CHICAGO, ILLINOIS
APRIL 1992
“Will Quinn and Austin be at Grandpa’s?” eleven-year-old Arcineh Bryant asked about her cousins from the backseat of the car.
“Not today,” her mother answered. “Quinn has a competition.”
“With her horse?”
“Yes.”
The silence in the backseat was telling. Trevor and Isabella Bryant exchanged a swift look. They had forced their daughter to give up a dance performance for this event at her grandfather’s. Dance was very important to Arcineh, but she loved her grandfather, and it was his sixtieth birthday. That was what had motived Arcineh to come peacefully, only to learn that the standard had not been so high with every member of the family.
“Will they be there at all?” Arcineh asked after a moment more.
“Not tonight. They might come late tomorrow night so they can visit with Dad on Sunday.”
“Might?” Arcineh’s voice dripped with disapproval.
“Well,” her father began, “it’s quite a distance away, and Quinn doesn’t compete until morning.”
Low muttering could be heard from the backseat, but neither parent commented. They had shared a similar conversation on this very topic. Both agreed with their daughter’s disapproval but knew better than to admit that to her.
“What are you studying right now in dance?” Trevor asked, his eyes on his daughter’s face in the rearview mirror.
“Ballroom,” Arcineh told him, her eyes meeting his.
“I’ve done some ballroom dancing myself,” Trevor told her, his eyes lighting with a smile.
“That sounds a bit scary,” Arcineh teased.
“Not at all,” Isabella put in. “Your father is very good.”
Arcineh laughed a little.
“I’ll tell you what,” Trevor said. “We’ll go dancing next weekend—big band and all that.”
“Where?” Arcineh was instantly taken, her eyes studying her father in the mirror.
“Suite 19 has big band sound.”
Trevor’s gaze flicked to Arcineh’s. Catching his smile in the mirror, Arcineh couldn’t resist saying, “I don’t know if I can be seen dancing with a man your age. It might ruin my reputation.”
Her parents found this hugely amusing and were still chuckling about it when they pulled into the circular driveway at Samuel Bryant’s large home. This was not just Trevor’s father but his boss. However, Trevor knew that the evening would be all fun. If Sam Bryant was good at anything—and he was actually good at many things—it was separating the office from the home. He worked very long hours but was very good at leaving the office behind.
“There you are!” Sam said the moment he set eyes on his youngest grandchild. Arcineh’s smile matched his own. They exchanged a hug before Sam kissed Isabella’s cheek and smiled at his son’s birthday greetings. Arcineh was the one to hand him his gift.
“Open it now,” she ordered, excitement filling her dark brown eyes.
“Very well,” Sam agreed, grabbing a seat because the present was large and a bit awkward. He knew before tearing back the paper that it must be a picture frame, but he was not prepared for the photo itself.
Trevor, Isabella, and Arcineh smiled out at him from a formal studio setting, each looking wonderful. Sam felt his throat close a little and took a moment to look up and smile at them.
“For the man who has everything, Sam,” Isabella teased him. “Family pictures always do the trick.”
“This is beautiful,” Sam said, standing to kiss her again. “And you,” he continued, looking down at Arcineh, “look fabulous.”
“It almost didn’t come in on time to get framed,” Arcineh said, not having heard the compliment, “but Mom talked them into hurrying it.”
“She’s good at that,” Sam said with a wink for his daughter-in-law. Moments later, more guests arrived and the four were separated.
Without her cousins there, Arcineh mingled for only a short time before making her way to the kitchen. As she expected, Violet, who cooked and managed the house for her grandfather, was there. They were fast friends.
“Look at you in that dress,” Violet said, laying out more hors d’oeuvres for the guests.
“I just got it.” Arcineh hopped onto the counter, smoothed the skirt of the black velvet dress, and reached for some cheese. “It’s all adults out there.”
“No Quinn today?”
Arcineh made a face. “She’s got a horse thing.”
“Well, you know you’re always welcome in here,” Violet said, smiling at her. “I might even put you to work.”
“In this dress? My mom would faint.”
“And speaking of Mom,” Isabella said from the doorway. “Hello, Violet.”
“Hello, Isabella. You look beautiful.”
“Thank you. And since we’re exchanging compliments, I’ll tell you the food is wonderful. Arcie,” her mother continued, shifting her attention. “I have some people I want you to meet.”
“I’m eating,” Arcineh said, stuffing food in her mouth just to make it true.
Violet turned so as not to be caught laughing, and Isabella gave her daughter a pointed look, one that had her moving out the door just moments later. She met some work associates of her father, but just as soon as she was able, she escaped back to the kitchen. Not until music was put on and the dancing began did Arcineh make another appearance. And because she loved music and dancing, the evening suddenly grew very short. Long before she was ready, her father was telling her it was time to go.
“Great party, Dad,” Trevor complimented, thanking his father as they took their coats from the waiting maid. As a rule Sam’s only staff was Violet, but for his sixtieth birthday, he’d gone all out.
“It was a great time, wasn’t it?” Sam agreed, feeling content that his family had stayed until the end, well past midnight. “Why don’t you stay over?” Sam suggested when the front door was finally opened and they all saw the rain that had begun to pour.
“Thanks, Dad,” Trevor wasted no time in saying, “but I think we want our own beds tonight.”
“All right. I’ll see you Monday” were Sam’s last words before he hugged his daughter-in-law and Arcineh again.
The Bryant family moved to get into the car that had been driven under the canopy by the hired valet, everyone wearing a smile.
“That was fun,” Arcineh said, settling in the backseat. “Quinn really missed out.”
Trevor and Isabella, who loved their daughter to distraction, were kind enough to agree, and also to remain quiet about the fact that Arcie hadn’t wanted to go in the first place.