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“Come in, Mom,” Lily said. “I’m always sorry after these confrontations because I know he takes it out on you.”
“I’m tough,” she said. “Rolls right off my back.”
“Mom, I’m not tough, and it doesn’t roll off mine. I’m so over this. If Jason would have me, I’d move right now. If I knew it wouldn’t ruin your Christmas, I’d pack up my car and go.”
“Dear, you can go. Christmas is already ruined as far as I’m concerned and not because of you. I want you to be happy with the man of your choice. To have you get married someday and have babies, that’s my dream.”
The wheels in Lily’s head turned, excitement building. Her mother was in favor of her moving in with a man she’d been seeing for three days. It seemed common sense was lacking in the females of the Fairchild household.
“I’ll text Jason and see if he’s in favor of it.”
She got out her phone. My mother said it was okay with her if I moved out now. Is that okay with you?
Back at his family’s house, everyone was there, recovering from too-much-food syndrome. John had passed out in his recliner, with the grandchildren running around, screaming. Maria and her husband and Ted and Jason sat at the round table in the breakfast room while Poppy hovered behind their chairs, getting coffee for Jason, Ted and Scott, tea for Maria and her. And unable to help herself, she put a white cardboard bakery box of baklava on the table with a stack of small plates and forks.
“Mom, are you crazy?” Maria asked, opening the box. “Scott, you don’t care if I get fat, do you?”
“Ah, yes, as a matter of fact I do. You won’t strip for me if you gain weight.”
“Really? In front of my mother? What a jerk.”
They laughed, all but Jason getting pastry. “Jason, as usual, will put us all to shame.”
“If I eat another bite, I’ll barf,” he said. “It has nothing to do with self-control.”
His phone beeped, and he got it out, reading the text. “Lily is moving in with me.”
“Jeez, that was kind of fast,” Maria said.
“I’m in love with her,” Jason replied. “Why wait?”
“I can’t believe Herbert Fairchild is allowing it,” Poppy said, flaring her nostrils.
“I don’t think he is,” Jason said. “Her mother is okay with it.”
He texted back, I’m down at my folks’. Shall I come back and help you load up?”
She answered, No, it’s probably better if you stay clear for now. I’ll leave here in about an hour if that’s okay.
Texting back that it was fine, he’d leave for home in a few minutes.
“She’s a lovely girl,” Maria said. “I graduated with her.”
“I forgot about that,” Jason said.
“I knew of her,” Ted said. “She had some pretty unflattering nicknames.”
“She was bullied,” Maria said. “Me and some of the other girls on the lacrosse team came to her defense more than once.”
Hearing about this ancient news upset Jason, and he didn’t comment, hoping they’d stop their stroll down memory lane.
“What did Lily say about church?” Poppy asked, changing the subject.
“We haven’t had a chance to talk about it yet. She was stunned that people fast for forty days, though.”
“I guess she could tell when we were at Gus’s that we don’t fast,” Ted said, chuckling.
“Speak for yourself. I haven’t had a glass of wine in over a month,” Maria said.
