It All Started With a Lima Bean (3 page)

As usual, Leah showed up to Abby’s house a few minutes late. After grabbing her things and running out the door, Abby jumped into the waiting minivan that doubled as Leah’s work delivery van.

“You know you aren’t going to find a hot guy driving around in this soccer mom mobile, right?” Abby loved to tease her.

“Well, until I make enough money to buy a car that matches the hot guy you think I’m going to date, my delivery van will have to do.” She smiled sarcastically before sticking out her tongue.

They pulled up to Antonio’s a few minutes later. Passing the waist high, wrought iron fence that encased several tables on the outdoor patio, they entered the wooden door. This place was a familiar setting to them since they ate at this restaurant a couple of times a week. The inside lighting had the slightest tint of red to it, bathing the room in a warm glow, creating a cozy ambience. White linen tablecloths adorned the wooden tables, and the bar on the left side of the restaurant had an Old World charm to it. The aroma of Italian food floated through the air, tickling their senses.

Abby scanned the room while the hostess sat them in their usual section toward the back. They loved this area because it gave them a large people-watching perimeter.

After placing their drink and usual food orders, Abby noticed a couple that also frequented Antonio’s. She could have done without seeing that man and woman. “Of all the crappy luck, look who else is eating dinner here tonight.” She motioned over to the older pair sitting even farther back in the room.

“Your beef isn’t with them, my friend.” Leah pointed out, knowing exactly who they were.

“I know, but it’s still uncomfortable. Their grandson is in my class this year. I saw both of Peter’s siblings today at drop off. It was awful. I don’t think Peter ever told his family why we broke up. One moment we were inseparable, even eating dinner at each other’s houses every night, and then we were no longer together.” She sighed, placing her elbow on the table and her jaw in the palm of her hand.

Right on cue, as if they knew she was talking about them, Mrs. Zuckerman gazed over, giving her a knowing look and a not so sympathetic smile.

“Or maybe he did,” corrected her best friend. Abby was so frustrated she almost suggested they leave until, a whiff of garlic buttered rolls swirled around in her nostrils. She wasn’t going anywhere until she had a few of those.

“I just don’t understand how relationships work.” Abby placed her hands on the table and watched her index finger as she drew imaginary circles. “How can you go from being with someone every day for over a year,” leaning in closer to Leah, she whispered, “be intimate with them, and then not speak at all? He literally turned his back on me when I needed him the most.”

“Abby, you guys were kids, and he has tried to make amends with you. You are just too stubborn to listen.” Although Abby appreciated Leah’s no nonsense, ‘keep it real’ attitude most of the time, she was not overjoyed with it in this particular conversation.

“He is only trying to do that so that he doesn’t feel guilty anymore. But the guilt of what happened will never leave me. I can never forget what I’ve done.”

“It’s not your fault that you lost the baby, Abby. As much as you try to take credit for it, you had
no control
. You have to figure out how to get past this, or you will never find happiness. It kills me to see you so hurt.” Leah’s eyes glossed over as she grabbed onto Abby’s hand. She knew it bothered Abby when they talked about this.

“Why do you put up with me?” Abby asked with a somber, defeated looking expression.

“Because I love you, and you make the most amazing lasagna I’ve ever tasted.” And there it was. The tension breaking line that Abby had hoped her friend would deliver.

“Can we talk about something else? This is supposed to be a celebratory dinner isn’t it?”

Once their food arrived, the two friends put all thoughts of Abby’s high school sweetheart, Peter, his family, and the past aside while they enjoyed each other’s company and shared the delicious pasta served in warm pewter dishes.

Completely exhausted by the time she opened her front door, Abby walked into her dark home. She flicked on the lights and headed to her bedroom. Pulling her pink and green quilt back, regret that she hadn’t been the bigger person and gone over to the Zuckerman’s table to greet them filled her mind. After all, it wasn’t their fault that their son was a total idiot. Then again, they’d never genuinely been particularly pleasant to her either. Oh well, that window of opportunity had past and couldn’t be changed now. Abby put on her pajamas and pulled her hair into a ponytail. It was time to get some sleep so she’d be up to whatever challenges tomorrow would have in store for her.

After dropping Madison off at school, Caleb headed out to his favorite place that would undoubtedly help clear his head. Not able to concentrate long enough to keep his story going, he’d fallen behind schedule on his latest novel. The publishers were riding his ass, which bugged the crap out of him. This had never happened to him before, and although he wouldn’t call it writers block because he knew where he wanted the story to go, he just couldn’t figure out how to get it there.

