Page 5 of Julian Shared
“I’ll save some leftovers for you,” I tell her as I re-adjust the bow on one of my muffin baskets. I’ve packaged them in three different varieties. Single, half a dozen, and a baker’s dozen. Each and every one with a red, white, and blue bow. “And I’ll swing by tomorrow to drop them off, how does that sound, sweetie? Around one o’clock.”
“You’re a saint,” Minh sighs again. This time there’s no wist in it. She just sounds tired. “I don’t know how the hell you do this,” she nods to my table of muffins, “or the whole happy married thing. Me and hubby are on year two and I already want to smother him in his sleep sometimes. Is that horrible?”
I choose my answer very carefully. “Well, sometimes adjusting to them being back from deployment can be as hard as living without them while they’re away.”
Not for me and Joel, of course, but I don’t want to brag.
I always missed Joel terribly when he was gone. I’m so thankful he doesn’t deploy anymore. With his rapid rise in the ranks and his assignment here at Fort Cactus, we won’t have to move again for years.
We might even get to stay here until his retirement.
Making coffee every morning and welcoming him home with a drink every night. Not having to pack up and move every other year. That’d be the dream life. You’d think a born and bred military brat like me would be made of sterner stuff, but I’m not.
It’s why my father disowned me.
Well, that and the gay thing.
Minh pats her belly. “At least he’s promised me a real ring for my push present.”
First it was gender reveals, now push presents. What will the straights think up next? I hide my distaste and glance at the plain and simple ring on Minh’s left hand.
No gem. No diamond. No pretty adornment. Drab of personal touch or inherited history.
I feel bad for her. I enjoy spending time with Minh and she might be the only housewife who actually likes me instead of just humoring my presence. She deserves nice things.
I just wish she didn’t have to wait for the arrival of motherhood to have it bestowed like a service medal.
“Why don’t you take one of these home with you?” I’m reaching for a basket and handing it over even as Minh shakes her head. A small gift. A quick treat. Nothing that can be kept and cherished forever, but she’ll be able to enjoy it for a few days.
“I can’t,” she says with a tight frown, “I only bought enough money for hubby’s stupid lemon bars.”
I won’t take no for an answer. “I got you covered. Besides, these are my famous pistachio and rosewater muffins.”
“Fuck, really?” Minh can’t snatch the basket out of my hands fast enough. “I’ve been dreaming about these ever since the Fourth of July picnic.”
“I know,” I smile, knowingly. That’s why I baked them in the first place.
There’s a flurry of activity from the door of the church. Along with the sudden smell of too much hairspray.
Sally Grace, the post commander’s wife, has finally showed up.
I check my watch. She’s not early so that means she’s late. You can always tell who fell down the military brat turneddependent pipeline versus who’s just a spouse who married into it.
When I turn my attention back at Minh, she’s already torn into the basket and has half a muffin shoved in her mouth.
“Show time,” I announce while smoothing down the lapels of my polo shirt and checking my breath. No worries there, I’m minty fresh.
“Good luck with the crazy bitch,” Minh says as she wolfs down the rest of the muffin.
“You know I’m white too?” In fact, with my pale freckled skin that only knows how to burn under the sun, I might be the whitest person on post.
“Yes, but you’re also gay and a redhead,” Minh laughs as she waddles away to safety. “The natural enemy of white blonde ladies who think they’re royalty.”
I steel myself for Sally Grace’s inspection.
As the wife of the shiniest top brass around, she has a hand in everything that happens right on Fort Cactus and even in the neighboring small town of Paradise Palms. She's the local queen bee. Even has an old-fashioned hive styled hairdo to go with the buzz of housewives flowing like honey around her. She never arrives or leaves anywhere alone.
Bake sales. Potlucks. Hospital visits. Picnics and barbecues.
