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Book: Emily Franklin - Principles Of Love 06 - Labor Of Love by Emily Franklin
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Authors: Emily Franklin
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Outside, the afternoon light ripples over the buildings and sidewalks, into the front windows of the cot tage, casting long shadows from the cabinet that holds the mail, where once I'd found the deed to this place.
"First: Gala phoned me on her way to Logan. Her rea sons were valid--she had an offer on the house and as you may or may not be aware, real estate is going through a tough time right now.The bubble burst and she needed to close as soon as possible."
"I don't actually know what closing is, but I get the gist. Second?"
"She's coming back."
My mouth is caught between smile and wanting to be not at all affected by this."When?"
"Labor Day weekend.With Sadie."
"Which I was going to ask you about . . ."
"Wait. Let me finish." Dad's eyebrows are so clenched he looks pruny. He must be on the verge of announcing something big.
"You're getting married.To Louisa. I knew it.When?" I cross my arms over my chest, feeling for some reason proud of beating him to the punch and then guilty for stealing his announcement thunder.
"No . . ." Dad raises his eyebrows. "No wonder all your
,) AVWdgd[AdkZ
class comments say you're able to dispute a point before there's been one set." I shrug. "There's something else. . . ." We face off like we're going to rumble in a comedic way.
"Dad--the day's only so long. . . ." I don't want to hurry through this but I factored on spending lots of time with Gala. So now that she's not here, I want to get a move on filling up my night. With Charlie working so much on his academic aims, I've been taking long walks on the beach, the clich�d romantic ideal, but with Chris who decided to hang out here for the remaining weeks of summer. He's set up the Gay-Straight Alliance at school and looked at a few colleges, but basically I think between now and when that first chapel bell chimes for senior year his goal is to be so friendly, so funny, so okay with the fact that Haverford is see ing someone else, that Haverford grows attached to Chris's nonchalance and falls for him.We'll see. Maybe tonight I can convince Chris to spy on Jacob with me. I haven't seen him yet, despite milling around various venues where I'd expect to accidentally-on-purpose bump into him.
"Love?"
"Dad."
"These"--he points to the keys--"are for here. She left you this." He hands me a sealed envelope.
"I thought you said you didn't see her."
"I didn't. She dropped it by the caf�."
,* :b^an;gVc`a^c
My mouth hangs open."She was there? Where was I?"
Dad flings up his hands. "I don't know. You'd think in this vast world of communication possibilities, you two would think to use a phone. Or email."
"The only email I have is when I haul my butt to the library."
"Oh, right. My point is that perhaps both of you are avoiding talking."
"I am. You're right. I don't want to have a phone call with her. How much more awkward could that be? Um, hi, I'm your . . ."
"Okay, okay." Dad holds a hand in the stop position."So you have the keys.You have her letter or note." He glances at the envelope.
"Oh.You want me to open it? Now?"
"You could. Or, no, that's not my place. Ignore that." He sighs. "I came here because Gala called. And I knew you'd wind up looking for her. I came here to give you the keys and the letter. . . . Doug had stored them behind the counter."
How incredible, I think. All the while I was serving smoothies and pouring coffee, adding cream with that or making coffees dark and sweet, my actual mother's hand writing and feelings, or whatever's in the note, were waiting for me."Doug's a space cadet."
,+ AVWdgd[AdkZ
"He's just swamped with the renaming. But yes, it was a bit of an oversight not to give you this as soon as she asked him to."
"Maybe it doesn't seem as pressing to anyone else. I mean, it's not as though she walked in, announced I was her long- lost--or long-left--daughter." Dad wipes his hand down his face the way he does after a grueling squash game. "Are you
"First: Gala phoned me on her way to Logan. Her rea sons were valid--she had an offer on the house and as you may or may not be aware, real estate is going through a tough time right now.The bubble burst and she needed to close as soon as possible."
"I don't actually know what closing is, but I get the gist. Second?"
"She's coming back."
My mouth is caught between smile and wanting to be not at all affected by this."When?"
"Labor Day weekend.With Sadie."
"Which I was going to ask you about . . ."
"Wait. Let me finish." Dad's eyebrows are so clenched he looks pruny. He must be on the verge of announcing something big.
"You're getting married.To Louisa. I knew it.When?" I cross my arms over my chest, feeling for some reason proud of beating him to the punch and then guilty for stealing his announcement thunder.
"No . . ." Dad raises his eyebrows. "No wonder all your
,) AVWdgd[AdkZ
class comments say you're able to dispute a point before there's been one set." I shrug. "There's something else. . . ." We face off like we're going to rumble in a comedic way.
"Dad--the day's only so long. . . ." I don't want to hurry through this but I factored on spending lots of time with Gala. So now that she's not here, I want to get a move on filling up my night. With Charlie working so much on his academic aims, I've been taking long walks on the beach, the clich�d romantic ideal, but with Chris who decided to hang out here for the remaining weeks of summer. He's set up the Gay-Straight Alliance at school and looked at a few colleges, but basically I think between now and when that first chapel bell chimes for senior year his goal is to be so friendly, so funny, so okay with the fact that Haverford is see ing someone else, that Haverford grows attached to Chris's nonchalance and falls for him.We'll see. Maybe tonight I can convince Chris to spy on Jacob with me. I haven't seen him yet, despite milling around various venues where I'd expect to accidentally-on-purpose bump into him.
"Love?"
"Dad."
"These"--he points to the keys--"are for here. She left you this." He hands me a sealed envelope.
"I thought you said you didn't see her."
"I didn't. She dropped it by the caf�."
,* :b^an;gVc`a^c
My mouth hangs open."She was there? Where was I?"
Dad flings up his hands. "I don't know. You'd think in this vast world of communication possibilities, you two would think to use a phone. Or email."
"The only email I have is when I haul my butt to the library."
"Oh, right. My point is that perhaps both of you are avoiding talking."
"I am. You're right. I don't want to have a phone call with her. How much more awkward could that be? Um, hi, I'm your . . ."
"Okay, okay." Dad holds a hand in the stop position."So you have the keys.You have her letter or note." He glances at the envelope.
"Oh.You want me to open it? Now?"
"You could. Or, no, that's not my place. Ignore that." He sighs. "I came here because Gala called. And I knew you'd wind up looking for her. I came here to give you the keys and the letter. . . . Doug had stored them behind the counter."
How incredible, I think. All the while I was serving smoothies and pouring coffee, adding cream with that or making coffees dark and sweet, my actual mother's hand writing and feelings, or whatever's in the note, were waiting for me."Doug's a space cadet."
,+ AVWdgd[AdkZ
"He's just swamped with the renaming. But yes, it was a bit of an oversight not to give you this as soon as she asked him to."
"Maybe it doesn't seem as pressing to anyone else. I mean, it's not as though she walked in, announced I was her long- lost--or long-left--daughter." Dad wipes his hand down his face the way he does after a grueling squash game. "Are you
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