“Mom, sit down.We need to talk and hopefullywithout Jesse listening.”
“This sounds bad.”She looked at his seriousface.
“It is.”
“You and Lily didn’t break up, did you?”
“I honestly don’t know right now.It’s all abig mess.”He picked up a remote to pause the movie.
“Things went badly with Sam, didn’tthey?”
“… Did you suspect they would?Why didn’t youtell me--us—the whole story about you and Sam Cable?”Sandy lookedher in the eye.“There were so many pieces of information thatwould have been helpful to know before I met him.”
“Honey, that was all so long ago, I thoughtit was over and done with,” she said reluctantly.“Apparentlynot.”
“Well, better late than never.Let’s hear itnow.What’s the story with you and him?”
Jeanne shrugged and sat down next to him onthe couch.She folded her hands in her lap and stared straightahead.
“Sam, Miles and I grew up and went to schooltogether.Sam and I fell in love.We made plans to marry after highschool, but then his family picked up and moved to Sonoma.We triedto keep in touch but…we were young and the distance was too much.Our letters stopped.”She paused in her recollection.
“And Dad?”
“Yes, your lovely father was there and helpedme pick up the pieces after Sam left.We grew to love one anotherand married.The same plan I had with Sam Cable…and that’s whathappened.”Jeanne reached for his hand.
“If I had had any notion that this wouldcause great harm to your relationship with Lily, I would havespoken up sooner.It just seemed unnecessary.”
“Unnecessary?”Sandy’s voice went up a notch.“Jeez, Mom… Sam was still destroyed that you broke up with him forMiles.He said to me and I quote, ‘I can’t bear to lose anotherwoman I love to a Johnson man.’”
Jeanne gasped, “He said that?After all thistime?My, my….”
“My, my, yes.So it all fell apart inbeautiful Sonoma, California.I’m not sure I’ll drink wine everagain.”
“That’s great you can make a joke at a timelike this, sweetie.”
“…It’s not a joke.Believe me when I tell youthere is no levity in me right now.”Sandy put his face in hishands.“I’ve lost her…Lovely Lily.I can’t bear to think of it andyet I can think of nothing else.”Staring at the floor, he wearilyshook his head.
“Okay, a lot of this is my fault.I’m goingto think how to help you.”
“Honestly, Mom, I think you’ve helpedenough.”
“Enough with the sarcasm.We have to have aplan… Okay, this is what we are going to do: you finish watchingSouth Pacific.”
“Mom…”
“And I’m going to make you and Jesse somelunch.We’ll talk afterward.I’m getting an idea…”
Jeanne went off humming to the kitchen.Sandylooked after her, shaking his head.Maybe they were all going nuts.Well, with nothing else to do right now, why not finish the movie?Sandy shrugged and turned it back on.
* * *
Lily called Terri Nolan, her principal.Shestraightened her shoulders with a determined look on her face.
“Terri, I am so sorry to call you on aSunday, but this is an emergency.”
“Lily it’s fine.Don’t worry about it.What’sthe problem?”
“I need to be gone for at least two weeks.I’m so sorry to do this to you in the middle of the school year,but it can’t be helped.”
