Vance seemed unusually quiet as they drove to the Space Needle. He didn’t use valet parking, so they walked the short distance from the closest lot.
“Oh, Vance, this is a lovely idea,” she said, clutching his hand. He could be such a romantic.
He responded with a weak smile.
His hand was sweaty, and Annie realized Vance was nervous. She longed to hold on to every detail of this special night and keep them close to her heart. One day she’d tell their children about the evening their father proposed. These were the moments of which family stories were made.
After the elevator ride to the top of the Space Needle, they were seated at a table overlooking the city. The restaurant did a slow rotation, so that during the course of the meal, they’d be treated to a full view of Puget Sound, the Cascades to the east and the Olympics to the west, along with the Seattle city lights.
Staring at her menu, Annie was convinced she wouldn’t be able to eat a single bite until Vance got up the courage to propose. From the way he kept looking uneasily around and drinking from his water glass, she figured he might need some help.
“Tonight’s special, isn’t it, Vance?” she said as she set aside her menu.
“Very.” He smiled, but his eyes refused to meet hers.
“Are you...nervous about something?” This part would make a great addition to the story when she repeated it to their children.
“A little.”
“Vance, there’s no need. We know each other so well, there isn’t anything we can’t say.”
He glanced at her as if to gauge the truth of her words. “You’re sure about that?”
“Positively sure.” She offered him one of her brightest, most encouraging smiles.
“Maybe we should have dinner first.”
“Will you enjoy the meal if you put this off?” she asked gently.
He shook his head and his shoulders sagged. “Probably not.”
“Then why don’t we discuss what’s on your mind?” Maybe it would help if she told him she knew what he intended, but she decided not to ruin his moment. “I believe I know why you’re trying to make this night so special,” she said instead, hoping she didn’t sound coy. “Please, Vance, don’t be intimidated. Just ask me.”
“Okay, if you’re sure.” He braced his forearms on the edge of the table. “First, you know you’re the one for me, right?”
Annie’s heart beat just a little faster. “And you’re the man for me.” She stretched her arm across the table and Vance took her hand. His thumb stroked her wrist.
Thankfully, the waiter seemed to recognize that now was not the time to take their drink order. He started toward their table, then did a quick about-face.
“That’s why this decision has been so difficult,” Vance continued.
“Difficult?” Annie didn’t understand why giving her an engagement ring would be the slightest bit difficult.
“I’ve decided to go to Europe for a year.” The words came out in a rush as if he were gasping for air.
“Europe? A year?” she repeated in confusion.
“With Matt,” Vance elaborated.
“Matt? The same Matt who got you the reservation for tonight? That Matt?”
Vance nodded. “We’ve been talking about it for months,” he said excitedly, “and we both felt that if we were ever going to do it, this is the time. I’ve got my graduation money and Matt’s been saving up what’s left over from his paycheck. We plan on staying in hostels and traveling from country to country by train. There’s even a chance we might be able to work on a dig near Ephesus. That’s in Turkey.”
“I know where Ephesus is,” she said through gritted teeth.
“Right...sorry. You’re not upset, are you?”
This was a joke. It had to be. Only, she wasn’t laughing and Vance seemed about to bolt.
“I wanted to make sure you know I love you,” Vance went on. “And...and I didn’t want you to hear from anyone else that Jessie Olivarez is going with us. She’s Matt’s girlfriend and an archaeology major, too, but I didn’t want there to be any misunderstanding. Like, I don’t want you to think I’m dating Jessie because I’m not. I’m in love with you.”
“Jessie?” Vance and Matt were taking a girl with them. “Jessie Olivarez is traveling with you?” They’d met twice, and Annie found her clingy and immature.
“I knew you couldn’t take that much time out of your life,” Vance said. “You’ve got your brother’s wedding and another year of school. Besides, you’re working with your mom, and that would make it hard to leave for so long.”
“You could have asked!”
“I was going to, but...well, you know, you’ve got responsibilities and you’d constantly be on the phone checking in with your mother.”
“Are you suggesting my mother and I are joined at the hip?” Talk about adding insult to injury!
“No...no. Annie, please, there’s no need to raise your voice.” He glanced nervously around them.
Seething on the inside, Annie closed her eyes in an effort to control her raging emotions. “I can’t believe this is happening,” she finally muttered.
“I know it’s a shock and everything,” Vance responded, sounding calm now, “but I brought you here because I wanted our goodbye dinner to be special.” After what was obviously meant to be a significant pause, he said, “I feel our love is strong enough to wait a year, don’t you?”
She didn’t answer right away. She could barely take in that he didn’t have an engagement ring in his pocket, let alone the fact that he planned to travel in Europe with his friend and another woman.
“You went to University Jewelers,” she mumbled. She’d assumed that meant he was going to propose. She’d assumed—
“I did?” He frowned and then relaxed. “Oh, yeah. My mom asked me to drop off her watch for repair. It was still under warranty.”
