Page 49 of Below the Far Horizon
But somehow, she found the presence of mind to smile and shake her head. “This is Mom’s surprise. Just relax.”
Her sister did not like that at all, mostly because she didn’t like not being in control, and she definitely didn’t like Grace knowing something that she didn’t, which Grace could see clearly from the look she gave Grace before she turned toward the door.
She gasped softly. “That’s a man,” she said, to no one in particular, although she said it under her breath as Don walked in.
“Don!” their mother exclaimed, and she threw her arms around him like she hadn’t seen him for six weeks instead of less than a day.
“Gita Baby,” Don said in that slightly sexy, slightly sultry tone that Grace was actually getting used to. Maybe it didn’t sound so bad after all. She wouldn’t mind someone talking to her in that kind of voice. No. She didn’t want just anyone talking to her in that tone of voice. She wanted to hear it from Trevor, and for her and her only.
“What’s going on?” Jill asked as Don and Gita embraced.
“Girls, I wanted you to meet my boyfriend, Don Gillett.”
“We know Don. We grew up with Trevor and his siblings,” Stacy said, moving forward. Maybe she realized that what she had said wasn’t the most polite thing, because her tone modulated as she said, “But it’s good to see you again after all these years.” She put her hand out, and Don shook it. Then, as though what their mother had said finally penetrated, she said, “Did you say your boyfriend?”
“Mom has a boyfriend?” Jill didn’t seem to be able to believe it either, but her words were softer and probably didn’t carry across the room. “That’s…crazy wild.”
“I know,” Grace said, thinking about how long it took her to get used to the idea. She didn’t figure her sisters would jump into it any quicker, but no matter how many times she told her mom that shethought that her mom should tell them privately before she sprang her boyfriend on them, her mom insisted that they would be happy and excited for her.
“I guess if you’re happy, that makes me happy too,” Stacy said, seeming to take a moment before she wrapped her arms around her mother. “I really am happy. You look like you’re glowing.”
“I’m in love. Isn’t that what people in love do? Glow?”
“I guess. But it’s an odd look to see on my mom,” Stacy said, obviously trying to be kind but having a little bit of a hard time.
Grace bumped Jill. “You’ll get used to it. Don really is a good guy.”
“I’m just so shocked,” Jill said as she seemed to force her feet to move slowly across the floor. “Mr. Gillett. It’s a pleasure.”
“You can call me Don. I expect that we’re going to be family very soon.”
Jill’s eyes got huge, and Grace wished he could shove those words back in his mouth. They were just getting used to the idea that their mother had a boyfriend, and she knew how shocking it was for her to see her mom with someone other than their dad. The idea that the man was going to take her dad’s place was probably a little more than what they could handle right now.
“Oh. Okay,” Jill said, obviously struggling for words.
“Don has been so good to Mom. This is the happiest I’ve seen her in years,” Grace said, coming over and hoping that her sisters did not point out that she barely ever visited her mom or saw her, so she wouldn’t know whether she had been happy all the years that she had been gone or not.
Thankfully her sisters seemed to be so discombobulated by the fact that their mom had a boyfriend, or by seeing their mom hugging and glowing like a teenager in love with someone other than their dad, that they didn’t point out the obvious untruth beneath her words.
“It makes me happy to know that someone’s making Mom happy. She deserves it. She’s the best woman I know,” Jill said, her words still reserved, and she nodded at Don, as though she were warning him.
She did hold her hand out, and Don shook it, putting his free hand over top of hers and leaning close as he said, “I know what a treasure she is. And trust me, I have no intention of taking that for granted.”
Grace wanted to say that Don’s wife had left him after thirty years of marriage, and that he knew heartbreak, and that she thought that one of the lessons he had learned through that was that there were things that he could do to make his marriage better. But she didn’t know whether it was the time or place, and also at that very moment, she realized that…Don was alone.
Trevor hadn’t come.
She actually stepped away from the group and looked outside just to be sure he wasn’t still hanging out by the door or something. She pulled the door closed when she realized it was true.
He wasn’t there.
Immediately she realized that she probably shouldn’t have expected him to come. After all, why would he have? They had confessed to their parents that the relationship was a farce, designed only to get their parents together, and now that was out in the open, there was no need for them to pretend anymore.
She had wanted Trevor to be there. She had expected to be able to talk to him, had been counting on it. Disappointment, deep and hard and hot, swirled in her chest and filled up her stomach with a tar-like substance that made her insides cling together.
Now what? When was she going to be able to see him to be able to tell him how she felt and to ask him to give her a chance?
Maybe she shouldn’t. Maybe his absence was answer enough. That he had enough of her and was done, done with her and the pain and hurt that she’d inflicted on him over the years. Although, she didn’t know that he even felt anything for her. After all, she kissed him, and he’d let her, but he hadn’t really kissed her back.
