Oh Lord.
I ignored the reunion planning and went to Bea first. “Hey Bea.”
Kate and Gary let her go and Bea walked into my arms. I gave her a hug and she gave me one back. When she did, I forgot the current drama and felt Tim’s Mom’s arms around me. They’d been around me before, hundreds of times through laughter, through tears and just because. My eyes stung as the memories assailed me and I pulled her closer.
“Honey,” she whispered.
“I’m okay,” I whispered back but my voice was hoarse.
I didn’t let her go and shoved my face in her neck, smelling her perfume, the same scent she wore since forever, and the tears spilled over.
“Oh, my precious girl,” Bea murmured.
“Missed you so much,” I choked.
“Me too, sweetie.”
I pulled my head away and looked at her to see tears in her eyes and I shook my head and laughed, not because it was funny, just because it was so us.
“We’re the pair, aren’t we?” I asked.
She smiled at me and I felt Gary get close.
“Lemme have a bit of that,” Gary demanded, Bea let me go and turned me into Gary’s arms.
“Hey Dad,” I said into his ear.
“Hey there, my beautiful flower.”
His words, words he meant, words I liked, words said so often to me, made me choke again and I shoved my face in his neck. He held tight until I pulled in a steady breath then he let me go and turned us to the rest of the gang. Kate, Keira, Bea and even Theresa had wet eyes. Vinnie was studying his shoes. Joe’s eyes were on me.
Gary’s gaze went to Joe.
“This your new fella?” Gary asked, his voice studiously friendly.
Before I could answer, Keira did. “Yeah, Gramps, that’s Joe. He’s the bomb.”
Gary gave his granddaughter a small smile that I could see he didn’t fully commit to and then he let me go and offered his hand to Joe.
“Joe, I’m Gary.”
Joe took his hand and said, “Pleasure.”
They dropped hands and Gary looked Joe up and down. “Pam didn’t lie, you’re a big guy.”
“Yep,” Joe agreed and said nothing else for this was true, Joe was a big guy.
Gary turned and pulled Bea to his side. “My wife, Bea.”
Joe pulled me to his side as he dipped his chin to Bea and murmured, “Bea.”
“Am I gonna get a kiss or what?” Theresa demanded to know, getting impatient and butting in. Then she bustled up and grabbed Joe’s face, yanking it down to hers, kissing his cheek then his other cheek then back before letting him go and coming to me to do the same thing. When she jerked my head around I understood why Joe didn’t protest. She was jerking my head around, sure, but the affectionate way she did it felt good.
“Cal, son.” Vinnie shoved in, giving Joe a back pounding hug then he turned to me and whispered, “Cara mia,” then he gave me a tight hug, released me and turned to Bea and Gary and asked, “So, momentous occasion, you meetin’ your daughter’s new man.”
“Um… Vinnie,” I said, “these aren’t my parents. They’re Tim’s parents.”
“Tim?” Vinnie asked me.
“My husband,” Vinnie’s eyes got big and I finished quickly, “he died just under two years ago.”
I could swear Vinnie’s face grew knowing and he looked at Joe.
Before I could assess what Vinnie’s knowing look meant, Vinnie said, “Right,” clapped his hands and finished in a booming voice, including Bea and Gary in his announcement, “family’s family, always is, always will be, thank God. Now, I need coffee. We been on the road since six and road coffee is shit.” He leaned into Bea, who leaned back as he said, “Pardon my French.”
Theresa slapped him on the arm and snapped, “Vinnie, the girls. They don’t need to hear your foul mouth.”
“That’s okay, Aunt Theresa, Joe cusses all the time and he says much worse stuff, like the f-word and the c-word.” Keira, doing her best to make Vinnie and Theresa feel better, threw Joe right under the bus.
I groaned because Bea, nor Gary, would shine their light on Joe cursing in front of the girls. The f-word, Gary would accept on occasion, but not in front of the girls. Never Bea, she went to church every Sunday and taught Sunday school for thirty years. The c-word for both, never, ever. Tim didn’t shy away from swearing but he never did it in front of his Mom or the girls and I wasn’t certain I’d ever heard Tim use the c-word.
Joe slid his arm around my shoulders and pulled me to his side. I looked up at him and he definitely looked like he was fighting back laughter now.
I couldn’t see what was funny.
Joe looked down at me, squeezed my shoulder and prompted, “Coffee, buddy.”
“Right,” I whispered, Joe turned me and we led the way to the house.
“Gram, this is my new dog, Mooch,” I heard Keira announce and then I heard Mooch yap his hello.
“He’s cute, honey,” Bea replied quietly.
We hit the house and the minute we did, Joe turned Dad.
“Keira, babe, show Theresa and Vinnie around. Katy, help your Mom with coffee. Yeah?” Joe ordered.
“Sure, Joe,” Kate smiled at him and skipped to the kitchen.
“No probs, big man,” Keira stated on a grin. She dropped Mooch and linked her arms with Vinnie and Theresa, tugging them through the living room into the hall.
I was staring at my youngest daughter, thinking, Big man?
Then I looked at Gary and Bea whose heads were swinging back at forth between the girls.
“Why don’t you guys sit?” I suggested. “Coffee’s fresh. Joe brewed a pot not ten minutes ago.”
Gary started then looked at me. “That’d be fine, Vi.”
Bea looked up at Gary. “I need to get my pie out of the cooler, hon.”
“Yeah,” Gary muttered, “right.”
“Pie?” Kate asked from the kitchen where she was taking down mugs.
“I, uh… made, um… Joe here a chocolate cream pie,” Bea answered shyly.
“Killer!” Kate shrieked then screamed, “Keirry, Gramma made Joe a chocolate cream pie!”
“No way!” Keira’s voice shouted from down the hall.
“Way!” Kate shouted back.
“Phenomenal!” Keira yelled.
I looked at Joe and explained, “Bea’s chocolate cream pie is really good.”
Joe’s mouth was twitching before he stated, “I’m gettin’ that.”
“I’ll go get it,” Gary muttered, his mouth also twitching which I hoped was a good sign.
I went to the kitchen. Joe moved to Bea.
“Sorry, Bea, didn’t know Vinnie and Theresa were comin’. You want, I’ll take ‘em somewhere, give you some time with Vi and the girls,” he offered, my stomach melted and Kate leaned into me, bumping me with her shoulder.
“I’m fine, Joe. It’ll be okay but… uh… thank you,” Bea said softly.
Joe wasn’t done. “They can get loud and in your business, it gets too much, just give me the sign, yeah?”
I was worried this was too honest. Being honest was, of course, Joe and it was also sweet but I didn’t want Bea to think I was telling tales out of school.
I held my breath and she looked up at him, not quite meeting his eyes then she lifted a hand. I thought she’d touch him but she dropped her hand and spoke.
“I’m sure it’ll be okay.”
“Right,” Joe muttered and Keira, Vinnie and Theresa came into the room, Keira playing tour guide.
“So this is the living room which comes complete with dining area and views of our sparkling kitchen which I cleaned.” She threw an arm out and sashayed around the room as if she was a paid model, showcasing a luxurious suite before she went on. “And next, you’ll see our fabulous study.”