Page 90 of Midlife Crisis

Family always says they’re sorry

[Midge]

A few weeks pass, and Hank and I are in a much better place. He spends a lot of his free time at my house; what free time we have. Between baseball games and a spring concert, along with Hank’s crisis center hours and my search for jobs, we’re swarmed by life. We talk again about the money, and I tell Hank how I am happy to work as a marketing consultant for a while as I learn more about the possibility of going on my own. Thankfully, he lets the subject drop.

Mother’s Day weekend, we have plans. Gage invites Hank and me, plus Edie and Tommy to join him on Saturday for something special as Sunday is the official day for mothers. We receive no other instructions—just join him at their home. We are to dress casual, and when we arrive at their oceanside home, I’m dumbstruck. It’s gorgeous with a first-floor wall of glass overlooking the water. It’s breathtaking in grays and whites, and comfortable in a way I wouldn’t expect the rich and famous to live, especially in comparison to my rare visits to Kit’s sterile home. I check my emotions at the door when I visit Lawson with Hank. He needs me, and he reminds me often.

After a quick tour of the house, Gage ushers us to their family SUV. The kids aren’t coming with us today, he says, as six adults climb into the large passenger vehicle. We travel west, curving through the hills, and at first, I think we might be heading to Kit’s home. Dread fills me. The house is a mausoleum to the dead, and the stark whiteness remains cold and unfeeling. Yet after a few more twists in the road, we pull up to a gated home, complete with an iron gate and stucco fence. Gage presses in a code, and we slip down the drive to eventually park before a sprawling home.

At first glance, it appears as if two homes have been attached, but the streamlined architecture enhances the overall beauty of the structure. One side is single level. A set of double doors is surrounded by glass panels on either side marking the main entrance to the home. This foyer connects the other side of the house, standing two stories tall. The Spanish terra cotta roof tiles gleam in the spring sunshine as the white stucco house welcomes us like a vacation villa.

As we sit in the car a moment, I notice Gage watching Ivy instead of admiring the house.

“What do you think?” he asks.

“It’s lovely.” She sighs, expressing my thoughts exactly. The landscaping softens the brick in a variety of greens with something in hot pink blooming on a vine along the front wall. Gage smiles and presses open his door. He touches Ivy’s arm, suggesting she wait, and the rest of us climb out of the SUV. Standing in a semi-circle on the drive, Gage helps his wife from the vehicle and then puts his arm around her.

“Welcome home, gorgeous.”

Edie’s breath hitches, and my mouth falls open. Ivy blinks up at her husband.

“Happy Mother’s Day, little mama.” He reaches for her stunned cheeks and drags her for a powerful kiss. I look away from the private moment. He bought his wife a freaking house for Mother’s Day! It’s too intimate to witness. I peek up at Hank, whose smile beams.

“You know something about this?” He nods sheepishly, the grin grows. Tommy chuckles, and I turn to him. His arm wraps around Edie from the back. He kisses her neck before glancing up at the house.

“What do you think, baby girl?” Tommy addresses Ivy who stands still in shock.

“You bought me a house?” she says softly, but we stand close enough to hear. I’m thinking we should give them some privacy, but Gage’s slow curling lips tell me he’s pulled off something big.

“The house is yours, yes, but it’s for all of us. Ava, Emaline, Granger…” He pauses, slipping his hands to her wrists. “And Lawson.”

Tears spring to my eyes. Edie’s already dabbing at hers.

“What?” Ivy whispers, still too stunned to move.

“Tommy and I agreed your mom’s house is too cold and needs too many improvements to make it a home for us. Plus, I don’t think it would be good for us to move in there. I wanted something for us. Ours. It was fucking hard to find a place big enough with all the specifications and handicap accessibility we need, but I did it.” He waves out a hand at the house. He turns back to his wife, whose eyes haven’t left his face. “All those phone calls. Appointments. They were about this.”

“You weren’t having an affair?” My heart breaks at the hesitation in her voice, yet a hint of relief fills her expression.

“Baby, we already talked about this. No. Definitely not.” Gage’s voice softens as he tries to reassure his wife. Tears fill her eyes and slowly leak down her cheeks. Tommy’s soft chuckle next to me adds to the tender moment.

“Princess, he can give you phone records and calendar appointment sheets if you wish, but I can corroborate his story. I went on too many of these damn home showings to say he had time for anything else.”

“I’m so sorry,” Ivy says to her husband, tears falling harder as she covers her face in shame.

“Ivy, gorgeous, I wouldn’t want anyone else,” Gage snaps, cupping his wife’s face again. “I love you. I love us. I’d be fucking out of my mind to cheat. I’m sorry I made you worry. I just wanted to surprise you.” He kisses her forehead.

“You bought me a house?” Ivy repeats, robotically, looking up at him. A weak smile graces her beautiful face.

“You wanted Lawson out of that house. You wanted to spend more time with him, include him in the family, so I found this. He can have his own wing where we can join him but still have our space. There’s a pool and a therapy tub for him. It’s amazing.” Gage’s excitement grows as the color returns to his wife’s face. She launches at him, and they kiss like a porn movie is being filmed in their new driveway. Her legs wrap around Gage’s hips, and his hands bury in her hair. As witnesses to this borderline pornographic scene, the rest of us laugh nervously until Tommy snaps, “Gage.”

“Care,” Gage retorts, but his tone is all tease as he holds his wife on his hips.

“So…” Ivy drags. “Show me everything.” Gage doesn’t release his wife until we reach the door. Inside, I try to keep my jaw up as I take in the lavish space and open concept. The kitchen is something from a home décor magazine, and as we admire appliances, Gage pulls his wife toward the grand staircase for this half of the house. Tommy continues the tour to the other side of the home, guiding us through a private living space, smaller kitchen, and Lawson’s new bedroom. Two more rooms finish the hallway.

“This is for the various nurses…” Tommy points at an open door, displaying a light yellow room with a double bed covered by a daisy print duvet. He stops at the end of the hall and waves us forward. I step in a masculine looking room of light gray with dark brown furniture. A king-size bed takes up most of the space, but it’s a comfortable room with sunlight streaming through the double-pane window. “And this last one is for you.” Tommy nods at Hank, and I look up at my flabbergasted boyfriend.

“What?” Hank chokes, swallowing what I can only assume is a lump in his throat. I have one as well. This is an amazing gesture.