The House (7 page)

Anna reached over and patted his knee. “We’re going to get through this.” She sighed. “We’ll make it,” then, “We have each other.”

Arriving home, Anna went upstairs and looked in on Edward, who was resting in the bedroom they had once shared.

“He’s asleep,” she said after coming back downstairs. “I’ll get lunch ready for when he awakes.” She went into the kitchen. David followed her.

He sat at the counter as Anna removed roast beef, bread, and mayonnaise from the refrigerator and brought them to the surface between them. She started making sandwiches as David watched.

Anna completed the first sandwich and placed it on a plate and sat it before him.

“I’m sorry about suing Henderson,” David said. “I don’t think you’re mentally unstable.”

“Did you conclude that before or after I decided to take care of your father?”

“I knew it all along.”

“Then why the suit?”

“Because he needed you. I do, too. We all do.”

Anna lifted another piece of roast beef and proceeded to make a second sandwich. David’s attention followed her.

“Did you hear what I said?”

Anna sliced into the roast beef. Her eyes began to sting. The meat before her became blurry.

Edward entered the kitchen. David stood. Son and father eyed each other. Then Edward extended his hand and David rushed to embrace him.

Anna finished making the sandwich and rinsed the knife. “It’s ready,” she said of the sandwich. Holding back tears, she returned the ingredients to the refrigerator and slipped from the kitchen.

Anna entered Theo’s old bedroom where she was now staying, closed the door, and went to the bed. She could not bring herself to sleep with Edward. Yet old fires burned.

A knock arose from the door. She turned from where she was sitting as it opened.

“Aren’t you hungry?” Edward asked on entering.

“I just needed to change. Besides I still have to tidy up Linda and Brad’s room.”

Edward came around and faced her. “The room is fine.” He reached out and attempted to touch her cheek.

“I’m sorry.” Anna pulled away and whisked past Edward to the bureau.

Edward drew near as she slid open a drawer. “You never told me exactly why you wanted the divorce. The papers said irreconcilable differences, but ... “

Anna’s face ran hot with anger and with sadness. Nearly a year and a half had passed since the night she has asked for the divorce and Edward had refused. She couldn’t believe they were discussing this, first
why
she brought him home, now the divorce.

“I thought you might have understood. All the women. You never at home. You weren’t happy.”

“But why did you wait so long? Serine had been gone for a decade.”

“You thought I should have left sooner?” Anna whipped around. The conversation was devolving into a quagmire of confusion.

“I’m just asking why last year? Why the—”

“I’m not the one on trial here,” Anna said. “You should be glad that—”

“Dad, Mom,” David spoke from the hallway. “Linda just called to say—” David entered the doorway. Surprise registered on his face when observing Anna’s things settled about the room and laid upon the bed, evidence that she had sleeping in Theo’s room. “I guess Theo will be sleeping in my room like we did as kids.”

Anna lowered her head in an attempt to avoid David’s gaze. He turned to Edward standing somber, then left the room.

“I’ll go set the table,” Edward said.

After a momentary silence, Anna started past him. “You need to rest,” she said.

“In a couple of months, I won’t be able to do this.” Edward reached after her. “I don’t want to go to bed until I have to.”

Anna felt weak at the brush of his hand. His choice of words strummed her heart.
I don’t want to
versus
I won’t
.

“I’m sorry,” she said.

“Don’t be. I got myself into this mess.” Edward pocketed his hands and kicked his bare feet at the floor.

“You think you’re being punished?”

“Why shouldn’t I be? Look what I put you through. And my children.”

Anna turned away and began reorganizing the clothes in the open bureau drawer. “It’s just something we’ll have to get through.”

“I don’t doubt you’ll get through it. Nor that you’ll stay strong for the children. You’ll make sure they’re okay. I know that,” Edward said.

She leaned toward him. You should have taken better care of yourself and not traveled so much. Her thoughts listed everything that Edward had done wrong. She resumed her business of rear ranging the disarray of clothes. Organizing and making sense of life’s chaos was what Anna did best. The madness of what she was doing absorbed her.

“I’ll miss you.” Edward’s voice cracked.

Anna’s hands fell still.

“I’ll miss you, too,” she whispered.

Cognizant of what she had said, she slowly turned to face him. Edward had left the room.?

Chapter 9

Linda and Brad arrived while David had returned to Oakland Airport to pick up Serine. “I wish Serine had come up with you guys,” Edward said as he grabbed Brad’s hand and pulled him into an embrace.

He then kissed Linda. Anna was surprised that Linda didn’t flinch. Rather, she embraced her father and whispered, “I love you.”

When all was settled, Anna, Edward, Linda, and Brad sat around the kitchen table.

“So, Dad, what medications are you taking now?” Linda was in tent on discussing the business at hand.

“Nothing,” Edward said. “The chemo failed.”

Brad took Linda’s hand. With her other, she lifted her father’s palm. Anna grew tense.

“It’s going to be okay,” Linda said. “We’ll get through this. And so will you.”

“For me, that means dying.”

“That time’s not here yet,” Linda said. “Until then—”

“The roast is almost ready.” Anna jumped up and went to the kitchen area. Sliding on her mittens, she opened the oven door, and removed the broccoli casserole.

“Need some help?” Brad joined her.

“The roast is done. I’ll start the vegetables as soon as David arrives with Serine.”

Anna pointed to the microwave, wondering what was keeping her younger son.

“When’s Theo coming?” Brad looked at his watch. “It’s seven o’clock.”

“He said he’d be here by dinner. I told him we were eating at eight, but you know Theo.” Anna caught sight of what she considered Brad’s judgmental look about Theo and his tardiness. Still Brad had been good for Linda. Anna held no doubt that Brad Oliver loved her elder daughter.

