Chapter Forty
TERESA - ORANGE, CA
Teresa tied her robe tightly around the waist and leaned back in the Adirondack chair.
She looked out over the backyard of Lena and Kevin’s bungalow and let out a contented sigh.
Teresa and Frank could never afford to buy a house, and she and Larry still only rented their place.
She loved how her daughter owned not just a house but also the land it sat on—the gardens, the trees, everything.
It had an orange tree in the yard. An actual orange tree.
The concept was so foreign to Teresa that she felt like she’d been transported to a different country.
She smelled something divine and wondered which plant it was.
They were so different from the ones on the East Coast.
“What’s that amazing smell?” she asked Lena, who’d come outside to join her on the patio.
“Star jasmine. Isn’t it heavenly?” Lena said, handing Teresa a mug of tea.
“Thanks, sweetie,” Teresa said, grabbing the mug. “Yes, it’s amazing. I love it.”
Lena sat down next to her and smiled as she looked out over the garden. “I’m so glad you’re here, Mom.” She grasped Teresa’s hand and squeezed it.
“Me too,” Teresa said, stroking Lena’s hand.
She saw the pearl ring on her daughter’s hand and smiled. Teresa had given her mother’s pearl ring to Lena as her law school graduation gift. She remembered watching Lena cross the stage to receive her diploma and proudly thinking, My daughter is going to be a lawyer for the umpteenth time.
Teresa looked down at the framed wedding photo of Lena and Kevin that she’d found on display in the living room and brought to the patio. The couple was peering out from a vintage Rolls Royce.
Lena looked over. “Oh, that wedding photo cracks me up.”
“Why?”
“Because we were like two little kids in that Rolls Royce. We felt so spoiled, the two of us, riding in luxury like old-fashioned movie stars. I remember turning to Kevin when we got in and saying, ‘You don’t know how cool it is that I’m even sitting in this car.
A Rolls freaking Royce! I grew up on the west end of New Rochelle in a tiny attic apartment. ’” Lena grinned.
Teresa smiled. “What did Kevin say?”
“He said, ‘Well, look at you now, baby.’ We did a champagne toast and then kissed. That’s when the photographer snapped this photo.”
“Lena, I’m thrilled you have a good marriage, especially after what I went through with your father. You and Kevin seem to have a great relationship. Romance, friendship, support. And loyalty, which is something I always wanted for you.”
“And most importantly, he isn’t gay!” Lena blurted.
They both laughed. “I’m also happy for you, Mom, to have found love again with Larry.
He’s such a good guy, and you deserve all the happiness he brings you.
He adores you, you know. Even if you won’t let him make an honest woman out of you and marry him. ”
“I’ve had enough of marriage for one lifetime, thank you very much. I have no problem living happily in sin for the rest of my life.”
Teresa smiled. Larry always let her know how he was feeling and how much he cared for her and made her feel loved.
But it went beyond that. She felt desired.
He couldn’t get enough of her. He didn’t mind the extra weight she carried on her frame.
In fact, she thought he might find her more attractive because of it.
He flirted with her, coming up with excuses to nuzzle her. And she basked in the attention.
She and Frank had married so young, and their relationship had soured so quickly.
Frank's get-it-done attitude helped her feel safe when she was a young bride. And she stayed with him because he showed love through everyday gestures, which made her feel well taken care of. But Teresa had realized she deserved a partner who would be emotionally and physically there for her. She hadn’t been sure if that was even an option.
Fortunately, she’d found that in Larry. Maybe he didn’t change her oil for her, but he was so attentive in other ways—and those ways mattered a lot to Teresa.