Family Pieces (20 page)

“How about we find some chocolate milk instead?”

“And some lunch,” Emily added. “Oh, Addison. She looks like a model.”

“Well, that’s the point right?” Addison giggled. She knew Adie had that special glimmer to her. With her baby blue eyes and a slight dimple dipping into one of her round cheeks, she had looked like the picture-perfect baby from the moment she’d arrived.

Adie quickly replaced Addison’s attention with Jacob’s who now held her while fake tango dancing across the hallway. With each turn and dip, she squealed with delight. “More dancing! More dancing!” Jacob, who seemed to be enjoying her as much as she him, obliged.

“Marjorie, can you hold down the fort while I take these ladies to lunch?” Addison asked.

Marjorie nodded as she continued talking into her headset.

“Thanks for entertaining her, Jacob,” Emily said as she lifted Adie out of his arms. Adie fussed slightly. The shoot had lingered past her routine eleven-thirty lunchtime.

“Anytime. I love kids. I’ve got three nieces that love to play with their Uncle J,” replied Jacob. He gave Adie a quick farewell peck on the forehead.

“Any preference for food?” Addison asked Emily.

“Anywhere that serves mac and cheese.”

“Cheeeese!” Adie repeated, smiling as if back in front of the camera.

The three made their way to a quaint café two blocks from Addison’s office where Adelaide blissfully ate her macaroni by placing each piece on her fork with her hand while the two women chatted.

“Any plans for the weekend?” Emily picked up a piece of macaroni Adelaide dropped off the table and set it aside.

“Nothing much. Dinner with Russell on Saturday maybe. We’ll see. I need to visit my mom, too. Did I tell you she was home now? I can’t remember. I keep telling her to take it easy, but you know my mom.”

“Well, at least your mom seems to be heading in the right direction. So, anyway, how was your date with Russell?”

“Which one?”

“Which one? You didn’t tell me you saw him again. You’ve been holding out on me.”

“I’m not holding out on you. There isn’t that much to tell. The date was good. They were both good.” Addison tried to subdue her excitement. They’d only had a couple of dates. Still, even Addison was taken aback by their immediate connection. “We went for sushi and talked.”

“Talked. That’s it? Nothing juicy?”

“Like I said, there’s nothing to tell, really.”

“Nothing? Come on. I’m married here. I live vicariously. Give me something.”

“Okay. We kissed. Period.”

“Details?” Emily pleaded. She cherished her marriage to Greg, but any true romantic misses that fluttering excitement from a first kiss.

“What are we, in high school?”

“Come on…” Emily giggled.

“I’m a grown woman. I don’t kiss and tell. How-ev-er,” Addison drew out the word, “if a girl was younger and was to kiss and tell, she may add the details of how his strong hands lifted her chin slightly, his lips commenced with the lightest brush before proceeding confidently into a luscious, full-fledged, make your knees weak schoolgirl kiss.” Addison suddenly felt like they were in college again.

“Aaaannnddd??”

“And, that’s it. It took every ounce of restraint I had to close the door with him on the outside.”

Emily looked disappointed. She hoped Addison would finally find someone to settle down with. She hated seeing her alone. Russell seemed perfect, although most of what she knew about him was based on tabloid magazines and television interviews, especially since Addison did not elaborate.

Addison restrained herself from sharing more of her feelings with Emily. A part of her heart had already fallen for Russell, which was bittersweet. It was good, too good. She knew it couldn’t last.

Karsen purchased her ticket online and chalked up the expense to one more ding on her credit card. She’d worry about how to pay for it later. She didn’t know why, but she knew she needed to think. Not here, not with James so close. At home, she could pretend momentarily that her life was normal. Besides, she reasoned, her dad could probably use some company. She packed a small duffle bag with enough clothes for the weekend: two shirts, a pair of sweats, an extra pair of jeans and her make-up bag. She pulled her hair into a ponytail and poked it through the hole in the back of her ASU ball cap. After calling a taxi, she left a voice mail for Hanna.

“Hey, Han, it’s me, K. I’ve decided to fly home for the weekend. I need to clear my head. I’ll have my cell with me if you want to call; otherwise don’t worry about me.”

The taxi arrived and she directed the driver to Sky Harbor Airport. She called her father from the cab and got his voice mail.

