did.” He winkedat her. “And I got her.”
“I’ll think about it. Thanks for the advice, Lukasz.”
After the pep talk, they headed inside to find Luke’s two girls wrestling with Tommy and Ben in the family room. Luke got right in the middle of it, so the four kids turned on him
.
Paulina went to the dining room, where she found her sisters and…well, when did
he
get here?
Nia leaned over. “He came whileyou were outside.
Matka
invited him for dessert.”
“Huh.”
Gerald Callahan sat close to
Matka
, who’d dressed in a pretty skirt and blouse tonight. For him? Paulina watched as Callahan touched her hand when they spoke to each other. Then he noticed Paulina. “Here’s Paulina. Who won the basketball game?”
“Hello, Gerald. We were just shooting baskets.”
“I would’ve won if it was a game,”Luke called out from the family room.
“How quickly they forget.” She’d beaten Luke many times.
“Nice to see you again.”
“You, too, Gerald.” Tonight, and the first time she’d met him, she’d thought he looked familiar. Tall, thin, with graying hair that had a lot of dark in it, he was handsome.
“Do I have egg on my face? Something in my teeth?” His tone was teasing.
“Sorry forstaring. But you remind me of someone.”
“That movie star you’re probably too young to remember, Richard Crenna.” This from
Matka
. “I finally figured it out.”
Somewhat battered, Luke entered the dining room. Held out his hand. “I’m Luke.” He gestured to his sisters. "The thorn among these beautiful flowers.”
“Luke. Nice to meet you.”
Sitting down, Luke glanced at Paulina. He winkedat her. “So, Gerald, fill me in on yourself. Who are you, and what are your intentions with my mother?”
Matka
blushed and everyone else laughed out loud. It was about time Luke picked on somebody besides his sisters, but poor Gerald
.
“I recently retired from my software firm and left my sons in charge,” Gerald told him. “I just brought a place in Hampton Bays but still have an apartmentin the city. I’m sixty years old.”
Paulina thought,
Talk about different worlds.
“And,” he added as he slid his arm around
Matka
, “My intentions toward your mother are forming as we speak.”
oOo
After Gerald left and the kids were settled in bed, Nia excused herself from Sofia, Luke,
Matka
and Paulie and went to her room. She was sad and she knew why. Everybody but herwas moving on. Even her mother. Truth be told, Nia thought
that
had been too long in coming.
Matka
had dedicated herself to her children, more so after their dad died. Just like Nia herself. Was she, too, going to wait twenty-five years to change her life, make it better?
Thoughts of Peter intruded. On their wedding night…
I love you so much, Nia. You’re my whole world.
Unlike Paulie,she’d wanted to wait until they were married to make love. Peter had agreed, of course, as always, recognizing her shyness, her introversion. But along the way, he’d laughingly coaxed her into clothes off and some hot petting while they were still in high school, which she’d enjoyed. Now she wished she’d slept with him at sixteen, as Paulie had done with Donnie.
She stared at herself in themirror. “You’re an idiot. These kinds of memories are only going to hold you back.”
What to do? Tonight, she felt as if she had to change
something.
Rising, moving to the computer, Nia sat down and called up an email address for Vince Davidson, the man who owned an electrical firm. He’d been nice to her in all their dealings and at the game, too. Gritting her teeth, she went into her workaddress book and got his contact information. She opened a new email. “Hi, Vince,” she wrote. “Any interest in a date if I’ve changed my mind?” Without rereading it, she moved her cursor to send.
She stared at the blinking cursor. Closed her eyes
.
And when she opened them, she pressed delete
.
Raising her gaze to the ceiling, she said, “Give me
“I’ll think about it. Thanks for the advice, Lukasz.”
After the pep talk, they headed inside to find Luke’s two girls wrestling with Tommy and Ben in the family room. Luke got right in the middle of it, so the four kids turned on him
.
Paulina went to the dining room, where she found her sisters and…well, when did
he
get here?
Nia leaned over. “He came whileyou were outside.
Matka
invited him for dessert.”
“Huh.”
Gerald Callahan sat close to
Matka
, who’d dressed in a pretty skirt and blouse tonight. For him? Paulina watched as Callahan touched her hand when they spoke to each other. Then he noticed Paulina. “Here’s Paulina. Who won the basketball game?”
“Hello, Gerald. We were just shooting baskets.”
“I would’ve won if it was a game,”Luke called out from the family room.
“How quickly they forget.” She’d beaten Luke many times.
“Nice to see you again.”
“You, too, Gerald.” Tonight, and the first time she’d met him, she’d thought he looked familiar. Tall, thin, with graying hair that had a lot of dark in it, he was handsome.
“Do I have egg on my face? Something in my teeth?” His tone was teasing.
“Sorry forstaring. But you remind me of someone.”
“That movie star you’re probably too young to remember, Richard Crenna.” This from
Matka
. “I finally figured it out.”
Somewhat battered, Luke entered the dining room. Held out his hand. “I’m Luke.” He gestured to his sisters. "The thorn among these beautiful flowers.”
“Luke. Nice to meet you.”
Sitting down, Luke glanced at Paulina. He winkedat her. “So, Gerald, fill me in on yourself. Who are you, and what are your intentions with my mother?”
Matka
blushed and everyone else laughed out loud. It was about time Luke picked on somebody besides his sisters, but poor Gerald
.
“I recently retired from my software firm and left my sons in charge,” Gerald told him. “I just brought a place in Hampton Bays but still have an apartmentin the city. I’m sixty years old.”
Paulina thought,
Talk about different worlds.
“And,” he added as he slid his arm around
Matka
, “My intentions toward your mother are forming as we speak.”
oOo
After Gerald left and the kids were settled in bed, Nia excused herself from Sofia, Luke,
Matka
and Paulie and went to her room. She was sad and she knew why. Everybody but herwas moving on. Even her mother. Truth be told, Nia thought
that
had been too long in coming.
Matka
had dedicated herself to her children, more so after their dad died. Just like Nia herself. Was she, too, going to wait twenty-five years to change her life, make it better?
Thoughts of Peter intruded. On their wedding night…
I love you so much, Nia. You’re my whole world.
Unlike Paulie,she’d wanted to wait until they were married to make love. Peter had agreed, of course, as always, recognizing her shyness, her introversion. But along the way, he’d laughingly coaxed her into clothes off and some hot petting while they were still in high school, which she’d enjoyed. Now she wished she’d slept with him at sixteen, as Paulie had done with Donnie.
She stared at herself in themirror. “You’re an idiot. These kinds of memories are only going to hold you back.”
What to do? Tonight, she felt as if she had to change
something.
Rising, moving to the computer, Nia sat down and called up an email address for Vince Davidson, the man who owned an electrical firm. He’d been nice to her in all their dealings and at the game, too. Gritting her teeth, she went into her workaddress book and got his contact information. She opened a new email. “Hi, Vince,” she wrote. “Any interest in a date if I’ve changed my mind?” Without rereading it, she moved her cursor to send.
She stared at the blinking cursor. Closed her eyes
.
And when she opened them, she pressed delete
.
Raising her gaze to the ceiling, she said, “Give me
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