“Maybe he needs to see a doctor.”
“That’s what we were talking about when you came in.”
“What does he say?”
“He says he’ll go. But you know him. Unless I make the appointment, he’ll never get around to it.”
“Do you want me to call for you?”
“Would you mind?”
“Of course not,” Maria answered. Because of her mom’s language skills, she’d been making appointments ever since she was a young girl. “It’s still Dr. Clark, right?”
Her mom nodded. “And schedule him for a full physical if you can.”
“He’s not going to like that.”
“No, but he needs one. It’s been almost three years.”
“He shouldn’t wait that long. He’s got high blood pressure. And last year, he had those chest pains and he couldn’t work for a week.”
“I know, and you know, but he’s stubborn and he insists his heart is fine. Maybe you can talk some sense into him.” Her mom reached over and opened the oven; satisfied, she put on an oven mitt and pulled out the casserole dish before beginning to load up a plate for Maria.
“That’s plenty,” she said, trying to limit the quantity.
“You need to eat,” her mom insisted, continuing to pile food on the plate while Maria retrieved some utensils. “Let’s go sit with your father.”
Outside at the table, a citronella candle was burning to keep the mosquitoes at bay. The night was as perfect as her dad had promised, with only the slightest breeze and a sky embroidered with stars. Copo sat in her father’s lap, snoring slightly while his hand moved rhythmically through her fur. Maria began to cut a hunk of the pot roast into smaller pieces.
“I heard what happened today,” Maria started, initiating a stream of conversation encompassing the restaurant, local news, and the latest family gossip. In an extended family like theirs, there was always some kind of drama worth talking about and dissecting. By the time Maria had finished dinner – no more than a quarter of the plate – the crickets had begun their evening melody.
“You look like you got some sun last weekend.”
“I went paddleboarding after we had brunch.”
“With your new friend?” her mom inquired. “The one from the pier?”
At Maria’s startled expression, her mom shrugged. “I heard you and Serena talking. Your sister can be kind of loud sometimes.”
Serena strikes again, Maria thought. She hadn’t wanted to bring it up, but she couldn’t deny it now, could she? Even her father appeared to have a sudden heightened interest in the conversation.
“His name’s Colin.” Then, knowing her parents would press for more but not wanting them to delve too deeply, she went on. “Serena knows him from her classes, and when she and I had dinner on Saturday, Colin was tending bar there. We got to talking at the pier and decided to meet up on Sunday.”
“He’s in college? How old is he?”
“He’s my age. He didn’t start college until a couple of years ago. He wants to become a teacher.”
“Serena said he was very handsome,” her mother commented with a mischievous smile.
Thanks, Serena. Next time, lower your voice. “He is.”
“And you had a good time?”
“It was a lot of fun.”
“When can we meet him?”
“Don’t you think it’s a little early for that?” Maria said.
“It depends. Are you going out again?”
“Uh, yes… on Saturday.”
“Then we should meet him. You should invite him to brunch on Sunday.”
Maria opened her mouth and then closed it again. There was no way her parents were ready for Colin, especially when there’d be no chance at escape. The thought that Colin would answer whatever questions they asked with his usual directness was enough to give her heart palpitations. She smiled at her dad with a trace of desperation.
“Why did he wait so long to go to college?” he asked.
She considered the best way to answer while still telling the truth. “He didn’t figure out that he wanted to be a teacher until a couple of years ago.”
Of her parents, her dad had always been better at reading between the lines, and she suspected he would continue to press for more details about Colin’s past. But he was interrupted by the faint but audible ringing of a cell phone in the kitchen.
“Oh, that’s me,” she said, thanking God for the reprieve. “Let me get that.”
Rising from the table, she raced into the kitchen. Pulling her phone from her bag, she saw Colin’s name. She felt like a teenager as she pressed the button and raised the phone to her ear.
“Hey there,” she said, “I was just talking about you.” She paced the living room as they talked, catching up on how each had spent their day. As in person, he was an attentive listener, and when he sensed something in her voice, she found herself telling him about the incident with Ken. He grew quiet then, and when she asked whether he’d be interested in meeting her for lunch, he said he’d love to and asked what time he should pick her up at the office. She smiled, knowing that it would give her story more credence with Ken, and was secretly thrilled at the idea of seeing Colin so soon. When she hung up the phone, she had the sense that despite what her parents would no doubt think, Colin might be just what she needed in her life right now.
She returned to the porch, where her parents were still waiting at the table.