In a Book Club Far Away(72)

A knock sounded from the front door. Sophie met Adelaide’s eyes. Regina was out but had a key, and it was eight o’clock, well past time for solicitors to come around.

Sophie stood. “Are you expecting anyone?”

Adelaide shook her head.

The knock sounded again. Sophie looked down at her outfit to make sure she was decent. Then she opened the door. A delivery person stood on the threshold, dressed in a purple collared shirt and a purple hat branded with Flowers-R-Us.

“Ms. Sophie Walden?”

“Yes?”

He held out a package. “Delivery.”

Delivery? “For me?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

She frowned, taking the box hesitantly. “Okay.”

He tipped his head forward. “Have a great day.”

Sophie weighed the box in her hand, then read the label printed with a message.

Sophie,

Remember me. Remember us.

Come home.

Jasper



Her heart softened, and then she rolled her eyes. If there was anyone who should have known she didn’t like flowers, it was Jasper. Sophie considered flowers a waste of money because they died no matter how often she changed the water. Besides, she had more important things to worry about than changing out the water of plants, like taking care of humans.

But, typically, Jasper didn’t listen to her. When it came to logistical information—that, he was good at. On the days she’d worked, he knew how to manage the children’s schedules. Jasper was not helpless, nor did she ever need to thank him for babysitting his own kids. But it stopped there. Because anything above and beyond, he’d forget. He’d sent flowers anyway on every occasion, until she’d given up trying to correct him and instead learned to say thank you.

After locking the door once more, she turned. Adelaide had sat up in the recliner. “From Jasper?”

“Mmm,” she answered, not really willing to explain more.

“Looks like flowers…” Adelaide added, as Sophie brought the box to the living room. “Is this bad? Usually flowers make people smile, and you’re not smiling. Are you two all right?”

“Yes. No.”

“No?” Adelaide gasped. “But you guys are… perfect.”

“There’s no such thing as perfect, Ad. There’s only work, and then suddenly an absolute silence.”

Sophie started to tear at the tape at the top of the box.

“Silence? What does that mean? Did you guys just stop talking?”

The top flaps popped open. “One day the girls got older, and Jasper and I had little to say to each other. And I realized. Twenty years, Adelaide. Twenty years that man and I worked to keep our family together. Did we have fun? He just retired, and he slid right into a government job. I’m in a new job, too. So what does that mean? Another twenty years there? It feels… so mundane.”

“Are you saying that you…”

There was packing material inside, which Sophie pulled out. Really, Jasper, what is the point of this?

“Sophie Walden! It just dawned on me that you ran away from home! I’m so disappointed. I’m going to tell that man that I did not mean to harbor a criminal.”

“I hold your pain meds, lady. Watch it.” Sophie looked up. “I just don’t understand him sometimes. I’ve been gone for a week. Surely he could survive it without having to send me a care package.”

“It’s probably because he thinks you’re never coming home!” Adelaide put her hand on her forehead.

Sophie stuck her hand in the box and felt a sting at the end of her middle finger. She retracted her hand. “Ow!”

“Thorns!” Adelaide said. “Must be roses.”

“Can’t be. They’re too short to be roses.” Sophie tore at the corners, peeling back the box, and finding the offending plant. A cactus. “Wow.”

Adelaide threw her head back in laughter. “Oh my God, it hurts to laugh. Ouch!” She held the pillow against her stomach. “That is classic.”

Sophie fumed and held up the ugly thing. It was round with tiny, spiky thorns. “Carmela called me a cactus the other day. She must have picked up the term from Jasper. What the hell is this supposed to mean?”

The door opened, and Regina walked into the foyer. “Hey! I’m back.”

Sophie tried to put the cactus out of eyesight. The last thing she needed was more teasing from Regina. But little could be done before she walked into the living room.

“What’s going on?” Regina unwound her scarf.

“Sophie got a cactus. From Jasper,” Adelaide said.

Regina turned to hang her jacket on the hallway tree. “Ha! Because you are prickly as hell.”

Adelaide clutched her pillow against her tummy and cough-laughed again.

“Thanks, you guys. Thanks a lot,” Sophie said.

“I guess that means you have to actually speak to him now.” Regina looked at her pointedly.

Sophie was left without a comeback. “We’ll see.”





CHAPTER FORTY-THREE

Sophie




May 2012

It was reunion day, the day Sophie and her girls had been painstakingly awaiting the last eight months. The vibe around her was electric. People milled with chaotic energy. Sophie felt anxiety in every part of her body. And, per usual, the buses’ arrival time had been delayed.