Bless Us Father (35 page)

Leaning against the chair, she let her thoughts drift back to the events following the court settlement. She and Javier had become good friends in the past year. He was the first man in her life that she really trusted not to hurt her. He didn’t want a romantic relationship right now and neither did she, but that didn’t stop them from going out. They went to movies and dinner together, and out dancing once in awhile when Javier felt energetic enough. Javier had even adopted her two big dogs, Rex and Reina, when she sold her property in Hemet and moved to a house with a much smaller yard.

It had taken Maggie a few months to make the decision to move to a senior community where she would be surrounded by other people, but once she had, she was glad she did. She enjoyed the activities in the clubhouse, and had gotten to know quite a few women in the neighborhood, too. They held pot lucks and played cards together, and she was even taking line dancing lessons with them.

Maggie heard a car door slam, picked up her book and tea and went inside the house to answer the front door.

“Hi Sweetie, how are you?” Maggie asked, kissing Kelly on the cheek. “What did you bring for dinner?”

“There’s a great new Italian place close to the winery, and I picked up some lasagna and antipasto salad. And I brought a bottle of the cabernet you like, too.”

“I’ve already set the table outside. It isn’t too cool, is it?”

“Are you kidding?” Kelly said, laughing. “I’ve been roasting all day. I need to cool off.”

Maggie took one of the bags from Kelly and carried it out to the patio. She opened the salad container and took the bottle of wine out of the carry bag. She made no move to open it. Kelly was studying to be a wine Sommelier and was very picky about how bottles were opened, how long the wine should breathe, and how much to pour in each glass.

She watched as Kelly carefully cut around the rim of the wine bottle with the knife on the corkscrew, then lifted the circular piece of foil off. She then inserted the corkscrew into the cork and lifted it out in seconds.

“Oh, you’re good at that. It takes me at least five minutes to get a cork out,” Maggie said.

Kelly lifted the cork to her nose and sniffed it. A faint smile flickered, then her look became serious once more.

“Mom, where are your red wine glasses? These are for white wine.”

“I always forget. It tastes the same to me,” Maggie said, taking the wine glasses off the table and going to the kitchen for the proper ones.

“MOM! It does NOT taste the same. Red wine has to BREATHE!”

Maggie returned with the glasses and watched as Kelly poured the wine. It was a beautiful dark red color, almost purple, and looked crystal clear. The flame from the candle on the table was reflected in the glass.

“Ah, this is good,” Maggie said after taking a sip and swishing it around in her mouth like Kelly had taught her to do. She set the glass back down on the table and looked Kelly in the eye.

“Do you want to tell me why you insisted we get together tonight now or after we eat?” Maggie asked.

“I don’t know what you mean,” Kelly replied.

“Oh yes you do, Kelly. Today is Thursday. You never come over during the week. What’s up?”

Kelly wiped her mouth with her napkin and reached into the tote bag she’d placed on the patio next to her chair. “I printed something off the internet that I thought you should see. You probably haven’t watched the news today, have you?”

Maggie read the printout Kelly handed her. It was an article by Gillian Flaccus, Associated Press Writer, reporting on a recent development in the priest cases. Apparently, a retired judge who had been selected to review the priests’ files, had recused himself from the cases. It meant that priest personnel files would not be made public, and until they were, evidence that there had been criminal wrongdoing by church leaders would remain hidden. One plaintiff, Esther Miller, said, “Many of us survivors went to litigation to produce the documents. People want to move on and heal and they still have our feet to the fire. The money did nothing. It just pays for expensive therapy sessions.”

Once Maggie finished reading, she handed it back to Kelly without comment and resumed eating her lasagna.

“Mom? What do you think?” Kelly asked.

Maggie sighed and put down her fork. “I think it no longer matters to me what happens with these cases. I don’t feel the same way that woman, Esther Miller, does.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Oh Kelly, I’m sure you don’t, and I don’t know if I can explain it to you well enough for you to understand.”

“Just try, Mom. I’ll listen really carefully.”

Maggie took a large drink of wine as she looked out over the desert and watched the colors fade on the distant mountains as the sun set.

“This last year has been one of the most peaceful of my life. A huge weight was lifted from me when I got back from Los Angeles following the settlement hearings. I felt vindicated for once, and like I’d been given a second chance at life. My money worries are over. I can help you get established in life. I’m finally able to enjoy being with people again. And, I love living here in my new community and having you so close by, too. I don’t want to think about all that other stuff. Let someone else worry about it. I’ve had my closure.”

“Are you sure, Mom? Are you positive it won’t come back to haunt you?”

“I’m still seeing the therapist, but even she says she thinks we’ve worked through it all. I won’t stop going to her though. I’ll make sure she keeps me tuned up. Besides, reading this article didn’t bring up any bad feelings for me, so I’d say I’m doing pretty well.”

“I’m so relieved,” Kelly said. “I’m kind of sorry I even brought it up.”

“Don’t be,” Maggie said, reaching across the table and squeezing her daughter’s arm. “I’d rather hear about this from you,” she pointed to the article, “and not on the news or from a stranger. But really, it doesn’t matter anymore. Now, tell me what’s going on in your life.”

“I will, but first I want to know about Javier. How are you two getting along? Are you still seeing each other?” Kelly asked.

“If you mean are we still friends, then yes, we are. We go out at least once a week. He’s busy most of the time with his fruit trees and animals on his little rancho.”

“Do you think there’s a future for you?”

Maggie laughed. “This is our future. We’re two old people that go out to dinner once in awhile. I like being in my little house, and he likes playing farmer. We’re doing just fine.”

“Mom, you’re not that old.”

