The Milestone Tapes (36 page)

“Oh, honey, that’s wonderful!” Sophia smiled, taking a small sip of her cooling cocoa.

“I know, right? I was really hesitant. I kept having these visions of her being like some Wicked Witch of the West—literally—but she wasn’t … she was really, actually, very cool.”

“That’s great. Really great. Gabe deserves that,” Sophia nodded.

“Hey, Aunt Soph, did you ever ... you know ... date ... after your divorce?” Mia asked hesitantly.

“A little. Nothing ever became serious,” Sophia answered thoughtfully, running her finger over the rim of mug. “I am married to my business, and my boys take up a lot of time, those two halves equal my whole—I don’t need more than that. I dated ... still date ... casually, of course, and I enjoy that for what it was—the fun of it, the novelty of it. But, the relationship part of my life—that serious, love of my life, marriage and children and death do us part—that was over for me when Alex left.”

Mia understood, she had always figured her father felt much the same way after her mother died, until he mentioned Kris and brought her into Mia’s life.

“Did the boys ever meet any of your boyfriends?” Mia asked curiously, wondering how it worked for other people.

“Oh sure. Sometimes. When the guy would come to pick me up, the boys would be home with a babysitter,” Sophia grinned wistfully.

“And they were just cool with it? It never bothered them?”

“You have to remember, Mia, Alex remarried right away ... The boys were young, it seemed very normal to them for Alex and I to have other ... relationships, other people in our separate lives. It took some adjusting in the start, but by the time I got back out there, they were pretty stable with the fact they were loved no matter what.” Sophia nodded.

“Do you think Mom would want him to fall in love and get remarried?” Mia asked, curious to know what Sophia believed to be true.

“I think she would.” Sophia nodded, her lips turning down into a thoughtful frown. “She loved your father very, very much, they were best friends above and beyond all else. She wouldn’t want him alone for the rest of his life. She worried about him and hoped he’d be happy again someday.”

Mia bobbed her head in agreement. “Did you know about Kris?”

“Yes, I did.” Sophia raised her cup to her lips slowly.

Gabe and Sophia spoke often, about Mia and life and sometimes Jenna. Their once cool relationship had warmed up significantly, and they learned to lean on each other. They counted themselves as family, closely bound family, each the extension of what they had left.

“And you didn’t tell me!” Mia felt outrage bubble in chest, she always believed Sophia was honest with her and would tell her everything. This felt very much like a cruel deception.

“It wasn’t my place to tell you, sweetheart. Don’t be angry with me. That was between you and your father. I suggested, many times, really, that he tell you. But, he wanted to be sure Kris was … the right person ... before he brought her into your life. And not to mention, when they met, you were only like what? Thirteen?”

Mia strummed her fingers against the cool, dense stone. “I thought they were together for only like a year or something?”

“I think they were friends first.” Sophia shrugged lightly, tucking a corner of her bob behind her ear, a fat diamond stud sparkling in the low light of the kitchen. “He’s been very careful with you Mia.”

“I think they’re going to get married,” Mia concluded, looking at her aunt for a reaction, but she sat motionless, cryptic with stillness.

“And how would that make you feel?”

“I don’t know. I mean, yeah, I like her. She’s cool enough and she makes my dad happy. But, I like this life too—as it is, right here, in this home. I don’t want this to change.” Mia gestured wildly, grandly swooping her arms to show that her life, her home, were the things she wanted to keep intact.

“And you think any of this—all of this—would change?” Sophia asked quizzically.

“How could it not?” Mia asked, resting her chin hopelessly in her hands.

“Well, for starters, your Dad likes this place.” Sophia pointed out.

“But he loves her!” Mia protested, trying to show that the house, with it sweeping views and beautiful furnishings and comfortable spaces wouldn’t be enough to hold him.

“I think you’re jumping to conclusions. You need to talk to him about this before you go making yourself crazy over this, honey” Sophia shook her head slowly, patting Mia’s arm softly.

