She heard a click. “Hi, Mom,” came the deep manly voice. “How are you? I’ve been waiting to hear from you.”
“Oh, you’re no fun,” Vicky said with mock irritation. “I hoped you’d fly into a panic trying to figure out which of your…”
“Sorry to spoil your fun, Mom, but I don’t have even one mistress, much less a selection. What have you been up to? You haven’t been evicted already, have you?”
“I’ve never been evicted!” Vicky said indignantly, but then paused. “Well, not really, anyway. And it’s only been a little over two weeks since I last saw you.” She laughed softly. “They haven’t gotten to know me here, yet.”
“Lucky them. So, what have you been doing with yourself?” Keith asked.
“Well,” said Vicky, stretching the word as if trying to decide what she wanted to relate, if anything. Off-handedly, she tossed off: “I’m pregnant again, but that’s hardly news.”
Silent thoughts flitted along the miles of connecting wires. “That’s nice,” Keith said. “Another football team?”
Vicky giggled. “How did you know? Damn, you know me too well. Actually, I’m concentrating more on soccer these days; those cute little shorts just turn me on.”
Keith laughed with her. “Your gifts were truly beautiful, Mom,” he said. “But your grandchildren are getting spoiled. They think Christmas comes twice a year. Santa Claus’s in December and Nana Vicky’s in the spring.”
“They’re wonderful,” Vicky purred. “I adore them, and I so enjoyed seeing all of you. Sometimes, I think I’ll…”
“Why don’t you come and live with us, then?” Keith interjected quickly, taking the opportunity to get a word in that Vicky hadn’t intended to give, a rare lapse in her timing.
“You know why,” Vicky said, letting her weariness of the often-discussed topic tell in her voice. “Is he…everyone all right?”
“Fine, Mom,” Keith said. “Same as always. No better, but no worse.”
Vicky nodded to herself, then forced a lightening of her mood. “Everyone looked well. Anyway, the main reason I called was to give you my new number.” She read off the digits from the phone beside her and ended the conversation with her standard: “I love you. Take care of all. ‘Bye, darling,” and hung up.
She sank back into her chair, tiredness gnawing at the small of her back. Move to San Francisco ? She thought. Have her entire family with her all the time? How she would love to, if she could. Vicky felt the familiar haze of depression creep into her soul, the dullness that came whenever the subject came to the forefront of her thoughts. She shook her head and forced herself to sit upright. Opening her purse, she removed the Hummel figurine and stared at it, speaking at it with only her mind. Sixteen long years, with only a week each Spring to link them all together, to make sense out of…everything. Maybe…next year…Maybe…But they had agreed…
* * * *
“Vicky, you look stunning!” Burton said as she reached the entranceway. She had kept them waiting only five minutes, although she’d been ready in plenty of time, exercising the consideration that her sex and advanced years awarded her, but without pressing it. She tipped her head to him, and to Doris and Roger, acknowledging their looks of appreciation. She looked vital, and knew it, which made her appear even more so. She didn’t always bother to make the effort to look her best—her vanity being less important than her time—but since this was a special occasion and the restaurant had appeared, from the road at least, to be in the chic category, she’d gone all out. Her pale green shift covered her from ankles to wrists, deepening the color of her eyes to polished jade. She wore a spray of tiny diamonds at her right shoulder, with matching dots in her ears. Over her arm was draped a silver fox stole that matched her hair.
“Where are we eating?” Doris said, sounding a bit peeved. “
“Oh, you’re no fun,” Vicky said with mock irritation. “I hoped you’d fly into a panic trying to figure out which of your…”
“Sorry to spoil your fun, Mom, but I don’t have even one mistress, much less a selection. What have you been up to? You haven’t been evicted already, have you?”
“I’ve never been evicted!” Vicky said indignantly, but then paused. “Well, not really, anyway. And it’s only been a little over two weeks since I last saw you.” She laughed softly. “They haven’t gotten to know me here, yet.”
“Lucky them. So, what have you been doing with yourself?” Keith asked.
“Well,” said Vicky, stretching the word as if trying to decide what she wanted to relate, if anything. Off-handedly, she tossed off: “I’m pregnant again, but that’s hardly news.”
Silent thoughts flitted along the miles of connecting wires. “That’s nice,” Keith said. “Another football team?”
Vicky giggled. “How did you know? Damn, you know me too well. Actually, I’m concentrating more on soccer these days; those cute little shorts just turn me on.”
Keith laughed with her. “Your gifts were truly beautiful, Mom,” he said. “But your grandchildren are getting spoiled. They think Christmas comes twice a year. Santa Claus’s in December and Nana Vicky’s in the spring.”
“They’re wonderful,” Vicky purred. “I adore them, and I so enjoyed seeing all of you. Sometimes, I think I’ll…”
“Why don’t you come and live with us, then?” Keith interjected quickly, taking the opportunity to get a word in that Vicky hadn’t intended to give, a rare lapse in her timing.
“You know why,” Vicky said, letting her weariness of the often-discussed topic tell in her voice. “Is he…everyone all right?”
“Fine, Mom,” Keith said. “Same as always. No better, but no worse.”
Vicky nodded to herself, then forced a lightening of her mood. “Everyone looked well. Anyway, the main reason I called was to give you my new number.” She read off the digits from the phone beside her and ended the conversation with her standard: “I love you. Take care of all. ‘Bye, darling,” and hung up.
She sank back into her chair, tiredness gnawing at the small of her back. Move to San Francisco ? She thought. Have her entire family with her all the time? How she would love to, if she could. Vicky felt the familiar haze of depression creep into her soul, the dullness that came whenever the subject came to the forefront of her thoughts. She shook her head and forced herself to sit upright. Opening her purse, she removed the Hummel figurine and stared at it, speaking at it with only her mind. Sixteen long years, with only a week each Spring to link them all together, to make sense out of…everything. Maybe…next year…Maybe…But they had agreed…
* * * *
“Vicky, you look stunning!” Burton said as she reached the entranceway. She had kept them waiting only five minutes, although she’d been ready in plenty of time, exercising the consideration that her sex and advanced years awarded her, but without pressing it. She tipped her head to him, and to Doris and Roger, acknowledging their looks of appreciation. She looked vital, and knew it, which made her appear even more so. She didn’t always bother to make the effort to look her best—her vanity being less important than her time—but since this was a special occasion and the restaurant had appeared, from the road at least, to be in the chic category, she’d gone all out. Her pale green shift covered her from ankles to wrists, deepening the color of her eyes to polished jade. She wore a spray of tiny diamonds at her right shoulder, with matching dots in her ears. Over her arm was draped a silver fox stole that matched her hair.
“Where are we eating?” Doris said, sounding a bit peeved. “
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