He pulled into the parking stall and looked out of his windshield to the majesty of the ocean. This was his happy place. Getting out of his car, he pulled his gear out then squeezed into the skintight wetsuit. Excitement built up when he thought about hitting the water. It had been a couple of weeks since Madison started kindergarten and he had his mornings to himself. Caleb thought he would be well into his new novel by now, but the story’s early transitional paragraphs eluded him. He was sure coming here today would help.

After waxing his board, he headed to the white foamy waterfront. Standing at the shoreline, board in hand, Caleb gazed out into the horizon and wiggled his toes in the wet sand. The ocean’s spray sprinkled his face with drops of salt water. It was cold as usual but something about that sticky saltwater hitting his face made him feel so free and rejuvenated. Inhaling the sea air deeply, a therapeutic sense of calm washed over him. “Be still and listen; take it all in,” he whispered to himself. He’d been here many times during the summer of course, but that was Madison’s time. Bringing her out on his board was the highlight of his summer. He loved watching her bright eyes open wide when they were out far enough that dolphins joined in on the fun. Madison thought she could speak to them. He snickered remembering how cute she sounded making those silly squeaking and clicking noises, then interpreting what the dolphins were telling her. His heart became full thinking about her and what a wondrous blessing she was to his life.

There was a time when he thought he wouldn’t be able to raise her on his own. If it hadn’t been for Grace and Robert, his parents-in-law, he wouldn’t have survived the past couple of years with his sanity intact. They were such a strong part of Madison and his lives that he couldn’t imagine what it would be like without them. The pain they experienced was different from his but just as intense. It was extremely difficult even trying to get out of bed during his dark period. Their faith had helped them to go on with their lives, and Caleb had admired them for that. He still had times of mourning here and there, but once he’d accepted Rene’s death, most days became a little easier. Now his life focused on the miracle that was proof of the love he once shared with his wife. He couldn’t believe it had already been four years since she passed away.

Focusing on his surroundings, Caleb swam out just past the breaking point and felt at ease. He was in his element out on the ocean. Although there would be better waves later in the fall, he certainly couldn’t complain about this day’s surf. A couple of other guys were out on their boards, but it was nobody that he recognized. Thoughtfully, he kept replaying something he’d heard a famous surfer once say, “One of the biggest lessons you learn about surfing is how to operate in the present. That’s really what the foundation of the entire surfing experience is.” He added his own whispered words, “And the foundation of life.”

After a couple of hours out in the ocean, something clicked, and Caleb had that missing piece needed to keep his story going. Grabbing his surfboard, he headed to his car and he strapped it to the roof. Tugging and yanking while trying to keep covered with a towel, he finally freed himself from the restrictive wetsuit and threw on some board shorts. Caleb opened the hatch of his SUV, picked-up his laptop, and sat in the opened trunk typing away. He was glad he’d already arranged for Grace to pick Madison up from school because he was on a roll and wasn’t going to stop anytime soon. Caleb had even thought ahead and packed a lunch. He knew through experience that this is how he worked best.

Their first field trip was coming up next week, and Abby was still trying to tighten up the parent chaperone list. She knew she could ask her room-mom to help with this, but preferred to handle it herself.

She’d sent home the permission slips earlier in the week that included a space to write if the parents wanted to chaperone and had only received one back so far. It was from the Zuckerman boy of course. Abby was relieved when Grace told her at pick up that she would be happy to help. Once Grace mentioned it, several other parents chimed in saying they could help as well.

Thank you Grace,
Abby thought as she entered her classroom to wrap everything up for the day and start her weekend.

It was after 6:00 when Caleb realized that he had been on his laptop for the past seven hours. The computer’s battery nearly died on him, and he just hoped the adapter he’d plugged in hadn’t drained his car’s battery. He was hungry and couldn’t wait to go pick up his little girl. After packing everything into his SUV, he called Grace. “Hi mom. I’m just leaving the beach right now.”

“Okay son, bring your appetite. I made something special that I saw on the Cooking Channel today.”

“Will do.” He said with a smile. He loved how adventurous Grace was with her cooking. Unfortunately, Rene had not taken after her mother. Caleb learned to cook early on in their marriage once he’d grown tired of eating spaghetti, the only thing she could make. Grace, on the other hand, would see a recipe being prepared on TV or listed in a magazine, and had a gift of knowing if it would taste delicious or not. As soon as his car started, he couldn’t wait to get to their home and eat what she’d prepared for him.