  When they reached John and Helena’s the rain had almost stopped.  They parked by the curb and walked to the house in the drizzling rain.

“You going to bed?”  Robert asked gruffly as they entered the house.

“Yes.”  Susan replied.

They sent Rebecca home before retiring to their room.   Susan changed into her gown and went to check on Tori as Robert readied for bed. They each returned to the bedroom at the same time. Neither one moved toward the bed.

“Well?”  Robert said.

“Well what?”

“Are you going to tell me what went on out there between you and Cartwright?”

Susan exhaled deeply.  “There’s nothing to tell. We danced.”

“You’re attracted to him.”

“I am married to you.”

“That’s not what I said.  Admit it, you are attracted to him.”

“I’m not going to admit anything.  I’m going to bed.”

“The hell you are.  I’m not finished discussing this.”

“No, you aren’t finished making accusations about something as innocent as a dance.”

Robert laughed.  “Innocent my ass.  There wasn’t anything innocent about that dance.  That man manipulated you and you let him.   You know, you must be slipping in your old age. I can’t believe you didn’t see it coming.  You’ve always been so sharp.” 

“My old age?  I’ll remind you that you are older than I am!  And for the record, I’m not losing anything.  I’d say the real issue here is that you are getting insecure in your old age.  Face it, you are jealous.”

“Well lady if that’s what you think that then you must realize that that little dance of yours wasn’t so innocent after all.”

“I give up.  I’m going to bed!  There’s no reasoning with you when you are like this.”  Susan pulled back the covers and crawled in snapping off the lights.  Robert stood in the darkness staring at her shadow.

Finally, he moved around to his side and crawled in with a huff.  They lay next to each other in the dark. 

“How’s the baby?”  Robert said quietly.

“She’s fine.  I left her door open so we could hear her if she cries.”

“Alright.”

Beneath the covers Susan moved her ice cold feet next to Robert’s legs.   He twisted her legs with his. 

“How is that your feet are cold in the middle of a heat wave?”

“I don’t know.  They just are.”

Robert exhaled deeply.  “Goodnight, Susan.”

“Goodnight.”

Dawn was just breaking, the room beginning to turn from dark to gray. Robert turned over and reached underneath the covers and put his arm around her waist. Just waking from sleep, she responded, moving closer to him and settling into his embrace. She was turned away from him and he kissed the back of her neck.

"I don't want to fight, honey," he said softly. "It's just that I love you so much."

She turned over and he kissed her lips. She sighed. "It was just so over the top, Robert. I know you love me, but I've never given you any reason to be so jealous." Robert was delivering light kisses to her neck, just below her ear. It always clouded her thinking. "It's not like I was planning to run off to Mexico with him."

"I would hope not." Robert rolled on top of her.

She closed her eyes with a sigh, opening her mouth and wrapping her legs around him with more agility that an average sixty year old should have. She was quite proud of her figure and the shape she was in.

”Hmm…I’ve always loved your breasts.”  Robert hummed against her skin.

Susan relaxed and let her mind wander.

Mexico. Robert hated Mexico. After living with her in Texas for so long, he had finally become comfortable with a bit of Spanglish in his vocabulary, but he never really got used to the sunshine. He was extremely fair and never tanned well. Melissa took after her and tanned to an even golden brown. Helena tried to avoid the sun, her skin being like her father.

Susan liked Mexico. She liked to lie on the beach and soak up the sun and have handsome waiters bring her rum drinks with umbrellas. She had gone to Mexico with Melissa several times, and twice Melissa had sent her and a couple of girlfriends for quickie vacations when she was getting her start as a travel agent.

As Robert stimulated her body she imagined herself on a deserted beach, being roused by her lover as the sun rose. She could almost smell the salt air, and as her lover brought her to her peak she opened her eyes to see the startling blue eyes of Gary Cartwright. She moaned and sighed, "Gary."

Robert stopped in mid thrust and looked at her. She opened her eyes, as surprised as he was. Had she said something out loud?

Robert rolled off of her. "Fine, just fine. I'm sure John can give you his phone number. If you're interested in continuing our marriage at some time, give me a call. I swore to your father I would never divorce you, but I won't stand in your way either." He was pulling on his clothes as he spoke and stuffing things into his overnight bag.

She sat up in bed. "Robert, it was just a fantasy. Don't you have those sometimes?"

"Not like that."

She gave him a look that she knew should melt him in his tracks.

"I have loved you all my life, Susan. I've slept with only three other women in my life. Two before I met you, and one other afterwards. And I've regretted that last one every day since then. But when I took her in my arms, and closed my eyes, it was you I was imagining being with."

He slammed the suitcase shut and opened the bedroom door quietly, mindful of the others in the house.

"Robert!" She called to him, but kept her voice soft. He closed the door without responding. She was at a loss, but was not going to go running after him, buck naked, like some character in a romance novel. She had done nothing wrong. She lay back down and pulled up the covers, determined to return to sleep.

The Lincoln roared down the road at full speed. Robert's thoughts were moving even faster. He remembered the threats and blustering of her father, the prenuptial agreement that his much more innocent twenty-two year old self had signed, and the sound of her breathing hot and heavy in his ear, and murmuring another man's name for the first time in their forty years of marriage. It would hurt less if she had stabbed him in the heart with a knife. The sign said it was thirty miles to Austin before he realized where he was. He was headed to Miller's Bluff, which was her home. He had absolutely no right to live there other than by her grace. By the time he reached Austin city limits he had decided that he would not be going there. It wasn't home if she didn't want him. He made his way to the airport. The condo was in his name. He had been the one to go to Florida and sign the papers when they purchased it from Missy.  He could drop by and see Missy and the baby, then go there to cool off for a while and decide what to do. Decide what he wanted to do.

FLORIDA

 “That paperwork must be filled out and submitted by Friday or there is no hope of getting the grant.”  Melissa shifted in the chair, placing a hand under her swollen belly.  She leaned around the desk to catch a glimpse of Geoff who was chewing on one of his blocks.  Another tooth was on the way and his toy, hand, arm and shirt were covered with drool.  For the moment, he was being good.

“No, they really do want to give you the money.  They like the idea.  They think it will work well.  But, this is a grant, not a loan, you do have to submit the required forms or they’ll be unable to consider it.  It really is your best shot.  Look, why don’t you grab a flight, come down here this afternoon and we’ll fill it out together and get it FedExed by midnight.  That’ll take care of it.”

She reached over to her computer and tapped in a familiar old combination.  “I can get you on one in an hour and a half.  Take the limo service to the Coastal Condos.  I’ll reserve you a room and meet you there about six.  How does that sound?”

