Chapter Ten
Rory
Saturday, May 2
RORY GRABBED THE gift he wrapped for his niece. He used lavender wrapping paper with a pink bow. He’d finished the sweater the night before. It took him two weeks to knit it and he loved how it came out. He knew Penelope would love it.
He packed a box of ingredients for a cobbler so he could make it fresh for her birthday. It brought him joy to create whether baking or knitting. Creating was an easier way to show he cared than trying to put things into words.
Rory arrived at his brother’s at noon. Catherine scheduled the party to start at two, but he always arrived early to help.
Penelope opened the door. “Uncle Roro!” She jumped into his arms. He caught her with one arm, holding her gift in the other.
“How’s my favorite niece?”
“Is that for me?” she asked, pointing at the present.
“Yes, it is.”
“What is it?”
“You’ll see when you open it later.”
She tightened her grip as Rory carried her into the living room.
Duncan and Catherine kept a neat house. They’d decorated the living room with off-white furniture, a glass-top coffee table, white bookshelves, and a white TV stand. It baffled him how they kept it so clean with a five-year-old running around.
“Hello, Rory.” Catherine walked into the living room. “We’re so glad you could make it.”
“How could I miss my niece’s fifth birthday. It’s a big day.” He kissed Penelope’s cheek and she giggled.
He let her down to run to the backyard.
Catherine hugged him and he followed her to the table with gifts. He placed his gift among the others and followed her outside to the back porch.
Catherine and his mother decorated the backyard with lavender and pink streamers. Two tables stood in the center, one with a lavender tablecloth and the other with pink. The place settings were of the opposite color from the tablecloth. Each table had a flower arrangement with tulips and violets.
A bounce house and a variety of games filled the yard, all in the same lavender and pink scheme. Would Penelope outgrow these colors? He hoped not. They were a wonderful combination.
“Can I help with anything?” Rory asked.
“Do you have time to make one of your amazing desserts?” Catherine asked.
“It just so happens I brought the ingredients to make a peach cobbler.”
“That sounds amazing. We have ice cream to go with it too.”
“Fantastic.”
Rory busied himself in the kitchen preparing the cobbler. Penelope insisted on helping, so he had her mix the peaches with the glaze to bake after he’d sliced them.
“Shouldn’t you be spending time with the men?” Rory turned to see his mother.
“Catherine asked me to bake something for the party,” Rory said.
“Well, why don’t you let the women take care of the cooking?”
“I enjoy baking,” he said. “Besides, Penelope’s helping me. She’s such a big help.”
He didn’t understand his mother’s insistence on what men and women should and shouldn’t do. She criticized his hobbies. She insisted he needed to do something more masculine. She suggested woodworking, fishing, or repairing cars. None of those appealed to him. His father loved to repair cars and fish, but never forced it on him or his brother. Duncan took on woodworking and made some beautiful furniture. He’d built a TV stand and nightstand for Rory.
“If you insist.” She pursed her lips. “I’ll be outside.”
“Why does Grammy not like you baking?” Penelope asked. Children didn’t miss a beat.
“I don’t know,” Rory lied.
“I like when you bake,” Penelope said. “It tastes good.”
“Thank you.”
Rory picked her up to taste the peach mixture.
“Yum.” She smiled.
Rory loved his niece. He’d been told he’d make a wonderful father, but his heart sank at the idea. He hadn’t found a woman he connected with. He didn’t even know if he liked women romantically. Maybe one day he could adopt.
Party guests began to arrive at a quarter till two. Rory had put the cobbler to cool to be ready to eat after gifts.
“That smells amazing,” Duncan said, coming into the kitchen.
“Thank you,” Rory said. “I altered the recipe in the cookbook. I hope it tastes as great as it smells.”
“I’m sure it’ll taste wonderful,” Duncan reassured him.
Once with the bounce house, puzzles, cornhole, and the variety of games set up in the yard. The adults sat around talking. He didn’t know most of the people there who were mainly the parents of Penelope’s friends.
“Uncle Roro,” Penelope said. “Come play.”
