One Lavender Ribbon

Chapter 18

I’m not too sure about the sushi,” Pops said, looking down at the accumulation of odd and unusual ingredients for the sushi rolls Adrienne was preparing. “But that chicken smells divine.”

“The sushi is just to nibble on. Will said you’d never tried it.”

It was a Tuesday night, and she’d invited Will and Pops over for an Asian-infused gourmet dinner. Sara was back in Winter Garden, though her weekends in Bonita Springs were getting longer and longer.

Pops used a chopstick to lift the edge of a piece of sushi. Adrienne had taken a class at a chef school when she lived in Chicago. Weeknights without Sara seemed dull and boring, so she’d planned the sushi gathering, wanting to try out her culinary skills on someone who would appreciate her effort. The two Bryant men were the perfect victims.

At one time during her marriage, Adrienne had wanted to attend culinary school. Eric had laughed at her. His words still stung. Culinary school? Why? So you can make gourmet meals for the cat? Please, Adrienne, be serious. The last thing in the world I want is a fry cook as a wife. If Adrienne were a fry cook, she’d be proud of it. She thought of Leo and what a service he’d offered by feeding families all these years. It was a noble profession. As were so many Eric had always made fun of. How had she ever fallen in love with him?

Pops, still skeptical, used his finger to poke the seaweed. “There’s a reason I’ve never tried it. Doesn’t raw fish carry salmonella?”

“These are California rolls.” She grinned over at him, placing a delicate mound of wasabi by the now completed roll. “No fish,” she added when his quizzical look didn’t change.

“That’s good. Where I come from, raw fish has a different name.”

Wiping her hands on her apron. “What name?”

“We call it bait.”

“Funny, Pops.”

He pointed to the green pyramid. “That’s guacamole?”

“No, wasabi. It’s very hot Japanese horseradish.”

“I thought you’d jumped to a different continent.” Pops really did seem younger than when she’d first met him. Ah, what love could do. Her back patio was lit with torches, and their light flashed now and then into the kitchen window, catching her attention. Soft music floated from the living room, completing the atmosphere. The scent of roasting chicken and fresh rosemary filled the house.

Adrienne checked the contents of the oven, lifting the tinfoil and peeking beneath; then she attacked the refrigerator.

Will stepped behind her. “What are you looking for?”

“Soy sauce.” She rummaged through the doors like a raccoon. “I must be out.”

“I’ll go get some,” Will said, reaching for his car keys. “Want to ride along, Pops?”

The older man shot a glance over to Adrienne, still tucked in the fridge. She was mumbling about mustard, mayo, minced garlic.

“No,” Pops said, “I’ll just stay here.”

Once Will was gone, Pops and Adrienne moved out to the back deck to wait for the chicken to finish cooking.

“Adrienne, I was hoping I’d get a chance to talk to you.” A sailboat moved silently along the horizon and looked like it could drop off the edge of the world if it veered in the wrong direction.

She turned toward him. “What is it, Pops?”

“I’ve never really gotten the chance to thank you for all you’ve done for me.” He added, “For us.”

“I feel like I’m the one who has benefited from all that’s happened.” She leaned toward him. “I gained a wonderful set of friends.”

“Well, we’re all pretty fond of you.” His gaze narrowed. “Especially Will.”

“Pops, can I ask you something?”

He nodded.

“What happened between Will and his parents?”

The older man shrugged and shook his head, sadness entering his blue eyes. “Nothing happened. That’s what’s so frustrating about it. Will is an incredible young man. Will’s parents are wonderful. Somewhere along the way, things just got strained.”

“Would you tell me about them?”

He smiled. “Charles and Peg are ordinary people making an extraordinary difference. You know they’re in Senegal?”

She nodded.

“Well, the area where they work used to have a child mortality rate of seventy percent.”

She straightened. “That’s awful.”

“Yeah,” he agreed. “No fresh water. Between that and disease, the children didn’t stand a chance.” He let this sink in before he continued. “They began setting up medical teams first, sending over doctors, nurses, and medical personnel.”

“They sound like amazing people. I hope I get to meet them someday.”