“I feel like I am. I’m weary down to my bones.” Maggie poured both of them another glass of wine. “Enough about me. Let’s talk about you.”

“Well, I’m just about finished with my sommelier training, then I have to take the certification exam. I haven’t decided yet whether to stay and work at the winery, or look for a job in an upscale restaurant.”

“What do you see yourself doing long term?” Maggie asked.

“You’re not going to believe it,” Kelly said, smiling mysteriously.

“Try me.”

“I want to own a winery here in the Temecula Valley. That’s my dream,” Kelly said, her voice barely audible. “I want to get married and have babies, too, but if I owned my own winery and lived right there, I could do it all.”

Maggie looked at her beautiful daughter, who had her whole life in front of her. “It’s hard to do it all, honey.”

“I know, Mom. But you did it all, and you didn’t even have a husband to help you. You did a great job, too.”

“I did?” Maggie asked, incredulous.

“Of course you did. Why are you surprised? Look at how well I turned out,” Kelly said, laughing.

“Yeah, you turned out pretty darned good.” The edges of Maggie’s mouth turned up in a smile. “Are you formulating any plans on how you’re going to accomplish all of this?”

The mysterious smile returned to Kelly’s face. “Well, I have looked at a small winery that’s for sale. And I’ve met someone, too. Someone who also wants to go into the wine business. We’ve been dating about three months.”

“Why haven’t I heard anything about this before now?” Maggie asked.

“Oh, Mom, I wanted to make sure it was going to work before I told you. It hasn’t been very long. It isn’t like I’ve been keeping a secret or something.”

“And just who is this young man?” Maggie asked.

Kelly hesitated briefly. “I think you might know him. His name is Jessie...Jessie Lopez.”

Maggie’s mouth dropped open. “The only Jessie Lopez I know is....”

“That’s right, Mom. Jessie is Javier’s son.”

The road that is built in hope is more pleasant to the traveler than the road built in despair, even though they both lead to the same destination.

-Marian Zimmer Bradley-

CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

January 31, 2009

“You see the column in Los Angeles Times Thursday?” Javier asked. “The one where they say Mahony being investigated for moving priest around to many parishes instead of kicking them out of the priesthood?”

“Yes, I saw it,” Maggie said, reaching to pick up her purse from the kitchen chair. “Let’s go. We have to meet the kids at the winery.”

“Wait just a minute. I think it all over, then things still happen. Don it bother you?”

Maggie put the purse back down and looked at Javier. “It’s never over. It will never really be over. These things have happened since the beginning of time and they’ll continue to happen, though hopefully not as often now that people are aware. And no, it doesn’t bother me anymore.”

“But why? How can it not bother you?”

“We did our part, Javier. You and I suffered for all those years, then we fought in court and won. It’s an ongoing war, but others need to continue the fight now. I’m tired, and so are you. And we deserve to live the rest of our lives in peace.”

“You wise, Maggie,” Javier said, smiling now. “You very wise woman. I think I like live here in your little guest house.”

Maggie smiled back at him. “I like having you nearby, too. Do you miss your ranch?”

“No. I too much tired from work all the time. The doctor, he say I have to take it more easy now, too. Besides, the kids, they need the money for the winery.”

“How about the dogs? Are you going to miss not having them around?”

Javier’s old German Shepherds had died in the past year, but he still had Maggie’s two Rottweilers, Rex and Reina.

“No. They will like live at the winery with Jessie and Kelly. They will be how you say? Greeters?”

“That’s what they’ll be all right. They used to be watch dogs, but after you took them in they turned into wimps,” Maggie said.

“I don’t like mean dogs. I like friendly dog, like Sadie here,” Javier said, reaching down to pat the little brown and white spaniel. “Maybe I get me a leetle one like Sadie.”

Maggie glanced at her watch. “We’d better go. They said they had a surprise for us. We don’t want to be late.”

Javier insisted on driving his pickup truck, despite Maggie’s protests. She didn’t like having to hoist herself up into the truck, especially since he’d insisted on putting the oversized tires on. She decided to humor him today, so she climbed aboard, grabbing the hand strap just above the door to help herself in.

They drove the few miles to the winery they’d help their children purchase. When they’d bought it, it was in a state of disrepair and Maggie had wondered if they’d ever be able to get it back to the jewel it once was.

Jessie and Kelly had been working night and day to renovate and modernize the winery before the grand opening in three months. They hadn’t allowed Javier and Maggie to come visit to check on progress for the past two weeks, telling them they were doing something special and didn’t want the surprise to be ruined.

As they turned off the paved road highway and onto the gravel drive that led up a hill to the wine tasting room and little house, Maggie and Javier noticed a new wrought iron arch was standing over the road leading up the drive. A large canvas tarp was tied around something on the top of the arch.

“I wonder what they’re hiding under that tarp,” Maggie commented as they drove under the arch. “I’ll bet it’s a sign and they don’t want us to see the name they chose yet.”

“I think maybe you right,” Javier said as he slowed the truck to approach the winery. “They keep very quiet about everything the last weeks.”

Rex and Reina barked then rushed out to greet them as they parked in the lot outside the tasting room.

Maggie lowered herself down out of the truck cab as the dogs wagged their tailless Rottweiler behinds rapidly side to side while winding around her legs.

“Get back before you knock me down, you big lugs,” she said while patting them on their heads and trying to push them away.

Hearing the commotion, Jessie and Kelly came out from the wine room.

“We’ve been waiting. Come in,” Kelly said. “We have a lot to show you.”

They entered the tasting room and found it transformed into a welcoming, warm and lively place. The formerly drab walls were now painted a deep rustic yellow that seemed to represent the sun. Adorning the walls were framed canvases with Tuscan country scenes.