Before he could answer, he found himself dragged to the yard to play cornhole with Penelope and a few of her friends. He didn’t try too hard and allowed the kids to win. The kids enjoyed his company. He chased them around the yard, making them laugh and scream.
“Okay, everyone, time to sing happy birthday and open gifts,” Catherine said.
Penelope unwrapped gifts from her friends. She got picture books, puzzles, dolls, and a set of building blocks.
She thanked each person after she opened the gift. Her parents raised her to be polite when you receive a gift, even if you didn’t like it.
Penelope opened her gift from Rory. She squealed with delight and ran to him.
“Thank you, Uncle Roro, I love this color,” she said.
Rory wrapped his arms around her. “I thought you’d like it.”
“Did you make it yourself?”
“I did. I wanted to make sure it was perfect for you.”
“Thank you,” she said, putting the sweater on before going back to her gift pile.
She opened the gifts from her parents and grandparents. She received some toys, a few books, and a new dress from her parents. Her grandparents got her a few collectibles. Rory didn’t think a five-year-old needed porcelain dolls, but his mother had insisted. He wasn’t going to argue with her.
Catherine handed everyone a plate with chocolate cake and a scoop of vanilla ice cream. The children scattered. The adults left them to it while they converged into the living room and dining room to talk.
Duncan introduced Rory to a few people he hadn’t met. Two men sat with Catherine at the dining room table.
“Eddie, this is my brother, Rory,” he said.
“Eduardo Perez, but everyone calls me Eddie.” Eddie stood and extended a hand. “Nice to meet you.”
“Nice to meet you too,” Rory said.
Eddie stood a head shorter than Rory. Mahogany hair and beard, square jaw, and deep-brown eyes. His shirt hid a beer belly, and Rory wanted a peek. His eyes lingered a few seconds longer than needed on his broad chest.
“That’s my son, Parker.” Eddie pointed to a dark-haired boy who was unmistakably his son.
“He’s adorable,” Rory said, sitting down. He’d been on his feet since he arrived and took the opportunity to sit.
“Duncan tells me you are finishing your degree and working at the college in San Jose.”
“Yes, I’m earning my master’s in electrical engineering. I work part-time as an instructor at the college.”
“That’s amazing. I didn’t get a chance to go to college, but I did an apprenticeship for a landscaper. Taught me everything I know. Now I own my own landscaping business, so if you’re ever in the market for an upgrade to your front or backyard, I’m your man.”
“I don’t own a house yet,” Rory said. “I’m not sure if I want to stay in Gilroy or move to San Jose to be closer to work.”
“Oh, I can do either for you. I have offices in Gilroy, Morgan Hill, and Hollister. I don’t do much of the work myself outside of Gilroy, but for a friend, I’ll make an exception,” Eddie said.
“Great, I’ll keep you in mind.”
Next, Duncan introduced him to Catherine’s brother-in-law, Thomas Jones. Thomas stood to shake hands.
“It’s nice to meet you,” Rory said.
“Nice to meet you too,” Thomas said.
Thomas was half a foot taller than Rory. He didn’t look up to talk to people often. He was thick and muscular, and his tight shirt revealed six-pack abs. This man worked out. His shoulder-length blond hair hung loose. Pale-blue eyes rounded out his features.
Thomas didn’t say much and preferred to keep to himself. Rory didn’t know what to make of him.
Rory grabbed another piece of cake and ice cream. He sat in the living room. He needed some quiet time.
“Is that your second piece?” his mother asked. Rory stopped mid-bite.
“Yes,” he said.
“I thought you were trying to lose weight?” Her nostrils flared.
He’d lied to her. He had no intention of losing weight because he loved the way he looked.
“It’s a party,” he said.
“Still, just a little bit of fun will ruin your diet,” she said. She took the plate from him. “There’s a veggie platter. Why not have some of those?”
Rory walked to the table and grabbed a plate of veggies.
He sat on the front porch alone. He took bites of carrots. He’d hoped to have a piece of the cobbler he’d made. His mother wouldn’t approve.
“Why are you out here alone?” Eddie sat next to him.
“Oh, I just needed some fresh air,” Rory said, looking at him.
“Why didn’t you finish the piece of cake you got?”