She shook her head.  Some people you couldn’t give money to.  “Charlie.  This is important.  It’s about the amount of income you’re going to have for the rest of your life.  You’ve got a good idea here, now all you have to do is carry it out.  Do you want to do this or not?”

As he began a long and drawn out explanation, her doorbell rang.  Geoff turned to crawl toward the front door.  “Someone’s at the door, Charlie.  I need to run.  The plane ticket will be waiting for you at the gate.  I’ll see you at six.  Okay?”

She tapped twice on the computer, purchasing the ticket with her own credit card.  That would be part of the expenses when she billed for this one.  She pulled herself out of her chair and managed to scoop Geoff up and onto her hip.  Geoff was used to answering the door with her when the UPS man came.  The driver always made a fuss over the baby and Geoff liked him.

She opened the door and instead of a skinny black man in brown shirt and shorts she found her father standing on the doorstep.

“Poppa!”  Geoff called.  He twisted in her arms, throwing himself forward to his beloved grandfather.

With quick reflexes Robert dropped the bag he was carrying and caught the child as Melissa lost her grip. 

“There’s my boy!”  He tossed Geoff up into the air. 

“Dad!  Where did you come from?”

“I decided to come see my favorite grandson, and see how the other one was doing in the oven there.” He reached out, patted Melissa on the belly and leaned over to kiss her.

“Coming along just fine,” Melissa said with a laugh.  She opened the door wide and let her father in.  He collected his bag with his free hand walked in, stopping just inside the door.

Melissa looked around her living room.  It appeared to be about three inches deep in toys.  She shrugged.  “I’m having a hard time bending over.  Alan has tomorrow off and promised to pick things up then.”

The phone rang.  Melissa looked back into the study, which was also covered with toys.  “Dad, I need to get that, and make a few more calls.  Can you and Geoff entertain each other for a while?”

“Of course we can, can’t we my boy?”

Geoff had one hand crammed into his mouth, but he smiled widely for his grandfather.  Melissa smiled at them and headed for the desk.

She spent the afternoon concentrating on her work.  When she headed upstairs to get ready to meet her client she found the living room spotless, all toys safely in their bins.  Robert and Geoff were sitting on the patio; Geoff curled contentedly in his grandfather’s arms sucking on a bottle of apple juice.  She smiled and went to get dressed.  Robert Thompson did love that baby boy.

Later that night, Alan greeted her at the back door with a hug and a kiss.  “Did you have supper?”

“Hours ago.  You didn’t wait for me did you?”

“No, I told Robert you could take care of yourself.  Everything go okay?”

“We had to call all over the place for some of that information, but we got the package in the mail.”

“I should have warned you, Charlie’s brilliant, but not the most focused individual.”

“So I noticed.  Are those for me?”  There was a pile of sugar-free cookies on the table in the breakfast nook.

“I thought you might like a snack.  I’ll pour you a glass of milk.”

“Mmmm, you deserve a reward for that sort of thinking.”  Melissa settled onto the bench and leaned back with a tired sigh.

“I always like your rewards,” he said with a wink, setting the glass of cold milk in front of her. 

She slipped her feet out of the pumps she was wearing and placed them in Alan’s lap.  He began to massage her swollen ankles and feet.  “That’s nice too.  Where are the other boys?”

“Geoff dropped off to sleep about seven, clinging to his grandpa like a little monkey.  Robert turned in around nine.”

“What did you guys find to eat, or did you go out?”

“I grilled those steaks that were in the refrigerator.”

“Those were tomorrow night’s supper.” Melissa said with a frown.

“Robert said he’d take us out tomorrow night.  I told him about that new Mediterranean place we found.”

“Sounds good.”

“Feel up to a round of golf tomorrow?  I was going to clean house tomorrow, but Robert beat me to it.”

“I told him he didn’t have to do that.  I don’t ever remember him cleaning when we were growing up.  He also asked me why I didn’t have a housekeeper.”

“What did you say?”

“I told him the truth.  It gives me the creeps to think of some stranger going through my stuff.  He said that Helena had someone to come in and clean her house,” Melissa said, rolling her eyes. 

Alan shook his head in sympathy.  No matter what Melissa did, her parents always seemed convinced that Helena did it better.  “It’s our life, love.  We didn’t ask him to come pick up the place, did we?”

Mel shook her head and finished off the last cookie.  “Take me to bed, flyboy.”

“With pleasure.”

They were soon curled together in bed. 

“How about a massage?” Melissa asked.

“Turn over,” Alan said with a smile.  He knew her back hurt.

She rolled onto her back.

“You know, it’s easier to reach your back if you’re not lying on it.”

“Who said that’s what I wanted massaged,” she said with a wink.

Alan leaned over her with a smile.  He kissed her lips softly at first, and gently caressed her neck.  As the kiss deepened, he moved his hand down her body, caressing her breasts, squeezing each nipple in turn.  He caressed her belly and she spread her legs as his hand moved lower.

There was a knock on the bedroom door.  “Missy?  Melissa, I mean.”  Her father called.

Alan leaned back and Melissa sighed.  “Yes, Daddy?”

“The bathroom is out of toilet paper.  Where do you keep it?”

Alan rolled off the bed and picked up a pair of denim shorts.  “I’ll take care of it, love.” 

Melissa nodded. 

Alan returned shortly to find Melissa curled around a pillow, sound asleep.  He smiled, crawled into bed and curled around her, soundly asleep himself in minutes.

The following morning, Alan packed the Navigator while Melissa tucked Geoff into his car seat.  Robert joined them in the garage.  “Are we dropping Geoff off at a sitter’s?” he asked.

“We’re taking him with us,” Alan said, adding a tiny set of brightly colored plastic golf clubs and the large-wheeled jogging stroller.

“To the golf course?”

“Of course,” Melissa said, climbing awkwardly onto the running board and sitting heavily in the seat. “He loves it.”

Robert shrugged and sat in the back seat by Geoff.  “If you say so.  Helena and John never take Tori out to the golf course.”

“Geoff goes everywhere with us,” Alan said.  “We have a couple of sitters that we use occasionally, but not often.”

The weather was perfect.  Blue skies, sunshine and a slight breeze from the south to keep things cool and make the game more interesting.  When the adults teed off, Geoff would get out of the stroller and hit his oversized golf ball with one of the tiny clubs.  As they walked across the course, Alan pulled both bags while Melissa pushed the stroller. 

Melissa’s form was a bit distorted, but she could still hit the ball well.  She was only off of her usual game by a handful of strokes.  They walked slowly, and let a few other groups play through.  By the fifth hole, Geoff had curled up in the shade of his stroller with a bottle of water and fallen asleep. 

