The Sunshine Potluck Society

Chapter 5

Debbie Holmes liked to sit and listen to the conversation going on around her. It wasn’t that she was quiet. She was a chatterbox most of the time. But when she was with her Potluck Society friends, she could enjoy taking in their banter while she ate. It gave her time to reflect. And there were things on her mind. Things she needed to think through. After their meal, Emily had left the table to go to her room, and Aaron was in the den watching TV. It was only the three of them, and she relished these moments.

“You’re deep in thought,” Joanna said.

“Am I?” Debbie asked.

Gwen smiled. “I’m usually the quiet one.”

Joanna nodded. “You’re right, although I miss you when you’re not around, Gwen. I had to watch the finals of Australian Idol without you. It wasn’t the same. Emily was out for dinner with her family, so I was here all alone. It’s fun to cheer for people when you’re with friends, but it’s just plain kooky to do it when you’re in an empty house.”

“Who won?” Debbie asked.

“It was that girl with all the curls. I can’t remember her name.”

“Oh, good,” Gwen added. “I wanted her to win. Sorry I couldn’t be here. I’ve been so busy lately.”

“Completely understandable.”

Joanna didn’t get out of the house much. Ever since the incident with the restaurant, she’d become more and more of a recluse. Gwen worried about her. She needed to try to get Joanna to venture out more often, or one day she’d simply stop trying. She could see it happening in front of her eyes but wasn’t sure what to do about it.

“How are things with Caleb?” Gwen asked Debbie. “It’s a shame he couldn’t make it today. Please tell him hello from me.”

Debbie set her cocktail back on the table and leaned forward. “I’ll tell him, thanks. But I don’t know that he’ll hear me.”

“What do you mean?” Joanna asked.

Debbie smoothed her glossy grey bob with one hand. “He doesn’t seem to listen these days. Every time I speak to him, all I get in response is a grunt or nothing at all. He’s so focused on his phone or the television. He works all the time. I feel like we’re drifting apart, but the more I try to get his attention and pull us back together, the worse it becomes. It’s like being a teenager the popular boy doesn’t notice all over again. I never thought I’d be back here.”

In high school, Debbie had been tall and skinny with knobby knees. She hadn’t gotten much attention from boys. But as soon as she graduated college, things had changed. She dressed in glamorous outfits and got her hair done at the salon. She had her nails painted and always wore perfectly applied makeup. And she’d managed to attract the attention of the very dapper and extremely successful Caleb Holmes. Caleb came from a wealthy family and was a barrister, like Debbie. When she’d started her own small firm, he’d taken on a role as partner in his family’s prestigious corporate law firm. They’d both prioritised their careers, and both had done very well.

They’d fallen in love hard and fast when she was twenty-seven and he was twenty-nine years old. His family had approved of the match. Her family loved him like a son. It was the perfect relationship. They enjoyed the same things, skiing and rock climbing, photography and playing the stock market. And neither one of them had much of an interest in children. They seemed like the perfect match.

But then it turned out that they never had time for skiing or rock climbing. Even though Debbie still loved photography, Caleb had lost interest. And instead of spending time together, he’d taken up golf, something Debbie hated. She was far too uncoordinated to hit straight down the green, and they always ended up in a terrible mood when she played.

“Is that normal?” Debbie asked. “Do you think it’s how marriage goes? Are my expectations too high?”

“I think it can be normal,” Gwen replied.

“But it doesn’t have to be,” Joanna said. “Ron and I were always close. But we worked hard at it. It doesn’t happen without some effort. We had to choose to spend time together and love each other every day.”

“I don’t know what to do,” Debbie said, feeling even more hopeless. “I’ve tried to get his attention—I’ve suggested outings together. I sent him an article about regular date nights. I’ve invited him to this brunch every month. But nothing seems to help.”

“It’s hard to keep the intimacy going in a marriage. Especially when you’re busy. You’ve got the business; he has his family’s firm. There’s a lot going on,” Gwen said in a soothing tone. “Don’t be too hard on each other.”

“I’m trying not to be. But I’m worried,” Debbie replied. “What if he doesn’t want to fix this gap between us? Is this it? This is how my life and my marriage will be from now on?” The thought made her throat tight.

“I wish I had the answer,” Gwen replied with a frown. “I don’t know how to get Duncan’s attention either. And he always takes me for granted. I’m sure I’ve done it to myself. I’ve tried so hard to be the perfect homemaker and mother, that it’s all the family expects of me. I have to discover Duncan’s stinky gym clothes in his bag, since he never actually puts them in the hamper. Usually they’re in the back of his car or shoved under the side of the bed.”

“Really?” Joanna asked and rolled her eyes.

Gwen sighed. “Yesterday, I went looking for them and found the bag. It had his business shirt and pants in it, instead of the usual dirty workout gear, which was strange. He generally showers and changes at the gym. So, I sniffed them to see if they were dirty—maybe he’d forgotten to take his regular gym clothes. They smelled like a perfume of some kind, but not one I own.” She paused and looked up, her eyes red-rimmed. “That’s bad, isn’t it?”

Debbie’s heart ached for her friend. “It might be nothing, honey. Don’t read too much into it.”

“She’s right,” Joanna agreed. “Give him a chance to explain. Maybe they were handing out samples at the mall. Or perhaps he hugged a coworker.”

“I guess you’re right. I shouldn’t jump to conclusions,” Gwen replied.

But the atmosphere had changed. They were all thinking it. Was Duncan having an affair? After all these years together, decades of her raising their four children, now caring for their grandchildren, helping build his business and their dream home. Would he do that to Gwen?