The Uninvited Guest

“Make that frown go upside down,” Frank said.

Lily merely rolled her eyes.  They were spending a lazy morning at home, having decided to save money for the wedding, thus doing away with a Saturday brunch.

The wedding was what was causing Lily’s frown.  She was in a quandary.  Because all of a sudden she didn’t want to get married.  For one particular reason:  her father.  It was the sentencing hearing that did it for her.  She did her part, as did Sloan who flew in from California, as did their mother.  But then she had to sit and listen while family friends, neighbors, strangers to her got up to talk about how Will Stanton’s fraud, embezzlement, lying and cheating had destroyed their lives, taken their retirement incomes, money saved for a house, their children’s college funds.  It was devastating.  She could feel Frank, who was loyally siting next to her, tense as the witnesses kept coming.  Her conclusion from the whole experience was that her father was a monster.  Not in the way there were other monsters, rapists, murderers, thugs of all sorts.  But how many dreams had he shattered?  Then his lawyer laying it all down to the fact that his client was a gambling addict, as if that excused the harm he had done.  It just didn’t wash.

So the truth was she didn’t want to get married until her father was behind bars so that there was no way he could walk her down the aisle, no way he could be in her wedding albums.  When he was in prison, she would write to him maybe once a month, but that was it.  He wasn’t dead to her, she just didn’t want him to be part of her life.

And her mother?  What looney bin had she come out of.  After the sentencing hearing, her mother said, “Why can’t people see all the good he’s done for the community.  Like Little League coach and city council?”  Lily and Sloan just looked at one another.  It was Sloan who took their mother by the elbow and led her away, so that their father and his lawyers could face the press alone.

At least Sloan got to meet Frank.  They knew one another slightly from high school, but only in a nodding way, as Frank was two years older than Sloan.  Sloan’s advice when he left was, “Stay away from Scarsdale. Stay safe.”

She was safe, here in their house on a country road.  And she had started to make a life for herself, apart from Frank.  Through the community center she had joined a nature walks group.  This did entail buying binoculars, but it was a fun collection of people, men and women.  She was probably the youngest, but it didn’t bother her.  Through one of the women in that activity she had been invited to join a book club. She didn’t particularly care for the books they read.  However, the thrill for her was that they had the discussions in one another’s houses.  She loved seeing other people’s houses, and she was thrilled when she was able to give a tour of her own.  Well, Frank’s but she had made it her own.  When one of the woman asked what her husband did, she had to confess they weren’t married and he worked the week in New Haven, coming home for the weekends.  “Hallelujah, you have the perfect life!” the woman had responded.

Lily didn’t have the perfect life, of course, because perfect would mean she had a job she loved.  But medical billing brought in a salary.  It was tiresome, however necessary for the time being.

She was thinking lately of becoming a real estate agent.  Because of the downturn in commercial real estate, Frank was once again doing more residential, as people still wanted housing.  She mentioned that alternate to Frank.  He didn’t seem enthusiastic, saying some of those real estate agents were real barracudas.  Was she that type?  Then he rehashed what an agent—and lawyers—went through at settlement.  The arguments people got into when it came to the final signing over of the house.  Always someone wanted more money.  For something just discovered during the final walk through.  Frank claimed he practiced meditation before each signing.  “But then you get the money,” she pointed out.  “And so does the agent.”

“Working nights, working weekends, drumming up business, assaulting friends for references.  Nothing’s going to fall into your lap.”

“You think I can’t do it.”

“I just don’t know why you’d want to.”

Sighing, she said, “Because I’m bored.  I want a life. A career.”

“I thought you were planning our wedding.”

“No.”

He sat up in his chair. “No!”

“We can’t get married, not until my father is safely behind bars and there’s no chance at all that he’ll be able to walk me down the aisle.  The sentencing hearing was bad enough.  Besides, we don’t want to do anything to conflict with Riley’s wedding. The focus should be on her now.”

Frank studied her.  For too long a time.  “But at some point you want to get married?  Or no?  You should tell me, Lily.  Otherwise both of us are just wasting time.”

