36. Chapter 36
thirty-six
T he surprise party for Molly and Peter was postponed for a few weeks, and ultimately turned out to be a fantastic success.
With a little extra time to plan, Julian helped Annie brainstorm and refine a few extra details.
Family and other friends gathered to help celebrate Molly and Peter, surrounded by fun decorations and some of the best appetizers Julian had had in years– courtesy of Annie.
After the party, while he helped Annie pack her things, Julian took a few days getting to know Annie’s best friends better. He wished that in the years he’d known them in passing that he’d been a more active neighbor.
“Sometimes timing is all it takes,” Peter said a little wink.
With Annie’s belongings loaded into her car and Julian’s truck, they headed to back to Northgold, filled with anticipation for their next chapter.
Julian agonized the following month over what to get Annie for her birthday.
He settled on a silver locket with a low-relief projecting a sparrow and flower design.
And, digging deep into his well of old and dusty romantic ideas, he also carved a small heart out of wood. He embellished it with “JL + AT.”
“Oh, I love it!” Annie gushed, clutching the little heart to her chest while Kitty sat on the couch beside her .
It felt like it shouldn’t have been a shock to him that she was more excited for his handmade surprise than for the jewelry. For lunch, they went to NWD.
“The usual?” Teagan asked them at their booth.
“Sure,” Julian answered for them. “And throw in a banana cream pie. It’s Annie’s birthday. My treat.”
Teagan laughed under his breath. “Birthday, eh? If I tell Ellie, she’s gonna make me come back and sing.”
“If you tell Ellie, she’ll also comp our entire meal at her own expense. I won’t tell if you don’t tell?”
“Now, now,” Annie said. “What if I wanted to be embarrassed in front of the entire restaurant?”
“Do you really?” Julian grinned and raised an eyebrow.
“Hell no,” Annie laughed.
Their table looked out over the parking lot. A few minutes into their light chit-chat, the tone for Annie’s email buzzed.
“Oh, gotta chime in real quick,” she said, smiling. “The new issue goes to print today.”
Julian nodded. Although he didn’t garden, he enjoyed reading her articles. Her enthusiasm was infectious.
He turned his head to look out at the parking lot again.
A white Dial-A-Shuttle pulled up. Most of the elderly gentlemen and ladies in town rode it for their lunch hour.
Ellie had already pushed three tables together towards the back of the restaurant in anticipation for their arrival.
A few white-haired, hunched figures ambled their way down the bus steps, each step taken carefully as if it were going to be the death of them. They streamed towards the diner.
At the tail end of the group, a younger man stepped off. Retirement age, but not elderly. He was heavier-set with river-silver hair. It looked like he’d slept in his t-shirt and had a slight limp .
Julian frowned to himself. Must be the social-outing babysitter. He wondered for a moment why he’d focused so intently on this one guy, before it hit him like he’d been slapped in the face.
Dad.
The elderly guests shuffled in and sat down like grizzled knights about to celebrate their latest victory. Clive Lincoln lagged behind. The haunting strike of the bell over the door tightened the uneasy feeling in his gut.
This interaction was not prefaced by a letter in his mailbox. Nor an easily dismissable department of corrections inmate call. He glanced across the table at Annie, who sat with her back to the door. He had seconds before she noticed his shift in energy.
Clive found a booth alone on the other side of the restaurant near the other old folks, sitting with his back to Julian and Annie. The room erupted with chatter as Teagan rushed out with an armful of menus. One of the other waitresses followed on his heels with a tray of waters.
Fury raged through Julian’s veins like a wildfire, consuming every rational thought. The man didn't deserve to walk free. Ever. Not after the havoc he’d wreaked.
It had been such a lovely day, too. He’d wanted Annie to have the best day. Now it was ruined.
No, let’s salvage what we can. He will not ruin her birthday.
“You… okay?”
Fidgety, Julian idly moved around his fork and spoon, still wrapped tight within a white cloth napkin. “Yes.”
Annie abruptly put her phone down and held her hands up. “I was replying to Molly. No more phone.” She smiled. “It’s even silenced. I’m sorry I interrupted our lunch.”
He attempted a smile, even a wry one, but only managed to pucker his mouth. He whispered, “You’re okay, sweetness… ”
The sweetest, most concerned look filled her eyes. “Then what is it? Is it something else?”
