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Authors: Wendy Corsi Staub
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unreasonably protective.
But at least she wants you under her roof, she reminds herself.
Unlike Daddy, who decided not to fight for custody and moved away to Jacksonville.
Lianna can usually muster the resentment to blame her mother for all of that, and more. But not tonight. Tonight, on the heels of losing Grandaddy , maybe she's feeling a little sorry for her mother. There have been too many funerals in Mom's life, that's for sure.
And Mom has good reason to worry excessively about her safety-that much is definitely true.
But it isn't fair that Lianna has to suffer now for the tragedy that happened when she was a little kid. And it isn't her fault. None of it is her fault. Not her parents divorce, nor her brother's death that triggered it.
Yeah, right. Sure it isn't , says a mocking voice she can never quite drown out with reason, no matter how she tries.
You know what you did.
You '11 never tell, but you '11 never forget, either.
And you '11 never stop paying the price .
Royce squeezes Charlotte's hand reassuringly, almost as if he's read her mind and knows she's thinking about her lost son.
Thank God, thank God, thank God for this kind, loving man who descended to the bottomless pit of grief with her and brought them both back to life.
"What would I do without you, Royce?"
"I was just thinking the same thing about you." He opens the door to the Oyster Bar, one of their favorite restaurants on River Street. "I just wish I didn't have to leave tomorrow morning."
Charlotte's smile fades. "Then don't."
"I have to. But I'll be back before you know it. I have the first flight out Monday morning."
"You mean the flight that was late last time so you missed your connection and got stuck in Atlanta all day?"
"That wasn't because it was late-that flight always goes on time. It was a mechanical problem with the one from Atlanta."
"All I remember is that we were supposed to spend the day with the furniture designer picking out our new living room set-and I had to do it on my own."
" Right, and you got the one with the cabbage rose print that I never would have let you order, so count your blessings."
Her smile returns. "I'd have rather had boring beige and you with me instead of stuck in Atlanta."
"Well, this Monday morning I promise I'll be here before you set foot out of bed."
"Mr. and Mrs. Midland! How nice to see y'all tonight," the hostess says in surprise when she spots them. She quickly adds, "I'm so sorry about your grandfather."
"Thank you, Lisa."
Charlotte shoots a glance at Royce, as if to say, See? I shouldn't be out in a restaurant when the entire town must know today was Grandaddy's funeral.
Royce shrugs as Lisa goes on, "I was so shocked when I saw the write-up about him in the Morning News. I thought he was going to live forever."
"So did we ."
There's a moment of awkward silence. Then Lisa checks to see if a table is available and, luckily, one is. 8 As they settle in beside the large window facing River Street, Charlotte does her best not to pout about Royce's upcoming trip.
She should be happy that Aimee, Royce's nearly grown daughter, recently welcomed her father back; into her life after a long estrangement.
And she is happy. She knows how tormented he's been, bearing his daughter's and ex-wife's blame for Theo's drowning death at Achoco Island Beach. Royce was in complete agreement with them. He blamed himself, too.
What parent wouldn't?
He was the one who had insisted on taking his son on vacation in Georgia, just the two "men" in the family, while he scouted business locations in Savannah.
Neither Aimee nor Karen wanted to leave New Orleans. It was Royce who wanted it. Royce who convinced little Theo that it would be
But at least she wants you under her roof, she reminds herself.
Unlike Daddy, who decided not to fight for custody and moved away to Jacksonville.
Lianna can usually muster the resentment to blame her mother for all of that, and more. But not tonight. Tonight, on the heels of losing Grandaddy , maybe she's feeling a little sorry for her mother. There have been too many funerals in Mom's life, that's for sure.
And Mom has good reason to worry excessively about her safety-that much is definitely true.
But it isn't fair that Lianna has to suffer now for the tragedy that happened when she was a little kid. And it isn't her fault. None of it is her fault. Not her parents divorce, nor her brother's death that triggered it.
Yeah, right. Sure it isn't , says a mocking voice she can never quite drown out with reason, no matter how she tries.
You know what you did.
You '11 never tell, but you '11 never forget, either.
And you '11 never stop paying the price .
Royce squeezes Charlotte's hand reassuringly, almost as if he's read her mind and knows she's thinking about her lost son.
Thank God, thank God, thank God for this kind, loving man who descended to the bottomless pit of grief with her and brought them both back to life.
"What would I do without you, Royce?"
"I was just thinking the same thing about you." He opens the door to the Oyster Bar, one of their favorite restaurants on River Street. "I just wish I didn't have to leave tomorrow morning."
Charlotte's smile fades. "Then don't."
"I have to. But I'll be back before you know it. I have the first flight out Monday morning."
"You mean the flight that was late last time so you missed your connection and got stuck in Atlanta all day?"
"That wasn't because it was late-that flight always goes on time. It was a mechanical problem with the one from Atlanta."
"All I remember is that we were supposed to spend the day with the furniture designer picking out our new living room set-and I had to do it on my own."
" Right, and you got the one with the cabbage rose print that I never would have let you order, so count your blessings."
Her smile returns. "I'd have rather had boring beige and you with me instead of stuck in Atlanta."
"Well, this Monday morning I promise I'll be here before you set foot out of bed."
"Mr. and Mrs. Midland! How nice to see y'all tonight," the hostess says in surprise when she spots them. She quickly adds, "I'm so sorry about your grandfather."
"Thank you, Lisa."
Charlotte shoots a glance at Royce, as if to say, See? I shouldn't be out in a restaurant when the entire town must know today was Grandaddy's funeral.
Royce shrugs as Lisa goes on, "I was so shocked when I saw the write-up about him in the Morning News. I thought he was going to live forever."
"So did we ."
There's a moment of awkward silence. Then Lisa checks to see if a table is available and, luckily, one is. 8 As they settle in beside the large window facing River Street, Charlotte does her best not to pout about Royce's upcoming trip.
She should be happy that Aimee, Royce's nearly grown daughter, recently welcomed her father back; into her life after a long estrangement.
And she is happy. She knows how tormented he's been, bearing his daughter's and ex-wife's blame for Theo's drowning death at Achoco Island Beach. Royce was in complete agreement with them. He blamed himself, too.
What parent wouldn't?
He was the one who had insisted on taking his son on vacation in Georgia, just the two "men" in the family, while he scouted business locations in Savannah.
Neither Aimee nor Karen wanted to leave New Orleans. It was Royce who wanted it. Royce who convinced little Theo that it would be
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