“Of course I want to marry you.  This is the life I want—aside from the lack of a fulfilling job.  But right now family issues are getting in the way.  You were at the hearing.  You’ve got to understand that.”

“Family issues,” he repeated, but whether it was understanding or something else, she couldn’t figure out.

Nor did she have time because at that moment both heard a car pull into the driveway—and stop.

Puzzled, Frank rose from the table and made his way to the side window.  A Porsche?  Did he know anyone with a Porsche?

The door opened and a rather nerdy looking man lifted himself out, then went around to the other side, to unveil—his mother!

Bernice gratefully got out of the Porsche.  She would admit to reaching an age where sports cars were too uncomfortable to crunch into while SUV’s tended to be too high, so that she had to boost herself up.  Why didn’t anyone make normal cars anymore?  Her sedan was perfect, except it was crowded out everywhere she went.  She sometimes had trouble finding it in a parking lot as it was hidden by gigantic SUVs that seemed to extend as far as a limo would.  Why do people need so much room?  Maybe for the television so the children won’t get bored on the way to and from school?  A new world, and not hers.

Looking around her, she wondered what Frank was thinking of when he bought this place, so far from his work.  The garden was way too extensive and who mowed the lawn?  Did he leave all of this to Lily Stanton, daughter of known criminal?  And the ivy growing on that oak.  Didn’t they know ivy kills?

“Bernice,” Thad brought her back to some sort of focus, like focusing on her son, who had opened the front door and was standing on the porch, waiting for them.  “Surprise!” she said brightly.  Then she whispered to Thad, “Make sure I don’t become too annoying.”

“If it’s possible,” he agreed, not even bothering to take notice of her dirty look.  He helped her onto the flagstone walkway toward the porch, which was pleasantly decorated with baskets of flowers, their blooms trailing over the railing.

“Mom,” Frank said when they reached the landing.  “And—“

“I’m Thad Dunkirk, a friend of your mother’s.”

“A very close friend,” Bernice added.  She moved forward to give her son a hug.  “We were just out for a drive, and somehow we ended up here.  Amazing, isn’t it?”

“Definitely coincidental,” Frank agreed.  He beckoned them inside.  “We just finished breakfast, but there’s some coffee left.”

“Sounds great,” Thad replied.  They were ushered into the foyer, whereupon Bernice wandered off on her own private house tour.  “Sorry,” Thad said to Frank.  “I suggested we call, but she assured me that calls weren’t necessary with family.  In other words, she—“

“Wanted to surprise us and see if we were up to anything nefarious,” Frank finished.  “Or, alternatively, put her two cents’ worth in on Lily and me.”

“That too,” Thad agreed.  “Although I did warn her to behave herself.  After the Eden fiasco.”

Smiling, Frank nodded toward the kitchen at the back of the house, where the sun was streaming in.  He poured Thad a cup of coffee, then said, “You probably know all about me, but I know practically nothing about you, except that you’re a professor and took my mother to Germany.”

Thad sat at the table and offered up his CV, along with all personal details he thought relevant.  During which they heard feminine voices coming from upstairs, one rather youthful, the other rather hectoring.  Both men shrugged.

Finally, both Lily and Bernice made their appearance, Lily having gone up to change and maybe hide out as soon as she knew it was Frank’s mother.  “I’ve just given Lily some suggestions on what she could do with the house to make it more, shall we say, gemutlich.  You know I have quite a flair for decorating.”

“Then why did you hire an interior decorator when you had our old house redone?” Frank queried.

Grimacing, Bernice replied, “The house was getting stale—as was the marriage.”

Frank stood up and pulled out a chair.  “Mom, sit down and relax.  You’ve known Lily forever and I’m just getting to know Thad.  Why don’t we leave aside hurt feelings and motherly chastisements and just enjoy your visit.  It’s a beautiful day, perfect for your road trip and we’re both glad to see you.”

