“Well, mister, ain’t you a lucky son of a gun?” she squeezed Hank’s shoulder. Then she leaned in, adding conspiratorially like she and Hank belonged to the same internationalfellowship. “Got a young one myself at home. Chet. Boy, you should see my sisters, all green with envy, the first time I brought his perky tight end around for Sunday lunch. The look on those bitches’ faces, I tell ya. I don’t know what was greener, the collard greens or their ugly mugs,” she howled, throwing her head back.
Hank failed to stop a loud laugh from bursting from his lips, causing a local farmer to look up from his newspaper before apparently deciding he couldn't care less about the mid-morning ruckus.
“It’s true,” Loreen laughed too, her eyes crinkling adorably, her black hair flopping into her forehead before she brushed it away with the back of her hand. “Snatched him right outta college, that one. Got a good head on his shoulders, my Chet baby. Works for a good law firm up in Boise. Never knew what he saw in an ol’ gal like me, but I guess you ain’t gotta be Susan Sarandon to have your cake and eat it.”
“Susan Sarandon?” Hank asked, curious where this was going.
“Yessir. You never saw that movie? It’s my favorite. That young James Spader. Mmh hmm, don’t mind if I do. And I did!” she laughed, slamming her hand against her left thigh. “Not that my Chet looks anythin’ like James Spader, more like a young Sidney Poitier, but you get my drift.White Palace.”
“White Palace?”
“Yes, that’s the title. You ain’t ever seen that movie, mister?”
“Nope, can’t say I have.”
“Well, you sure are missin’ out on somethin’. You watch it with that young man of yours.” She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.
“Yeah, we’ll see,” Hank mumbled.
“Hey now, what’s with the face? You know what the best thing that I ever did was? Changed my life, that’s for sure.” Loreen spoke without waiting for Hank’s reply. “I stopped questioningmy good fortune, for one. And I keep walkin’ past all the open windows. Now there’s another movie for ya,” she drifted off briefly, wistfulness washing over her face. Then her eyes darkened. “Before Chet, I had a man who’d beat me black and blue every chance he got. Never needed an excuse to rearrange my face. Always thought I’d done somethin’ to deserve it, just like my momma and her momma before her. Never did question it, just took it. Then one day, my Chet walked in here with his college friends. Took one look at my beat-up face, and then he pulled me aside. Just over there,” she nodded at the small hallway leading to the restrooms. “You know what he said, mister?” Hank shook his head because how could he know? Although, the expression on Loreen’s face told him it must’ve been life-altering.
“He said,” she started, pausing to wipe her eyes, “‘I don’t know you, ma’am, but I know you don’t deserve that. No one does.’ Just like that, mister. Without knowing me, he told me somethin’ that no one had ever told me before, least of all myself.”
‘How is it that you think there’s no room for your ugly broken parts when you accept mine so easily and unconditionally?’Finn’s words slammed into him, blending with Loreen’s, the truth of them finally settling in his bones.
“So yes, eleven years, come May. That’s how long I’ve been married to my Chet.”
Eleven years.Hank couldn’t help but wonder where he and Finn would be in eleven years. If they would even be together by then. Deciding to meet Loreen’s openness with vulnerability in return, Hank said, “I don’t even know if he’ll want me back.”
“Now, why you say that, mister? Of course he will. It’s not like you did anythin’ wrong, did ya now?”
“More like somethin’ I didn’t do.”
“What, honey?” she coaxed, placing her hand on her broad hip.
“I never told him how I felt about him.Feelabout him. I let him leave without lettin’ him know.”
“Oh, he knows. I’m sure he does.”
“Yeah, I ain’t so sure about that.”
“It’s like my Ghanaian nana used to say. ‘The best way to cut an elephant in your path is to cut him up into little pieces.’”
“What now?” Hank shook his head, the words of wisdom coming from Loreen’s mouth getting increasingly incredulous.
“It means the best way to solve a problem is to take it bit by bit. First, you get there. Then, when you stand in front of him—yourFinn—you’ll know what to say to win him back. If you do, in fact, need to win him back.” She rubbed at her left cheek, talking more to herself than to Hank. “Somethin’ tells me he’s already yours.”
“So, what you’re sayin’ is that I should cut up an elephant?” Hank laughed as he rose from the booth, pulling a few bills from his pants pocket. Loreen laughed too, as she reached to put his coffee cup on top of his empty plate. Counting out the bills, he added a generous tip and placed the stack of bills in the middle of the table. He guessed advice like the one he’d just gotten handed to him was worth an extra-large tip.
Maneuvering himself out of the booth, he came to stand in front of Loreen. Tipping his well-loved cap, he smiled, suddenly feeling emotional as if he were bidding an old friend goodbye. Then he cleared his throat.
“Mighty nice meetin’ ya, Ms. Loreen. An honor, in fact,” he added. “Thank you for… you know…” he murmured.
“Nice meetin’ you too, honey,” she cooed. Then he turned, heading for the door. He’d just stepped his right foot outside on the sidewalk, feeling the sun on his face, when Loreen called out after him. “And don’t forget now! Keep walkin’ past theopen windows, Hank!” Without turning, he nodded, as he took another step out into the bright mid-morning light, closing the door softly behind him.
Chapter Forty
Finn
