Mack Daddy(45)

“That’s pretty sad but better than nothing.”

“Well, I don’t have Frankie O’Hara to cook for me anymore. It’s a sad state of affairs in my kitchen.”

“Torrie never cooked?”

“She’s a better cook than I am, but that’s not saying much. It’s really not her thing, either. Her forte is working, not cooking. Jonah has had more than his share of takeout. So, I’m trying to change that.”

“With spaghetti.”

I nodded “With spaghetti.”

“What kind of spaghetti do you make?”

“There’s more than one kind?”

“I mean, how do you serve it?”

“With jarred sauce. Spaghetti a la Ragu.”

Her laughter echoed throughout the kitchen. “How about this? We’ll cook it together. You can boil the water, and I’ll make the sauce from scratch.”

“That sounds amazing, but I don’t know that I would have the ingredients you need for your fancy sauce.”

“You must have a grocery store nearby, right?”

We ended up taking a quick trip to the supermarket down the road. As we frolicked through the aisles with our cart, people must have assumed we were a married couple. In the midst of what most would consider a mundane task, I felt blessed to be spending time at the market with her. It was easy to imagine what a life with her would be like. People take so many things for granted, like sleeping next to the warm body of the person they love at night. For a few moments at the grocery store, I pretended that she was mine.

Back home, we were unloading the items when Frankie said, “Shit. The most important thing is missing.”

Her words were ironic. That sort of felt like my life in general right now.

The most important thing was missing.

“What is it? “

“We forgot fresh garlic. I wasn’t even thinking about it, since it’s something I always have on hand.”

“I bet Mrs. M. has some. She’s always cooking.” Taking out my phone, I said, “Let me call her.”

My whacky but lovable neighbor answered, “Mack! Is Frankie still there? I’m dying to know what’s going on.”

“Yes, she’s still here.”

Frankie blushed when she realized we were talking about her.

“Very good,” Mrs. M. said.

“We’re about to cook dinner, and we need some fresh garlic. Do you have any?”

“Of course.”

“I’ll come by.”

“Send Frankie,” she insisted.

“No.”

“That’s the condition. I want to get a good look at her. Frankie or no garlic.”

Crap.

I sighed. “Alright.”

I hung up and looked over at Frankie. “She insists on you being the one to run over and get it. She’s just being nosy. She’s harmless. Do you mind?”

“No, not at all.”

After Frankie ventured next door, she didn’t immediately return. I then realized sending her over to my crazy neighbor’s may have been a huge mistake.





Mrs. Migillicutty pulled her long sweater closed to fend off the cold as she met me at the door.

“I didn’t feel like putting on a bra just to give Mack some garlic. Didn’t want to shock the poor guy with my waist warmers.”

I laughed. “Ah. So, that’s why you insisted I come?”

“Okay, not entirely.” She waved me in. “I don’t want to keep you. I know he values this time with you, but I need to tell you something real quick, Frankie.”

“Okay…” I said, stepping inside her house.

“Just because he appears strong on the outside, doesn’t mean his heart is indestructible.”

Not expecting her to go there, I swallowed and said, “I know that.”

“Now, I don’t know anything about this man you’re with, but that guy in the house next door to me? He thinks you’re the one.”

“He said that?”

“You can tell a lot about someone by what they say when they drink and let their guard down. You get to the bottom of their mind. You’re all he talks about. And I’m pretty sure if he were taking his last breath, you’d be the last thing he thought about, too. Now, do what you want with the information. I’ve said my piece.”

I didn’t know what to say. “I appreciate your input.”

She pointed to an old photo of a smiling man who looked to be in his seventies. “See this handsome man? Fifty-one years he called me the one. And thank God I don’t have to live with any regrets, because when he died, he didn’t have to wonder whether the person he’d chosen to give his heart to in this lifetime loved him back.”

“I’m sorry for your loss.”

“Don’t be. No regrets. That’s what it’s all about, living with no regrets. If you truly love this other man you live with, just let Mack go. He’ll move on eventually. Lord knows, there would be a line of women waiting for that day. But see…right now, he can’t move on until he knows there’s absolutely no chance with you. Whether you know it or not, you’re carrying that man’s heart around with you everyday. At some point, you either need to give it back and set him free…or give him yours. If it’s him you want, don’t let fear get in the way of a good thing.”