Annie wadded up the linen napkin on her lap. “When do you leave?” She would be adult about this. Okay, fine, he wasn’t asking her to marry him. Instead, he wanted her to twiddle her thumbs for a year while he explored Europe with Matt and Jessie Olivarez. Jessie Olivarez!
“Actually...the three of us are flying out tomorrow night. Do you think you could drop us off at the airport?”
He was out of his mind.
“Matt’s father was going to do it, but he forgot and made other plans.”
“You want me to drive you and another girl to the airport?” The insensitive jerk!
“If you could. It’d be a big help and that way you can see me off.”
She’d see him off, all right. “I don’t think so,” she said, then leaned down and reached for her purse.
“You’re upset, aren’t you?”
Clearly Vance had talents she never knew. Now he was a mind reader as well as a jerk. “What was your first clue?” she asked sweetly.
“But you said there wasn’t anything we couldn’t discuss! Come on, Annie, it’s only a year.”
“It’s more than the fact that you’re going to Europe, Vance. You’ve been planning this for a long time. Didn’t you even think to mention it to me?” By his own admission, this trip had been in the works for months.
He did look slightly guilty. “I wanted to tell you, but Matt said it would just cause problems. I can see he was right.”
Annie stood and threw her napkin on the table. “Have a great time, and when you get back, don’t bother to call. We’re done.”
“Annie,” he cried, “you don’t mean that!”
“Wanna bet?” They had the attention of half the restaurant. The entire room seemed to go quiet. Not wanting to be the subject of anyone’s dinner conversation, Annie ran toward the elevator. A line had formed, waiting to be taken down to street level.
Vance hurried after her. “I was afraid you were going to be upset. I wanted to tell you, I really did, but Matt said—”
“I already know what Matt said.” Annie crossed her arms and stared fixedly at the elevator door, willing it to open. Pressing her lips together, she did her best to ignore him. There was nothing Vance had to say that she wanted to hear.
“Come on, Annie. I hate leaving when you’re upset with me.”
She turned her back and looked in the opposite direction.
“Annie, please.”
What was taking the elevator so long? All she could think about was escaping Vance as quickly as possible.
“Okay, fine, be mad.”
She didn’t need any encouragement from him.
“Give me the silent treatment. See if I care.”
She pretended not to hear.
“All I want to know is if this means you won’t be driving us to the airport.”
She whirled around, shocked that he could even ask.
“Well?” He spoke with an air of defiance.
She shook her head. “No, Vance, I won’t be driving you to the airport, but have a nice trip. In fact, have the time of your life because that’s certainly what I intend to do.”
The elevator arrived and, after it emptied, the line moved forward. Annie stepped inside and, just before the doors closed, she took one last look at Vance, standing in front of her, still holding the black linen napkin in his hand. She gave him a short, sarcastic wave.
“Ta-ta,” she said as the door glided shut.
Five
The phone rang, waking Bethanne from a sound sleep. No one called in the middle of the night unless it was an emergency. Caller ID indicated her daughter’s name. With nervous, uncooperative fingers Bethanne answered. “Hello?”
“Mom!” Annie wailed.
Shifting into a sitting position, Bethanne rubbed her eyes. “Annie, what’s wrong?”
Annie tried to speak but Bethanne couldn’t understand a word she said. And what she did grasp made no sense. “Vance is going away?” Bethanne asked.
“To Europe with Jessie.”
This came out in a screech, which led Bethanne to believe Jessie was most likely a girl. So tonight’s dinner at the Space Needle wasn’t the marriage proposal Annie had so eagerly anticipated. While Bethanne was grateful, she hurt for her daughter.
“Oh, baby, I’m so sorry.”
“I... He actually wanted me to drive them to the airport. Can you believe that?” The anger was coming through loud and clear. “He said he couldn’t ask me to go to Europe with him because I had another year of school and...and responsibilities.”
“Everyone has responsibilities,” Bethanne said, stifling a yawn.
“I... Mom?”
“Yes, sweetheart?”
“This is what it was like when Daddy told you about...the lovely Tiffany, isn’t it? You didn’t know, you didn’t even suspect. You were completely oblivious to what was going on right in front of you. Well, so was I.” She sniffed loudly. “I feel so stupid.”
“Oh, Annie.”
“How could Vance be so insensitive?”
Bethanne remembered the shocked, numb sensation that had come over her when Grant left. Unlike her, Annie didn’t have a twenty-year marriage; still, she’d just been given a small taste of what Bethanne had experienced.
“Mom?”
“Yes, honey?”
“Can I go to Florida with you and Grandma Hamlin?”
“Uh...”
“I can’t bear to stay here alone.”
Bethanne resisted the urge to remind her that Grant and her brother would be in town. And she had lots of friends. Annie was far from being alone. On the other hand, having her accompany them wasn’t a bad idea. “I’m sure your grandmother will be fine with it, and I’d love to have you.”
“Thanks, Mom,” she said, still sniffling.
“Do you want to come home and sleep in your old room?” Bethanne asked, thinking that what Annie really needed was to feel loved and protected.
