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Her mother added an extra stage to her own grief, which was self-pity and remained stuck there to that day. Her mother moved to Long Island at the same time her daughter did and lived only a few miles away. Vera proposed to Sophie that they buy a house together, but she wriggled out of the idea.
Sophie threw her swimsuit in a bag and headed for the gym. She wasn’t in her EV long when her phone chimed. It was Vera.
“Hi, Mom. What’s up?” Sophie asked.
“You sound rushed, and nothing’s up. Do I need a reason to call my only child?” Vera said.
"No, but I spoke with you earlier this morning, and I said I would drop by tomorrow afternoon. Not a whole lot has happened since then.” Sophie lied because Roger was getting married, and Malcolm had arrived. “Has something happened in your life since then?”
“I’m thinking of changing the dog food I give Will. What do you think?” Vera asked.
Sophie cringed every time her mother said the dog’s name. Her father was called Bill, and his name was William. After his death, Vera got a toy poodle and named it Will. She imagined her father had a good laugh in the afterlife about that one.
“Sure, Mom. I would go for it since you only live once,” Sophie said.
“You’re patronizing me. I can’t help it that your father died, and I’m all alone. Will is all I have, and his dog food matters,” Vera said in a shaky voice.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to take it lightly. We can discuss it tomorrow afternoon. We’ll weigh the pros and cons like Daddy used to do before he made any decision. Deciding with your heart was something he never advised. He insisted we look at problems or choices analytically,” Sophie said.
“I hated that when we were doing something like deciding on which brand of cereal to buy at the grocery store. It made sense if we were purchasing a car, but my goodness. Thanks for digging up the memory,” Vera said with a chuckle.
“I know you miss him, and I do, too. He’d want you to enjoy your life instead of being in a constant state of mourning. I love you, and I’ll see you tomorrow before I go to work,” Sophie said as she pulled away from the curb.
2
Sophie’s hair was still damp from swimming laps at the community center when she showed up for work at the wine bar. She had chopped her hair short after her divorce and swore she’d never do that again. It had grown long enough to wear in a ponytail, so Sophie pulled it back. Clive’s Wine Bar was cave-like, and she was asked to wear all black, so she felt like a vampire.
Business was good enough to remain open, which wasn’t the case for a lot of establishments post-pandemic. It helped that the restaurant was on the same block didn’t take reservations and there was always a wait. Patrons would come to Clive’s for a glass of wine and a plate of olives before dinner. Many of them would come back another time, and that way, Clive’s was able to build its customer base.
Like her son, she was overqualified for the work she did. Sophie had a degree in education with a minor in English literature from SUNY Albany. She had used the degree to amass a great library in the brownstone, and now the books were in storage. Sophie had planned to make the third bedroom a library, but Malcolm would make better use of it.
“Ma’am. Surprise us with something crisp from the Pacific Northwest.”
“I have a Jermann Pinot Grigio that you might like. Do you want a full or half glass?” Sophie asked.
“A half is good.”
Sophie poured a full glass as she was distracted by the man who sat at the end of the bar. The customer said something, but she was walking down the bar by then.
“Roger, what are you doing here? Don’t tell me you were in the neighborhood,” Sophie said. She would have grabbed a big cabernet to sample but assumed he was driving.
“I’m here for a couple of reasons. First, I should tell you that Cindy and I are engaged,” Roger said. His slicked-back, black hair was peppered with less and less gray each time she saw him. He was obviously trying to look younger for his bride. Roger was doing it gradually, but Sophie knew what he was up to.
“I heard from our son this morning. How wonderful for you both,” Sophie said with no emotion.
"Sorry, you had to hear it secondhand. I've never had an ex-wife before, and I was told by a coworker that it was something I should tell you myself. I’m late, and I feel like a clod,” Roger said.
“No worries. As you can see, I’m living the dream out here on Long Island. I hear a three-week honeymoon is planned,” Sophie said.
“Malcolm told you all the details. Did he include our itinerary?” he asked.
“No, but please fill me in,” Sophie said. She wished he would but knew he couldn’t resist.
“It’s nothing too exotic. We’re hitting London, Paris, Madrid, and then we’re going to be in Tuscany to chill before coming home. If we had longer, we’d do a deep dive, but hitting the capitals will have to do.”
Sophie smiled. “Sounds great. You said there were a couple of things you wanted to discuss. What else?”
“Being gone for three weeks means we have to find someone to take care of Lindsey. I was hoping that someone would be you.”