By the time they headed home it was early afternoon.  Alan had packed sandwiches and other snacks for both Geoff and Melissa.  Mel was yawning but Geoff was wide-awake.  Alan suggested that Mel take a nap while he watched the baby, then they would go out to eat later that evening.  Melissa didn’t argue.

TEXAS

Yesterday she had arrived at breakfast without Robert. When questioned, she had quickly explained that he had returned to Miller’s Bluff.  She didn’t elaborate any further. 

She had spoken with John last night and he had warned her not to meddle in her parent’s affairs.  It took all of Helena’s medical reserve not to question her mother.  So here they sat, Helena telling some cute little story about Tori, the kind most grandparents live to hear, while Susan stared wistfully out the window.

SLAM

“Helena.”  John called from the front of the house.

“In here, Honey.”  Helena responded.  She and Susan turned around to see John enter the kitchen. 

“Look who I found down at the driving range.”   John gestured to the man behind him.

Gary Cartwright stepped from the hallway into the kitchen.  He stopped immediately when he saw Susan. 

“Gary, you know my wife, Helena.”  John said as he reached into the frig and pulled out two bottles of water.

Cartwright politely smiled.  “Of course, it’s nice to see you again.”

“It’s nice to see you too.”  Helena stood.  “I think you’ve already met my mother.” 

Gary took the water from John,  “Yes, I met your lovely mother at the reception.”

Susan blushed.   She extended her hand.  “It’s nice to see you again.”

“My pleasure.”  Cartwright gently held her hand.  

John offered Gary the seat next to Susan.

“Helena, Gary told me he needs new furniture for his apartment.  Any suggestions?”

“What kind of furniture were you looking for?”  Helena asked.

“I’m not sure but I’ll know what I like when I see it.”  Cartwright looked directly at Susan. 

“Hey, I got a great idea!  Helena and I are going to take Victoria to the park this afternoon.  Perhaps you could talk Susan, into going with you.  She has the best taste in furniture. You should see Miller’s Bluff.  It’s beautiful”

“What about your husband?” Gary asked.

“Robert went back yesterday.”  John volunteered.

 “Well, I don’t know.”  Susan stammered.   The idea of a whole afternoon alone with Gary really scared Susan.  It wasn’t that she didn’t trust him or herself for that matter.  It was just a little unnerving to be absolutely alone with him.   ‘If he were to try something, I’d be on my own…then there’s Robert… I’m glad that he not here because he would killed John right there…and that wouldn’t be right because John didn’t know about the other night…And Robert was the one that acted like an ass… that’s right he was an ass…he left…oh that man, this is all his fault…so what if he’s an ass.  This is just furniture shopping…it’s not like I’m marrying the man…’

“It’s okay if you don’t want to go.”  Cartwright stood. 

  “Oh no, I’ll go.”  Susan stood abruptly.  “I’ll just get my things.”

An hour later, they stood in one of the local furniture stores.   Gary had allowed Susan to select furniture for the dining and living room.  There were still three rooms left: the guest room, the sunroom and the master bedroom.   The salesman directed them across the store. Gary walked silently beside him.

“Mrs. Cartwright, I’m sure you’ll find we have an excellent assortment of bedding.  What size mattresses will you and Mr. Cartwright be needing?”   He turned to find that Susan had stopped in her tracks.

Gary glanced at the man and walked back toward Susan.  “Susan?”

”Did you hear what he said?  He thinks I’m your wife.”  Susan was dumbfounded.

Gary stepped into the salesman’s line of sight using his body as a shield.  “Susan, it’s a perfectly honest mistake.  You’re picking out the furniture and I’m just nodding.”

“But I’m not your wife.  I’m someone else’s wife.” Susan looked around for the exit.

Gary turned around and smiled indulgently at the salesman.  He then turned back around to face Susan.  “We can leave if you want.”

“I’m not sure.” Susan sputtered.  “I’ve just never been in this situation before.”

 “Why don’t we just get the stuff for the bedroom and I can get the other by myself.  Or perhaps I can drop you off at John’s and come back alone.”

Susan looked up at Gary as he smiled softly.  He was being sweet and she was enjoying herself.  It wasn’t everyday she was able to shop with someone else’s money.     

“I can see where he might think that we are married.  There’s no need to take me back.  Besides, we can’t have you sleeping on the floor.”  

Gary placed his arm around her shoulder as they resumed their trip over to the mattresses.

“What size did you have in mind?”  The salesman asks as they approached the showroom.

“King…a very firm king...” Gary moved around the showroom.  “How about this one?”  Gary headed in the direction of a solid white mattress.  The sign on it said,  “For a good night’s rest choose our exclusive firm king.”  Gary sat down on the bed and bounced a couple of times. 

“Lay down, Mr. Cartright.  You too ma’am.”

Before Susan could protest the salesman had pushed her down next to Gary on the bed.

“But…”

“Oh now, Mrs. Cartwright the only way to test the mattress is to try it out.”  The Salesman saw one of his co-workers waving to him.  “I’ll be right back folks.  You two take your time deciding. Try out a few more.” 

The salesman walked off quickly to assist his friend.

“I should have known not to trust you.”  Susan said chuckling.

“Me?  What did I do?”  Gary asks still laying next to her.

“You lied.”

“I lied?”

“You said that you weren’t trying to get me into your bed.”

Gary rolled over on his side.  “Actually you are right.  This whole shopping spree was a ruse just to get you next to me in a very large and comfortable king size bed.” 

They both laughed.

“I just wasn’t expecting it to be in front of God and everybody.”  Gary gestured to the other shoppers.

“I think we’d better get up before someone sees us.”   Susan sat up on the bed.   “Let’s go pick you out a bed.”

Gary helped her crawl off the bed. 

“I’ll never get that lucky again.”   He said as they went off in search of the salesman.

FLORIDA

Melissa offered Geoff a bit of her Greek shrimp and looked longingly at the bottle of ouzo on the table between the men.  “I guess I’m the designated driver tonight.”

Alan patted her hand.  “We’ll be fine, honey.  And it won’t be long now.  We’ll come back in a month or so, after the baby is born.”

She smiled and watched a tray of Baklava as a waiter walked past.  “Sounds good to me.  How’s your Moussaka, Dad?”

“Terrific.  And the Zucchini is crispy, just the way I like it.  Your mother and Maggie both think that you should boil the hell out of any kind of squash.”

Melissa laughed. “I know.  Remember all those meals where she would insist I eat all my vegetables?”

“And if it were squash or greens, I swear we’d be up to midnight.”

Melissa reached over with her fork and speared one of her father’s vegetables.  “If it had been cooked like this, it would have been gone in seconds.”

“Don’t get me wrong, your mother’s a good cook.  But you and I have the same taste in vegetables.”