Sophia heaved herself off the stool. “I’m going to get changed. If the boys get too loud just yell at them.” She winked, walking slowly from the room.

~ * * * ~

Port Angeles was covered with a dusting of dazzlingly white snow as Christmas morning dawned. Gabe stood over the stove, bacon sizzling and popping under his watchful eye, a felted Santa’s hat sat on his head. Mia popped several sugar crusted muffins out of their pan and onto the special holiday platter they only used this time of year. Fruit was sliced and set out with the good silver servers and a tray of bagels with tubs of cream cheese set beside it.

Harlen was busy separating gifts, squealing over the bounty Santa had left for them all. Sophia had managed to coax Thomas and Caleb from their beds and was now stirring a spoonful of sugar around her coffee waiting, laughing gamely at Gabe’s Christmas get up.

“A Santa’s hat?” she snickered, dribbling cream into her steaming cup.

“It’s tradition, have some respect,” Gabe laughed, soaking the grease off the bacon with a festive paper towel.

“Dad, the tables all set.” Mia washed her hands in the sink and helped herself to a cup of coffee.

“Since when are you a coffee drinker?” Gabe asked, eyeing Mia as she poured a bucket of sugar into her mug.

“Light and sweet,” she announced, sipping it, the grainy sludge slipping down her throat.

“Just like Jenna,” Sophia observed.

The room fell silent. Holidays were still hard without Jenna flitting around the house, singing Christmas carols off key and spiking the egg nog. She had loved Christmas, the rare type who enjoyed the crowds, the hustle and bustle, the wrapping and baking and celebrating. It was hard not to feel her absence today of all days.

Even when she had been sick, she still put together wonderful holidays. She’d deck the house out with fluffs of white manufactured snow, she’s hang beautiful blown glass globes from the tree in festive colors. And of course, place the red felted hat on Gabe’s head for good measure. It was harder as the disease progressed, but she never let the importance and wonder of season slip by uncelebrated.

“Should we eat?” Mia offered, breaking the uncomfortable silence by reaching for a fat muffin.

“Sure,” Gabe smiled weakly, moving the platter of crispy bacon to the center of the table, pulling out a chair and settling in.

“Have you heard from Kris?” Mia asked conversationally, taking a healthy bite of the white chocolate blackberry muffin still piping hot in the middle.

“I did, she landed late last night. She said it’s warm there and not very Christmasy if you need snow to set the scene.” Gabe piled his plate with bacon and bagels smeared with cream cheese and golden raspberry jam.

“She had a safe flight?” Sophia asked biting down on her own bagel.

“Yes, a little snow delay in Chicago, but no big deal.”

“Hey, hey boys? We’re going to be opening presents after breakfast ... so don’t get sucked into those games, okay?” Sophia grabbed the back of Caleb’s shirt mid stride and rolled her eyes. Carrying heavy plates of food they were descending into the basement.

“Mom,” Caleb whined, twisting away from her hold.

“I’m just saying ... I don’t want to hear any of that ‘one minute, mom’ stuff this morning ... no ‘let us just finish this level …’ It’s Christmas, okay?”

“Got it,” he called back, trudging down the stairs, the TV was already blasting the start up song for whatever mass murder, hunt and destroy game they were playing.

“Boys.” Sophia rolled her eyes again, shrugging her shoulders.

~ * * * ~

The family dissolved into a mess of torn wrapping paper and piles of boxes. Laughter bounced off the wall as everyone was busy trying on clothes, holding up gifts and smiling for posed pictures.

“Honey, this is for you ... from Kris.” Gabe held out a large square box for Mia.

“Really?” Mia asked, taking the heavy present in her hands, carefully pulling back the paper. “Oh my God, really? Wow! This is so cool!” Mia held up the expensive, obviously professional, camera for everyone to see. “Dad, this is great! I should call Kris and thank her ... Wow!”

