Fairytales (31 page)

He thought of Victoria. What a lucky, lucky man his son was, marrying a girl so like her. Shaking his head, finally, he said, “I’m at a loss for words, Dom. That takes a special kind of person to be that selfless … you’re a lucky man, Dom, to be loved that much … and damn it, I hope you make her as happy. She’s already given you a lot.”

“I think she’s lucky, too, Dominic … after all, Dom’s no ordinary young man.” But father and son were looking at each other and scarcely heard Catherine. The look did not go unnoticed by Catherine and the implications were all too apparent, but she shoved them aside. “Dom?”

“Yes, Mama?” shifting his glance to her.

“I don’t know what really happened, but I can’t tell you how thrilled this has made me … and your Papa, but darlin’, she surely has been takin’ religious trainin’, I’m sure … realizin’ the responsibilities of a Catholic mother?”

“No, Mama, Tish is not converting …”

“She’s not?”

“No.”

“But surely you must have …”

Dom interrupted, “Mama, this is something I never expected Tish to do … signing her rights away to me about how our children will be raised … I think she’s done something so great … don’t you?”

She’s never satisfied, Dom thought, as Catherine said, “I do, indeed … but darlin’, it would make us all so happy if she …”

“Now, listen, Mama … I’m not going to ask Tish to convert … suppose we think about her and her happiness for a moment … she does count, you know … and this decision didn’t come easily nor impulsively and let’s also consider her parents.”

“Did they object?”

Christ, sometimes, he thought, the threshold of his mother’s understanding was almost childlike. “No, they didn’t.”

“Well, I think that’s very big of them.”

“It’s nice of you to recognize that.”

“I do indeed.”

“You bet, Mama.” Dom took a sip of his drink.

Dominic picked up his glass and went to his son’s side. Clicking glasses, he said, “Here’s to long life with the loveliest girl in the world … make the most of it, Dom.”

T
HE DAY STARTED IN
a flurry of excitement as all the Rossis boarded the plane for Atlanta. Dom sat holding Tish’s hand. When the sign went on, he helped fasten the safety belt around her slim waist which he pinched, then his hand went just a little lower, “Ouch, Dom … stop being so Italian.”

“Sorry, couldn’t resist. How did you sleep last night?”

“I didn’t. How about you?”

“One shower after another.”

“No wonder you smell so sweet… Oh, Dom, I’m so thrilled … If getting married feels like this, let’s do it more often.”

“Okay, but only to each other.”

“Are there any other people in the world?”

“No,” he said, kissing her. He lay back against the seat as Tish snuggled close, putting her head on his shoulder. “I don’t think you should do that or I’m liable to forget Father Daini.”

“Darling, I spoke to my mother last night and told her all about your family … especially your father.”

“When she sees us en masse, I hope she doesn’t faint.”

“She won’t, you know my mother.”

“I’m happy to say, yes, I do … you’re going to be like her, Tish … I can just see it.”

“And you’re going to be like your father … in fact, you are.”

“That’s the best compliment anyone could pay me … Tish?”

“Yes, darling.”

“You’ve never mentioned my mother …”

“Well, I … think she’s very nice.”

“You don’t really, do you?”

“Well … she’s very … beautiful and very …”

“Difficult to get to know … right?”

“Sort of, yes … but that doesn’t mean I don’t like her … some people are just easier in the beginning … like your father’s charm. He’s really about the most exciting man I’ve ever met. In fact, I can’t imagine a woman not falling in love with him. He should run for president.”

“He probably will. Don’t press him too hard,” Dom said laughing. “I can see my father sitting in the Oval Office … yes, connect me with the Vatican … they’re out? Okay, the Kremlin.”

“He’s really involved in politics, isn’t he?”

“Very … he’s always been.”

“How come he never ran for office?”

“Because of my mother.”

“Why?”

“Well, my mother’s a peculiar combination … when you get to know her, you’ll understand her better. She’s really a very private person.”

“She doesn’t give that impression … in fact, just the opposite. She seems very outgoing.”

“That may be … but it’s all surface. She has no real friends … doesn’t want any. Her whole life has been her children.”

“I don’t think that’s such a good idea, Dom, do you?”

“No … but then, we are what we are and my mother likes her own private little domain.”

