Ch83 Odd How it Works Out

“Hey, kids, homework done yet?” Wendy said, before getting to Cindy’s bedroom door. 

Good thing she did, too, because Stevie had been kissing Cindy. As it was, he had to let go of her hand and move slightly away from her.

“Yeah, I think she’s got it now,” he said, looking adorably guilty as he stood up.

“Really good of you, Stevie, to help Cindy as much as you do,” Donny said, completely oblivious to the potent undertone in the room.

“He is a very good boy. I am allowed to say it even if I am his mother, right?” Wendy said.

“Yeah, I think so,” Donny replied, grinning.

“Can we go now, Mom?” Stevie said, a scowl on his face as he watched his mom with this smiling duffus practically drooling all over her.

“Sure, Honey,” she replied and she turned and left the room, Donny right behind her.

““You’ll have to come during the day so I can show you Margarita’s gardens and Wes’ tree house,” Donny said as they descended the stairs.

“Tomorrow soon enough?” she said.

“Soon enough for what?” Janet asked, looking up at them as they came down the steps.

“My goodness, I have nosy children,” Wendy said. “If you must know, I’m giving this poor man a cooking lesson.”

“You’re kidding!” Wes shouted.

“That’s what I said, but she won’t listen,” Donny said. “Your sweet mother actually believes she’ll be successful, Janet. Don’t have the heart to tell her she’s doomed to failure.”

Wendy laughed. “Oh, hush! I’m a very good teacher, you’ll see. Look how well Janet has learned.”

“Well, you do have a point there,” Donny said, putting his arm around Janet and giving her a half hug. “You have done wonders with this precious girl, but I’m an old dog and you know what they say.”

“Pfft! I don’t believe that at all,” Wendy scoffed. “Come over for breakfast again and we’ll start there.”

Wes and Janet exchanged worried looks.

“Mom, don’t you have stuff to do before you go to work?” Janet asked anxiously.

"I don't work tomorrow," she replied.

"But...uh...you always have so much to do on...Wednesdays," Janet said.

“True, “ Wendy replied thoughtfully. “Better I meet you here, Donny, and we’ll do some shopping together. That way I kill two birds with one stone and cook both of them with one oven.”

Donny burst out laughing. “It’s a date then, and God help you. I’m not going to make this easy, you know.”

“We’ll see about that. Good Night, Donny. See you all at breakfast. I’m thinking crepes, but we’ll see,” she replied, going to Wes and kissing him on the cheek. “Thanks for taking such good care of my Janet, Wes.”

“No problem, Ms. Meadows,” he mumbled, giving Janet a panicked look.

“Where is Stevie? I thought he was right behind us?” Wendy said, looking up the stairs. “Stevie, we’re leaving!”

He came barreling down the steps just then, grabbed his mother by the arm and shouted, “See ya at School, Cindy!” then dragged Wendy to the car.

“What in the world is up with you?” Wendy said, buckling her seat belt.

“I wanna get home. I’m tired,” he said.

“Then you shouldn’t have stayed so long pretending to do homework with Cindy.”

“I…we weren’t pretending!”

“Hmm, just take it easy, okay?” Wendy said.

“Like you?” he snapped.

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing,” he gruffly replied.

“Oh, no, that’s not nothing. Out with it now, Stevie, or I stop the car right now until you say what’s on your mind.”

Stevie struggled for a minute then blurted it all out. “You…you shouldn’t flirt with Mr. Sebastian. Dad won’t like it,” he said.

“I’m not flirting with him!”

“It kinda looks like it, Mom,” Janet piped it from the back seat.

Wendy stared at her in the rear-view mirror. “Oh, I see. I have to live like a hermit in order to please everyone else except for myself. Is that it?”

“You’re hardly a hermit, Mom,” Janet said. “You work, you go shopping and you go out with friends.”

“Yes, I do, and this is nothing more than the same.”