“I’m sure you will.” He thought for a moment. “They were supposed to be coming home in about a month, but won’t be able to. There’s a lot of unrest in the country right now, but . . . ” He rubbed his chin. “I don’t think that’s why they cancelled.”

“Why, then?”

“I don’t know. I just know I’m distressed by it because I thought it would be a great opportunity for Will and Charles to sit down and talk.”

Adrienne reached over and squeezed his hand. “Well, miracles can happen,” she said, trying to lift the older man’s spirits. “How can I learn more about them?”

“Lots of information is online. Also, I have some photos at the house.”

“Thanks, Pops.”

“No, it’s you who deserves the thanks. You’re like our personal guardian angel.”

“You’re the angel, Pops.” She thought about the soldier Pops had been. “I’m honored to know you, Mr. Bryant.”

This seemed to catch him off guard, and he straightened. “I’m honored as well.” Age-weathered fingers rubbed against his thighs in the same manner she’d watched Will’s do many times.

He winked over at her. “Life is about relationships. The rest is all gravy. Hey, maybe gravy would make that sushi taste good.”

Adrienne laughed. “Oh, Pops.”

They stayed on the back deck until the very last bits of sunlight drained from the horizon, and only the stars and torchlight lit the world around.

Will and Pops went home, and Adrienne left the dishes in the sink while she dug through William’s letters in search of one. When she found it, she sat down at the table where Pops and Will had been just minutes before.

October 1944

Dear Gracie,

This may seem a strange topic, but it’s been going over and over in my head. When I come home and we become man and wife, how many children will we have? We’ve never discussed it. I don’t even know if you want a whole house full of kids or just one or two. Would you like a girl or a boy? I’d be happy with either. A little princess who looks like you. A boy I can toss a ball with and take fishing.

For a bunch of men in a foreign land with a job to do, we sure do talk about home. No, not talk, we dream. We dream with our eyes wide open and our hearts bare. We dream out loud, Gracie, and though a lot of teasing and ribbing goes on here, we don’t tease each other about that. There’s nothing funny about a soldier trying to remember home.

Come to think of it, we do harass Rick. He swears he’s going to marry Marlene Dietrich. Says he met her once in California. She was hiding under an awning in a downpour. He says the two of them had quite a nice time waiting out the storm.

I guess that’s what we’re all doing, isn’t it? Waiting out the storm.

I’m ready to build a life with you, Grace. Ready to hear the sound of babies crying, children laughing. Ready to smell fresh bread baking in the kitchen and fresh fish frying in the skillet. Think about it, Grace. When this is over, we’ll build a life around our dreams.

A boy, I think. Yes. I can see us having a boy.

Your future husband,

William

Adrienne pressed a hand to her heart. All those years ago, Pops had wanted a son. She retrieved her laptop from the front closet. She’d started storing it there after having to have sheetrock dust removed from her PC by a computer repair shop in town.

While it booted up, she thought of Pops and the son he spoke of in the letter, the son he knew he’d have, only it would be with a different woman than Grace. She narrowed her search to Africa and typed in “Charles and Peg Bryant.” Her computer screen illuminated the kitchen with a warm but mechanical glow as she studied photos of the couple.

Will favored his father but had his mother’s wavy, dark hair. They were an attractive couple and seemed most alive in the pictures that sported a dozen dark-headed, dark-skinned children. Adrienne studied the schoolhouse. It looked like concrete, with holes for windows and doors. Special attention was given to photo after photo of the water reservoir and villagers filling everything from bowls to gourds with the clear liquid. Once she reached the bottom of the page, the good feeling dissolved. Concern drew her brows together as she read the words Charles and Peggy Bryant’s funding has been cut in half. This was effective in January; however, they have continued their work with little interruption. If you’d like to donate to this important cause, contact us.

Could that be why they weren’t able to come back for Pops’s birthday? Adrienne tapped her index finger on her bottom lip. Of course, she should leave this alone. It wasn’t her place—as Will was always so quick to remind her—to get involved.

Adrienne stared at her kitchen counters, wondering what two airline tickets from Africa might cost. Her gaze fell to the granite samples stashed in the corner. She let out a long, agonizing sigh. Granite probably wasn’t that great after all. She chewed on the inside corner of her mouth. Did she really want granite or was she just getting it because it was the counter choice du jour? But she knew the answer. She had wanted granite countertops since she’d taken the gourmet cooking class.