“I hope you won’t feel offended, darling, but I think that’s rather selfish. I believe a woman has to assume the role of wife according to her husband’s profession. Take my mother … my father’s often away giving talks, or attending doctors’ conventions, but God knows where, and when he comes home it’s just like he never left.”

“Does she go with him?”

“Sometimes. Not always.”

“And she’s never resented being alone?”

“Resented? How could she? It’s my father’s life … his profession. She keeps so busy, I don’t think she has time to be lonely.”

“That’s wonderful. Would you?”

“Would I what?”

“Resent my going into politics?”

“Not if that’s what you wanted to do.”

“It’s tough on a woman, you know.”

“Are you trying to tell me something, Mr. Rossi?”

“No, just, one, two, three, testing.”

“It’s a little late for testing. A man should be sure before he asks someone to marry him.”

Squeezing her hand, he answered, “I was sure.”

“I hope so, Dom … I love you so much.”

“And you know how I feel about you, even though I can’t always put it into words.”

“You do all right. I get the message … I have from the beginning.”

They sat silently. Dom was deep in thought … Tish had no idea how careful he’d been before falling in love and why he related to Tish the way he did. She was all the things his mother was not. Remembering how he’d spoken to his father that day in Dominic’s study, had taken his father to task for having a love affair … what does she have that Mama doesn’t, he had asked … She gives me something I need so badly … tranquility. That’s what Tish had along with everything else. Of course, he had been enormously attracted to her sexually … but it was even in those moments he knew that she was capable of giving herself completely. Yes, he knew what he had, and God, how he loved her. He’d learned a lot about marriage from his parents’ mistakes. A sad way to learn, but at least not wasted.

He took her face gently and kissed her.

The stewardess coughed reluctantly as she stood at the side of Dom’s seat, hating to interfere with what appeared to be a very personal moment in the life of Mr. Dominic Rossi, Jr.

“Uhhun …” Dom looked up, trying to control his breathing.

“Yes?” he answered.

“Would you care for something to drink?”

“Tish?”

“I’ll have a vodka and orange juice.”

“Make that two,” Dom said to the stewardess.

“Thank you … you may remove your safety belts,” she said, moving down the aisle.

They both looked down, then at each other and broke out in gales of laughter. “See what you do to me? We’re probably halfway to Georgia by now!” Dom said, shaking his head.

Still laughing, Tish answered, “Well, no one can say we’re not being disciplined with our chastity belts!”

“Hell, I need more, like a double jockstrap to hold me … every time I kiss you, I get such a hard-on, I …”

“Havin’ fun?” Catherine asked on her way to the lavatory.

Dom looked at his mother, “Just terrific, and you?,” he answered crossing his legs.

“Lovin’ every minute,” she responded, continuing on.

“Tish, I’ve got to go to the john.”

“I’ll be here when you come back.”

Quickly, he hurried down the aisle.

On her way back, Catherine stopped and spoke to Tish … she hadn’t been to Atlanta since she’d been about twelve, having gone with her Daddy. What she could recall was a most beautiful city.

“Thank you, Mrs. Rossi, it is lovely, but probably has changed since you last saw it.”

“I’m sure, darlin’. From now on you’re to call me Mama. Mrs. Rossi, indeed! Good Lord, I’m gonna be just that, when you come to San Francisco and live … how do you feel about leavin’ the place of your birth?”

For some reason, Tish wanted to laugh. It sounded so strange … the emphasis she put on it… the place of your birth … Tish wanted to get up, salute and sing “I wish I were in the Land of Cotton” … “I don’t have any qualms about leaving.”

“But you’ll miss it, I’m sure.”

“Undoubtedly.”

“Once you’re southern, it’s hard to be anythin’ else.”

“I’ve never thought of it quite like that …”

“You haven’t… why, I’m surprised … I’ve never forgotten my heritage,
roots
goin’ back four generations … my great-grandfather was a southern gentleman with a grand plantation.”

“Well, that’s the difference. My mother’s from New England … very, very Yankee, I’m afraid. And although I was born in Atlanta, I somehow don’t feel the same wonderful sentiment you do for the south … I love it, but—”

Catherine interrupted in amazement, “Your mother wasn’t southern born?”

“No.”

As though she was having difficulty trying to understand, “How did they happen to meet?”

“My mother was studying archaeology at Columbia at the same time my father was taking a postgraduate course in surgery, and when they met, my mother decided to give up digging,” Tish laughed, “She said he was the best ancient ruin she’d ever find and traded in her shovel for a marriage license.”