He didn't really want to talk about it, but he had to tell her something. "That bus,” he murmured, nodding his head towards the Dial-A-Shuttle, “brought my dad in with the old folks. He’s here.”
Annie blinked. "Oh." She turned around. "Where’s–"
“Don’t.” He shook his head. “Gonna ask Ellie for our food to go. Sorry, Annie. I’d rather not draw attention.” A few people in the lunch crowd had already thrown them a few wide-eyed looks. “More attention. Maybe we can eat at a park?”
They sat in awkward silence for several seconds as Julian waited for what he’d said to sink in. He was surprised when the first thing out of Annie’s mouth wasn’t a response of the agreement type.
"Even if you don't ever see him again... I think for your own well-being you should speak to him."
Julian set his jaw. "That’s easier said than done, sweetness."
"But is he going to leave you alone if you keep ignoring him…?"
"You don't talk to your dad, so why should I talk to mine?
" he snapped, but instantly regretted it.
"Sorry. I'm sorry, Annie. That wasn’t fair.
It's just frustrating." For extra measure he threw in another, "I'm sorry for lashing out. I’m sorry. I just don’t make a point to go to circuses and then act shocked when there’s clowns there– not my circus, and not my monkeys. "
Annie reached across the table and squeezed his hand.
"I know it's frustrating. My dad pretends I don’t exist, is the thing. I don’t have to deal with him like you do yours.
Now, I’m not saying here at all you should be lucky he’s trying to have a relationship with you.
Just that he’s going to keep trying to get your attention whether you like it or not.
And that’s stressing you out. You don't have to like him or be around him.
But if you can maybe take advantage of the fact he wants to talk to get some closure–"
“I don’t need closure from him.” Julian patted her hand, scooted out from the booth, and stood up. “Gonna light a fire under Ellie.”
“Oh, uh… okay…”
Luckily, the back of the house wasn’t in Clive’s direct line of vision.
He didn't need to give the man yet another opportunity to apologize. It wouldn’t bring his mom back to life– his presence as it was only brought her back from the land of death and decay.
He’d already gotten his own closure… hadn’t he?
Wasn’t it enough that he never wanted to see Clive again?
That he’d cleaned himself up? Had a nice future to look forward to?
Forgiven himself for not being there more for his mom?
"Just like old times! Say hello to the old man, Julian!”
The exclamation from someone at the old folks’ table made Julian freeze halfway to the kitchen. The entire restaurant gawked. The thought of buckling, grinding metal entered Julian’s mind as his father twisted in his booth and looked, too.
A hot wave of distaste, hate, and disgust rolled over Julian.
Distaste at seeing his father on a day of celebration.
Hate for the old wretch who’d ratted out his presence.
And disgust towards himself for getting caught literally slinking behind Clive’s back.
The silence in the room woulda been deafening if not for the muffled clatter of dishes in the kitchen.
He scowled at the old folks table, his face and ears going hot.
Always target number one for all town gossip.
Teagan returned to the dining room with an order pad, took one look at the crowd, and gave Julian a look as he walked past– a look Julian barely acknowledged as he glared daggers at Clive .
The old man gave him a single nod.
Julian’s hands balled into fists.
In the nick of time, someone pulled on his arm. “Sweetie, umm, we’re gonna go calm down,” Annie hissed, steering him towards the back of the restaurant. They sailed through the swinging employee door.
“Ellie!” Annie called.
Surprised, Ellie looked up from the steaming flat top where she was cooking their lunches. “What’s going on?”
Julian ground his teeth as Annie answered for him.
“His dad is here.”
Ellie shook her head and closed her eyes.
“We’d like our food to go,” Julian said.
Nodding, Ellie flipped the burger patties and laid a slice of cheese down on both.
When Julian’s hands began to shake, he crossed his arms over his chest. After the last couple months, he’d forgotten just how nosey and nasty folks of Northgold could be. In fact, he’d begun to feel at home again. Now, he felt stupid that he’d deluded himself into thinking such things.
“You know.” Annie touched his arm. “Something my therapist said once was that sometimes when someone can’t rest their mind, it’s because some person or situation feels unacceptable to us.
And getting back to serenity means accepting what’s happened as being what’s supposed to be at that moment.
” She paused, biting her thumbnail. “Withholding love and masking it with hate doesn’t help anyone. ”
Julian’s stomach churned. He sucked in a sharp breath and whispered. “I don’t know, Annie. I definitely don’t love that bastard. ”