Chapter 3
3
“ D eenie, I’m expecting Maxim to pick me up within the next fifteen minutes. Come down so we can discuss the rules for tonight,” Tabitha called upstairs.
“Mom, I know. I’ve stayed home by myself a million times before. What makes this time so special?” Deenie asked as she sprang down the stairs.
“Hmm, it’s the first weekend after graduation, and you’re officially a senior. You leave for Houston in a week, and a little bird told me there’s a gathering of the swim team at Dixon’s house. That’s why.” Tabitha smiled. She was proud of herself for figuring out what was planned in her absence.
The usual cool as a cucumber, Deenie almost fell off the last step of the staircase but managed to save herself from falling. She flipped her long blonde hair, which she did when she was nervous or lying. “My friends are picking me up here before we head to the beach. It’s not like we’re going to be here long. Have I ever thrown a rager here?”
“Not yet, and I’d like to keep it that way. Maxim and I are going to a cocktail reception for work, and we’ll drive by as we go to the restaurant for dinner. I don’t want to see a lot of cars and fogged-up windows. If I do, I’ll stop.”
“What’s next, hidden cameras?” Deenie asked tersely.
“If they’re necessary, sure, I’d go there, but I don’t think I’ll have to. You never cross the line and I trust you. It’s a warning, that’s all. If I didn’t say anything, it would be a trap, and you know I’m not the kind of parent to do things like that.” Tabitha opened her arms and Deenie walked in for a hug.
“Thanks for the warning. I’m glad you’re my mom.”
Tabitha hadn’t allowed herself to think about how much she was going to miss her daughter. At her age, she changed a lot in a couple of months. Last summer, Deenie came home with a pixie cut, and Tabitha barely recognized her daughter. Deb had a coronary when she saw what she had done to her beautiful hair. Deenie’s cousin thought she would be cute with short hair, which she was, of course. A year later, it was long again, and she vowed the only person to touch her hair again was Deb.
Maxim knocked, which was a bit silly because he was like one of the family. Deenie’s friends, whom Tabitha hadn’t yet met, walked in without knocking and went straight upstairs. Tabitha followed the person to Deenie's door, introduced herself, and asked them to knock the next time they came by. She was always friendly, so she didn’t embarrass Deenie, but they got the picture.
"Hello, Dixon ladies." Maxim had two bunches of flowers and handed one to Tabitha and one to Deenie. “Happy almost sabbatical and happy graduating to being a senior.”
"Thank you, Max. Boys my age don’t give flowers to girls unless it’s prom or Valentine's Day. If they only knew how special it made a girl feel. I love them.” Deenie gave Maxim, who she called Max, a kiss on the cheek.
“If you spend one week in France, you will have one hundred suitors line up to present you with flowers. They aren’t an extravagance if one lives in the countryside like I did. Flowers are everywhere, and even a poor man can afford to bring his lady flowers every day.”
“If I end up going to college, I’m definitely spending a year abroad in France. I’m heading upstairs to finish getting ready. I leave in a week to go to Houston, so I probably won’t see you. Have a great summer.” In French fashion, Deenie kissed Maxim on both cheeks.
“It’s early for peonies, but you know they’re my favorites. Where’d you find these?” Tabitha asked.
“I know a guy. Seriously, they're not too hard to find if you know where to look. There are a lot of flower growers in the area. Most of them are small farmers in out-of-the-way places.” Maxim grabbed Tabitha in his arms, and they swayed to some of the music coming from Deenie’s room.
“Have I ever told you what a romantic you are?” Tabitha asked.
“You bring it out in me. You have a European sensibility about you, and I didn't think I would find that in the States, especially not at NASA,” he said.
“I have no idea what you mean by a European sensibility. I’ve only been to a handful of places outside the US, and two are Canada and Mexico,” Tabitha said.
“You don’t live for work, which is especially rare for someone with a serious job like yours. Family, friends, food, and enjoyment mean something more to you. I guess here, it’s referred to as a work-life balance. Most importantly, you’re curious.”
“We will be late for the reception if we don’t get going.”
As her date to leave Florida was closing in, Maxim ratcheted up the intensity of their romance. It wasn’t going to be easy to say goodbye. He was going to argue that Tabitha was running away, but she thought of it like setting him free. Tabitha had been divorced for nearly two years, but she still wasn’t ready to commit her life to another person. She didn’t feel she was using Maxim, but she would be if she held on much longer. She knew he wasn’t her forever man, and more importantly, Tabitha didn’t know if she wanted one of those anytime soon.
Maxim and Tabitha had been taking things one day at a time for six months. She couldn’t lead him on when she left, and things couldn’t be left in the air. Cheating was out of the question because Tabitha experienced that first-hand. The level of cruelty required to do such a thing was something Tabitha didn’t have. It wasn’t in her DNA. She doubted she’d meet anyone interesting during her summer away, but she should at least be open to it. She wouldn’t be if she had a boyfriend back in Florida.
Tabitha decided that tonight would be upbeat because they would be among friends for the first part of the night. Dinner was with Mel and Dale, so it would be impossible to say goodbye. She would arrange a time when it was just the two of them to tell him she was ending their romantic relationship. It wouldn’t be like pulling the rug out from under him. Maxim wasn’t dumb, and Tabitha had left plenty of hints.
“It’s quiet here without Flossy. Is she happy with your cousin in Georgia?” Max asked.
Flossy was their beloved Border Collie. Tabitha had considered boarding her for the summer, but it didn’t seem fair to the dog. Mel and Dale already had a Labradoodle, and Deb’s predominantly white condo wasn’t an appropriate spot for the dog. Maxim couldn’t take her because his cat Hugo wouldn’t have liked it. Her cousin Oliver had a small farm and three boys who could keep up with Flossy’s energy.
“They love Flossy and she seems pleased to have more space. The three rambunctious boys keep her a lot more engaged than Deenie and I ever did. She loved when I’d take her to the beach, which I thought she’d miss. They have an enormous pond on their property that Flossy can’t get enough of. They’ve sent quite a few videos. I’ll show you later.”
Maxim drove over the bridge and arrived at the space center in minutes. During rush hour, it took an hour. Tabitha looked at Maxim as he drove. He was by far the most handsome man she had been in a relationship with. When they coined the saying tall, dark, and handsome, they had to be thinking of Maxim. His wavy black hair, sapphire blue eyes, and a perfect six-two frame made him irresistible. On top of that, his skin was as soft as a baby's bottom and his teeth were straight. He was going to make beautiful babies and be a great dad someday when the right woman came along.