Rory hesitated. “I really should work on losing weight. I shouldn’t have gotten a second piece.”
“It’s a party,” Eddie said. “You can have a little fun.”
Rory agreed. His mother insisted otherwise. She decided what he should and shouldn’t eat and he didn’t want to disappoint her.
“I also heard what your mother said,” Eddie said, turning red.
“Oh,” Rory said. “She’s just worried about my health.”
“I see,” Eddie said. “I wanted to check up on you. You seemed upset.”
Eddie had that right. His mother upset him. He hated how she controlled his life.
“I understand what you’re going through,” Eddie said. “My mother was the same way. She even decided who I should marry. Didn’t matter what I wanted.”
Eddie placed a hand on his shoulder. Rory’s stomach fluttered at his gentle touch.
“My mother is trying to do that. But I’m not interested in any of the women she has tried to set me up with.”
“My advice,” Eddie said. “Do what makes you happy.”
“Thanks.”
Eddie got up to leave. “Oh, and Catherine said you made the cobbler.”
“Yes.”
“It’s amazing.” He smiled. “I grabbed a piece and sealed it in a container for you.”
“You didn’t have to do that.”
“No, but I thought you should get a piece of the cobbler you made.”
The party wound down and everyone said their goodbyes. Rory stayed to help clean up.
“Be sure to eat healthier. No more baking. I knew it was a mistake for your grandmother to get you interested when you were younger,” his mother said.
“Yes, Mother.” Rory hugged her.
Catherine presented him with a warm piece of cobbler and ice cream while he cleaned the kitchen.
“You’ve earned this,” she said.
“I…I don’t know if I should.”
“Mother’s not here to scold you,” Duncan said. “Have a piece of the cobbler you worked so hard to make.”
Rory smiled and took the plate. The warm cobbler mixed with the ice cream to create an explosion of flavors. He’d outdone himself this time. It was the best cobbler he’d ever baked.
“So.” Catherine smiled at him. “You and Eddie seemed to hit it off.”
“Yeah, he’s a great guy.”
Duncan and Catherine shared a look.
“What’s going on?”
“Well,” Duncan said. “Eddie has been alone for a while. It’s nice that he’s making friends. He rarely hits it off with people so quickly.”
“Oh,” Rory said. “I’m glad I could make him comfortable enough to talk to me.”
“He’s raised Parker for the last four years by himself,” Catherine said.
“What happened to Parker’s mom?” Rory asked.
“She was in a car accident,” Duncan said. “He and Isabella married when they were twenty. She had Parker at twenty-four. They didn’t think they’d be able to have children. It was wonderful when they did. But then she passed away on Parker’s second birthday.”
“That’s awful,” Rory said. “That poor man. And his son, losing his mother so young.”
Eddie raised his son alone for four years and ran a business on top of it. He must be exhausted.
“Yeah,” Catherine said. “I tried to set him up a year ago. But he said no woman could replace Isabella.”
“I’m sure it must be hard to move on after something so tragic.”
“He did say no woman,” Catherine said. “We knew he was bisexual. But we didn’t know what kind of guys he’d be interested in.”
Eddie mentioned his parents forced him into the marriage. He might be looking for the right man now.
“Oh,” Rory said, “I get what you’re saying.”
They wanted him to set Eddie up with Bernard. Bernard said he wasn’t ready to date. He’d introduce them after he got to know Eddie better and see what happens.
“We’re glad you see it,” Duncan said. “So, we’ll leave it at that.”
Rory needed to breach the subject with Bernard. He didn’t want to just come out and say it.
He said his goodbyes and headed home with an extra piece of cake and a piece of cobbler. He was going to enjoy this food, no matter what his mother thought.
Rory put his desserts in the fridge and sat on the couch.
“Mina, what am I going to tell Bernard? I’m not sure if Eddie would be right for him. But what if they hit it off?”
Bernard deserved to be happy, but what if Rory’s feelings for Bernard were more than friendship? Rory wanted to understand these feelings before it was too late. He didn’t know if he should tell Bernard about Eddie. If Bernard and Eddie hit it off, then where would that leave him? Would he find love? Rory needed to sort this out. He had some choices to make.