The Mill River Redemption (32 page)

Once she had enrolled at Middlebury College and moved into the dormitory, keeping their correspondence hidden from their mother had no longer been difficult. Now, Emily was a sophomore.
She and Rose were both out of the house, but they lived in completely different worlds. Rose endured long hours at work, the lonely aftermath of a bad relationship, and increasing disappointment with her choices. Emily’s life, though, was happy and exciting, filled with interesting classes, new friends, and her first serious relationship.

She’d first met Andrew Coulter in her freshman studio art class. While Emily was taking the course because it was required for an eventual degree that would allow her to become an art teacher, Andy was a premed junior who needed to fulfill one of the college’s distribution requirements for courses outside his biology major. Their easels happened to be situated next to each other, and Emily was surprised at how quickly they’d gotten to know one another while they practiced drawing with pencil and charcoal. Andy had light brown hair, and she couldn’t decide whether his eyes were blue or green. She was often grateful that she could stare at her easel as he spoke to her, because she found that looking into those eyes often resulted in her losing her train of thought.

It was a good thing that Andy intended to become a pediatrician and not an artist, because even by the end of the semester, despite hours and hours of practice, the only things he could draw well were stick figures. He always approached the easel with good humor, though, and Emily found his goofy attempts at art to be endearing. She had kept several of the drawings that he’d made and given to her, including a still life depicting a lopsided wine bottle and a misshapen bowl of fruit under which he’d printed “Dinner with me?” That first-date invitation had led to a dizzying, exhilarating relationship, the kind of intense first love that left Emily longing for Andy even before they’d said their goodbyes for the evening.

She was eager to tell Rose all about Andy, about the wonderful times they’d had, but the time had never seemed right. As much as
she wanted to share her happiness with Rose, she couldn’t bear to gush about Andy after her sister complained about how horrible everything was. Emily had settled for telling Rose that she’d met a nice guy and had been dating him for almost a year. Rose would be able to meet Andy in person, and learn more about their relationship, when she came home for the holidays.

Rose was calling more frequently now, often in tears and slurring her words so much that Emily had trouble understanding her. Even more worrisome was that Rose often couldn’t remember past conversations or things she’d mentioned in her letters. It was obvious that she was drinking more, and Emily was concerned that she was in far worse shape than she had been when she used to sneak back home through their bedroom window. It would be good to see Rose in person, to be able to talk with her, really talk, and maybe get through to her. More than anything, Emily just missed her big sister.

Her mother’s car turned into the driveway and interrupted her thoughts. “Oh, they’re here!” she said as she bounced on her toes and grinned up at Andy.

“It’s about time,” Ivy said as she came out of the kitchen. “Gravy’s been made for a good twenty minutes, and my arm’s tired from stirring it.”

Emily threw open the front door and grabbed Rose in a huge hug the moment she was through it. When they separated and Ivy had had a turn to embrace Rose, Emily turned to Andy and pulled him forward. “Andy, this is my big sister, Rose. Rose, this is Andy Coulter.”

“Hi, Andy,” Rose said as she shook Andy’s hand. “It’s nice to finally meet you.” Although Rose grinned at him, Emily couldn’t help but notice the bags under her eyes and a certain sadness that seemed to dim their expressiveness.

“And you as well,” Andy replied, although he glanced at Emily nervously as he spoke.

“Andy wanted to meet everyone, so I invited him to spend the holidays with us,” Emily said.

“Actually, she took pity on me, being alone for the holidays,” Andy said. “My mom and dad are off on a cruise for their second honeymoon, so I really didn’t have anywhere to go.”

“We’re so happy to have you with us, Andy. And Ivy, it smells fabulous in here,” Josie said. “Is there anything left to get ready?”

“Nope. You ought to wash up and come sit down,” she said to Rose and Josie. “And,” Ivy continued as she hugged Rose close again, “I can’t wait to hear all about your latest big-city adventures.”

