Vi Agra Falls by Mary Daheim Page B

son, who shared the same birthday. Usually she invited some of Joe’s former police coworkers, a few of Mike’s current colleagues, and various family members and friends. But on this eighth day of August, Mike was turning forty. It didn’t seem possible to Judith. Where had all the years gone? It seemed like only yesterday that she was pushing his stroller along the ill-maintained sidewalks by the McMonigles’ seedy rental in the city’s south end. Or kissing him good-bye before she headed for work at the local library. She’d been an often-absent mother, working two jobs, and forced to leave most of the routine parenting to the frequently unemployed Dan McMonigle. Judith had always acknowledged Dan as a decent father—despite the fact that he knew Mike wasn’t his son. Ironic, of course, because Joe didn’t know Judith had borne him a child until he showed up as the primary detective in a murder that had occurred at Hillside Manor. Even after Judith and Joe had finally married, it had taken her a long time to work up the courage to tell Mike. More irony there, Judith recalled. Her son had figured out his biological identity long before she revealed the truth.
    Paternity issues aside, Mike was traumatized by the thought of turning forty. He’d get over it, his parents agreed, if only because he had no choice. When he’d told her he didn’t want to make a big deal out of reaching the threshold of middle age, she was bemused as well as relieved. Joe had stepped in, pointing out that the relentlessly hot, dry weather was taking its toll on Judith, and suggested an intimate buffet supper with their son’s family, Gertrude, and the Joneses. Neither Judith nor Mike protested. In addition to Mike’s confrontation with growingolder and the debilitating heat wave, it was never easy for Judith to juggle private parties as well as full occupancy at the B&B.
    â€œThat was great,” Joe declared Sunday night after the last present had been unwrapped, the remains of the ice cream had been devoured by the two grandsons, the small chunk of leftover cake had been sent home with Mike and Kristin, and the attendees had gone. Caitlin’s gift to her father was a handsome wool sweater made in Switzerland. Joe’s brothers, who lived in far-flung places around the world, had chipped in to buy their sibling what appeared to be a complete DVD collection of John Wayne’s movies, from Westerns to WWII and several in between. Judith and Joe had presented Mike with a check for two thousand dollars, to be spent on a getaway with Kristin to Hawaii.
    â€œThanks again for the sport coat,” Joe said to his wife. “It’s a really nifty color of green.”
    â€œI tried to match your eyes,” Judith said, smiling.
    Joe leaned to kiss her, but was interrupted by a knock at the back door. “Who’s that? Did some of our gang forget something?”
    â€œI don’t think so,” Judith said, glancing at the schoolhouse clock as Joe started down the hall to open the door. “It’s not quite ten, so the front door is still unlocked for guests.”
    â€œHappy birthday, baby!” Vivian shouted. “Here’s a little something to celebrate with on your special day!”
    Judith stayed put, but could see Herself handing over what looked like a big bottle wrapped in gold foil.
    â€œThanks, Vivian,” Joe said, not quite able to keep the surprise out of his voice.
    â€œGo ahead, unwrap it,” his ex urged, swaying slightly on the threshold. “Judith! Come see what I got for Joe!”
    Reluctantly, Judith joined Joe and his former spouse in the narrow hallway. As he removed the gold foil, a magnum ofDom Perignon 1998 was exposed. “Wow,” Joe said softly. “This is really nice of you…Vi.”
    She lurched forward and kissed him soundly on the lips. “You deserve it, doll face! Drink it up at your party