“Mr. Sebastian called it a date, Mom,” Janet said. “He might think…”

“It’s just an expression. Donny and I are friends and nothing more. I know I’m still married. It was your father who chose to forget,” Wendy snapped. She instantly regretted her words. “I’m sorry. I…I didn’t mean that, but you have to realize we’re separated now and that’s not changing any time soon, so...”

“Why not?” Stevie whined. “Dad’s sorry. Whatever he did, he’s sorry. He wants to come back home.”

Infinitely grateful to be back home, Wendy pulled into the driveway and shut off the car. “I simply can’t, Stevie. I’m not ready to forgive him. I need time.”

“How much more time? It’s been three months!”

“As long as it takes. It's not so easy as you think.”

“Yeah, sure,” Stevie said, angrily opening the door and jumping out. “You need time to spend with other men, while Dad’s stuck at a stinking beach house all by himself.” He slammed the car door and ran to the house, where he slammed that door, too.

“Stevie!” Wendy bit her lip and she watched him go, tears welling in her eyes. “Sure, blame me, why don’t you?”

“No one blames you for what happened, Mom. It wasn’t your fault,” Janet gently said patting her mother on the shoulder before she got out of the car. “But maybe it wasn’t Dad’s fault either.”

“And what’s that supposed to mean?” Wendy said, stepping out of the car.

“I don’t know exactly…not yet, but I’m gonna find out. Good night, Mom,” Janet said, kissing her mother on the cheek and for good measure embracing her for a second. “Love you.”

Wendy stared in astonishment as Janet went up the steps, opened the door and stepped inside. 

“What the heck’s going on?” Wendy mumbled to herself.

*******

“Ready for some exciting food shopping? I know I am,” Wendy said, putting dishes in the dishwasher. 

“Hmm. Exciting is not what I associate with shopping of any sort, but especially food shopping,” Donny said, putting down his coffee cup.

The kids had only just gone off to school after another breakfast, although a more quiet one. Wendy had forced herself to be more subdued than her usual self and still she couldn’t help noticing how surly Stevie was this morning and how often Janet and Wes seemed to be watching the interaction between herself and Donny. 

She felt like a guppy in a fish bowl—one afraid to make a move lest she spill all the water and she end up breathless and flopping helplessly on the floor.

“You okay?” Donny asked. “You seem a little down today. Anything I can do to help?”

She looked at him and smiled. “Yes, you can get my mind off things.”

“Oh, yeah? How do I do that?” he asked.

She shrugged. “You always manage to without trying, so…keep doing that… whatever that is.”

He laughed. “Sounds easy enough.”

And really, it was. Wendy felt quite at ease with Donny. There was no pressure of any sort.

“Okay, so first thing is what is your favorite meal in the entire world?” Wendy asked getting a shopping cart for herself and indicating he should do the same. 

“I’ll never be able to make that, so forget it,” he answered.

“Oh, ye of little faith,” she said. “Just tell me. Let me worry about teaching you, okay?”

He sighed. “Shredded beef enchiladas, with yellow rice, refried beans, homemade salsa and jicama salad. It’s Maggie’s specialty and it was fantastic. There’s no way I’ll be able to duplicate it,” he said.

“With Flan for dessert, no doubt? Sounds doable,” she replied.

"Oh sure, " Donny  said. 

He followed her down each aisle and allowed her to toss this and that into his cart without questioning her. With his cart near overflowing, he shook his head in wonder.

“You’re insane,” he muttered, when they went to the checkout line.

“That does help,” she said. 

 “We’ll never be able to use all this food.”

“You will. You’ll see. Margarita’s Specialty will live on and some other of your and your kids’ favorites and you’ll thank me for the effort.”

“I thank you now. I haven’t had this much fun in the whole of the  past three years than what I’ve had in the three days I’ve known you,” Donny said, grinning at her.

She smiled, too. “Same here, Mister,” she replied.

Odd how that works out, isn’t it?