“Hi, Daddy. Surprise! I’m coming to visit. Don’t worry about picking me up at the airport. I’ll take a cab. See you tonight.”

She debated whether or not to call Brad. He’d only try to reason that she’d missed too many classes already and flying home on a whim was completely irrational, so she decided to call him later.

The taxi stopped at the departures in front of terminal three. Karsen climbed out and paid the driver with a meager tip. Embarrassed slightly, she ducked quickly into the building and headed to her gate.

After a turbulent, three hour flight, the captain announced their arrival in Chicago. From there, she took the puddle-jumper to South Bend and a taxi home. As she rode, she figured with the time change, she’d arrive about the time her dad returned home from work. She wondered if he had gotten her message.

Her dad welcomed her with a great big bear hug, lifting her up on her tippy toes. He needed the visit as much as she did, although his pride would never allow him to admit it.

“Hi, sweetheart! Come in. How was your flight?” He took her bag and set it on the entryway bench.

“Fine, Daddy. Bumpy, but we made it. I guess that makes it a good flight.” Karsen had recently become a bit skittish about flying. Even though statistically it was safer than driving, she still felt more at ease after touching the ground. Perhaps she was feeling less invincible after the phone call that left her on her knees.

“I thought we’d order pizza. That sound good to you?”

“Sure. I ate in Chicago, so I’m not too hungry.” Pizza sounded appealing, but she questioned whether that would change once it arrived. Each day brought new complexities to her ability to eat. One day she loved Chinese; the next, the thought of it made her want to vomit. Then there were the smells. Just the smell of something could send her stomach into a tizzy.

Carl ordered the pizza while Karsen showered and changed into more comfortable clothes. Shortly after she heard the doorbell ring, she returned to the kitchen. The pizza box lay open on the table. Her dad had set out plates and napkins. He opened a beer and offered it to her.

“No thanks, Dad.”

He shrugged his shoulders and took a sip himself. Karsen grabbed a Sprite from the cabinet and filled a cup with ice. She pulled a slice of pizza onto her plate and picked a pepperoni off of the top. The cheese stuck to it, creating a long string and she did her best to slip it into her mouth without making a mess.

They made small talk while eating until her dad finally asked what she was really doing home. He sensed there had to be more to it than a friendly visit to poor ole dad even if his intuition was far less keen than any woman’s.

“It’s just…” Karsen picked at her pizza while contemplating her story. “It’s just that I can’t face school right now. Losing Mom and then James, I can’t concentrate. I needed to get away, and although Jamaica sounded pretty darn good, home is more in line with my budget.” She hoped the humor would help squelch his concern. “Anyway, I figured you needed some company. You and the dog can’t live on pizza and beer forever. You need a good home-cooked meal.”

“Karsen, I appreciate that and hope that’s all it really is. But to fly home unannounced for the weekend? You’re usually not that…”

“Spontaneous?”

“Irresponsible,” he corrected. “You can’t afford last minute airfare. Those rates had to be enormous.”

“Don’t worry, Daddy. I’ll be fine. I put the ticket on my credit card, but I’ll pay it off right away. I swear.”

“I do worry and I will continue to worry about you. Your mother would roll over in her grave if I let anything happen to you.” He took another drink. “I’ll write a check for the airfare before you leave. When are you leaving, by the way? You are still enrolled in school, right?”

“Yes. I leave Sunday afternoon. I’ll be back in class Monday and Hanna will share her notes from today. I’ve got everything covered. I promise; you don’t need to worry.”

He hoped she was right, but he still speculated there was more to her spur-of-the-moment visit than she let on.

“Eat.” He pushed another slice onto her plate. “You look thin.”

Thin
, she thought.
Maybe for now…if he only knew.

15

S
aturday, Addison spent the morning visiting her mother at her parents’ home. As she glanced out the window, the sun peeked through the clouds and a few snowflakes floated down gracefully in the closing stages of winter. While most people with any common sense trudged around winter in clunky brown boots, she sacrificed comfort for style. Her neatly pedicured toes were warmly tucked into her pointed-toe black boots, which she refused to remove even though her feet ached like she had walked a marathon.

Her mom’s recovery was proceeding well. The initial scans showed no additional spots of cancer. Her color was back and her spirit lifted.