"Where is Mama this weekend?" Melissa asked. "Some horse show?"

"She's at Helena's," he said shortly.

"Oh? Wasn't there some sort of party you two were to go to this week?"

"We went." Robert poured more ouzo into his glass. "Your mother was coming on to some old fart like a dog in heat, so I left."

Melissa nearly dropped the spoon of couscous she was feeding to Geoff. She stopped in mid air, ignoring her offspring's open mouth. "What?" she asked, incredulous.

Robert shook his head, realizing too late what he had said. "We had an argument," he said abruptly. "I decided to come to Florida to cool off for a while. I thought I'd visit with you for a few days and head down to the condo."

Geoff made a grab for the spoon in his mother's hand and smeared couscous from one ear to the other. Robert looked over and grabbed the spoon before any more damage could be done. "Geoff! That goes in the mouth, not on the face." He used his napkin to remove most of the noodles, then lifted the boy from his high chair. "I'll go wash him off."

"I can do that," Melissa said.

Alan touched her hand. "You're not supposed to lift him. Thanks, Robert."

Robert nodded and headed away. He stopped the waitress and Melissa heard him order a large piece of Baklava to be brought to the table.

Alan smiled and shook his head.

"They never fight!" Melissa said.

"All married couples fight," her husband replied.

"We don't."

"Oh, sure we do. But I always give in."

Melissa laughed and leaned over to kiss him. "My parents don't."

"Well, this time they have. He changed the subject pretty quick. Usually he blusters and growls about things. This time I think he's really hurting."

Melissa nodded, agreeing with her husband about the situation. "What should we do?"

"You're Mom's a beautiful lady, and I wouldn't be surprised if someone found her attractive. And your Dad can be a total bastard, but I like him. I wouldn't want to see someone come between them."

"But he said it was mother who was... um..."

"Coming on to someone else? Well, maybe that's how it looked to him.  Call Helena when we get home. See what she knows about it.”

Melissa nodded. “And you talk to Daddy.”  Alan looked skeptical at that request, but before he could object, the baklava arrived and Robert and Geoff returned to the table.

Alan took the baby from his father-in-law. "Robert, if you're not in a hurry to head down to Vero, would you mind staying with Mel this week? I've got to leave for Virginia this week and I've been worried about her getting Geoff up and down those stairs."

"That wouldn't be a problem, Alan. Did you say Melissa wasn't supposed to be lifting him?"

"Alan is being cautious. The doctor said nothing over 20 pounds. Geoff just barely weighs that."

"And she's been getting backaches and cramps. And she does have a hard time getting up the stairs with him."

"How long will you be out of town?"

"I leave Sunday afternoon. I should be back by Wednesday night at the latest. I didn't want to leave right now, but the suppliers of our Bergman Field generators have developed a sudden case of stupidity and can't seem to deliver them to the correct specs. I really need to discuss it with them in person."

"I don't have anyplace pressing to go. There's no reason I can't stick around and play with Geoff for a few days."

"Thanks, Robert. That puts my mind at ease."

BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

"What the hell is that?" Alan rolled over and glared at the clock.

"Mmmm, sounds like Dad's razor," Melissa mumbled. She rolled over.

"It's six fucking o'clock in the morning. Saturday morning."

"He's always been a morning person."

"This can't be morning. It's not even light yet."

"What time did you come to bed?"

"A little before two." Alan moaned and put his hand to his head. "Never
mix ouzo with bourbon."

"You were drinking ouzo and bourbon?"

"We switched to bourbon when we came home. I thought I was going to have to sleep downstairs. The stairs were too steep."

"How did you get up here?"

"I think Robert dragged me."

BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

"How the hell long does it take for him to shave?"

"He's very thorough. Did you know that when you're hungover, your language goes straight to the gutter?"

"Fuck off, Mel."

"If I do, I'll have to do it alone."

"Don't touch! My skin hurts."

"My father's visit is ruining my love life."

"He's stopped," Alan said with relief.

"He'll head downstairs to make coffee now."

"If I can smell it from here, I'll spew."

"If you spew all over the bed, we will have an argument."

Alan moaned and pulled the pillow over his face.

Two hours later he slowly lifted his eyelids.   Geoff had crawled up on the bed and was sitting beside him.  “DaDaDa”.

Melissa reached over to the bedside table and picked up her favorite picture of Alan.  “This is Daddy.”  She said as she handed the frame to Geoff.  “This is Daddy after a night of drinking with Grandpa.”  Melissa took the picture and pointed toward Alan.

“Very funny.”  Alan grumbled.

“So did you find out what the big fight is about?”

Alan pulled the pillow over his head.  “No, it’s none of my business.  Plus you know your dad and I don’t have that kind of relationship.”

“Here baby, play with Daddy so that I can call Aunt Helena. Maybe she’s had better luck than Daddy.”

TEXAS

Brrrrrringg

“Hello.”

“Cake?”

“Hi!  How are you feeling?”

“Pregnant.   Trudy Seasons has practically put me to bed.”

“She’s a good doctor, Mel.  She knows what’s best.”

“I know.   How are things there?”

“Great.  Mom’s here.  She’s out playing with Tori.  Dad went home 2 days ago.”

“Home?  He’s not home.  He’s here.”

“What?”  Mom said he went home.”

“Has she called him?”

“No.  I don’t think she has.  We’d kept her pretty busy or I should say John has kept her busy.”

“Doing what?”

“Helping this new scientist the space program hired.”

“I see.  Has she said anything about having a fight with Daddy?”

“No.  She just said that Daddy decided to go back home.”

“Has she called Daddy?”

“I don’t think so.  What do you know?”

“Daddy told us last night that they had a fight.  Something about mother coming on to some man at the party.”

“What?  Mom didn’t come on to…Oh My…”

“Helena?  Spill it!”

“John has a new colleague.  His name is Gary. Mom and Gary hit it off at the party…just friends nothing more…she danced with him…I didn’t think anything of it.  Mom and Dad came back to the house and the next morning Mom told us that Daddy has gone home.”

“Gary, huh?  Was he coming on to Mom?”

“Not that I could tell.  You don’t think that…”

“No, she wouldn’t.”

“So what do you think?”

“Alan seems to think that this Gary may have paid Mom just a little too much attention for Dad’s taste.”

“Oh Lord!”

“What?”

“John asked Mother to help Gary pick out furniture for his new apartment.  They were together almost the whole day yesterday.  She called and said they had stopped for coffee and she’d be a little late…”

“What’s a little late?”

“I don’t know.  We went to bed before she came back.”

“SHIT!  What the hell is John trying to do?”

“He didn’t know!  She didn’t say anything to us.”

