LITMIR.BIZ

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      About five o’clock Greg knocked on the door, and Allison yelled excitedly, “It’s Daddy.”

      There was Greg standing in her doorway, arms full of grocery bags. Addy asked immediately, “How did it go?”

      “Well, they didn’t give me the final word, but I think I got the job. This was my third interview.” He suddenly turned shy. “By the way, I hope you don’t mind. I brought steaks and chicken to put on the grill for dinner.”

      Embarrassed, Addy protested, “Oh, you shouldn’t have done that.”

      In spite of her response, Greg sensed she approved.

      “Do you like red wine?”

      Although Addy did not drink, she did not want to seem a fool. What if the kids told Lionel a man had wine with their mother? For a moment, she was lost in confusion and fear.

      “Sure. I love it,” she quickly lied. Addy did not care if Lionel beat her to death. She had to spend time in the presence of this Greek god.

      Greg put the groceries down on the counter and then scooped up Allison in his arms.

      “Daddy, Daddy, I had fun,” she exclaimed.

      “Does that mean you want to go home now, sweet potato?” Greg teased.

      “No, Daddy. Let’s stay here please.”

      Addy was relieved that Allison wanted to stay for supper. Greg seemed the kind of dad who would put his little girl’s wishes before his own. He asked Addy if there was any charcoal in the garage. She was too embarrassed to let him know she had not even tried the grill, and Greg must have noticed her discomfort.

      “Never mind. I’ll get some charcoal from my place.”

      The rain had disappeared by six o’clock. Now a cool breeze blew away the clouds, revealing a deep blue canopy of sky.

      “Look outside, kids. There’s a rainbow,” Addy declared excitedly.

      The kids pushed their way to the door to see. Tears welled in Addy’s eyes, as she thought, maybe this is a good omen, but immediately dismissed the thought as ridiculous. Even if this was the only night she ever spent with Greg and Allison, Addy would be grateful.

      Greg insisted that he do the grilling and told Addy to relax. First, he wrapped baking potatoes and ears of corn with tin foil and let them roast directly on the coals for quite a while before placing the meat on the grill top. As she slowly sipped her wine, Addy began to unwind and thought dreamily, all that, and he cooks, too.

      Why doesn’t this man have a wife? Wait. Maybe he does. That’s it. She could not come because she is traveling for work, Addy thought pessimistically. She accepted the fact that she was a masochist. Any woman who continues to live with a sadistic man like Lionel has to love suffering. Why was she allowing Lionel to burst this magic rainbow bubble?

      After dinner, the kids played kick ball in the yard while Addy and Greg watched them from her sun porch. Addy noticed that Allison was having a hard time keeping up with her kids so she shouted, “Let Allison have the ball!”

      Greg turned to Addy and said, “Thanks for being so considerate. Allison doesn’t look sick, does she?”

      “Not at all,” Addy quickly remarked but did not want to pry about what was wrong with Greg’s daughter. He in turn offered the information on his own. She has leukemia.”

      “Are there any cures for it?” inquired Addy gently. Greg suddenly looking sad said, “Not yet. There is a lot of research going on, and there are some treatments … but no cure. Allison has been lucky so far. She is in remission,” and looking panicked, he added, “or I would never have left her with you.” For a moment, it seemed Greg felt guilty for not telling Addy about Allison’s condition beforehand.

      Addy tried to change the subject and said with half-hearted optimism, “Maybe by the time she is older, they will have found a cure.”

      For the first time, Greg looked depressed. “As long as she is in remission, she’s OK. I have resigned myself to the fact that I am slowly losing my daughter. That’s why I want to change jobs and move up here permanently. Things always seem so much better by the ocean, and Allison loves Maine.”

      Trying to lighten the mood, Addy became animated. “You are so right. My best memories are of summers by the sea.”

      Greg looked over at Addy as if he was seeing her for the first time. He saw a deeply private sadness in her hazel eyes and wondered what had caused her sorrow. She was, after all, a lovely woman. Addy felt self-conscious as she felt Greg studying her face. She looked away. The questions she burned to ask were about Allison’s mother. Was she dead? Certainly, a perfect man like Greg could not have this much bad luck.

      As if reading her mind, Greg continued, “When my wife found out about Allison’s disease, she just couldn’t deal with it so she moved away. We eventually divorced, and Allison never again saw or spoke to her mother.”

      Addy’s heart was breaking. “Does Allison ask about her mother?”

      “All the time,” Greg added. “I tell her that her mom is working on a secret project and cannot write letters or visit. It’s a dumb lie, but Allison seems to accept it.”

      Addy instantly hated this woman. What kind of mother would abandon her child?

      “Oh Greg,” Addy said sincerely, “I am so sorry.”

      He smiled at her and said, “Well, at least I have my little girl for a few years. That’s a lot more than some people have.”

      He’s an optimist, Addy thought. I had better not be too negative or morose around him. He has enough on his mind. Greg checked his wristwatch and said, “Wow. It’s late. I had better get Allison to bed.”

      Addy was dreading hearing these words. He was going to leave.

      Greg called to Allison, and all the kids came running.

      “Can Allison come over and play with us another day?” implored Mary.

      “Why sure,” said Greg, his beautiful smile brightening his face. “She is lucky to have found some kids to play with. She’s sick of just her old dad.”

      Allison went over to Greg and hugged his legs. “That’s not true, Daddy.”

      What a sweet child; just like her father.

      They said their “good nights” without making any plans. Greg’s optimism was contagious, and Addy knew they would all be together again. The wine had gone to her head, and she fell asleep that night, imagining herself cradled in the safety of Greg’s arms.

      The sun was already bright by eight in the morning. After breakfast, the kids asked excitedly, “What are we going to do today?”

      They had no sooner spoken than a knock came at the door. There was Greg, standing sheepishly, but illuminated like a pure-hearted knight. Addy had been too shy to study him closely, but this morning she could not take her eyes off him. He wore a navy blue T-shirt with a small yachting logo on it, khaki Bermuda shorts and boat shoes with no socks. Such fine legs. Allison was standing next to her dad. Dressed in blue shorts and a red and white striped shirt, she looked rested and happy.

      “You two look like sailors,” Addy laughed.

      “I hope it’s not too early,” Greg said, “but we wanted to invite you to come out on our boat with us today.”

      Addy’s kids, still in their pajamas, looked amazed. A boat! Addy was, of course, afraid of deep water, but at that moment, she didn’t care. The kids ran to their rooms to get dressed. Greg’s beach wagon was waiting out front. All four kids piled into the back seat, leaving Addy to sit next to Greg. She watched how carefully and confidently he drove.

      “The boat is docked at the Webhannet River boatyard.”

      Addy dared not display her ignorance about

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