I
VY
’
S COMMENT REINFORCED FOR
R
OSE JUST HOW AWKWARD IT WAS
when she came home for a visit. Everyone was always so curious about what she was doing in New York. Was she still working at the restaurant? Had she met anyone new? What were her plans for the future? Was she ever going to do anything else with her life? Her aunt Ivy was the worst with the questions and her incessant need to be “in the know.” It felt horrible to have nothing exciting to tell her family, nothing that would make them sit up a little straighter and regard her with pride and respect.

Except this time, there
was
something she’d been waiting to tell them, something she was holding on to with every ounce of hope she still possessed. Midway through the dinner, after everyone had been served and the questions started in earnest, she put down her fork and smiled.

“I have a little announcement,” she said. “Something I’m pretty excited about.” Once everyone’s eyes were focused on her, she let them in on her news. “I got a part in a small play.” She waited and watched as her mother stopped chewing and Emily’s face lit up. Her aunt Ivy actually let out a whoop.

“Really?” her sister asked. “That’s fabulous!”

“Tell us about it,” Ivy said. “What’s the show? Is it something on Broadway?”

“Um, well, no. It’s a play that’ll be put on at a small experimental theater that just opened. It’s called
The Journey of Me
, and it’s about a man who suffers a stroke and falls into a coma. While he’s unconscious, he’s given a second chance to travel back through his life and atone for his mistakes.”

“That sounds really cool!” Emily said. “What part will you be playing?”

“The former girlfriend—you know, the proverbial ‘One Who Got Away.’ It’s not the biggest part, but it’s a start, right? I’ve heard that casting agents sometimes come to these kinds of shows, so maybe it’ll lead to something bigger.”

“Hmm. That’s true,” her mother said. “You never know. My old boss told me once that even a situation you might think is hopeless could lead to great things, and he was right.”

“Although
this
doesn’t sound hopeless,” her sister said quickly, and Rose flashed Emily a grateful smile. “Acting is hard. It takes a while to get your foot in the door and get a break, and this does sound like it could be the beginning of something good.”

“That’s right,” Ivy chimed in. “You gotta start somewhere.”

“I think this calls for a toast,” Andy said, and they all raised their glasses to wish Rose success.

The moment was wonderful, but it turned out to be just that—a moment. Within a few minutes of the toast, Emily and Andy became the focus of the conversation. Rose rearranged what remained of her roast beef and mashed potatoes on her plate as she listened quietly. A part of her was thrilled to have her shy sister sitting beside Andy with happiness radiating from her face. Emily’s eyes sparkled just a bit every time she looked at Andy, and judging by the similar expressions that were starting to appear on the faces
of her mother and Aunt Ivy, he seemed to have won the approval of both of them.

But, why shouldn’t he?
Rose thought. Everything about him seemed to have come straight off a good-boyfriend parental checklist. Polite? Check. Smart and ambitious? Check. Good-looking, funny, and most of all, caring and respectful toward Emily? Check, check, and check. Andy was the teddy bear sort of guy a person could picture with little kids on his lap, the kind with a goofy grin who would pull off awesome practical jokes and give amazing hugs. And yet, Rose could see the intelligence and a glimmer of seriousness in his blue-green eyes, which coupled with the firm set of his jaw told her that Andy was no spineless wimp.

She couldn’t help but think how different he was from Linx, the good-for-nothing thug she’d followed to New York. Linx had always been the bad boy, the tough guy. To her teenaged self, he’d been excitement and rebellion personified. Unfortunately, though, she’d learned the hard way that on the inside, Linx was a quivering mass of insecurity. How many times had he forbade her from going out without him or insisted on choosing what she wore? How many welts and bruises had she had to conceal throughout their time together? It was hard to believe that only a few years ago she’d have gone anywhere and done anything for such a foul-mouthed, heavy-handed control freak. Even now that they were no longer together, Linx still made it a point to stop in at the restaurant from time to time to harass her. She was worried that he might do something crazy to get back at her for ending their relationship.

No, Andy is definitely not like Linx, and that’s a good thing
, Rose thought. He was just another example of the things that seemed to come easily to Emily—a harmonious relationship with their mother, a certain self-confidence about who she was and what she wanted from her life, a quiet satisfaction with what she had, and now, a Mr. Perfect to build a future with.

