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“What? But, I don’t understand.”
She told her mother about Buttercup being trapped in a drawer, and how she’d found the letter by accident.
“Why would she hide it?” Momma asked.
If Mimi knew the answer to that, she probably wouldn’t be here. She filled her in on Zeke’s theory about Adam.
Momma’s blue eyes got a knowing look in them that Mimi instantly recognized. “And before you say anything, she’s not pregnant. She’s not me, Momma.”
“You’re sure about that? About the pregnancy, I mean?”
“I haven’t actually confronted her about any of this yet. That’s why I came to you. For advice.”
“You came to me. For advice about Claire?” Momma cleared her throat. “I see.” She took a sip of her iced tea then gingerly laid it down on the side table. “Would you care for some?” she asked, pointing to the tea. It was a stall tactic. Mimi must have really thrown her a curveball. In all her years of being married, she’d never once gone to her mother for anything really, let alone advice.
Mimi shook her head. “No thanks, I’m good.”
Momma seemed to pick her words carefully. “First off, I have to ask you, why haven’t you spoken to Claire about this already?”
“Because then she’ll know I was snooping in her room!”
“Snooping? I thought you just said you were trying to get the cat to come out.”
“Of course that’s what I was doing. But she’ll see it as spying on her.”
“You’ll just have to live with that. It’s your home. You were only trying to help the cat that she insisted you get her. You innocently came across this letter, and I for one, am proud of you for opening it.”
“Boy, I could use you in the mayor’s office. The way you spin things, Momma.”
“Mary Margaret, did you really think I didn’t know you were pregnant before we went shopping for your graduation dress?”
It was a good thing Mimi had declined that iced tea or she’d be choking on a slice of lemon right now. In eighteen years they’d never spoken about it. Why was she bringing it up now? “You knew before that day that I was pregnant? Why didn’t you say something?”
“Let’s say, I knew intellectually. You never had nice monthlies. You always used to complain about those cramps. And you think I didn’t notice that you had the same box of tampons in your bathroom for over five months? Plus the morning sickness! I’m no idiot. But, emotionally, I didn’t want to believe it. That’s why I insisted on coming with you in that dressing room. I had to see with my own two eyes. And afterward, all I could do was kick myself for not confronting you sooner.”
“I would have never gotten rid of my baby, Momma.”
“And I would never have asked you to. But all those months you hid that baby…you suffered alone. Worrying about what you would do. Don’t you think I haven’t thought about that? Ev
en now, I can’t help feeling that I let you down all those years ago. That sometimes…I’m still letting you down.”
“You think you let me down?” This was incredulous. “I’m the one who let you down! I didn’t go to Duke or join a sorority or do any of the things you wanted me to do. I was a teenage mother with a high school education! That’s not what you and Daddy wanted for me, and believe me, I knew it.”
“But you did go to college, didn’t you? And you raised a beautiful daughter and a sweet young son. And now you’re mayor of this town! And Zeke. Well, I don’t mind admitting I was dead wrong about him. All my friends who still have unmarried daughters would kill for a son-in-law like Zeke Grant. He’s hard working and he loves you and those kids more than anything.” Her blue eyes sharpened. “And don’t think I don’t see the way you still look at him after all these years. Makes me want to fan myself sometimes.”
Mimi felt her cheeks heat up. Her mother made her sound like some lovesick gazelle.
“What you have is a once in a lifetime love, Mary. Don’t throw that away.”
“Is that why you’re so keen on Zeke all of a sudden? Because you don’t want to see me fail?”
“If I seem overly keen on Zeke, it’s because I realize that if I don’t make you see what’s right under your nose, then as your momma, I’ve failed you again. All any mother wants is to see her children happy. And if that means that sometimes you have to take the low road, then so be it. I’m sure confronting Claire about this letter will put a temporary strain on your relationship. But you’re not her friend, Mary, at least, not right now you’re not. You’re her mother. Get to the bottom of that letter. Find out what’s really going on. Then help her fix it, because like it or not, that’s your job. And it’s the most difficult, but important one you’ll ever have.”
*~*~*
All Mimi could think about for the next few days was Momma’s advice. Deep down, she knew her mother was right. She needed to confront Claire. She also needed for Zeke to come to his senses about his father, and for the florist to stop calling her with complaints about the church hall. But mostly, right at this very second, she needed to talk to Doug.
He’d been to a city managers’ conference down in Miami all last week and this morning he’d been out of the office. They were a week away from the Spring Into Summer festival and she needed to make sure she got the check to pay the final retainer to Fatback Bubba and his band.