“Really glad,” Lily added.  She had changed from her nightgown into jeans and a t-shirt.  “I mean, to get it out in the open, we all know you’re not happy about Frank and me, most likely because of my father—“

“And your age difference,” Bernice pointed out.  “And the fact that you and Eden were playmates while Frank was in high school and then college.”  She held up her hand.  “But—you’re both at an age where you can make your own decisions.”

“You are too, Mom,” Frank pointed out.  “Taking off on a whim for Germany.  That was a decision that amazed your offspring.  But—we were so happy for you.  Because your children want to see you happy after what happened with Dad.  I mean, dying the way he did, a real scandal—“

“Until my father came along,” Lily said sweetly.

“Your father—I mean your father, Frank,” Bernice clarified, “was led astray by that bimbo who had her eye out for the main chance.  Too bad the main chance was snookered by—oh, sorry, Lily, I really didn’t mean to refer to your father.  However, the one thing I’ll say for him, at least the trollop didn’t get much of anything from Frank’s father’s estate, such as it was.”

Looking puzzled, Thad said, “I don’t recall hearing about the circumstances of your ex-husband’s death.”  If there was a pin, you could have heard it drop.  “And perhaps that’s for the best,” he added too belatedly.

“Frank, who does your gardening?” Bernice changed the subject dramatically.

“We have a landscaper that takes care of the lawn, but I like to work in the garden,” Lily replied.  “I’m saving up for a tiller because I think next year I shall plant more vegetables, even though I have to admit I’m not into canning. Those tomatoes when they come in, well, they come in by the bushel full.”  She hoped she was being innocuous enough.

“Next year?” Bernice questioned. “So this is—“

Frank sighed deeply.  “Mom.  Please.  You know Lily and I are going to get married, have children, share our lives.  I’ve told you.  Riley’s told you.  Eden would have told you also if you were speaking to her.  Please, just accept it and be happy for us.  For all your children.”

“I would be happy if I were included in my children’s lives.”

“Then don’t criticize our choices.”

Bernice made the effort to stand. “Thad, I think it’s time to go.”

“Nonsense, Bernice,” Thad replied.  “We just got here and we’re taking them out to lunch.  I’d like to hear more about Lily’s garden and more about Frank’s lawyering and more about, well, just everything.  Especially if I’m going to be plus one at all these weddings.  Now, Frank, Bernice said that you majored in English lit in college.  Who was your favorite author and why?  A one page synopsis will do.”

Frank, laughed.  “Come on into the library and I’ll show you some well worn books.”

With the men exiting, Lily was left with Bernice.  And an uncomfortable silence.  Until she said in a calm, reasonable voice, “I’m going to marry Frank and we’re going to be happy.”  She tried not to notice Bernice’s grimace.  “I have such fond memories of you, Mrs. Franklin, of me and Eden being constantly back and forth between our houses.  I know now that my family is an anathema, but I’ve told Frank and I’ll tell you, I’m not getting married until my father is behind bars and can’t walk me down the aisle.  My mother is suffering, being snubbed by all her old friends.  At least you didn’t have to go through that when Mr. Franklin died,” Lily added pointedly.  “I think the wedding, when it happens, will give her something positive in her life.  I hope you and she can get along and both play a significant part in our wedding.  I’m sure I’ll welcome your suggestions, but we’re already planning to have the wedding here, when the garden is fully in bloom.  I think with all the tomatoes I’ll be able to make my own gazpacho.”  She smiled and rose, “Shall we go join the men and decide on lunch?  This area is really quite beautiful, and there’s a country inn overlooking a stream that will be perfect for lunch.  I’m so glad that you came.  It’s been too long.”

What could Bernice do but follow her into the library where the men were discussing World War I poetry.  She didn’t know what to think about this whole situation.  Of all the choices for Frank to make, why Lily Stanton?  And yet, the die had been cast.  Still, she shuddered at the thought of putting an announcement in the local paper.  Whatever would her friends think?  Oh well, they weren’t married yet.  She took comfort in the thought that people who live together don’t necessarily stay together forever.