“She thought you’d enjoy it,” Gabe said smiling, gathering wads of discarded paper and shoving deep in a trash bag.

“I can’t wait to use it!” Mia beamed, opening the box and looking at the confusing, thick manual.

“Kris said she’d show you all the tricks and stuff when she comes up next weekend.”

“She’s coming? Next weekend?” Mia asked, still distracted by the tiny print.

“Yes, hon. We discussed this, remember? I figured you’d want to show her the ropes here,” Gabe gently reminded her.

“Sure, cool.” Mia replaced the manual, latching the box. She reached for the last present, her gift from Bryan.

“What’s that, doll?” Sophia asked

“It’s from Bryan, he left it for me before he went to see his grandparents.”

“That was very thoughtful of him,” Sophia commented, glancing at Gabe with appreciation.

Mia carefully undid the wrapping and lifted the lid on the tiny red velvet jewelry box. Inside, nestled on a bed of creamy raw silk, lay a beautiful necklace. Emerald green and ocean blue stones bezeled in hammered silver twinkled under the light of the Christmas tree. A thickly knotted silver chain traced its way behind the bedding, coiled at the bottom of the box.

“Wow.” Mia undid the bindings and lifted the necklace up to look at it more closely. The stones were cut in all shapes and of various sizes, pears and cushions, princess and ovals all danced together creating an intricate web.

“That’s beautiful,” Sophia gasped, letting a low whistle of appreciate escape.

“That’s very nice.” Gabe admired the pretty pendant that swung from Mia’s hand, catching the light.

“He must really like you,” Sophia observed.

“Yeah.” Mia felt the heavy, observant eyes on her and she flushed instantly.

“Oh honey, don’t blush!” Sophia laughed. “That’s a great thing, and that’s a lovely necklace.”

“Mia?” Gabe asked called to her as he walked towards the kitchen. “Can you meet me in my office for a minute? I want to talk to you.”

Mia paused her movie and followed him into the office.

The room glowed from the light of two drafting lamps, and Gabe had a beer dripping on the lacquered plane of the his desk. His legs were stretched, with his hands casually resting behind his head.

“Hey Dad, what’s up?” Mia crossed the distance and sat, folding her legs under herself in the overstuffed leather wing chair across from him.

“I wanted to talk you about Kris ... and about us, as in, you and I.” He paused briefly before continuing.

“I promised you that if anything changed, I would talk to you first, and that’s why I called you in here. I want to ask Kris to marry me.”

Mia’s mouth popped open in an audible “oh” and she felt the wind rush from her lungs.

“I know this feels sudden to you kiddo, but for Kris and I ... it’s the natural progression of things. I love her, Mia and I want her to be my wife.”

“Dad... ” Mia began, but Gabe held up his hand stopping her.

“I want you to realize something ... I need you to know ... I still love your mom. She was the love of my life, she was my best friend. I never ever thought I could fell for someone else what I felt for her. I didn’t think it was possible that twice in life I could be that lucky. But Kris is ... she’s an amazing woman. And most important of all, she makes me happy.” He leaned back again, giving Mia the floor.

“I don’t know what to say, I have to think about this ... ” Mia began slowly, thinking of all the fears and questions and concerns she’d calculated over the past few weeks.

“Mia, honey, this wasn’t a committee vote ... I’m asking her to marry me,” Gabe leveled with her. “I would like your blessing, but if not that, than at least your understanding.”

Mia nodded, climbing out of the chair and walking across the room towards the door. Sophia was in the kitchen, battering chicken cutlets.

“Hiya honey, everything okay?” she asked over her shoulder, dipping another tender in her buttermilk way.

“Dad’s marrying Kris,” Mia answered numbly.

“What?” Sophia spun on her heels to face Mia, her face creased with confusion.

“Yep, just told me,” Mia glanced over her shoulder towards the office door that was now closed, tucking her father way.

“Wow, well, maybe that’s a good thing honey,” Sophia tried to force a smile.