“Okay, okay, where is she now?”

“She’s upstairs sleeping.”

“Okay.  Daddy went to the grocery.  When he gets back I’ll try and get him to call her.”

Florida

Saturday passed quietly, with no further calls to or from Texas.  Robert returned from the grocery with everything on the shopping list plus a dozen azelea bushes.  He met an old buddy from Chicago selling plants for the local Exchange Club, a service club they had been members of together.  Mel’s suggestion that her father call her mother had met with a growl, and Robert swept Geoff off to buy the potting soil Melissa insisted would be needed for the plants in the salt rich soil of their waterfront property. 

The afternoon was sunny and Melissa sat in a beach chair soaking up rays while Alan dug out a new flower bed with the enthusiastic, if inexperienced help of his son.

“Tell me why I’m out here planting these, not someone from the lawn service we use.”

“Because I prefer the chance to see you stripped to the waist and all sweaty,” Melissa said, settling back with a wink. 

Alan grinned at her.  “You’re quite the tease.  Convenient that you can’t help.”

“I’m gestating.  It’s a full time job.”

It was the last week of January, but Alan was wiping sweat from his forehead.  “I’ll trade you for a while.”

“You’ve already done your bit here, flyboy.” Melissa patted her belly.

“You know, I remember someone saying, ‘don’t wear that condom honey, we don’t need it right now.’”

“So I was wrong,” Melissa said with a philosophical shrug. 

Alan looked down at his son, who was also stripped to the waist and wearing only a diaper and a pair of denim shorts.  “No, Geoffy!  Don’t put that in your mouth.  It’s nasty.”  He kneeled down in the dirt and pulled the clod of dirt out of the baby’s mouth.

Robert rounded the corner of the house with a tray of drinks.  He handed Alan a beer and settled into another beach chair beside Melissa.  Geoff pushed himself up off the ground and toddled unsteadily toward his grandfather.  Despite the dirt clinging to him, Robert picked him up and settled him on his lap, offering him a sipper cup of juice.  “I remember trying to plant things when you two were growing up,” Robert said to his daughter.  “You always wanted to get your hands dirty, do things for yourself.  Helena would sit close by, watch like a hawk and ask a million questions before doing anything, while you’d grab a shovel and be halfway to China before I could stop you.  And you’d usually choose the absolutely muddiest, most awkward spot to dig in, too.”

Melissa smiled, and took a sip of the can of Diet Coke.  She winced and rubbed her belly.  She noticed her father’s look and smiled.  “The baby’s kicking.”  She reached over and took her father’s hand, placing it against the side of her belly. 

“Feels like an elbow,” her father said with a smile.  The baby thumped against his hand.  “Has he been kicking a lot?”

“Robbie kicks constantly,” Alan said, turning to lift one of the bushes from its pot.

“Robbie?” Robert asked.

“I was planning to talk to you about that, Dad,” Melissa said.  “We want to name the baby after you and Granddad.  I know he wasn’t your favorite person, but…”

“But he loved you very much, little girl.”  Robert finished for her.  He looked down at the baby in his lap, leaning with complete trust against his grandfather as he sipped on his apple juice, eyes closed, perfectly relaxed.  “I’d be proud to let the baby have my name.  And I know your grandfather would feel the same way.”

Melissa gave a sigh of relief.  It was obvious that she had been hesitating to tell her father about the baby’s name.  “Then he’ll be Robert Miller Carter.  Alan and I have been calling him Robbie ever since we found out he was going to be a boy.”

“Told you he wouldn’t mind,” Alan said, leaning over to give his wife a kiss on the forehead.

Monday morning Melissa didn’t wake until late.  Alan had taken one of his company’s jets the previous afternoon and then called her when he got to his hotel room.  They talked on the phone past midnight.  She spent a restless night, unable to get comfortable.  Her back seemed to ache no matter what position she tried.  She finally drifted off to a restless sleep in the early morning hours.  She struggled out of bed and dressed quickly.  As she opened the bedroom door she could smell the bacon cooking.  Her stomach flip-flopped eagerly as she remembered morning breakfasts from her childhood. 

She headed down the stairs as quickly as her body would allow.  Melissa was an athletic person and used to having a body that did exactly what she told it to do.  The final stages of pregnancy were a constant struggle for her.  She could no longer comfortably close her legs, and walked with a waddling gait that annoyed her greatly.  Navigating a flight of stairs required a side to side weaving motion that reminded her of whales trying to maneuver on land—and it wasn’t nearly as graceful as the whales in Disney’s Fantasia.

Robert was in the kitchen keeping a careful eye on a pan full of bacon.  Geoff sat strapped in his high chair with a sipper cup of milk in one hand and a slice of bacon in the other.  His cheeks were covered with greasy bits of meat.  He flashed his mother a smile as she entered the room.  “Mommee!”

She gave her son a kiss on the top of his head and moved to hug her father.  He stepped back from the frying pan away from the popping grease and kissed her.

“Go sit, your waffles will be done shortly, and I have the bacon fixed just the way you like.”

He poured her a cup of coffee and she slid onto the bench in the breakfast nook. 

“This looks terrific.  A Daddy-day breakfast.”  She lifted a piece of bacon to her lips and took a bite.  It was fried crispy and seemed to simply shatter into her mouth in a burst of flavor.

Robert chuckled.  “I wasn’t sure you remembered Daddy-days.”

“Of course I do.  Mama would sleep in and you would fix breakfast for us.  Then we would go to the park or the skating rink or visit Uncle George or do something fun together.  I guess after a while we grew out of them.”

“When you two became teens, your schedules were just too complicated,” Robert said with a smile. 

Melissa could hear a bit of regret in his voice.  She remembered being too busy and too determined to resist the limits he placed on her.  She glanced at the smiling baby next to her and wondered what kind of struggles she would encounter with her own children. 

Robert delivered two plates to the table heaped with waffles and sat across from her.  She smiled at him and reached for the syrup.  “This looks fantastic.  But you’re certainly making it hard to stick to my diet.”

“Pregnant women shouldn’t be on a diet.  You need to keep your strength up.”

“I don’t need to be fat when it’s all over, though.”

“You could use a little meat on your bones.  And don’t think you won’t still be attractive.  Most men prefer a woman who’s filled out.”

“Oh, yeah?  Like Mom is filled out so much?”

“Your mother could weigh more, and I’d still think she was a knockout.  She had a horrible time getting the weight off after you two were born.  I kept telling her not to worry about it so much.”

Melissa shook her head, but picked up another piece of her father’s perfect bacon, her eyes twinkling.  “I don’t remember her ever being fat.”

“She wasn’t fat.  And neither will you be.”

“Mom was downright skinny.”

