Chapter 5 #2
Several people dropped by their table to congratulate Bennett on his win.
As always, Bennett thanked them even though he was very uncomfortable taking compliments.
More than one person commented on how they wished he was still their Senator and what a great job he had done for the state.
Some went so far as to say that his leaving office had been a real shame.
Every time someone would stop to chat, the table conversation would halt.
After a brief chat, the person would move on, and the family would go back to visiting.
When Poppy apologized for so many interruptions, Ella surprised her by commenting that it was nice that everyone in the town seemed to know them.
The only insight she gave to her background was when she commented that for a tourist town, Napa was much the same way when it came to the locals.
Ben had already warned Ella it would be this way.
Having moved to Searcy at eleven after having lived in New York City all his life, he had to get used to the small-town ways.
He did over time, but he still missed living in a large city where everyone was a stranger.
That was one of the reasons he applied to colleges far from home.
That and the fact that Jack and Jorge lived nearby.
In a place like Searcy, no one ever really lets you forget that you were the love child of the artist who left town and returned to destroy a perfect marriage and a promising political career.
Sure, over time, things improved. His parents had worked hard to help him understand that just because people believed something did not make it true.
He never talked to his parents about it, but he had felt the stares and heard the whispers, especially in the early days.
He had learned the hard way that life in a small southern town was not all sweet tea and pecan pie.
While everyone seemed to acknowledge the people who came and went, only Bennett seemed to notice how much quieter Poppy got with each one.
The sparkle that had been in her eyes from the moment she spied Ben at the airport dimmed a little with each visit.
Bennett hoped that did not mean that she was changing her mind about his running.
He knew that if she were, he would stand by his word and not run.
No matter how much he might want a second chance at a political career, it would not be worth Poppy's happiness.
She was his everything. But, damn, he knew that walking away again would be even harder than it had been the first time.
The family finished up their meal and spent a few hours taking Ella around the town, showing her the different sites.
They took her by the historic courthouse and the quaint shops downtown.
Next, they stopped off at the Black House, where several of Poppy's paintings were on display.
They also showed her various landmark churches and the local college.
Ella asked about all of the lights she saw everywhere.
Ben explained that the town and university go all out at Christmas with millions of lights and holiday scenes that had been set up at all the parks and town square.
He promised to bring her back after dark so she could see them lit up later that night and take a carriage ride around the court square.
They ended their trip with a visit to Art Alley.
Several large murals were painted all around downtown.
The largest collections of works were in an alley off a side street just one block down from the court square.
They spent time looking at the various murals done by local artists.
Poppy explained that the work was constantly changing.
She had two murals that she had done. One was of two little girls running through the waves at a beach.
Ella immediately recognized the girls as Lizzy and Lola at about three and four.
The other was of Bennett standing in front of a podium.
He appeared to be giving some kind of speech.
His face was so taut and stressed that it was almost impossible to recognize him.
Ella knew that Ben's mom often painted from photographs.
She could not help but wonder what speech had inspired the mural.
In it, he looked very different from the easy-going, carefree man she had spent the morning getting to know.
The family got back to the house around 3:00.
Ella was clearly impressed with the house as they drove up the winding drive.
Ben had tried to prepare her, but the house was out of character for the boy she had come to love.
Large and imposing, it looked like a French chateau dropped in the middle of a small southern town.
Ben could sense Ella becoming overwhelmed.
She knew that Ben came from money, but seeing the house he grew up in was a shock to her system.
Walking into the house, Ella whispered to Ben, "You should have told me your parents lived in a mansion. I was not prepared for all of this," she said, gesturing to the huge house and lawn.
Giving her a reassuring hug and a kiss on the forehead, he quietly whispered in her ear, "I know it is a lot.
But believe it or not, it is much better than when I first saw it.
Mom and Dad did a total gut after the first year they were married.
It was so stuffy with tons of antiques and very traditional.
It felt more like a museum than a home. But Mom fixed that.
It is much more homey now. Besides, it is just a house at the end of the day.
The part that makes it a home is the people who live in it, and they are going to love you because I do. "
His comforting words reassured Ella. The house did feel totally different inside.
The chateau demeanor of the exterior was nowhere to be found inside.
It was decorated in bright colors with tons of art covering the walls and comfortable couches and chairs everywhere.
The inside was night and day compared to the outside.
Ella could not help but think the house was like Ben.
He was a rich kid whose dad was a former senator.
He was gorgeous and brilliant. He could have been the biggest, most arrogant asshole in the world, but he wasn't. He was one of the kindest, most thoughtful people she had ever met.
She knew about his early life and that Ben had not known Bennett was his dad until he was eleven.
She could only imagine how going through all that at such a young age could have warped him.
It hadn't. Instead, it seemed to help form him into the man she had fallen deeply in love with.
As they walked in, the awkwardness of addressing where everyone would sleep was avoided when Ben casually took Ella's bag and said, "I will just put these in our room.”
Bennett gave Poppy a look and shrugged as if to say, "Well, that answers that question."
Poppy just gave him a weak smile and shrugged back. She had not rebounded from all of the people who had talked to them at the restaurant earlier in the day. All morning, she had gone through the motions and said all the right things.