While struggling with the choice that lay in front of her, Adrienne was reminded of something she’d once read. “When one is confronted with a random act of kindness that is neither expected nor ordinary, one is obligated to meet that kindness and exceed it if possible.”

She squared her shoulders, smiled to herself, and typed in “International Airlines.”

After getting the ticket prices, she looked up the number and was now speaking to a Peace Corps representative.

“I’m interested in information about a couple in Africa. Their names are Charles and Peggy Bryant.” After being connected to the right person, Adrienne asked when the Bryants were planning to come back to the States.

“The Bryants will not be stateside for nearly a year.”

Adrienne could hear the woman typing something on the other end of the line.

“Actually, they put in a request for a trip next month; however, due to funding, they withdrew the request.”

Adrienne’s heart began to beat harder. “Would it be too late if they still wanted to make the trip?”

There was silence on the other end of the line for a moment. “You mean, if enough money were to come in to cover the tickets? No, it wouldn’t be too late. We encourage our people to get back to the States when they can.”

“Is there a way you can find out if they still want to come?”

“Yes. Are you interested in giving a monetary gift toward their trip?”

“No, ma’am.” Adrienne threw one last look over at the granite samples in the corner. Strangely, the desire to have a granite countertop had lost much of its previous luster. “I’d like to pay for their entire trip home.”

Silence again, but only for a moment. “That’s very generous of you!” the woman stammered. “I can contact them by e-mail today.”

Adrienne could hear the smile the woman was undoubtedly wearing. She smiled too, feeling more fulfillment than granite countertops could ever give her.

The two women made arrangements to speak the following day. By then she would know whether the Bryants would still make the trip.

The first call from Peg Bryant came late at night. “Is this Adrienne Carter?”

“Yes, it is.” The gentle hum in the receiver confirmed the faraway call. Adrienne had just finished replacing a section of rotten wood she’d discovered in the back of a kitchen cupboard, and her hands and hair were dotted with sawdust from the project.

“This is Peg. Peg Bryant.”

“Hello.” Quickly forgetting the dust trail she left as she went, Adrienne settled into her rocking chair in the living room. The one Will had so comfortably rested in. It really was a great chair. Great house. Filled now with people and life. Parties and plans. “I feel like I know you, Peg. I’ve studied the pictures of you and Charles online.”

“It’s wonderful to get the chance to talk to you, Adrienne. We are so looking forward to coming home, and you alone made it possible.”

Adrienne smiled.

“We receive letters from Pops regularly. He can’t say enough about you.” The phone line crackled, and for a horrible instant, Adrienne thought the conversation would be cut short.

“He’s very special. But honestly, since Sara has come back into his life, I’m surprised he says anything about me.”

There was a pause. Did Peg and Charles not know about Sara?

“I’m sorry, Adrienne. Got distracted there for a second. Yes, Sara. He is quite fond of her.”

The phone line buzzed and crackled. Adrienne gripped the receiver tightly as if she were able to stabilize the voice coming through the miles. Peg continued on. “I mainly wanted to tell you thank you. We’re looking forward to meeting you.”

“If it’s okay, I’ll plan to pick you up at the airport. Don’t want to spoil the surprise for Pops . . . or for Will,” she added as an afterthought.

“I can’t wait to get there.”

“It won’t be long now. Thanks so much for calling, Peg.”

Adrienne hung up and hoped the next five weeks would pass quickly. She wasn’t planning to tell Will his parents were coming.

When the doorbell rang, Adrienne jumped. She wasn’t expecting anyone, so she rose, hand to her heart, and paused at the window to glance outside. What she saw made her mouth drop open. She slung the door open. Gerbera daisies filled her vision. Somewhere behind them was a delivery person, but all she could see were two arms cradling the vase and legs as if the bouquet had grown limbs.

“Adrienne Carter?” The voice was strained.

“Yes!” Before he could say more, she took the bouquet from him.

The flowers brought the room to life with the vibrant orange, deep red, and sunny yellow of the Gerbera daisies. Adrienne placed them on the dark wood end table adjacent to her rocking chair, her new favorite place to sit. In the bunch, she found a small card. It read, “For you, honeybee.”