Robert looked at his daughter, and a look of confusion, then sorrow passed across his face.

“What?”  Melissa asked, taking another slice of bacon and handing another to Geoff who was reaching out for one.

“You’re too young to remember.  She had a miscarriage.  You were about three, I guess.  We almost lost her.  She weighed next to nothing for a long time.”

Melissa’s hand made a reflexive move of protection to her own pregnant belly. “A miscarriage?  No one ever told me that.”

Robert shrugged.  “We don’t talk about it.  Although I know she’s never forgotten.  You and Helena were so excited about getting a little brother.  You chattered about it constantly.  But it was an ectopic pregnancy—the fetus attached itself to the lining of the fallopian tube.  When it burst, she nearly died.  They gave her a complete hysterectomy and she was in the hospital for two weeks, then bedridden for several more weeks.  Nothing like the way they treat that operation today.”

“My God!  Daddy, she must have been…”  Melissa paused to do the math.  

“Twenty-six.  It was… a very rough time.  She was so depressed.  We had talked about having several more children.  But it wasn’t meant to be.  She barely weighed ninety pounds while she was recovering.  And just didn’t gain much of the weight back for a long time.  That’s why you think of her as being so tiny.”

Melissa shuddered.  She pulled her coffee cup to her and breathed in the familiar smell of the liquid.  “Daddy?  You and Mama…”

“We’ll work it out, little girl.  I love her completely and don’t intend to give up on her.  We just needed a bit of space.”

Melissa smiled and nodded. 

The phone rang and Robert answered it.  He assured the person on the other end that they would be home and looking forward to it.  He hung up the phone and returned to the table.

“What was that all about.”

“I called a service this morning.  They’re going to send over someone for you to interview.”

“Interview for what?”

“A housekeeper.”

“Daddy, I told you.  I don’t want a housekeeper.”

“Consider it my present to you and my namesake.”

“Daddy.  It’s not the money.  I don’t want someone coming in here and poking around in my things.”

“They don’t poke around.  Maggie doesn’t poke around.”

“Maggie is like an institution.  And Mama’s best friend.  It’s not the same.”

“You need someone to keep things straight around here.  At least while the baby is new.”

“Really, Daddy.  We manage quite well.  I just got a little behind last week, and I wasn’t expecting you.”

“No need to explain, little girl.  And I’m not complaining.  I’m happy to help out.  Alan could use some help around here while you’re out of commission.  Especially with two little ones to look after.”  Robert began gathering up the plates.

Melissa looked at him in shock as he headed for the sink and wondered why she couldn’t just have a peaceful visit with her father where they didn’t find something to fight about.

She slid off the bench and reached for a washcloth to clean up her greasy son.  As she straightened up she felt a twinge in her back.  The pain quickly grew and moved around toward her belly.

“Oh no.”

“What?”

“That was a labor pain.”

“You’re kidding.”

“Not about that.”  She put her hand to her back and bit her lip as she began to rearrange her schedule for the day.

“How long do we have?”

“Until I get the second one, there’s no telling.  But when I had Geoff, it didn’t take too long.”  She reached for the phone and dialed Alan’s office.  She reached his secretary and explained that she had gone into labor.  The secretary promised to track Alan down and notify him.  She didn’t plan to call the doctor yet, but Alan was a long way away.  Then she called her sister and told her.  Later, there might not be time.

The doorbell rang while she was talking to Helena.  A complication she didn’t need:  the prospective maid.  Robert beat her to the door and admitted a slender young woman who walked in.  Melissa wondered why they had to send her a slender one.  She tried to put on a happy face and be polite.  Robert headed back to fetch Geoff and Mary Ann, as the girl was called, cooed over the baby when they returned. 

Melissa asked for her references, and took the file she brought from the agency.  She just had time to look through the file when her second labor pain hit.  She managed to smile and thank Mary Ann and tell her that she’d need to think things over and check the references before she made the decision.  Mary Ann, pale and mousy in appearance, accepted the excuse with good grace and Melissa walked her to the door.  Mary Ann mentioned that she liked children and had two of her own that were school age.  She was hoping to find something that would allow her to work while the children were in school.  She looked barely old enough to be out of school herself.  Melissa watched her get in a rusty Buick station wagon that must be thirty years old, and felt her resolve waver.  Perhaps it wouldn’t be so bad to have someone dust and clean the floors, leaving Melissa more time to spend with the boys.

The third pain hit as she closed the door, barely five minutes after the last one.  She leaned against the door.  “Daddy.  My bag for the hospital is in the closet beneath the stairs.”

“I’ll get it in the car.  When do you think we should leave?”

“Real soon.  That was my third contraction.”

“Third?  In twenty minutes?”

“I think Robbie is in a hurry to meet his Grandpa,” she said with a weak smile.

“We should have hired that girl.  She could have watched Geoff.”

“We just met her!  I wouldn’t leave Geoff with her.”

“Well what are we going to do?  We can’t take him to the hospital.”

Melissa made her way to the phone.  Walking was quickly becoming a major effort.  The pressure on her pelvis had increased dramatically.  She really just wanted to lie down somewhere and get this over with.  “I use the child development department at the local high school.  Let me give them a call and we should be able to drop him off there.”

She made the call while Robert put the bag and Geoff in the Navigator.  Alan had taken the Miata.  Then she called her doctor.

The doctor’s office told her that Dr. Seasons was in Orlando for a conference.  They promised to get the message to her and notify one of her partners.  Dr. Bates was on call.  Melissa rolled her eyes.  She liked her doctor and didn’t mind two of her three partners, but she had an intense dislike of Dr. Bates.  The old man smelled of mothballs and stale beer.  She worked hard to avoid having appointments with him if at all possible.  She climbed into the Navigator with some effort.

“Everything ok?”  Robert asked.

“My doctor isn’t in town.  The one on call happens to be the one I wouldn’t trust to deliver kittens.”  She leaned back and closed her eyes as the next contraction hit.  “Dad, when I saw Trudy last Wednesday, the baby hadn’t turned yet.”  She reached out her hand to her father and he squeezed it tightly.  She turned and looked at him.  “Don’t leave me alone with him, Daddy.  Please? Make sure it’s all right?”

“Everything is going to be fine, little girl.  I won’t let anything go wrong.  Now give me directions to that high school.”

A short round black girl with three foot long braids was waiting outside for them at the school.  She greeted Melissa and Geoff by name and Robert could tell that Melissa was pleased to see her.  Geoff cuddled happily in her arms and she promised to look after him until Mr. Carter came for him.  Melissa introduced her father and told the girl, whose name was Semaj, that he would most likely return for Geoff by the end of the day.  Semaj wished her luck and stood on the curb, helping Geoff wave as Robert roared away.