Everything in her own life, on the other hand, was always so difficult. Nothing seemed to work out the way she wanted. Even with her success at landing her first acting job, a little voice inside her already cautioned against getting her hopes up. It was only experimental theater, after all, with a flimsy stage and a cast of nobodies.

Later that evening, Rose sat on her old bed in the second-floor bedroom that she used to share with Emily, listening to her sister and Andy talking softly downstairs in the living room. The lovebirds were supposed to be saying good night, but they were curled up together on the sofa bed, which their mother had made up for Andy. Their voices carried up the stairs, punctuated by periods of silence and the occasional loud creak from the springs supporting the pullout sofa mattress.

It boggled her mind that her younger sister was romantically involved with someone. She still pictured Emily as a little girl with curly red pigtails, or as the quiet high school student who never seemed to be able to pick out a stylish outfit. Even though she was happy that Emily was happy, seeing her involved with anyone was going to take some getting used to.

Emily’s soft laugh came from downstairs. Rose didn’t know how much longer her sister would be down there, but she was tired of waiting. She went to her suitcase and removed a small bottle of amber-colored rum. The first swallow was always a relief, a sweet, familiar burn that almost immediately muted her despair.
Thank God for this one constant
, she thought. Once she had a few drinks, everything would be okay.

2001

O
N A BLUSTERY DAY IN
M
ARCH, NEARLY THREE MONTHS AFTER
Emily had brought Andrew Coulter home to meet everyone, Josie
hung up the phone in her office, squelched a squeal of delight, and took a quick look around to make sure everything was in order. The house was spotless, as usual, including the kitchen, which showed no sign of having recently been used to prepare the lasagna baking in the oven. Her girls were home—Emily on her spring break from college and Rose because Josie had begged her to come to Mill River for a few days to be there for what she promised would be a momentous occasion.

The late afternoon phone call had been from Andy. He was waiting to be picked up at the Amtrak station in Rutland. Everyone except Emily knew that he was coming for a visit, but the bigger surprise for her younger daughter would be the reason for his return to Mill River.

Josie got misty-eyed as she remembered the call she’d received from Andy about a month before. It had been during the last week in February, and she’d been working in her home office, going over the paperwork for some new listings. Andy’s call was unexpected, and at first, she was afraid something awful had happened.

“No, no, Mrs. DiSanti, nothing’s wrong at all,” he’d reassured her, but his voice had trembled slightly as he’d continued. “I was wondering … would you have a few minutes to talk with me? I’d be happy to call back if this isn’t a good time.”

“Well, yes. Of course, now is fine.”

“Okay.” He’d taken a deep breath before plunging into the conversation. “Well, I wanted to speak with you because I know that Emily’s father died when she was very young and that you raised her and Rose by yourself. You’ve been her only parent, her mother and her father. You know that Emily and I have been together for quite a while now. She is the most amazing person and the most important thing in my life. I’ve never met anyone like her, and I couldn’t imagine living the rest of my life without her. I love her …” Andy’s voice had cracked a bit, and Josie’s heart
melted as he’d steadied himself and continued. “I love her with everything in me, and I would like very much to ask her to become my wife. I’m calling you today to ask for your blessing for me to propose to her.”

“Oh, Andy, you’ve made me cry,” Josie had said as she wiped at her eyes. “I know Emily loves you just as much as you love her, and I think you are a wonderful person. Of
course
you have my blessing. I couldn’t wish for a more wonderful husband for my daughter, or a nicer son-in-law.”

“Thank you, thank you so much,” Andy said with great relief. “I think I totally lucked out in the future mother-in-law department, and I promise you that I’ll do everything I can to make Emily happy.” He paused a moment before continuing. “The second thing I wanted to talk to you about is how I’m thinking of popping the question.”

“You already have something in mind? And you’re willing to tell
me
about it? Oh, this is so exciting!”

Andy laughed. “Yes, well, I was wondering if we could arrange a surprise for Em over our spring break in about a month, during the last week in March. Right now, she thinks we’re spending the vacation separately. I’m supposedly going to visit my folks in Providence, and she’s coming down to see you and her aunt Ivy. But, what if I were to show up in Mill River midweek and ask here there, in front of all her family?”