Brad slid onto the stool at the bar.

“How’s Linda?” Anna said.

Brad swiveled around to Linda and Edward at the table across the room. The two were in deep conversation. “She cried the entire night after you called with the news,” Brad said. “Two days later, she saw her old therapist.”

“She hasn’t had to go back until now?” Anna asked.

Emotion drained from Brad’s face, a mask taking over as if to shield his subdued anger. “Linda hasn’t been in therapy for over five years.”

Anna pulled out a drawer and lifted a knife. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”

“Perhaps if you called more.” His words were soft, but firm. “I’m sorry about that, too.”

“Linda’s been worried about you.” Brad drew close. “She tries your cell phone constantly.”

“I didn’t want her or any of you to feel compelled to choose sides.” Anna hadn’t spoken to Linda in more than nine months, three months after she began divorce proceedings.

“We’re all adults. And Linda was worried.” Brad remained with his topic. “Eventually, she got a hold of Elise. She told us you were fine, that after moving into the apartment you only had the cell phone. Linda wanted to come up and see how you were, but I told her you needed some space.”

Again Brad shifted around to Edward and Linda at the kitchen table by the window and sliding glass door opening onto the patio. Linda was holding Edward’s hand. He was speaking low and soft, his eyes searching as she listened intently.

“It’s horrible that it took this for you to call,” Brad said. “We’re not just here for Edward. We came for you, too.”

The kindness and civility of her son-in-law’s words made Anna want to scream.

The doorbell rang. She went to the foyer, opened the front door, and saw no one. On her return to the kitchen, she heard voices. Serine was stepping through the entry of the sliding glass door with David following close behind as Brad slid the screen closed. David and Brad greeted each other with a hug. Anna’s youngest child rushed to Edward who was sitting at the table with Linda. Edward stood and embraced Serine and held on to her for a long time.

“I’m going upstairs to freshen up,” Linda said.

Serine took Linda’s seat at the table.

“I’ll help you get the bags out of the car and take them up to the room,” David said.

The two men headed out the back door to Brad and Linda’s car. Anna marveled at how cooperative the children were. Like other grade-schoolers, those younger and less experienced in life’s trials, Anna’s children had bickered at the slightest notion of life’s injustices. Many a benign comment made by one sibling was blown out of proportion and caused the Manning household to become a war zone. Anna had spent much of her time directing her children’s behavior, and micromanaging their actions.
David, don’t judge your sisters. Theo, don’t pick on Serine. Linda, it’s not that way. No one’s angry with you, Serine.
Sibling rivalry between David and Theo hadn’t been an issue. Rather David and Theo had established a united front toward their younger sisters. At times, Anna had wondered if David and Theo had felt overwhelmed, three women to two of them. If Edward had been home more often ...

A hand landed on her shoulder. “Need any help?” David was back from taking Serine’s bags upstairs. Anna shook herself free from her last thoughts.

“I’m fine.” She crafted a smile.

“Brad’s upstairs taking a shower,” Linda said upon joining David in the kitchen. “What can I do to help?”

Anna walked to the sink, turned on the faucet and then squeezing some dishwashing liquid into her palm, brought her hands under the stream of soothing, warm water.

“Like I was telling Brad earlier, everything’s ready. The vegetables are in the— “ She turned to the microwave then hesitated in her moment of thought,
I need to turn up the temperature on the water heater.

Saying nothing she rushed past David and Linda down to the garage. Pulling open the door to the compartment housing the furnace and water heater, Anna increased the temperature on the thermostat of the water heater to its highest setting. Glad that she had thought of this now rather than when the showers ran cold, she turned back. On closing the door, she met Linda.

Anna froze.

“I didn’t mean to startle you. Is everything alright?” Linda’s voice was easy and sure—unlike Anna had ever heard it.

“I’m fine. Just wanted to turn up the temperature on the water heater. With five of you plus me and your dad, it’s going to take a lot more hot water than usual.”

Sadness slid over Linda’s sienna face that, like Edward’s ruddy complexion, held a red, almost orange, undertone.

“It’s been difficult for you being here by yourself,” Linda said.

“It wasn’t like you all left home yesterday.” Anna failed to avoid her elder daughter’s gaze. “I’ve had time to adjust.” Her chest sank. This was not a discussion she desired. Yet she felt close to Linda. Peace and calm, not evident before, entered their engagement. “I’ve missed you.”

“Same here,” Linda said. “Aunt Elise said you were fine, that you had a lot going on. I stopped calling because I didn’t want to add to your burdens.”

“You were never a burden,” Anna said.

“Still it was hard on you,” Linda said. “I haven’t thought about suicide in five years.” Her face exuded a warm glow.

Anna drew near. “Brad said you had stopped therapy.”

“I realized I wasn’t the cause of your unhappiness.” She lifted Anna’s hand. “I started loving myself.”

Anna’s lips trembled. She wanted to embrace Linda, and say she was sorry for retreating. Anna had needed to regroup. Memories of Inman and the smell of his damp and newly washed skin filled her nose. Her body grew warm and moist as it had when touching Inman’s. She enfolded Linda’s words into her heart.
I started loving myself
.

Linda turned and went back up stairs. A flurry of tears filled Anna’s throat, she unable to heave or swallow.?

Chapter 10

David and Brad arranged the plates and silverware on the dining room table. Linda placed the roast in the center.

“The vegetables have finished in the microwave,” Anna called from the kitchen. She was standing at the sink and washing the dishes from lunch. “I wish Theo had told me how he was getting here.” The clock on the range read 7:50.