The Sunshine Potluck Society

Chapter 24

Gwen sat with her foot propped up on the ottoman in front of her favourite leather armchair. She had a cup of cappuccino perched next to her. She tapped on the keyboard of her laptop as she wrote up the VIP guest list for the Surf Club fundraiser. Then she took a sip of coffee.

Duncan had stayed home from work for the first time in as long as she could remember to help out around the house. It was a miracle. He’d actually heard what she said, even though he’d argued against her. At that moment, he was in the kitchen washing the dishes. She could hear the clink and clank of pans as he set them in the dishwasher. She resisted the urge to check that he was doing it right. That would only infuriate him. And it didn’t matter. He’d have to figure it out.

She still hadn’t addressed the topic of the perfume on his shirt. And the more she thought about it, the more she realised she had to do it. It was lingering in the back of her mind all the time, and until she brought it into the open, it would stay there, festering like an open wound.

Duncan strode into the living room, her frilly apron tied around his thick waist. He waved her rolling pin in the air. “Does this go in the dishwasher, love?”

She nodded. “That’s fine. Hey, Duncan, can I have a word?”

“Let me put this away. I’ll be right with you.”

He disappeared back into the kitchen, then re-emerged without the rolling pin or the apron. He sat on the ottoman beside her boot.

“What’s up, buttercup?”

She bit down on her lip. How should she broach this subject without sending him into one of his fits? He really did behave like a spoiled toddler at times. And she was rapidly becoming sick of it. Still, she’d prefer to avoid that situation if she could manage it.

“I was doing the laundry a few weeks ago, and I noticed that your shirt smelled like perfume. It wasn’t my perfume, but it was strong. And I thought I should ask you about it instead of imagining all kinds of nefarious scenarios in my head.” She gave a little laugh to soften her words but watched closely for his reaction.

Duncan’s eyes narrowed. “Perfume?”

“That’s right. On your work shirt. I found it in your gym bag.”

He shook his head. “That can’t be right. I don’t wear perfume.”

“I know that, darling. It was women’s perfume.”

His cheeks coloured. “You must’ve imagined it.”

“I didn’t…” She frowned.

He looked flustered. His gaze darted from the kitchen, back to her face and then the floor.

“I’m sure it was nothing. Maybe I brushed up against someone at work without realising it.” He shrugged. “I don’t know what to tell you. And I’ve got to get dinner on or we’ll go hungry tonight.”

He stalked back into the kitchen and started banging around, opening cabinets and slamming them shut again. She chewed on the end of a pencil, pondering. Was he hiding something from her?

She continued working on the plan for the Surf Club event. There was a meeting tomorrow night with the organising committee, and she needed to have everything ready to show them. She was hoping they could finalise the bulk of the schedule, menu, staffing and music for the event. If they could manage that, she would be able to focus on invitations and marketing efforts.

After a while, Duncan came back into the living room. “Dinner’s in the oven. I’m making a roast. But I’ve got to duck into the office for a bit. Call me if you need anything.”

She waved goodbye, wondering what could be so important that he couldn’t manage one day away. It was always like that with him. Work came first. She was grateful he’d been such a good provider throughout their marriage. But sometimes she couldn’t help feeling jealous of the attention he gave his work and his colleagues. She needed to feel as though she was the centre of his world every now and then. But it’d been a long time since she’d felt that.

Finally, she finished planning and turned the television on. She hadn’t watched a movie in a while. It wasn’t something she often did. She didn’t like to focus for long periods of time. She got twitchy if she sat still too long. But there was nothing else for her to do. She was too tired to go anywhere, and she couldn’t walk far. The house was clean. Dinner was in the oven. And Duncan was gone. So, she chose a romantic comedy and settled back in her armchair to enjoy it.

When the phone rang, it jolted her out of her reverie. She’d been so absorbed in the storyline, the ringing had given her a fright. She answered the phone breathlessly.

“Hello?”

“Hi, Mum. It’s Brandon. How are you?”

“I’m feeling okay…”

He interrupted her. “Hey, Mum, I was wondering if you could have the two younger kids tomorrow? I’m supposed to watch them, but I’ve got a few things to do and it would be so much easier to do it all without them. Can I bring them by at nine?”

Irritation burned in her gut. “You want me to watch your two youngest children? Tomorrow?”

“That would be great. Thanks. I’ll see you…”

“Wait, Brandon. I didn’t say I would.”

He hesitated. “Oh… Okay, huh?”

She’d had enough. Her ankle was broken, and he didn’t seem to remember that fact, let alone care. “You know I broke my ankle. Right?”

“Oh, yeah. How’s that going?”

“It’s okay, but I can’t run around after two young children. So, no, I can’t watch the kids tomorrow. Sorry, honey.”

“Just throw on a movie for them. They won’t run far,” he said with a laugh.

“No, the answer is no, Brandon. You take me for granted. You don’t care about how I’m feeling or what I’m going through. And I’m not going to do it this time. You’ll have to figure something else out.”

The phone went silent.

“Okay, well, have a good evening, honey,” she said.

“What’s wrong with you, Mum?” he asked, sounding miffed.

“I’m going through some things. And it wouldn’t kill you to be a little more supportive of me every now and then.”

“What things?” he asked.

“It’s personal. But thank you for asking. I appreciate your concern.”

“Okay… Well, bye, I guess.”

“I’ll talk to you later, Brandon. Say hi to the family for me.”

When she hung up the phone, she felt strangely elated. She’d finally stood up to one of her children. She felt strong, determined and a little proud of herself. She’d had two confrontations in one day. That had to be some kind of record.