Tracey as much as I’m doing this for you. Tracey is all the things I mentioned and more and you are absolutely right. There is someone out there for her. If it isn’t you, she shouldn’t waste any more time finding him.”
David’s expression changes from astonishment to deeply suspicious in the blink of an eye. “How much champagne have you had today?”
“Not enough. And I’m going to have to drink a lot more to be able to forget this conversation.”
“Well, I’m going to call Gloria before you do.” He glances at Tracey. “Will you tell Tracey I’m leaving?”
“Oh no. It’s up to you to tell her. Maybe she’ll want to stay on for a few days. Maybe she’ll want to leave with you. In any case, I can have the pilot ready to fly in a few hours.”
David leans down to kiss my cheek. “Thanks, Anna.”
“Don’t thank me yet. In fact, don’t thank me for this
But David is already off, moving toward Frey and Tracey. I watch as Tracey listens to David tell her he’s going back to San Diego. But there are no histrionics on her part, no recriminations. She’s put on her big-girl panties and it’s in that moment I know she’s going to be fine. She merely shrugs and then they both move toward the house.
I move to Frey’s side. “Tracey tell you David broke up with her?”
He nods. “They’re going back to San Diego as soon as possible.” He tilts his head to look at me. “So you couldn’t talk him into trying again, huh?”
“Actually, I did.” I slip my arm in Frey’s. “But not the way you think. I’ll tell you about it later.” I watch David and Tracey disappear into the house. “Do you have your cell phone on you? I’ve got to make a call.”
LUCKILY THERE ARE NO MORE CRISES FOR THE REST OF the afternoon. By four, Frey and I have said thank you and good-bye to all the guests.
David and Tracey have gone to dinner in town. They’ll be leaving tomorrow to go back to San Diego— something about weather patterns making it impossible to leave tonight. It will sadden me to see them go, the only consolation being the knowledge that in time, Gloria will certainly fuck things up with David. If he’s lucky, when it happens Tracey won’t have found her Prince Charming yet and David might get another chance with her. Maybe then he’ll be wise enough to appreciate it.
God knows, it took me long enough with Frey.
I look around. Only family left.
Now we’re gathered at the big oak table at the side of the house, out of the way of the cleanup crew. John- John has his head down on the table, an afternoon of partying finally catching up with him. Frey lifts him up gently and takes him upstairs for a nap while Dad pops the cork on a bottle of wine. When Frey returns, Dad has filled glasses for all of us, Trish included, though hers is less than a quarter filled.
He raises his glass. “To a perfect day.”
We all drink and Frey offers the next toast. “To family. Those united by blood, and those united by the heart.”
I’m close to tears now—something I’ve managed to avoid all day. But I’m next in the circle around the table and I know just what I want to say. I take Frey’s hand. “To love. And we who are lucky enough to have found it.”
Mom and Trish are side by side, arms linked. They raise their glasses together and Mom says, “To memories. As long as we hold those we love in our hearts, they will always be with us.”
Tears I’ve been holding back want to flow freely now.
And I let them.
CHAPTER 32
“HAPPY?”
Frey’s voice at my ear.
We’re in bed, naked under cool sheets, limbs entangled. My arm is thrown over Frey’s waist, his are around my shoulders. I’m floating in the afterglow of sex and feeding. I raise my head, trace his chin with a finger.
“Never been happier. How about you?”
“After what just happened, you have to ask?”
Light is beginning to filter through the drapes of our bedroom. “It’s almost dawn. Think we should try to get some sleep?”
He takes my hand, slides it down between his thighs. “We only have one honeymoon night. Or morning. I hear that once a couple gets married, they lose interest in sex. If that’s true . . .”
But whatever crazy thing he was about to say is cut short by a gasp of pleasure.
It’s not just my hand that’s found its way between his thighs.
“
John-John’s voice and timid knocking on the bedroom door sends me hustling from beneath the sheets and both of us scampering for robes.
Frey lifts an eyebrow and whispers, “Well, I was just about to be.”
I slap his arm and grin, mouthing,
John-John scampers inside and jumps up on the bed. “I’m supposed to tell you that breakfast is ready!”
I glance at the clock. “It’s only six. Who told you to come get us?”
A giggle. “David. He said you like to get up
I grab John-John and tickle his stomach until he squeals. “David said that, did he?” I look over his head to Frey. “We’ll get even with him for this.”
Frey grabs one of John-John’s hands, I take the other, and we swing him off the bed. “Well, he’d better have coffee made.” I pump a fist in the air. “Or I’m going to sock him one!”
John-John laughs. “I want to see that.”
And with John-John between us, we head downstairs to start our first day as a family.
I expect to see everyone gathered around the table, David with a wicked grin to let us know he can guess what John-John interrupted.
But instead, it’s just David and Tracey waiting for us in the kitchen. And their expressions are somber, serious.
I look around. “Where’s Mom?”
David leans down to John-John. “Will you please go upstairs and see if Trish is awake?”
John-John’s face mirrors confusion. It’s obvious to even a young kid, David’s mood changed in the minutes he was away. “What’s wrong?” he asks.
“I’ll tell you when you get back with Trish, all right?”
John-John casts a look at Frey. “Go ahead,
Frey watches his son disappear through the door. “What’s going on, David?”
He asks the question sounding an alarm in my head and gut—the question I couldn’t give voice to myself. Impulsively, I slip my hand into Frey’s, seeking its warmth and comfort.
David’s eyes are on me. “It’s your mother, Anna. Your father has taken her to the hospital.”
The next words he utters register somewhere in the back of my mind—something about not being able to wake her, that when he finally did, she was incoherent. That he called her doctor, bundled her into her robe and brought her right down. That he told David and Tracey what was happening and left driving instructions to the hospital and keys for the extra car in the garage.
“Why didn’t you call for me?” My voice is surprisingly calm and quiet when what I want to do is scream and shake David because he didn’t come and get me.
“There wasn’t time,” David replies. “Your father was gone before I could. But I wrote down the instructions. You and Frey should leave right away. We’ll stay here with Trish and John-John.”
“No. Trish should come along, too.”
