8. Chapter 8
Chapter 8
Callum
T hanksgiving at the Landrys had been interminably long.
Brian and Lenora were still upset about how Fleur was behaving and had spent a lot of time carping about her. My mother had not been impressed at how they were badmouthing their own child, but my father, who liked Fleur, was, however, perturbed by her lack of respect for the family.
Sabine had decided that she and I should date and see where it went. I'd finally agreed because it seemed to matter so much.
After spending some time thinking about it, I did feel that someone like Sabine was the kind of wife I was looking for. Fleur was fun, but she was immature and didn't understand the importance of family.
On Black Friday, we had dinner at Muriel's at Jackson Square. My parents had enjoyed a day catching up with old friends and going to their favorite haunts in the city.
"The Quarter is so loud and dirty. Call, you know how I feel about this place." Sabine had hoped that we'd eat at the Commander's Palace, but I knew my parents liked the Quarter.
"We love it here," Rose, my mother, announced with a tight smile.
I knew that my parents were a little tired of spending time with the Landrys. My parents had gotten to know them when Seamus was alive.
In the past, Seamus and Fleur had been around, and it had been different—easier, lighter. But then both Seamus and Fleur had that skill.
"How is dear Fleur?" my mother asked.
"We don't know, and we don't care," Brian snapped.
My mother cocked an eyebrow and looked at me. I shook my head, tacitly telling her to move on because this way only trouble lay.
"James and I always adored Fleur," my mother continued like she didn't notice the tension. I'd given my parents the Cliff's Notes about the situation with Fleur and Sabine and me.
I had thought they'd confirm the rightness of Sabine and me as a couple. Instead, my mother had announced that she'd never liked Sabine and never knew what Seamus or I saw in her.
"She's a successful, wonderful woman," I explained.
"She's got a stick up her arse," my father countered.
"Dad."
"Oh, yeah, she does," Mom added. "Seamus was so obsessed with her, but you're not, I can see that. Why do you want to date your brother's wife? Seriously, New Orleans is a big city, can't you find another girl? Hell, come to Edinburgh, and I can hook you up with some very eligible single women."
"I like Fleur, though her immaturity when it comes to her family is not too attractive," my father acknowledged. "How come you broke up with her?"
"Lenora told me," my mother spoke to my father like I wasn't around any longer. "Apparently, our Callum here was at Sabine's beck and call—and Fleur told him to shove it."
"Why was he at Sabine's beck and call?"
"I'm right here," I protested.
"But can you see anything?" My mother wondered, "Since your head seems to be way up your arse."
The one thing about my parents was that they always spoke their minds. I’d never noticed their disapproval of Sabine before, but then, they wouldn’t have let Seamus know. They trusted us to make our own decisions, and I understood that the only reason they were speaking up now was because they sensed I was being pressured into something I didn’t want. And, there was some truth to that. Between Brian, Lenora, and Sabine, I had the distinct feeling they’d love nothing more than to see me settled into couple hood with their eldest daughter.
My friends—Gaurav, a sports agent, and Francois, a host for ESPN, had also given me a version of that opinion.
Gaurav had been the most direct. "You were happy when you were with Fleur. She was a fucking firecracker. With Sabine, it's like you've become dull."
Francois, who was more tactful, suggested, "Sabine is just different, dude. She's…more…of a Stepford type, while Fleur is like this honest ball of fire and spice."
After dinner, Lenora and Brian excused themselves, and I knew Sabine wanted to join them. However, she wanted to make a good impression on my parents and came along with us when we went for a walk.
"I miss New Orleans," my mother declared. "The Jazz on Frenchmen's."
"The red beans and rice at the Quarter Store," my dad interjected.
"Dancing at Tipitina's," Mom laughed.
"You don't think the Quarter and the Marigny are crowded and noisy?" Sabine asked.
"We love it here," my father said. "How about you, Sabine? Do you prefer Uptown?"
She shrugged. "Well, I'm staying at my grandparents' house."
My mom pursed her lips. "Last time we were here, Lenora mentioned that your sister was buying the place."
"Fleur couldn't afford it and after Seamus, we decided I should live there."
Sabine smiled sadly when she said my brother's name—and again, it didn't work for me. It didn't work for my parents at all. My parents lost a son, and I lost a brother, and yet it was Sabine who seemed to wear her grief permanently. When had it stopped feeling genuine? Around the same time as I broke up with Fleur? With Sabine's sister, there was never any doubt about how she was feeling—she wore her emotions on her sleeve. You could tell when she was happy, and you could tell when she was sad.
We were walking by Café Istanbul when we heard a limerick that made us all stop. Limericks may be Irish, but they suited our Gaelic humor.
The turkey, we said, was first-rate, Though the gravy debate did frustrate, We said Grace with cheer, Ate too much, I fear, Thank goodness for pants that inflate!
"True about them pants," my father guffawed.
"There's a poetry slam going on," my mother's eyes sparkled as she read a notice on the side of the door. "Let's go inside."
"That sounds so boring, Rose. It'll be amateur poets saying total nonsense," Sabine protested, making it clear that a poetry slam would probably not be her thing.
"You should do what you like, sweetheart," my father said patiently, "But my wife and I want to hear a limerick or two."
"Can we just go home?" Sabine whispered once my parents had gone into the café.
"I can get a car to take you," I offered, "My parents are here for a short time, Sabine. I want to spend time with them."
Sabine sighed dramatically. "Fine."
I wished she'd left because the more time I spent with her, the more I realized that Sabine alone was one thing—but she didn't play well with others, not even my parents. I wondered again about why Fleur and she didn't get along and suspected that it may have more to do with Sabine than my Grian .