I blink, mouth falling open. “You knew we snuck out?”
Elated to finally bask in her triumph, Mother asks, “Do you think I didn’t see that toothbrush?!”
Mrs. Cocker asks, “After the stunt Hank pulled, you think I didn’t learn what kind of men my boys have grown up to be? And I should have known because their father is the same! When a Cocker wants something, they’ll do anything to get it. And they won’t wait!” She clucks her tongue. “Jerald thought I’d gone to read in bed — and I won’t deny I told him those were my intentions — when in fact I was hiding in wait for him to sneak out. It was all I could do not to call Dot and tell her he was on his way!”
“I too was on watch. I heard you scurrying about thinking you were being quiet.”
“You weren’t awoken by a nightmare?”
“Hardly!”
“Mother!”
She laughs and takes hold of my face, “May, haven’t you learned yet how much I love you? How much I want what’s best? All those months while you awaited his letters, I waited with you and felt such relief to know that Jerald shared your love.” Taking my hands she squeezes them, tears of happiness in her eyes. “When I heard you tiptoeing downstairs I wanted to open the door!”
I throw my arms around her and Mrs. Cocker claps her hands. “We are geniuses!” We look toward the door. “By the sound of that knock, that’s Jerald with your suitcase. Don’t tell him what we told you. Let him stew in this for a night. Two boys sneaking off without telling me! I think not!”
She hurries to the door while I sit on the chaise lounge chair, wiping my eyes. Mother stands beside me, making her face severe again for the benefit of the ruse.
“Jerald, there you are!” Mrs. Cocker takes the suitcase as he scans the room for me, curious how I’m handling their reproach. We lock eyes, and I give away nothing. “Off with you now! We shall see you tomorrow!” She caves a little. “Oh, stop looking so glum. Here!” Digging in her handbag, she hurries back to hand him something. “It was your great-grandmother’s. Now go!” She slams the door on his surprised face. “Frances, you know what I brought in my suitcase? Sherry! Let’s celebrate!”
51
JERALD
“We have to stop meeting like this,” I tell Gibbons as I open the door the next morning, rubbing sleep from my eyes. “You have news?”
“You’re to be at Piedmont Park in an hour.”
“What time is it?”
“Nine-thirty.”
My eyes widen. “Inner clock hasn’t quite adjusted, I guess.”
“Took me a month.” He starts to walk away.
“Chief!”
“Yes?”
“I’m sorry about all of this. You being in the middle and all.”
A smile lights up his otherwise weary face. “You’re the first person to call me Chief in years. I forgot how much I like the sound.” Dipping his chin as goodbye, he strolls away at a slower pace than he had back in the day, but his back is still straight. Time won’t take that from him.
Piedmont Park… didn’t May say something about that?
In my best suit, I walk to where I left the car, pausing to find Pops and Mr. Kearns waiting by it. “You knew I’d be punctual.”
“Indeed.” Pops glances to his glowering friend. “Fred and I will ride with you, since you don’t know where to go.”
“I thought it was Piedmont Park.”
“Do you have any idea how vast that park is?”
“No.”
“I’ll drive.”
“Mr. Kearns,” I begin, facing his wrath head on. “As I told your wife last night, I love May very much. From the bottom of my heart, I always intended to marry her.”
His eyes flicker and fall. “She deserved better than this.”
“Say now, my boy is as fine as they come!”
“Raymond, I meant the hotel.”
I stare at him as Pops says, “Come again?”
Mr. Kearns points to the hotel. “Why not the Georgian Terrace?! My daughter deserves the damn Terrace!”
Pops is stunned.
I clarify, “Sir, am I to understand it’s not me you object to?”
Mr. Kearns exhales loudly, nostrils losing their immense width. “I think you are a fine candidate for her hand. I just wish…” Shoving his hands in his pockets, he stares at the pavement. “I just wish my baby hadn’t grown up so fast. I knew this was coming. I didn’t know how fast!”
Cars and pedestrians pass our silent trio without a second glance. They don’t know that family is being formed at this very moment.
I extend my hand, “Mr. Kearns, I promise to give May the Georgian Terraces of the world from now on. You’re right. She deserves that and more. Your daughter lifts my soul, sir. I will be the best husband for her. No other could do a finer job, you’ll see.”
His lips tighten with acceptance, eyes shining as he takes my hand and pumps it once.
“Hallelujah!” Pops explodes, “Let’s have a wedding!”
As he heads for the driver’s side, and we for the passenger’s, I ask, “What about your car?”
“Your mother has it! As soon as I gave her the license, she ran off saying something about a hairdresser!”
We climb in and get situated, both of them slamming their doors with a sense of purpose while I sit in back. “Pops, you mean the marriage license? You picked it up this morning?”
“Last night!”
“Last night?”
“That’s right!” Focusing on driving, he leans to look for oncoming traffic. Pulling away from the curb, he says, “Edmund and I go way back. We had a bit of whiskey with him at his home.”
“Perhaps too much,” Mr. Kearns says with an amused undertone. “My aspirin isn’t working.”
“Indeed!” Pops chuckles, honking his horn at a driver. “City folk shouldn’t own cars! Edmund’s taste in cigars is profound. And he was good enough to put us up for the night in a couple of his guest rooms with en suite baths!”
“Wait. You didn’t stay at the hotel?”
“There was one bed!”
“Oh.”
“I don’t know what your mother was thinking!”
Off
