“It’s fine,” Cynthia said, gazing up at him. “It was your house without me for a long time.”
“She always wanted to take art classes, but then her mom got sick,” David said to Jason. “And like she always did, she put everyone else’s well-being over her own.”
He said it to Jason because he thought her daughter already knew that information, Mauve realized. Which she didn’t. What kind of daughter was she? She had to do better.
“There was no one else to take care of her. It was my job.” Cynthia looked over at Jason. “I was an only child. She was brilliant, by the way. A great artist too.”
“Was she okay?” Jason asked. “Your mom?”
“For years, yes. She was in remission for a long time and then it came back. Then remission again and then it came back one last time. She was too young.” Cynthia raised her gaze. “I started thinking about her a lot in the last few years of my marriage. She died when she was only sixty-five. That’s only a decade away for me. I didn’t want to spend whatever time I have left with a man who made me cry.”
“Oh, Mom, I’m sorry.” Mauve reached across the table to squeeze her mother’s hand.
“It wasn’t your fault, sweetheart. You and Millie made everything worth it.”
“And now, she’s next to me, where I believe she belongs,” David said. “At long last. I should never have let her go in the first place. I have no intention of doing so again.”
Cynthia raised her left hand. “So he put a ring on it.”
Mauve had not noticed it until then. “How pretty. When’s the wedding?”
“That’s something we wanted to talk to you about,” Cynthia said. “Would you be able to come over for it? We just want something small at our new church.”
“Of course we can come,” Jason blurted out. “How could we miss it?”
Mauve’s chest tightened. “You’ll be in Prague in February.” She turned back to her mother. “He’s filming a movie there after the holidays.”
“There are planes,” Jason said. “I can arrange a few days off to take you to your mother’s wedding.”
He said it so casually, as if it were as simple as that. Was it? Was she the one making everything too complicated by not just agreeing to the unpredictability of a life with Jason? It wasn’t selfish. It was preservation. And she was just about as sick to death of herself as she’d ever been. Seriously, what was she doing? She could finish out the school year in Sugarville Grove and then give up her job. Move to L.A. Leave Reese and this town she loved.
But it was worth it. She couldn’t let him go like David and her mother had all those years ago.
She laid the side of her head against Jason’s shoulder. “That’s right. There are planes.”
Jason twisted slightly to look at her. “Yeah?”
She smiled, nodding. “Yeah. There are planes. And I’ll need a date.”
“All right, great. It’s decided then,” David said. “How’s Valentine’s Day for you kids?”
“I’ll shoot a note to my agent tonight and have him arrange it with the director,” Jason said.
Cynthia beamed. “It will be very special to have you both there.”
How long was the flight from Prague, she wondered? Maybe it didn’t matter. Jason said he would be there, and he was not the type to change his mind or flake out on her.That was the truth,she said to herself.You ninny. Stop being afraid—and get it together—or you’re about to lose the best thing that ever happened to you.
15
JASON
The night of the children’s choir performances the church was alight with excitement and all decorated for Christmas. Poinsettias had been arranged in two rows along the altar steps, and an advent wreath hung from a wrought-iron stand at the front of the chancel, four of its five candles already burning. Fresh garlands had been wrapped around the pulpit, casting their unmistakable Christmas piney scent. No one could smell that and not believe that God had indeed made the world a beautiful place.
Jason and Mauve had come forty minutes early so they could get a seat in the front row. Jason had attended this church when he was a child. He had many fond memories of Sunday school and church potlucks. He never grew tired of the beautiful stained glass window depicting Jesus as the Good Shepherd carrying a lamb across his shoulders. The side windows along the nave were smaller and simpler, with a dove descending in pale blue and white, a cross wrapped in grapevines, and Mary holding the infant Jesus. To him, it was the perfect country church, with its white steeple and red doors. A perfect place for a wedding.
He pushed that thought aside before he got carried away to fantasy land. He had to get her to say yes first.
While they waited, Jason and Mauve talked quietly, heads together, reassuring the other that Ollie would be just fine.