“No... I’ll be okay now.”
“If I could, I’d give you a big hug.”
“I know. You’re the best mom in the world.”
Bethanne smiled sleepily.
“Thanks, Mom... Would you call Grandma in the morning and ask her?”
“Of course.”
“And I’m telling Dad, too.”
“If that’s what you want, go ahead.” Bethanne had no objection to Grant’s knowing her plans but she felt no obligation to tell him herself.
They spoke for a few more minutes and then Bethanne replaced the phone. Resting her head on the pillow, she closed her eyes, trying to go back to sleep.
This would be a fascinating trip across the country now that both her ex-mother-in-law and her daughter were coming... Well, interesting at any rate. Bethanne drifted off as she began to make mental lists of the clothes she needed to pack and the people she needed to call.
* * *
Saturday morning she woke later than usual. Although it was a holiday weekend, she had a hundred things to take care of at work if they were going to head out early Wednesday morning.
After showering and dressing, she set off for the office. She’d wait until after ten to call Ruth regarding Annie.
While she was driving in Seattle traffic, her cell phone rang. The readout on her dashboard showed Ruth’s name and number.
Bethanne pushed a button on her steering wheel to answer the phone, and Ruth’s voice came through.
“Bethanne, where are you?”
“I’m in my car. What can I do for you, Ruth?”
“Would it be too much trouble to stop by the house this morning sometime...soon? I really hate to bother you.”
“It’s no bother. I’ll leave now.”
“How long will that take you?”
“Oh, about ten minutes, fifteen at the most. Is everything all right?”
“Yes, I...think so.” Her voice wavered slightly, indicating that everything wasn’t all right.
“I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
“Thank you,” Ruth whispered gratefully.
When Bethanne pulled up to the Hamlin family home, she saw two cars in the driveway. The first belonged to Grant, and the second she guessed was Robin’s. Brother and sister were double-teaming their mother. The poor woman needed backup.
Bethanne rang the doorbell, then let herself into the house. “Hello, anyone home?” she called out.
Ruth appeared immediately, and the relief that spread over her features the instant she saw Bethanne was almost comical. The older woman rushed across the room to grab Bethanne’s elbow. “Thank goodness you’re here,” she whispered.
“Bethanne,” Robin said in the tone she probably used to intimidate witnesses in the courtroom. “Tell me you aren’t serious about driving cross-country on some ludicrous scheme of my mother’s.”
At one time Robin might have intimidated her, too, but no longer. With a cool smile, Bethanne faced her. “Personally, I don’t think attending a fifty-year class reunion is all that ludicrous.”
Grant stood by the fireplace and seemed content to let his sister do the talking.
Robin didn’t give up. “You two don’t have a clue what you could be getting yourselves into. It isn’t safe out there. You’re both much too trusting. I simply can’t allow my mother—”
“I didn’t ask your permission,” Ruth told her daughter stiffly. She raised her chin to signal that she wouldn’t be browbeaten, nor would she change her mind. Robin could disapprove all she liked.
“Mother, for once be sensible.”
“Sensible?” Ruth repeated. “I’ve been nothing but sensible. It’s my
life, and at sixty-eight I should be able to do what I want, when I want. If I choose to drive to Florida, then I will.”
“And I’m accompanying her.” Now might not be the best time to mention that Annie was tagging along, so she held back that information. “You don’t have a thing to worry about. We’ll be fine.”
Robin looked up at the ceiling as though her patience had reached its limit. “I can’t believe I’m hearing this.” Then, turning to Grant, she added, “A little help from you certainly wouldn’t hurt.”
“I figured you were doing well enough without me,” he said, grinning at Bethanne and his mother.
Ruth and Bethanne stood side by side, with their arms linked.
Ruth looked at her children. “Really, there’s no reason to worry. I have the route planned out, I joined AAA and I’ve made hotel reservations. I’ve rented a car, which I’m dropping off in Florida, and we’re flying back. I’m sure I’ve thought of everything.”
“Do you have a list of your medications?”
Ruth frowned. “I take one blood-pressure pill and that’s it—oh, and I have eyedrops. It isn’t like I need a permission slip from my physician to travel. You’re grasping at straws. Furthermore, you’re treating me like a child. I can take care of myself.”
“The roads aren’t safe,” Robin insisted, “especially for two women traveling alone.”
Again Ruth frowned. “If someone does kidnap and murder me, as you seem to expect, you can rest assured that I died happy.”
“Oh, honestly, Mother.”
“What about Bethanne?” Grant asked. “If she’s kidnapped and murdered, how would you feel then?”
“I’ve had three karate lessons,” Ruth said facetiously. “I’ll defend her.”
Grant burst out laughing. Robin, however, didn’t seem to find anything her mother said the least bit amusing.
“Fine.” Robin pointed an accusing finger at Bethanne. “Just know that if anything happens to my mother because you were foolish enough to fall in with this crazy scheme of hers, I’m holding you directly responsible.”