The hospital whisked Melissa up to the maternity ward and into a labor room.  It looked nothing like the hospital room Susan had been in when she had the girls years before.  In fact, it looked more like a resort hotel room than a part of the hospital.  The walls were painted soothing colors, with tasteful wallpaper borders.  There was a sitting area with comfortable chairs, a wooden cabinet containing a television, and the bed looked very much like a regular bed. 

Once Melissa was changed and in the bed, Robert began to notice the differences.  A panel above the bed slid back to reveal the medical monitors.  And the bedspread was removed to reveal a sophisticated piece of equipment that could be used as a bed, an operating table, or a birthing chair.  Nurses bustled around and hooked up the monitors, pointing out to Melissa the different readings for her, the baby, and the contractions.

One asked Robert if he was the father.  He nearly said yes, until he realized she meant the baby’s father.  Melissa laughed and told them that he was the grandfather.  He noticed one of the nurses with blond hair and an ample bosom checking him over and looking a bit surprised.  Robert felt a bit of pride. She must be twenty years younger than him and she was checking him out.  Perhaps this was the way Susan felt when Gary looked at her.

Robert turned his attention to the monitors.  “Everything looks good, Melissa.”

The blonde nurse looked from him to Melissa. 

“He’s a doctor,” Melissa explained with pride.  She reached out for his hand as another pain claimed her.  He smoothed back her hair and whispered reassurance.

“And he’s right,” the nurse said.  “Your doctor will likely be here soon.  For right now, just relax as much as you can.  Want to watch some TV?”

Melissa shook her head and relaxed as the pain subsided.  “I should be getting an epidural.”

“I’ll check your chart,” the nurse said.  “As soon as the doctor gets here, we can take care of that.”

Melissa lay back on the bed, still clutching her father’s hand.  A tear rolled from the corner of her eye.  “I wish Alan were here.”

“He’ll probably break all the air speed records getting here,” her father assured her.

“Not soon enough.”

Another nurse bustled into the room.  “How is everything going?”

“We’re still here,” Melissa said drily.  “Has the anesthetist been called?

“He’s in an operation.  He’ll be here as soon as he can.”  She checked the monitors and began to rearrange things at the foot of the bed.  “How far apart are the pains?”

“A little less than five minutes, now,” Robert answered.

“Let me take a look at how you’re doing here.  Melissa, with the pains already that close, I’d say you’re going to have that baby before the epidural could take effect.”  The nurse coached her gently and gave Melissa a smile.  “You’re dilated to eight centimeters already.  That epidural would just slow you down.”

Melissa gave her father a panicked look.  He patted her shoulder.  “You can do it honey.  I’ll be right here.”

She nodded, resigned.  “Won’t take long, right?”

“That’s right, sugar.”

The next hour passed in a haze of pain.  She wasn’t interested in talking and the pains came closer and closer together.  Robert talked to her, coaxing her to breathe her way through each pain.   There was no sign of the doctor, although the nurses checked in regularly. 

Robert finally caught the eye of the blonde nurse and they walked out into the hall together.

“Where is Dr. Bates?”

”We don’t know.  We’ve called his office twice, and they said he should be on his way.”  She frowned.  “I’ll have someone call again.”

“Look, I know I don’t have practicing rights here, but she is my daughter, and she’s going to have that baby in a few minutes, whether Dr. Bates is here or not.”

“Let’s get you scrubbed.”  The nurse took his arm and pulled him into a side room.  While he headed for the sink, she opened a cabinet and pulled out a set of green scrubs.

“Melissa said the baby hadn’t turned when she had her checkup last week.” Robert said as he rubbed the antiseptic soap into his skin from fingertips to elbows.

“Don’t worry about that.  The baby is crowning nicely.”

“That’s good.”

Another nurse opened the door.  “We still haven’t heard from Bates.  Her water just broke.”

“We’re coming.”  Robert let the nurse help dress him.  He washed his hands one more time and they headed back into the room.

“Daddy?”  Melissa asked.  She was sitting forward in the bed and there were two nurses helping to position the birthing chair to a comfortable angle.

“Let’s get Robbie born, little girl.”

She gave him a delighted smile.  “I’m ready.”

The next few minutes passed in a blur.  He could see the baby’s head easily, and with just a few pushes, his second grandson, his namesake, was lying in his hands.  He quickly cleared the baby’s air passage, and little Robbie, shriveled and red, gave his first cry. 

Melissa lay back, tears streaming down her face. 

Three nurses were attending them.  They all murmured their congratulations.  Robert’s blonde friend took the baby and called the time of birth. 

“He’s beautiful, sweetheart.”

“Yeah.”

“Okay, Mom,” the nurse said.  “We’ll get the baby cleaned up and bring him back shortly.”  She turned to Robert.  “You can handle things here?”

“With the expert help I’m getting from you and your staff, we’ll be just fine.  Take care of my namesake.”

She nodded and winked and left the room with the baby.

In less than an hour, Melissa was cleaned up and the baby lay next to her in the bed.  Robert had cleaned up, but was still wearing the scrubs.

“Daddy?”  Melissa said quietly.

“Yes, little girl?”

“Thank you.”  She drifted off to sleep, and he didn’t need to respond.

Robert pulled up a chair.  He wasn’t about to leave Melissa alone.  As he sat watching her sleep, he noticed the remarkable resemblance that Melissa had to her mother.  People had commented for years that Melissa looked more like Susan than did Helena.  He’d always cast those comments aside since his girls were identical twins.  The idea that one looked more closely likeher mother seemed silly at the time, but now as he saw and watched her sleeping, he realized that she did look more like Susan. 

Susan…God had he missed her...especially now at this moment in time.  He wasn’t sure that Melissa had contacted Helena so Robert reached for the phone.  The movement caused Robbie to stir in his mother’s arms. 

“Hi there.”  Robert said softly when his eyes met Robbie’s.  “I’m your Grandpa.”

The baby puckered his lips and began to smack.

Robert chuckled.  “Hungry already. Let’s see if we can find that nurse and get you a snack while your mom rests.”

Robert carefully lifted the baby from Melissa’s arms.  Even though logic told him that Robbie was too young to focus, Robert was amazed that his namesake appeared so alert.

Pushing on the door with his hip, he eased out of the room quietly.   He found the nurse that has assisted him during the delivery and thanked her for acting so quickly.  She pointed toward a set of double doors.

 “Just past those doors is the nursery.  Just tell the nurses in there that I sent you.  They’ll rustle up a small bottle for your grandson.”   The blonde nurse patted Robert on the elbow before she resumed her duties.

“Well, it looks like this is the way.”  Robert said in his best baby voice. 

