“Thanks for everything. The ride, lunch, the conversation.”
“You bet. We’ll have to do it again soon.” He turned and walked out.
Do what soon? Run errands on the mainland? Or lunch? Spend time together? She stared at the empty doorway where he’d disappeared. Dale was a surprise she hadn’t expected when she decided to come back to Magnolia Key.
* * *
Maxine paused in the sanding of the bookcase to answer her phone.
“Mom, where are you?”
Maxine winced at the accusing tone of her daughter’s voice. “I’m in Magnolia Key.”
“You are? Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I texted you before I left.” Not that Tiffany had answered the text.
“You did? I must have missed it.”
Like most of the other texts she sent. She was almost certain her texts to her kids went to some big don’t-bother-to-read spam place on their phones.
“When are you coming back? Dad called and he’s annoyed. He needs you to come to his office this week and sign something. Some kind of settlement that was pending from your divorce.”
Victor being annoyed wasn’t her problem anymore.
“Something to do with stocks you both owned. There’s a check for you too.”
This is exactly the kind of thing she would have handled for Victor when they were married. She’d rush over to sign the paperwork on his time schedule. “He can just mail it to me.”
“Can’t you come back?”
Seriously? Tiffany was asking her to come back to sign paperwork on Victor’s timeline? Not happening. “Have him send it to me.”
“Well, when will you be home?”
“I’m not sure. I’ll give you my friend Beverly’s address here on Magnolia Key. He can send it there.”
“Won’t you be home soon? You don’t ever stay long when you go visit.”
“I’m staying longer this time. Tiff, can you just have him send it? I’ll sign it and send it back to him. I’ll text you Beverly’s address.” Tiffany would actually have to check her text this time.
“Dad’s not going to be pleased. He thought he could wrap this up right away. Something that has to be signed before he can deposit his check.”
“It’s the best I can do.” And all she would do. She wondered why the rush to have the paper signed, anyway. More likely, it was just that he didn’t have control over her anymore. Couldn’t make her drive across town to sign when he wanted her to.
“I’ll tell him, but he won’t be happy.”
“Okay, thanks, sweetheart,” she said as sincerely as she could.
“Does David know you’re in Magnolia?”
“I left him a phone message. Yes.” Not that her son had answered her, either.
“Let us know when you come home.”
“I will.” Not that she had any plans to go back there anytime soon. If ever. But that wouldn’t really change her kids’ lives much. They rarely made time to see her. It made her feel like a failure as a mother, but she wasn’t certain what she would have done differently. She gave them everything they needed, wanted. Spent time with them when they were young. Went to all their activities. Helped with homework. Gave them her unending love and attention.
But in spite of all that, they were just not interested in her life or seeing her often. They had, unfortunately, gotten their father’s self-centered attitude. It dug at her heart, and she’d tried really hard the last few years since Victor divorced her to see if she could still make the kids feel like they had a family. She’d failed at that, too.
