Chapter Seventeen
March Twenty Second
Juniper
“Thank you for making time for me,”
Marilyn dragged her chair into the table.
“It’s no problem, I have to eat anyway.”
June sat across from her for a one on one “date”
Wolfie suggested they go on. June sat her menu down, as she had arrived earlier and had a chance to look over the menu.
“I’ve been here a thousand times, I don’t need this menu.”
Marilyn pushed it to the edge of the table as a waitress arrived to take their order. “So, you like Wolfgang.”
She stated.
“Yes I do.”
She looked at her.
His mother leaned in like an intrigued girlfriend who knew nothing about him, “What do you like about him?”
“Well, the first thing was how handsome he was and then he was also clever and smart but the more I am with him the more safe I feel. He’s familiar.”
The waitress stood between them topping off their beverages. Marilyn’s eyes flickered, “what do you mean clever?”
“He doesn’t tell you much, does he?”
June made eye contact.
“About his love life? No, never.”
“He malfunctioned my home door to come see me, not once, but twice because he chickened out and didn't ask me on a date the first time.”
“Are you serious? He couldn’t ask you out like a normal person?”
June shrugged, “He tried and it worked.”
“You know, I think you’re good for him.”
She flashed a smile that warmed June, reminding her of her own mother. Grieving her family never got easier, she just learned to grow around the grief. “Do you see things getting serious?”
She interlaced her fingers and rested her chin on them leaning in.
June was hesitant to tell her about the latest but opened her mouth, “Well, yes. We have told each other that we love each other.”
her eyes fluttered to the side as her cheeks flushed.
“You did?”
Marilyn’s cheeks rose as her mouth gaped, “He really doesn’t tell me anything.”
“Well it’s still new, maybe five or six days.”
June added a spoon of sugar to her coffee, not looking up.
“So things are good?”
She unrolled her silverware.
“Yes. I love your son.”
Her eyes lifted from the table catching Marilyn's.
“It’s about damn time he meets someone he can have the same feelings back for.”
June cleared her throat, “I’m glad it was me.”
“I hope so too.”
She shifted in her seat, “So, where are you from?”
“North California.”
“Like northern California?”
June remembered how long they had been here, “No, California split into two.”
It did?”
She was taken back. “Well where are you from? Brigham and I were from there too.”
“Really? What part?”
“Redding. Well, Brig and I met in Whitmore. My family has a cabin there and his family was camping or rented a cabin, I can’t remember.”
“I’m from Sacramento, I think that’s a three hour drive.”
“Possibly, we’ve been here for thirty one years, it’s hard to remember things from such a different life.”
“So, what’s the story between you and Wolfgang's dad, how did you meet? I want to hear the whole story.”
“Like I said, we were at our family cabin, my sister and I went walking near Clover Creek and saw him, I was only nineteen but was smitten from the start. He was twenty three and felt the same way about me. He was going to Shasta College at the time in Redding for software programming and his family was from Tahoe. We got married a year later after graduation. One of his young professors was actually Margaret Mars' husband. He's passed since then but that's how we got here.”
“What made you decide to come here?”
“We wanted a community and a place where we wouldn't have to be tied to a nine to five and worry about our future children’s safety, so we came here. Six months later we had them bring Amy here and leaving our family was the hardest part.”
“What did you tell them?”
“The truth, we were going to live on an island and build a community. They didn’t know where.”
“That must have been hard. All my family is gone, it would have seemed silly not to come here. Did you have any other siblings?”
“Yes, I have a brother. He was against the whole thing and probably thinks we’re dead in some jungle.”
She sighed as the plates arrived at the table.
“Thank you.”
Juniper looked down at her warm food and her phone buzzed in her lap startling her.
Wolfgang ‘Thank you. I love you. You look hot today.’
Juniper ‘What do you mean?’
Wolfgang ‘Thank you for going to lunch with my mom, I have deep feelings for you, If you look anything like Juniper Jensen, you look hot today.’
June placed her phone in her bag next to her, “Did Amy ever marry?”
June pushed her salad around in between bites.
“Amy?”
Marilyn wiped her mouth, “No, before she came out here she was with this guy, Conner. She was head over heels for him, tall, charming, handsome, the whole package. He had some loose ends to tie up before he came out here, so she came alone. Months passed by and he never showed up. Brigham, being good at technology, found that Conner had passed away not long after we established roots here. Amy carries some of the blame. He wanted to elope a month before coming out here, she thinks if she agreed, he would have come with her when she did.”
“That’s terrible, Amy is so sweet.”
“She looked around and even dated Jay for a while but never found someone as good as Conner and gave up.”
June placed her fork down, finished with her food, “that’s too bad, she's a catch.”
“She is.”
Wolfgang
He sat in his jeep in front of his next job thinking about June. Was it one month yet? Do girls like to celebrate small milestones? He remembered his parents celebrating anniversaries but still didn’t know. He knew someone could help and pulled his phone out to call Brittanya.
“Hey. What are you up to?” He said.
“Working, what’s up?”
“Are one month anniversaries a thing? Am I supposed to do anything?”
“Wow, one month already?”
“Yeah, I know, should I do anything?”
“What day is it, exactly?”
“Let me check,”
He pulled out his calendar app looking back one month to see the Saturdays to pinpoint the exact date, “The twenty fifth.”
“So this Saturday?”
“I guess so. Am I supposed to do anything?”
“No,”
She chuckled, “ Some girls like it and some girls don't. I don't see June caring one way or another. We could all go out that night, it is Community Day.”
“Doesn’t that defeat the purpose of a relationship? If I take her to one of those?”
“Don’t be ridiculous, lots of couples go, Fade and Whitney, Shianne might show up with Max. Let's go out, me, you two, Whitney and Fade. Maybe I am trying to find someone? Don’t be selfish Wolfie, I’ll ask the girls.”
“Fine, but I would like to ask June.”
“Listen, on Saturday, Just tell her happy one month and it should be enough for her to appreciate that you remembered, it’s not like it’s one year, okay? Women just like knowing you’re thinking of them.”
He closed his Jeep door, “Alright, I’ll talk to you later.”
“Okay, bye bye.”
Wolfgang ended the call standing at the door of the next job and selected his last message from June.
Wolfgang ‘How’s lunch?’
Juniper ‘Good. We are talking about baby names and future children.’
Wolfgang ‘That’s not funny Juniper.’
Juniper ‘It’s kind of funny.’
Wolfgang ‘Do you want to go out Saturday? Us, Brittanya, Whitney and Fade?”
Juniper ‘Sure, I’ll wear that black dress.’
Wolfgang ‘Jesus Juniper, I’m at a client's house.’
Juniper ‘And I’m with your mom.’
Wolfgang ‘Love you.’
He sighed with relief that she had brought his mother up, diffusing his situation that was arising.