He was still talking to the baby as he opened the door to the hallway,  “Robbie,  you are as beautiful as all the Thompson women.  We’re going to have to beat the girls away from you.” 

Robert looked up as he entered the hallway and stopped abruptly to keep from bumping into a blonde woman rushing up toward the labor area.

“Excuse me.”  Robert said politely.  Then he stopped short.  “Susan?”

Susan was stunned into silence.

Robert looked down at the sweet smelling bundle in his arms then back at his wife.

“Robbie, this is your Grandmother.  You can call her Grammy if you want.” 

Susan remained silent.

Robert looked back down at the baby.  “Wow, not many people can make her speechless.”

Susan smiled. 

Robert smiled back.

They both tried to talk at the same time.

“What happened?”  “When did you get here?”

Both laughed.

The baby fussed.

“Care to grab some lunch with Robbie and I?”

“Robbie?”  Susan questioned.

“Follow me and I’ll tell you all about it.”  Robert gestured to the nursery.

“Okay.”  Susan fell in step behind him.

Much later, Melissa sent everyone but Alan home.  When Susan seemed reluctant to leave, Melissa called for reinforcements. Helena and John both assured Susan that they could handle both the kids.  The Thompsons were practically pushed from the hospital with instructions to drive to Vero for the evening.  Susan finally agreed to leave but insisted on waiting until Melissa was settled and John and Helena had taken Geoff to their house. Geoff would remain with them until it was time for Melissa and the baby to leave the hospital.  

It was late when they finally arrived at the Condo.  Robert pushed opened the door to the condo and flipped on the lights. He waited for Susan to pass into the room. He reached behind him and retrieved some bags of groceries they had picked up on the way.  Susan took the groceries into the kitchen. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Robert open the door to the patio.   He was physically tired and emotionally drained and every line of his face reflected his condition.  On one hand, seeing Melissa in pain had scared the living daylights out of him.  On the other, delivering his newest grandchild had given him more of a rush and than any medical breakthrough he had experienced while practicing. He reached for a chair and sat down to watch the waves below and ponder all the events of the day.

Susan eased out of the kitchen and watched him silently.  The car drive to Vero had been quiet.  Neither one had broached the topic of Gary Cartwright.  She knew Robert was weary, could see it on his face. She knew the conflict between them was mostly her fault.  Pride and guilt kept her from going to him.  Susan had never felt her age, never considered the reality that she had gotten older.  However, she was older, too old to be carrying on with the likes of Gary Cartwright. 

A feeling of intense guilt swept over her wrapping around her like a heavy winter shawl.   She reached for a nearby chair for support as tears began to stream down her face. She stood watching him. Everything important in her life sat just ten feet away from her and try as she might, Susan was unable to reach him, unable to call to him.

As if on cue, or perhaps as a result of many years of marriage, Robert was moved by an overriding wave of despair.  Something was very wrong.  He stood slowly still tired from the day’s events and headed back inside.  In the semi darkness of the room, he saw her, standing perfectly still with tears streaming down her face. Normally, he would have run to her side to provide comfort and support but tonight he just waited.  They stared at one another for several long moments.

 Susan closed her eyes and took a deep breath.  "I'm sorry."  She said weakly.

 "Me too."  He was at her side in a flash, scooping her up into his arms and pressing her against his body.

 "Oh Robbie, I'm so sorry for everything."  She sobbed into his chest.

 Robert chuckled.  "What the hell are you talking about?"

 "I'm old and wrinkled."  She sobbed.

 Robert pushed her back so that he could look at her.  "You're not old and wrinkled.  Honey, you haven't aged at all.  Hell, you still turn as many heads now as you did when I first met you."

 Susan looked up confused.

 Robert let go of her long enough to pull out a chair.  He sat down and pulled her onto his lap.  "Susan Thompson, don’t tell me you don't notice the looks."

 “What looks?"

 "Sweetheart, whether you realize it for not, you still can make every male head in room turn.  No matter how old or how young, they all notice you.  Can't say I blame them though, you are one beautiful broad."  He said the last with a slight laugh.  "I guess I'm lucky that you haven't reacted like this before.  Otherwise we'd have fights like this more often."

 Susan wiped the tears off her cheeks with the back of her hand.  "Oh Robbie."

 "Can't call me that anymore.  As of 11:30 this morning, there's someone else with that name.  I bet your old man is rolling in his grave knowing that my name will come before his on the birth certificate."  Robert laughed heartily.

 "Oh, I don't know.  He's probably just as proud as you are."  Susan laid her head on his shoulder.  "By the way, if I haven’t told you yet, you did good today, Grandpa."

 Robert patted her hip.  "Yes, I did.  Almost makes me wish I had stayed in medicine and not chosen research."

 They sat in silent for another moment.

 "To tell ya the truth, I was scared for Missy and the baby.  But when Missy looked at me the way she used to when she was a small and she asked me to take care of her, I just swallowed those feelings and did it."

 Robert's voice cracked as he recalled the scene in the delivery room.  After a few deep breaths, he continued.  "That kid of ours…well…she's something special.  She did a hell of good job today..."

 Susan leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek  "She's something special alright; tough when she has to be, compassionate, loving, smart, brave. She’s her father's daughter."

 "If she could hear you now, she'd probably wouldn't cotton to the comparison."  Robert said.

 "Oh I don't know.   I think she'd probably agree that the two of you make a fine team."  Susan pressed herself into her husband's body.  He responded by hugging her tightly.

 "I know another fine team."  He whispered in her ear and patted her hip.

 "Me too."  She said into his ear.  Then she shifted allowing his lips to softly graze hers.

 "How about letting me up?  I've about had enough of these scrubs.  I need a shower."

 "What? You don't like the lovely green color?"  She teased.

 "No, I swore when I retired that I'd never wear these things again."  He helped her off his lap.

 "Too bad."  She said with a smile.  "I kinda miss them."

 "You do?"  He stood up still very much in her personal space.

 "Hmm, yes.   When you were an intern, I used to get so turned on watching you play doctor.  It took me awhile to figure out why, but in the end it was your green hospital scrubs that did it for me."

 "Well, do they still have that effect on you?"

 She ran her hands up his chest and grabbing the loose material.  Susan pulled him down to her for a searing kiss.

 "I'll take that as a yes."  Robert replied as he leaned toward her for another kiss.

 "Awww wait right there."  She stopped him.

 "What?"

 "Didn't you say that you needed a shower?" Her voice was low as she pursed her lips and winked. 

 "Wanna join me?" He cracked.

 She shot him a five alarm look that made his knees weaken.

"I'll take that as another yes."  He said as he took her hand and led her into the bathroom.