Carrington Kitchen
Searcy, Arkansas
November 27, 2023
“Well, there you go. That is the story of how I ended up married to Tommy. It’s a doozy, isn’t it,” said Poppy with a self-deprecating laugh.
“It is beyond a doozy. And you were just nineteen. You were still nineteen when you delivered, right? Just a baby having a baby,” replied Harvey Cox, who had already begun to pack up his things. “This is a good place to take a break in your story. You said earlier that you need to pick up your girls after school. Would it be okay if I came back tomorrow and we picked it up then?”
Nodding, Poppy walked Harvey to the front door and said, “Yes, that is fine. It takes a long time to retell a love affair over twenty years in the making. Sometimes, I can’t believe it has been so long.”
Waving as he headed to his car, Harvey said, “If the next twenty are as crazy as the first year, this is going to be quite the article.”
Closing the door, Poppy thought to herself, “You have no idea.”
Carrington House
Searcy, Arkansas
November 28, 2023
The next day, as Poppy waited for Harvey to arrive, she sat outside on the heated patio. It still amazed Poppy that rich people did things like heat their patios. She now had made a nice following as an artist and was financially set in her own right, but she would never think of herself as a “rich person.” In her mind, she would always be the maid’s granddaughter. One of her fears about sharing this story was that it would also be how the public would see her. She would forever be the help’s granddaughter who trapped the rich guy.
Poppy was still thinking about this when Harvey Cox showed up with a steaming cup of coffee from Midnight Oil for her and a large soda from Sonic for him. When he came in, he handed Poppy hers and said, “Two creams and two sweeteners? Right?”
Taking the cup, Poppy said, “Perfect. How did you remember that?”
“It is my job to notice things like that,” he said with a smile. “So, where do you want to do this today?”
Walking into the living room, Poppy sat on one sofa and gestured for Harvey to sit on the one across from her. “I thought we would start in here today.”
Setting up his recorder and getting out his notepad and pen, Harvey settled in and got ready to get to work. “Okay, when you left off yesterday, you told me about how you ended up married to Tommy Thompson and were preparing to have your son.”
“Yes, what do you want to know next?”
“Well, when did you see Bennett again?”
“Oh, not until the winter of 2011. He came to see me to ask me to do a fundraiser for the Searcy hospital like the one I did for a hospital in Gulf Shores,” replied Poppy.
“What was your life like between the time you married Tommy and saw Bennett again?” asked Harvey.
“Oh wow, it was hectic. Ben was born on April Fool’s Day, 2001. Thanks to Tommy and Jack, I was able to finish school and even get my master’s degree. I took a position teaching at the Art Institute.”
“Let me interrupt you, just a second. Ben mentioned Jack as well. What was his full name, and how did he come into your life?” asked Harvey.
“Jack Masters was the love of Tommy’s life. Well, him and Ben,” replied Poppy.
“Do you know that your voice always softens when you talk about Tommy? You were married for over seven years. Were the two of you ever a real couple?”
Poppy could not hold back the bark of laughter that erupted from her at the question. “Lord, no. It was never like that between us. But I don’t know what I would have done without him. He changed the trajectory of my life. He was like my brother. My very gay brother. He met Jack a few months after we got married. They met at one of Tommy’s gallery shows. He came home with him and never left. The delivery room was a little crowded the day Ben was born, as all three of us did it together. I would never have made it without them.”
“Okay, I got it. Sounds like you had a wonderful support team in them. That had to be a hard time for you. Did you ever have a moment where you thought you should contact Bennett and tell him he had a son?”
“Of course, I was lonely and missing Bennett. The worst was when Gran told me that Bennett and Taylor had married. I found out a few weeks before Ben was born. Truthfully, if I had not knownthey were married, I would have broken and called him the day Ben was born and begged him to come to us. But they had. Plus, I had promised Tommy he would be Ben’s dad. I had to honor that promise. In the end, Ben got two great dads.
“Our life in New York settled into a comfortable routine. Tommy’s health began to decline in 2005. He continued to paint and had his last show in the spring of that year. Jack quit his job to take care of Tommy and Ben full time. By this time, Tommy’s paintings were selling for a ridiculous amount of money and I continued to teach at the Institute. By early 2007, Tommy was put on hospice. He passed away in Jack’s arms in February of that year. I finally understood how Bennett must have felt when Tatum died. It took me a long time to come to peace with being unable to pick up the phone and call him. I can still hear his voice in my head. He was such a loving, giving, kind man. I miss him every day of my life. Poor Jack; if not for Ben, I think he would have had a nervous breakdown. That was why I was so happy when he met Jorge. The light came back in his eyes. I selfishly hated that he moved to Napa, but honestly, I am so happy they found each other. It made sending Ben to school out there so much easier.”
“When did Jack marry and move?” asked Harvey.