Catherine laughed too. “That’s very cute.” Then she frowned, “… strange, in a way.”

“Strange? In what way?”

“My situation was similar …”

“Similar? You mean Mr. Rossi and you met at college?”

“Oh, no, darlin’, I never went to college … livin’ in the south at the time I was growin’ up … nothin’ derogatory meant by this … young ladies didn’t go to college … simply wasn’t the thing to do.”

She sounded like Scarlett O’Hara thought Tish, but the thought went further. Somehow she found herself feeling sorry for Catherine … suddenly she realized her future mother-in-law needed to feel important, which being a southern belle gave her. That’s rather sad, she thought, as she sat looking at Catherine, who rambled on about her meeting with Dominic. There was something pathetic about her that drew Tish closer to this woman … it must have been difficult to live in the shadow of a man such as Dominic Rossi and she couldn’t compete. Suddenly it occurred to Tish … that’s the reason for all the elaborate jewels worn even in the daytime. She was trying to be somebody and this was her way of trying to achieve it. Tish had not heard half of what Catherine was saying … only sat, watching the rouged lips move. Her thoughts were interrupted … “I didn’t like San Francisco in the beginnin’ … I hope your adjustment will be …”

Tish’s mind moved away from the conversation again, remembering some of the things Dom had said about his mother earlier. Then and there she knew they were going to be friends … yes, she liked Catherine … in spite of her reasons being born out of pity.

“Is my mother trying to sell you the south?” Dom asked, returning from the lavatory.

For one moment, Tish felt a mild resentment, and rather protectively she answered, “No, your mother was telling me about her lovely girlhood growing up in the south. We southern girls have a heritage to be proud of, don’t we … Mama?” Tish smiled, looking at Catherine. In that moment, Catherine liked this reassuring girl… yes, indeed, she did.

There was a strength she admired which she had refused to see until this moment, “We do indeed, Tish.”

“Well, viva la Dixie,” Dom said as the stewardess handed him a drink, then reached over and placed a glass in Tish’s hand.

“I’ll drink to that,” Tish answered.

The large aircraft swooped down like a graceful bird and came to a halt at 5:05 Georgia time. Dom and Tish, hand in hand, ran across the field with the Rossis lagging behind. Holding her hat with her free hand, Tish called out excitedly, “There they are … Mom … Dad.”

Running even faster, soon they were embracing … Tish holding her mother tight while Dom shook hands with Dr. Stevens. His future father-in-law was an amazing man, Dom had thought from the very moment he had met him two years ago. He was a man of enormous warmth, which had come from his Irish ancestry … his Scottish genes had provided the handsome ruggedness … in fact, looking at him, one could not imagine from the size of his hands that those fingers could do the most delicate open-heart surgery. Once in surgery, someone jokingly said, if he hadn’t made it as a surgeon, he could have become a dressmaker. His hair, abundant and totally silver, enhanced the handsome, square, tanned face. There was a twinkle in his green-blue eyes that seemed to change color. He was a magnificent specimen of a man with all the vigor and vitality of one younger than his fifty-three years.

“It’s so good to see you, sir,” Dom said.

“Good seeing you …
sir,
congratulations. Sorry we missed the big day,” he said, with a soft southern drawl.

“It was my loss, I can assure you.”

Then suddenly, Tish was in her father’s arms, “Oh, Dad, I’m so happy to see you.”

Dom turned around and embraced Tish’s mother. Then holding him at arms length, Leticia Stevens said, “Let me look at you, Dom,” in that frank, open way. She was beautiful, but not in the same way that Tish was, but the resemblance was there. There was an inner beauty that glowed in her slender freckled face. The angular bone structure was something an artist would understand. Her wide eyes were direct, warm and blue, the color of star sapphires. Her reddish hair was pulled nonchalantly into a topknot held with a rubber band. She wore a simple, sleeveless cotton shift which emphasized her slim, graceful body. Her mouth was ample and sculptured. When she spoke one became fascinated with her cadence of speech. There was a lilt to the Yankee, clipped voice. She meant what she said and she said what she meant … There was an air of inspiration in her honesty that made Andrew’s Atlanta friends love and accept her and admire Andrew Stevens for having the good taste to marry and bring her as a bride to live among them.