23

Muriel should never have explained why she couldn’t meet Natalie at the mall for tea. She should have just said she was busy. Though, given Natalie’s predilection for argument, maybe it wouldn’t have mattered.

“Well, honestly, Mother. I never thought going to a birthday party for some young punk would be more important to you than going to tea with your own flesh and blood.”

“I’m sorry, Natalie. You and I don’t make plans to go out together very often.” We haven’t for years.

“All the more reason for you not to turn me down.”

All the more reason for me not to turn down other invitations. If I can’t depend on any one person, I need a wider social circle. “I’m not turning you down. I’m just suggesting another day. How about tomorrow or the day after? Would one of those work for you?”

“Honestly, I think you care more about that punk than you do about me.”

So that’s what this was all about. “Of course, I don’t. I care more about you than I do about anyone else. Kevin’s parents are just grateful I didn’t sue them after the carjacking. They want to pay me back in their own way.”

“May I remind you, Mother? Suing them would have solved all our financial problems. That’s how they could have paid you back. With a few million, not a lousy piece of birthday cake.”

“There are a lot of assumptions there. Maybe a judge or jury would have ruled the other way. Maybe we’d just be out lawyer’s fees. Anyway, I can’t do something that’s wrong.”

“You’re so much better than Stan then. Is that what you’re saying?”

“Of course not. We’re all sinners. So, anyway, let’s get back to the point. Which day works better for you? Tomorrow or the day after?”

“Today works for me. Tomorrow doesn’t. Nor the day after. Just forget it.”

The line went dead. Had Natalie hung up? Or was there some anomaly in the service? Muriel put the receiver back in its cradle. Should she call her back? No matter what she did, she would be wrong. She was sure of it. If only she had the courage to ask Natalie to drive her to Kevin’s house for the party and pick her up afterward. Round-trip cab fare would put a big dent in her weekly budget. Probably Natalie was right. Probably she shouldn’t be going at all. Lord, help. Just as she took a step away from the phone, it rang. She grabbed the receiver. “Sorry, Natalie. I don’t know what happened there.”

“I’m not Natalie, Mrs. B.”

“Kevin! Sorry. I just got disconnected from my daughter.”

“I thought maybe you were going senile. Couldn’t tell a teenage boy from a middle-aged woman.”

“Nope. Not senile. Just no caller ID. What’s on your mind?”

Kevin cleared his throat. “My father wants to know if you’d like me to pick you up. Like for my birthday party. You know I only have a learner’s permit, so he’ll be in the car, too. But please, Mrs. B. It’ll give me more experience on the road.”

Well, goodness, Lord, You answered that prayer quick! “Sure, Kevin. That would be great. It’ll be just you and your family, right? I don’t want to get in the way.”

“It’s never just family. Not at my house. Uncle Clarence always comes. And I invited some friends, too.”

“Uncle Clarence sounds like family to me.”

“He’s not. He’s just an old man my parents kind of adopted when his wife died. He’s been coming for years. My mother thought it was rude for me to just call him Clarence. And too formal for me to call him Mr. Hall. So we added the Uncle on.”

“Well then, you picking me up sounds great. See you in about an hour then?”

“You got it, Mrs. B.”