They were from Will. Whatever was his preoccupation with bees, she didn’t know. She only hoped that after five weeks’ time, he wouldn’t be nursing a nasty sting.

“I think you need more flowers,” Will said, stepping inside her house. His gaze scanned from one side of the room to the other. “Yes. Definitely more flowers.”

“You’re spoiling me. A girl could get used to this.” She closed the door behind him and turned in case he wanted to kiss her. Which had become his habit. A lingering kiss, hands warm and firm against her hips.

“I’m hoping a girl does.” He moved in and with one deep sweep of his head stole her breath and weakened her knees. It was almost enough to frighten away the anxiety growing with each passing day.

“Help yourself to coffee. I’ve got to rinse out a paintbrush. Be right back.” She floated upstairs on the wings of his hello kiss, pushing away the thoughts that nibbled at her. Truth was, Adrienne was torn. On one hand, excitement fueled her work. She’d remodeled the upstairs guest bathroom with touches of the vibrant colors inspired by designs from Africa. Charles and Peg were coming. She had been e-mailing them on a regular basis but only heard from them once a week, Internet access not being as easy for them as for her. Arrangements were made. She’d pick them up at the airport late Friday night. They’d stay with her until Saturday, the day of the party. Neither Will nor Pops knew they were coming. In this, there was method to her madness. Perhaps Will would be tenderhearted, getting to see them unexpectedly. Maybe he wouldn’t have time to sort through all the different ways to avoid talking to his father. Maybe he wouldn’t kill Adrienne for interfering again.

Water swirled in her bathroom sink as she rinsed the brush. She knew there was a strong possibility this would blow up in her face. It was a huge gamble. So far, things had worked out in her schemes, but each time she felt more and more like she was on the chopping block. Though this scared her, there was something that scared her even worse. The last time Will got mad at her for interfering, something in Adrienne’s heart had snapped. Something deep within her had changed. There was a disconnected resolve she didn’t particularly like but couldn’t eradicate.

Will is not like Eric, she whispered to her mirror reflection. But in the deepest part of her heart, she knew she was almost done giving him chances to prove that.

Other than that nasty little revelation, things between her and Will were great. They had met regularly to finish the party plans over the past five weeks. The party planning was just an excuse to get together. They both knew it. They had agreed on every detail—even Sammie catering the bash—and had grown more and more excited as the day approached.

Adrienne bounced down the stairs to find him examining her clipboard list of things to do before the party. For a hot second, she panicked, but she breathed a sigh of relief when she remembered she kept the other list in the drawer, the list of things to do before picking up Charles and Peg.

“Can you stay for lunch?” she asked, slipping the clipboard from him.

“Wish I could.” He took it back, tossed it onto the couch, and pulled Adrienne into his arms. “I’m just dropping off some things at the Bonita Springs bank branch. Thought I’d drop by.”

She liked this: his wanting to see her so badly, he dropped by when he was supposed to be working.

“The party is almost here, and Pops doesn’t have a clue,” he said.

The party is almost here. Those words dropped into her stomach and burned like acid.

His hands laced together at the small of her back. “Well, I better get going.” With a long exhale, he started to release her.

Adrienne grabbed him by the shoulders, tipped her head back, and pressed her mouth to his.

For a moment, he must have been surprised, but settled deeper and deeper into the kiss until his hands were roaming her back and tangling in the loose strands of her hair. Finally, he broke the kiss. “If you’re trying to get rid of me, you’re failing.”

She shook her head. “No, Will. I’m not trying to get rid of you.” Adrienne’s heart pounded from more than just the kiss. She needed to tell him about his parents. Now was the time. This might be her last chance. “I just . . . ”

He tilted her chin with his thumb and finger. “I know. You love the flowers, but you’re not used to someone spoiling you, right?”

She swallowed the words she needed to speak. “Right.”

Will kissed the tip of her nose. “I’ll see you Saturday.”

She nodded and followed him to the door, knowing that if things played out the way she expected, she might never get to kiss him again.

