spotted a woman sitting on the couch. I froze in my tracks. I must have unconsciously taken a step backward because I bumped directly into Jim and Laurie.
Jim recovered first. ?Mom, what are you doing here? What a surprise!?
My mother stood from the couch and laughed. ?Hello, darlings!?
I regained my composure somewhat and allowed Galigani to take my coat and usher us into the living room.
?Make yourselves at home,? Galigani said. ?I?ll open the Chianti and stir the sauce. I?ll be back in a jiffy.?
?What are you doing here?? I asked Mom.
She smiled. ?Albert invited me.?
My mouth gaped and remained that way probably a tad too long, because Jim stepped forward and whispered urgently, ?What about Hank??
My mother hadn?t dated anyone since divorcing my father eons ago. Then recently she?d found a beau online and had seemed quite content. They were even planning a cruise to Mexico.
?Well, darlings. I?m not
My mouth, still hanging open, dropped an inch farther.
Mother motioned for Jim to hand Laurie to her. Jim passed the baby over then glanced at me and subtly pointed his chin toward the kitchen.
The swinging door to the dining room flung open and Galigani appeared with a tray full of prosciutto-wrapped melon. ?Let?s start with this. I have a plate of antipasto coming up, and let me grab that Chianti.?
He placed the tray on the coffee table.
?Oh, Albert, let me help you.? Mom passed Laurie to me and disappeared with Galigani toward the kitchen.
I hit Jim?s arm. ?Can you believe this??
Jim eagerly popped a prosciutto-wrapped melon into his mouth. ?It?s crazy. Can you believe these melons are so sweet out of season? This is delicious!?
I remained standing in the same spot. Too stunned to move, I clutched Laurie to me and inhaled her scent. The new shampoo from Magic Moments smelled like jasmine. I hadn?t tried the bath gel with lavender yet, because I was so enamored with the jasmine fragrance.
Mother and Galigani reappeared through the swinging door giggling. Mom carried the wineglasses and bottle on a tray. Galigani brought the antipasto plate.
?This melon stuff is unbelievable,? Jim said.
Galigani smiled broadly. ?That?s one of my favorites. I?ve had to give up a lot of favorites after the open heart surgery, but thankfully this one?s on the list of keepers.? He picked one up off the plate and examined it thoughtfully. ?I think it?s because of the fruit.?
?Oh! Fruit is so good for you,? Mom piped up. ?Tons of antioxidants!?
Galigani nodded, then turned to me. ?Why don?t you have a seat, Kate??
I willed my feet to move forward.
How awkward. If Mom and Galigani were on a date, what the hell were Jim, Laurie, and I doing here?
I sank into the high-back chair next to the coffee table. Laurie squirmed in my arms then cried out. I don?t know how babies detect when you?re sitting or standing, but some alarm must sound as soon as you decide to take a load off.
Mom took Laurie out of my arms. ?Have some wine, dear.?
She began her elaborate ?putting the baby to sleep? dance, which included some deep knee bends, tippy-toe rocking, hip sways, and a scary swooping motion as the grand finale. The entire dance bordered on the ridiculous, except for the fact that it worked. Always.
Galigani watched my mother with an expression somewhere between confusion and awe.
I grabbed my wineglass and drank deeply. A little more than I meant to because the wine burned going down and I almost gagged. I watched Jim shovel some salami into his mouth.
?So, what were you calling about earlier, Kate??
?Uh . . .? I was happy to have my mind engaged on something other than Mom?s dating life and yet words evaded me.
?She?s got a gig as a PI,? Jim said, crunching on a marinated pepper.
I shook my head. ?Ummm. Yeah. Well, sort of. I don?t know that you?d call it a gig??
Jim opened his mouth and stuck his tongue out. ?Whew! Hot pepper. Love it!? He grabbed his glass of wine. ?Lady wants to hire Kate.?
Galigani smiled at me. ?Only you don?t have a license.?
?Well, Albert, you have one, right?? Mom chimed in.
Galigani frowned ?Yes, I do.?
