“Look, Milly.” He softened a little. “I’m sorry about all of this. You’re doing a good job. You’re a great mother. Beverly’s having one of her Sunday socials, and she’s insisting I be there. I’m sorry.” Then he got in the car. “So, I’ll see you the following weekend then, if you’ve got our house rented out.”
“Not our house, just the guest cottage!” Milly cried as he started the engine.
“It’s the same thing,” he shrugged. “I’ve left you money on my desk, should you need extra,” he said before driving off.
Milly stood for a second, watching the dust rise up behind his car. “But it’s Easter,” she said in a whisper as she realized her plan had backfired yet again. “Next weekend is Easter.”
“Good Lord,” Milly said as she turned the corner of her street onto South Bay Front and saw all the people gathered on Sylvia’s front yard.
“What, Mommy?” Debbie asked, looking up at her.
“It’s so elaborate. I thought Sylvia said she was only inviting a few families.”
The barbecue was set up surrounded by picnic tables dressed with Sylvia’s favorite red-and-white-checkered tablecloths. There was an entire children’s section where kids were playing on the sand, while the adults kept an eye on them from the expansive front yard. The Johnsons’ small rowboat was moored at the water’s edge. A swimming platform had a slide into the water, and the young lifeguard from the club was standing by. Plastic buckets filled with pretzels, cheese puffs, and chips had mini shovels to be used as scoops, and a tray of watermelon triangles on Popsicle sticks were all arranged beautifully on a snack table, ready to be devoured.
“Suzanna’s here!” Debbie screamed with delight as she saw her friend from school and tried to pull away.
“Wait,” Milly said. “First we say hello to the hosts and we thank them for inviting us, and then you may play with your friend, but only if you take Jack with you.”
Debbie groaned.
“Or you can stay by my side the whole evening.”
“Fine,” Debbie said.
“I want to stay with you, Mommy,” Jack said.
“Mommy has to talk to the grown-ups,” Milly said, dreading the very idea of it.
As they walked through the party, all Milly could see was couple after couple after couple. She felt naked without Lloyd by her side, as if she had a spotlight on her as she entered the party single with a child attached to each hand. She stayed on the periphery, hoping not to draw attention to herself, glancing around only to locate Sylvia. She heard her laugh first, then saw her and Walter holding court with four other couples near the outdoor bar. My God, she thought, they really did haveit all. Sylvia looked so at ease and fabulous in a full navy skirt with a white-and-blue-striped boatneck top that just grazed her shoulders—dressy enough for the hostess, casual enough for a backyard gathering.
Maybe she should take Debbie and Jack to find the other children first, Milly thought, but then she’d have to reenter the adult side of the party completely alone, and that would be more glaring. She paused for a second thinking that this was a mistake; maybe she shouldn’t have come at all.
“Mommy,” Debbie said loudly. “I want to see Suzanna!”
Sylvia looked up and waved them over.
“Milly, darling, where’s Lloyd?”
Of course, it was the very first thing she asked.
“He had to work,” she said.
“Work? On a Sunday?” Sylvia said.
“He must be a pretty important guy if they drag him in on a Sunday,” Walter said.
“He is,” was all Milly could think to say. Then she quickly added. “He was so disappointed, though; he really wanted to come.”
Sylvia looked confused and kept her eyes on Milly as if about to question her further, but Milly turned away and smiled at a few women gathered nearby whom she’d met at the club. Debbie pulled at her mother’s sleeve, and Milly nudged her toward Sylvia.
“Thank you for having us, Mrs. Johnson,” Debbie said, then she actually curtsied as if she were meeting royalty, not a neighbor throwing a backyard barbecue.
Jack followed suit. “Thank you,” he said, then he also curtsied, further convincing Milly that he needed his father around.
“They’re adorable,” Sylvia said. “Just the cutest little things. My Judith is around here somewhere.” Sylvia looked down toward the beach where some of the children were. “Or she might still be in her room getting ready, but I’m sure she’ll watch your two and give you a break. You deserve it. You’re doing all the hard work bringing these two without Lloyd to help.”
“Oh, that’s sweet. I’m sure they’d love that,” Milly said. When the kids ran off hand in hand, Milly stood there feeling idle. No children to fuss over, no husband to hang on to, just her, exposed, likely the only guest alone at the party. She saw people walking past her with tropical-looking cocktails and pink umbrellas poked into floating pineapple. One of those would give her something to do with her hands, and the alcohol might help her relax.