By Friday evening, everything was set. She’d picked up Sara early that morning and zipped to the airport that evening. Adrienne’s special touches in the upstairs bath were not lost on Charles and Peg. Charles had gone on and on about how the space looked, and even grabbed and hugged her. The two were loving, touchy people, reminding Adrienne of her own father. Now the three ladies sat on the back deck, listening to soft island music and the sound of crashing waves.

Sara stood up from her beach chair. “I’d love to stay up late with you two, but tomorrow is a big day. I need my beauty sleep.”

“I won’t be far behind you, Sara.” Adrienne squeezed her hand as she walked past.

“Sleep well, Sara,” Peg added. They watched as she disappeared into the house.

“What’s it like?” Adrienne asked, handing Peg a cup of tea. “To live so far from home?”

Peg sipped the drink as the bright moon danced on the water. “At first, I cried all the time.”

Adrienne stopped what she was doing and looked directly at her. “Really?”

Peg nodded and ran her fingertips through her wavy, dark hair. It was cut into a short bob that reached her shoulders when she shrugged. Her legs, tan and lean, stretched in front of her on the footstool. Crossed at the ankle, she seemed very much at home in the hard-backed wooden chair. “Being so far away from Will was gut wrenching in the beginning. I worried about him constantly.”

Adrienne smiled, wondering what that would be like—creating a being that is an expression of both you and the person you love and watching him grow. For a moment, she remembered a trip to the park when she’d seen a little girl fall off the monkey bars. Adrienne had watched the girl’s mother clean the wound, wiping her own tears as much as her child’s. What was it like to love someone more than life itself?

“But now,” Peg continued, “now, when I’m there, it feels like I’m home. And when I’m here, it feels like I’m home.”

Adrienne liked this woman with her sweet, tender spirit and her spine of steel. Every now and then, with a certain glint in her eye, she looked like Will. “Will favors you,” Adrienne said when she realized she’d been staring. “I didn’t see it at first, but he does.”

“I don’t see it myself, but people have always said that.” Peg thought a moment. “He acts like me too.”

“Really?”

She nodded, eyes twinkling. “We’re organized. Particular. We’re planners.” She leaned over the table and lowered her voice. “Everything Charles is not.”

Adrienne remembered the airport as Charles had lumbered along, haphazardly fumbling with the same number of suitcases Peg was effortlessly rolling behind her. He had lost his wallet and then found it, only to discover his passport was missing. He found the passport and noticed his driver’s license was gone. Once everything was back in order and in its proper place, they were able to leave. By the time they got to the car, his wallet had gone missing again. Of course, this, coupled with his cheery disposition about it, made him that much more endearing.

“So opposites do attract?” Adrienne said.

“For us, yes. I adore him. And I can beat him at basketball,” she threw in as an afterthought. “That’s always good for the female ego.”

“You two are very fortunate to have each other.”

“We are.” Peg studied her. “It’s also quite a blessing that you have come into our lives, Adrienne.”

“Well . . . ”—she squirmed—“I don’t know that it’s that much of a blessing.”

“I do,” Peg said regally. “There are no coincidences. Everything happens for a reason. It was no sheer accident you came into Will’s life.”

Uncomfortable now, Adrienne toyed with the edge of her cup, wondering how everyone would feel tomorrow. “Pops and Sara were reunited. There’s no doubt that was meant to be.”

They both pivoted as the back door opened. Charles’s gentle face popped out. “Honey, have you seen my reading glasses?”

Peg reached for his hand. “Bottom left corner of your suitcase.” One quick squeeze, and she unwound her fingers from his.

“How about my planner?”

“Jacket pocket,” she returned.

“And my toothbru—”

“In the brown carry-on.”

He gave her a smile that conveyed every emotion from “I love you” to “I could never survive a day without your help.” It was a look Adrienne knew was reserved only for his wife.

When he disappeared into the house, Adrienne grinned. “Wow, you really are organized.”

Peg nodded. “Where were we? Oh yes, I was getting ready to tell you not to forget there’s a destiny in all of this for you.” Seeming to sense the gravity of her words, she laughed.

Peg spoke of destiny as if she had a window into it. Adrienne wished she could spend more time with her. Make tonight count, her mind teased. By tomorrow, you’ll be saying good-bye to all of them.