hair straightened? Having her teeth whitened? Shopping for her fall wardrobe? Jennifer thought, but refrained from saying. “Did you have breakfast, Dad? Do you want some coffee or some toast?”
Her father shook his head. “Cameron and Andrew got a new car,” he said moments later.
“Well, since you asked,” Jennifer said, walking toward the window and gulping at the stale air, staring down at the old-fashioned, black wrought-iron fences lining the front yards of the small houses across the street, “my job is going great. I got a promotion and a new title. I’m now officially an account supervisor, which means I’ll be getting a raise. Not a big one, mind you. But still, every bit helps. I know,” she said before her father could interrupt. “Cameron and Andrew got a new car.”
Her father smiled, his first smile since she’d come over.
“So did I, incidentally. That little silver number about two doors down. See?” She pointed toward it. Her father made no move to get out of his chair. “Evan knows this guy who owns a dealership. He got me this really great deal. Anyway,” Jennifer continued when her father failed to respond, “I just stopped by to tell you that I’m going away for a few days. To the Adirondacks with Evan and his daughter. Dad, have you heard anything I’ve said?”
Her father stared at her blankly.
“I said I’m going to the Adirondacks with Evan and his daughter.”
“The Adirondacks, of course.”
“Evan is my fiancé. You remember I told you about Evan?”
“Cameron has a lovely diamond ring,” he added, pointedly glancing at the empty third finger of Jennifer’s left hand.
“Yes, she does.” And a lovely wedding band and a lovely husband and two lovely children and an even lovelier nanny to look after them because we all know how busy lovely Cameron is. “I’m sure Evan will get me a ring after his divorce is final.”
“His divorce?”
“It’ll be final next month.”
“He has a wife?”
“Not anymore. He left her …”
“For you?”
It was Jennifer’s turn to say nothing.
Now her father looked angry. He began to shake his head and tap his feet on the scratched hardwood floor, a sure sign he was becoming agitated. “It doesn’t bode well,” he said, beginning to rock back and forth in his chair. “If he cheated on his wife, he’ll cheat on you. I’m a man. I know.”
Except what did her father know anymore? Jennifer wondered now. Early onset Alzheimer’s had robbed him of most of his faculties, and in those increasingly rare moments when he was lucid these days, his thoughts were always focused on Cameron.
Her sister. His firstborn.
His clear favorite.
Even though she rarely visited. Even though it was Jennifer who’d borne the brunt of looking after him since their mother had died two years earlier.
“I don’t know if I can just drop everything and drive into Queens just because you’ve decided to go on a ‘dirty weekend,’ ” Cameron had said on the phone the other night.
“It’s hardly a ‘dirty weekend.’ Evan’s daughter will be with us.”
“Whatever.”
“Look, it’s only for three days.”
“Right. Dad will be fine for three days.”
“Not if he forgets to eat.”
“He won’t forget to eat.”
“He forgets everything else.”
“You’re being very dramatic,” Cameron had proclaimed as Jennifer pictured her older sister tucking her newly straightened blond hair behind her right ear.
“And you’re being very selfish,” Jennifer shot back.
“I’m not the one who’s being selfish here.”
“What? You’re saying
I’m
being selfish?”
“I don’t know. Which one of us is married with two children under the age of four? Which one of us has a great job in the city and drives a new sports car?”
“It’s two years old, I’m just leasing it, and Evan is friends with the man who owns the dealership.”
“Which reminds me, which one of us was selfish enough to go after a married man with
Her father shook his head. “Cameron and Andrew got a new car,” he said moments later.
“Well, since you asked,” Jennifer said, walking toward the window and gulping at the stale air, staring down at the old-fashioned, black wrought-iron fences lining the front yards of the small houses across the street, “my job is going great. I got a promotion and a new title. I’m now officially an account supervisor, which means I’ll be getting a raise. Not a big one, mind you. But still, every bit helps. I know,” she said before her father could interrupt. “Cameron and Andrew got a new car.”
Her father smiled, his first smile since she’d come over.
“So did I, incidentally. That little silver number about two doors down. See?” She pointed toward it. Her father made no move to get out of his chair. “Evan knows this guy who owns a dealership. He got me this really great deal. Anyway,” Jennifer continued when her father failed to respond, “I just stopped by to tell you that I’m going away for a few days. To the Adirondacks with Evan and his daughter. Dad, have you heard anything I’ve said?”
Her father stared at her blankly.
“I said I’m going to the Adirondacks with Evan and his daughter.”
“The Adirondacks, of course.”
“Evan is my fiancé. You remember I told you about Evan?”
“Cameron has a lovely diamond ring,” he added, pointedly glancing at the empty third finger of Jennifer’s left hand.
“Yes, she does.” And a lovely wedding band and a lovely husband and two lovely children and an even lovelier nanny to look after them because we all know how busy lovely Cameron is. “I’m sure Evan will get me a ring after his divorce is final.”
“His divorce?”
“It’ll be final next month.”
“He has a wife?”
“Not anymore. He left her …”
“For you?”
It was Jennifer’s turn to say nothing.
Now her father looked angry. He began to shake his head and tap his feet on the scratched hardwood floor, a sure sign he was becoming agitated. “It doesn’t bode well,” he said, beginning to rock back and forth in his chair. “If he cheated on his wife, he’ll cheat on you. I’m a man. I know.”
Except what did her father know anymore? Jennifer wondered now. Early onset Alzheimer’s had robbed him of most of his faculties, and in those increasingly rare moments when he was lucid these days, his thoughts were always focused on Cameron.
Her sister. His firstborn.
His clear favorite.
Even though she rarely visited. Even though it was Jennifer who’d borne the brunt of looking after him since their mother had died two years earlier.
“I don’t know if I can just drop everything and drive into Queens just because you’ve decided to go on a ‘dirty weekend,’ ” Cameron had said on the phone the other night.
“It’s hardly a ‘dirty weekend.’ Evan’s daughter will be with us.”
“Whatever.”
“Look, it’s only for three days.”
“Right. Dad will be fine for three days.”
“Not if he forgets to eat.”
“He won’t forget to eat.”
“He forgets everything else.”
“You’re being very dramatic,” Cameron had proclaimed as Jennifer pictured her older sister tucking her newly straightened blond hair behind her right ear.
“And you’re being very selfish,” Jennifer shot back.
“I’m not the one who’s being selfish here.”
“What? You’re saying
I’m
being selfish?”
“I don’t know. Which one of us is married with two children under the age of four? Which one of us has a great job in the city and drives a new sports car?”
“It’s two years old, I’m just leasing it, and Evan is friends with the man who owns the dealership.”
“Which reminds me, which one of us was selfish enough to go after a married man with
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