Chapter 26 Caleb
Caleb
When I stop by my parents’ after closing the market, Dad’s already gone up for the night, giving me a chance to talk to Mom.
This afternoon, I was organizing more of Dad’s office when I came across a box of old photos from the first Foley’s location.
In it, I found a photo of Mom and Judy. All this time, I’d been looking to Dad for answers. I’d been going about it all wrong.
“It was a long time ago, honey,” she says, making herself comfortable on the upholstered rocking chair across from me. The light gray fabric where she sits is worn from years of her rocking back and forth. There’s an indent in the rug where she pushes her foot for momentum.
When I think of Mom, this is what I picture.
Glasses perched on her nose as she reads or works on her knitting projects.
As a kid, I’d play at her feet. Lining up Hot Wheels or organizing baseball cards.
Once, I got too close playing with my Hot Wheels cars and almost lost an eye to a knitting needle.
Tonight, I sit across the room, on the floor with my back against the sofa, far away from the legitimate danger.
“Was it really that bad?” I ask.
She takes a deep breath and places her knitting in her lap.
“At the time, it felt like the worst thing that could ever happen. I’ve lived quite a bit since then and, well, it wasn’t the worst thing ever, but it was bad enough that I don’t blame your father for his part in this rivalry.”
I shift against the couch. Nervous for what I might learn. It was enough to ruin a friendship between my parents and Judy. Could it affect things with Brooke?
“We met Judy shortly after we opened the market. You remember that first location, the small one in the plaza by the old video store? You were eight or so by the time we moved locations. She came in, Brooke in tow, and the three of us hit it off right away. She was a new wedding planner and looking for caterers. Dad was building up the catering offerings. I thought it was serendipity. It was wonderful for a while, for a few years, actually. Dad and Judy did so many weddings together that we started talking about going into business together, building out to be a full-service operation. They handled the weddings and I did the books and kept the business organized for both of them. Judy never paid me, but we were able to all work together, so what was a few unpaid hours?”
She stops rocking and turns all of her focus to me.
“Caleb, I need you to know I’ve always trusted your father. You know how much I love that stupid man. And you know how much he cares about me. We’ve always had a solid marriage.”
I laugh, thinking of my first night back home. It was clear they were used to being alone. But they’ve always been like that. I was used to it, living with them.
“I’m well aware, Mom.” I laugh.
“Oh, you catch us kissing one time, my goodness, Caleb. How do you think you got into this world?!”
I drag my hand over my face. No one wants to think about their parents and that, but the love they have for each other is something I want one day. “Mom,” I groan.
“Anyway,” she says, pushing her foot to rock again. “Judy began to find ways to cut me out of conversations and meetings. I didn’t notice it much at first. The books and back end of things took a lot of time. And I had you to deal with. You weren’t the easiest child.”
“Also well aware of that.”
“Brooke was usually around, too. I was busy enough. But folks started coming into the market, asking how I was doing. I thought people were being kind because we were so busy with a wedding almost every weekend.” She laughs.
“We thought one wedding a weekend was busy. Look at things now—at least two or three.”
“What I’d do for one wedding a weekend,” I say. Walk away from the business my parents built and buy a whole new property, that’s what I’d do. But that stays tucked away for now.
“I started noticing how they were asking, the looks on their faces. It was pity. They felt bad for me.”
“Why would they feel bad for you?” I’m so focused on Mom that I barely hear the faint creak of the floorboards, the padding of feet. Mom looks behind me.
“Dad!” I hop from the floor. I was so close to finally getting an answer. He’s not going to let this conversation continue.
He settles on his armchair, right next to Mom. “I’ll tell you why.” He will?
“I thought you were sleeping.” I sit on the couch and pick my beer up from the floor.
“How can I sleep when your mother is taking an eternity to explain that Judy Spencer convinced the whole town that I was leaving your mother for her?” He says it like he’s reading a weather report, not dropping a bomb about the mother of the woman I’m completely falling for.
My eyebrows nearly hit my hairline. “She what?”
“Paul, must you be so curt?”
“Yes,” he says, serious for a beat before letting out a small laugh.
“Anyway,” Mom says, rolling her eyes at him. “One of our regulars came in one day before the morning rush and told us about the rumors.”
“Margaret Edwards,” Dad says. “She was a sweet lady. Grew up in town and knew me since I was a kid. Didn’t believe a word of what she heard and wanted to make sure we knew.”
“Like I said, honey, at the time it felt like the greatest betrayal. The worst thing to happen.” She grabs Dad’s hand and they share a smile. “But we’ve been through a lot together, haven’t we?”
I see Dad squeeze her hand from where I sit. He takes his eyes off Mom and looks at me. “Judy weaved some elaborate lies. I forget most of them now, but when we came out from under it, I vowed that Foley’s would just be us. Family.”
I swallow the knot in my throat. He tried to expand Foley’s with someone else so they could be full-service, and it backfired.
“How did she come out unscathed? How could she go on and have such a successful business?” There’s a fire burning in me, and I want to have some words with Judy Spencer. About my parents. About Brooke. About her superiority complex.
“Caleb,” Mom says, her voice as sweet as the word. “We stopped being angry about it a long time ago. There were more lies, something about how Dad was interested in her but she wasn’t interested in him. It doesn’t matter anymore.”
“And she was a damn good wedding planner,” Dad says.
I scoff.
“Think of the people you’ve worked with, Caleb. The clients you’ve had. People can be good at their jobs and be assholes.”
He’s not wrong, but I’m struggling to understand how he can defend her.
“I won’t let you be angry about it. Don’t let it ruin things with you and Brooke,” Mom says with a knowing smile.
Me and Brooke. What could they know about me and Brooke?
A laugh erupts from Dad, jolly and loud. “Look at him, Lynne. I told you he didn’t think we knew.”
I feel my ears turning pink. I’m thirty-two and embarrassed about a girl in front of my parents. This house makes me feel like a teenager again. They look at me with smug smiles. They know and they don’t care. Well, they do care. They’re happy.
Finally, I have the answer. An answer I have to keep from Brooke.
This would break her. She’s got blinders on when it comes to her mom, but how can we move forward without the truth?
I’ve spent years lying to her. I can’t replace one lie with another.
Not when I know in my heart how far this will go.
It always has been and always will be Brooke.
“Does Margaret Edwards still live in town?” I ask, changing the subject.
Mom sighs. “She passed away a few years ago. Her husband comes in sometimes, picks up her favorites. It’s sweet.”
“Any chance, he lives near Brooke? Near Black Rock?”
Dad ponders. “I think he does.”