Free A May-September Wedding by Bill Sanderson Page B

you're wearing them." The girls both gave Rosalind exuberant
hugs and profuse thanks then pinned the shawls on.
    By this time
David and his family had arrived. The men and older boys retreated
to the family room to watch football while the rest stayed in the
living room to gossip and play with the two little ones.
    Cal kept
getting up to check on the progress of dinner and to make sure he
knew where Phyl was. About half the time, Phyl made some excuse so
she could join Cal in the kitchen. There were raised eyebrows and
knowing looks as the adults watched Cal and Phyl unconsciously
exchange casual touches that were more than merely friendly.
    Shortly before
dinner time, Cal asked Phyl if she could go to the chest freezer in
the basement to get a bag of french fries for the kids while he
made the gravy.
    She tripped
happily downstairs and walked quickly over to the freezer near the
laundry sink. When she stood up, David was standing in the door
with a piece of mistletoe in his hand.
    With a bit of
slurring, he asked, "So, Heddy, is this the year I finally get that
kiss you promised me?"
    "I never
promised you anything, David Richardson. It was a vile trick then
and it isn't any funnier now." Phyl held the bag of fries like a
shield.
    "You were
weren't so coy back in grade ten, Heddy. How come you never kissed
me? You kissed everyone else." David was getting closer but still
blocking the door.
    "You're drunk,
David, and married. Get out of my way."
    "C'mon, Phyl,
one little kiss won't hurt."
    Very calmly
she said, "Get. Out. Of. My. Way. If you don't I will scream and
you will have to explain to Cal, Judy and the rest of the people
here why I was screaming. Because I don't care anymore. We're not
in grade ten, David, and as embarrassing as it was for me at the
time, it will be more embarrassing for you if you don't get out of
my way."
    He moved
closer but stopped blocking the door. "Have it your way, Heddy. But
stay away from my father unless you want him to know what kind of a
slut you are."
    "You were vile
then and you haven't changed a bit. Stay away from me."
    "But now you
don't have big strong Harry to save you. And you still owe me that
kiss." David turned on his heel and stalked away to the family
room. Over his shoulder he said, "I still have the good
pictures."
    Phyl slumped
against the freezer taking several calming breaths before returning
to the kitchen. Cal noticed that her smile was gone. "Something the
matter, Phyl?"
    "Can I talk to
you about it later? After everyone's gone home?" Phyl seemed on the
verge of tears.
    "Do you need a
hug?" Cal asked.
    Mutely she
nodded then crossed the kitchen into Cal's comforting hug. Lydia
started to bound into the kitchen in search of more glasses for the
punch but retreated quickly. Neither Cal nor Phyl noticed.
    After he could
feel her start to relax, he stood her back upright and asked,
"Better?"
    Phyl tried a
few smiles before she found one that wasn't too phony. "Much,
thanks."
    Except for the
belligerent looks from David and the concerned looks from Cal that
made her miss what people were saying, the dinner was remarkably
social. Uncle Jack told stories of his latest trips to Botswana to
teach the men there how to drill wells with donkey powered home
built rigs. He livened up the stories with tales of wild animals
and broken down buses. Jeremy had followed his father's footsteps
into the engineering side of the Navy and was talking shop with Cal
for quite a while. The older kids were all pretending to be bored
but dropped into the conversations with remarkably astute
questions.
    Everyone
rolled away from the table full. Elaine tried to orchestrate the
clean up, but Rosalind and Brian conspired to make sure she was off
her feet as much as possible, eliciting the comment, "I'm only
pregnant, I'm not sick." But she gratefully sank into the sofa in
the living room to supervise.
    There was one
more incident between David and Phyl where he ordered her to keep
quiet. Phyl responded