Bennett could tell she was backpedaling.
He had promised not to bring the governor's race up again until they were together.
He knew Taylor, Greer, and Rosie would be there for dinner by 6:00.
He hoped they would have some time to talk after dinner.
Poppy reminded him he had two turkeys he needed to deep fry.
So Bennett spent the next several hours setting everything up while Poppy, Ella, and the girls set the table and got to know each other.
Out on the patio, Bennett was tempted to broach the subject with Ben while they were alone.
But Poppy had asked him not to, and so he didn't. Ben was his son, but sometimes, because she had raised their son alone for so many years, it felt like Ben belonged more to her than to him.
He had worked hard to close that distance in their relationship, but some things were beyond repair.
So, he held his tongue and hoped that an opportunity presented itself after dinner when they could all talk.
However, like any parent would, Bennett did allow himself to broach the subject of Ella.
Very casually, Bennett said, "Ella seems like a very nice girl. Beautiful but a bit young."
Ben laughed and said, "I wondered how long it would take you to ask that. She is nineteen, but she is an old soul, in case you missed it, and brilliant. Besides, age is just a number."
"No, I did not miss that. She is obviously extremely bright. How did you two meet?"
Taking a long swig of his water, Ben said, "We met at her family's diner. Remember how I went with a few buddies to Napa over fall break? Our cottage was across the street from their place. We ate there several times. I met her then, and we have sort of been together ever since."
Giving his son a strange look, Bennett asked, "What do you mean you have sort of been together?"
"I mean, we have been texting and talking, and a few weeks ago, we decided to give this thing a real shot. She has moved into my place in Malibu. We are considering marriage."
With an incredulous look, Bennett asked, "You are living together?
Marriage? What about school? What is she doing about a job?
Have you thought about this? It feels very sudden.
" The questions and concern came pouring out of Bennett.
He couldn't help it. He hated prying into his son's private business, but this was much more than expected.
Holding up one hand to stifle his father's flow of questions, Ben said, "I know you have concerns.
But you are going to have to trust me on this.
I know what I am doing. I am still in school and on track to graduate in the spring.
Ella is looking for a job, but that is really not our number one priority right now.
We have a lot of details to work out, and when we do, you and Mom will be the first to know.
Until then, I need to know you have my back and trust that I have got this. "
"I do trust you, but slow down. You are both so young, especially her. What is the rush? Date each other. Get to know each other. A few months is hardly enough time to be talking about marriage. You don't want to rush into something that you will both regret."
Ben held up his hand and said, "Dad…" but Bennett was on a roll and kept saying how young they were and how they had all the time in the world to settle down.
Ben tried three times to get a word in before he blurted out, "Dad, Ella is pregnant."
Bennett's head snapped back in shock. "Pregnant? Is it yours?"
"Would we be having this conversation if it weren't?" The look Ben gave him told Bennett that there was no doubt about the child's parentage.
"Okay, well, it is 2023. No one has to get married just because of a baby. You have lots of options."
"That is just it, Dad. I don't need a lot of options. I know what it is like to grow up not knowing your father. I won't do that to my child."
While Ben had not said that to hurt Bennett, it still stung. Sadly, it was also the truth.
"Can you honestly look me in the eye and tell me that if you had known about me, you would not have married Mom twenty-three years ago?"
"No, son, I cannot. You’re right. I would have done exactly what you are doing."
"Thank you for that. I don't have all the answers, but I am doing my best here."
Bennett was taken aback by the adult look of strength in his son's eyes.
He had yet to get all the answers he wanted.
Hell, who was he kidding? He had a thousand more questions, but he could tell Ben had shared just about all he planned to at that moment.
He knew he should not push, but he could not help himself.
He had to ask one last question. "What about law school?
Are you still planning on coming back to Little Rock and starting in the fall? "
With a weak nod, Ben said, "At the moment, that is still the plan.
I am not making any promises. If there is one thing I have learned in my twenty-three years, it is that life can change on a dime.
That has certainly been the case in the last few weeks.
I promise that you and Mom will be the first to know if those plans change. "
Nodding, Bennett thought his son was more right than he ever imagined. Enveloping his son in a hug, he said, "I am proud of you, Ben. I trust you to do what is best for you and your child. Just know that your mom and I are here if you need us. Always."
Hugging his father back, Ben nodded. The two men stood tightly embraced for a second longer before breaking apart.
Stepping back, Bennett looked down as his watch buzzed. It was a text from Williams.
Have you made a decision yet? We really need to strike while the iron is hot. If your family is on board, I can have a reporter there tomorrow morning to begin the process. Please get back to me as soon as you can.
Bennett read the text, felt the old familiar stress, and fought back a wave of panic mixed with excitement. He texted back a quick note.
Understand. I am working on it. Will hopefully know something later tonight. I will text when I have a final answer.
He read his response and then added:
Am very interested but have to make sure everyone here is on board with it. Will talk soon.
Once he hit send, he began putting together a plan to bring it all up later in the evening.
And as he did so, he once again reminded himself that he had to be good with whatever they said.
If they said no, it was a no. He just hoped that enough water was under the bridge and they were ready to let old fears go and move forward.