WILLADENE
Deenie closed the folder that lay on the kitchen table in front of her with a sigh of relief. All the tasks itemized under Unplugging Community Connections were complete.
"Now that's the face of a happy woman," Roger teased as he entered the room.
"I do like to see a project satisfactorily concluded," Deenie admitted with a smile.
"You just like checking off the items on your list."
"That, too." Deenie tilted up her face for Roger's kiss.
"So are we unplugged?"
Deenie knew Roger was referring to the advice Sally Greenwood, her former therapist and longtime friend, had given her: "You have to unplug your energy from life in Wellsville so you'll have a fair chance to plug into life in Gainesville."
"Yes," she said. "Bear and I have officially resigned from Search and Rescue, and we've visited both nursing homes and the senior center to say our farewells."
"That must have been hard."
"Not as hard as refraining from writing copious instructions for Carl and Paul on keeping up the house while we're not here. I'm glad they're living in it while they're going to Utah State University in Logan, but I don't want them to turn it into a bachelor pad."
"But you still refrained, didn't you?"
Deenie grinned. "Yes, but I had to chew on leather to keep from doing it."
"How about lists for Liz?" Roger asked.
"Lizzy told me she didn't need any motherly reminders. She said Addie Spencer will keep such a tight leash on her while they travel, that even I would be satisfied." In spite of that, Deenie was still having problems accepting that instead of coming with them to Florida, her oldest daughter would be spending the next year traveling Europe as companion to and student of Miss Addie Spencer. And she was irked by the idea that any one else could take as good care of Lizzy as she could.
"I settled for packing a box of envelopes in her suitcase addressed to reach us at our new place," Deenie continued. "It felt odd writing The Rasmussens, Gobb Hill, c/o The Academy America, Gainesville, Florida. It will be odd living in an apartment again after all these years in our own home. It's too bad Gobb Hill was under renovation while we were there last year. I would like to have seen the inside."
"I know," Roger agreed. "But I'm glad they offered it until we decide where we want to live. It's convenient, fully furnished, and free. What more could we ask?"
"A kennel for Bear?" Deenie said.
"Marsha Warrington-she's the secretary to the board-said she'd take care of that," Roger assured her.
"I'll have to thank her for that and for sending us old photos of the place. Too bad they don't give me any idea what it's going to be like living there."
"We'll find out soo-"
Lizzy rushed into the kitchen carrying a garment bag, stopping Roger mid-sentence. She was followed by her best friend, Danny.
"Mom, wait 'til you see what Danny's given me," Lizzy said excitedly. She took a dark blue wool jacket and slacks out of the garment bag. "Danny's grandma had made these for her, but the jacket's too short-waisted, so she's giving the outfit to me. It fits me like a dream."
"How nice of you, Danny," Roger said.
Danny's eyes twinkled. "Say my name with an i, please," she said. "If Beth gets to be Liz, then I get to be Dani with an i. Danny with a y isn't a name for a grown woman." Giggling the girls shoved each other back and forth as they left the room.
"Grown women, my eye," Deenie said.
Roger leaned over Deenie's shoulder and thumbed through the still open notebook labeled Unplugging Church. "What's left on this list?" he asked.
"Once you deliver the gift baskets to your home teaching families, we'll have unplugged there, too." Deenie pointed to the four lovingly filled baskets that contained jams and jellies from her own pantry, a loaf of homemade bread, and a bunch of spring flowers from the garden. "That's the last thing on this list. And I'll even let you check it off. Then there'll be only four more folders to go."
JUNEAU
Juneau was grousing over the construction of a paragraph in her new book one Saturday afternoon in late April when Trace and Cath knocked at the door. "I hope we're not interrupting the great American novel," Trace said when she invited them in, gazing admiringly at these two good-looking people, both tall and slender, both blond. They looked like a set.
"I'm happy for the interruption," Juneau said. "My brain won't start up today."
Cath glanced at the monitor with only a page number and "Chapter Seven" showing on it. "How do you get started? It must be a challenge to face that blank page each day."
Juneau snorted. "Most mornings I'd rather scrub floors."
Trace and Cath laughed. Then Cath asked, "How's your class going? Are you enjoying being the teacher rather than a student?"
"Very much. It's a great class." Juneau led them into the living room. "Sit down so we can talk." Because they were holding hands, she half expected them to announce the engagement she'd been hoping for ever since Cath had moved to California.
Trace and Cath sat on the couch. Juneau sat opposite them. "Is Greg here?" Trace asked.
"No. Smoketree Systems is taking off, which means long hours and Saturdays."
"Well, we'll tell him later." Trace cleared his throat. "Uh… Cath and I have been talking with Vance, that lawyer friend of yours. We're going to make a bid to get custody of Gideon."
Juneau straightened. "Do you think it's possible?"
"He says I'd have a good chance."
"Oh! It would be so wonderful to have Gideon here at home again."
There was a small silence. Trace looked down at Cath's hand, which he still held. "Juneau, if I get custody, he won't be living here with you."
Juneau felt as if she'd been kicked in the stomach. "Of course."
"I'm sorry." Trace's expression was pained. "But it may be our only chance to get him back to California, what with that lawyer guy Whitford Morgan in Idaho on Misty's side."
"I know." Juneau managed to keep her voice even. "So what does Vance advise?"
"DNA testing, for starters." Trace smiled wryly. "I guess that's the one good thing that came out of the O. J. Simpson trial. It brought DNA to public attention. It would prove I'm Gideon's father."
"Misty doesn't dispute that," Juneau said.
"We need legal proof."
They talked for a while longer. Juneau offered them lunch, but they said they had to go. She didn't try to detain them. She needed time to think about this new situation. Gideon would not be returning to this house.
After Trace and Cath left, she went back to her computer. She needed to write to Deenie and Erin. She wouldn't mention what Trace and Cath had told her, though. Seeing it on the screen would make it too real.
E-mail, April 27, 1996
Dear Willadene and Erin,
I'm certain the relationship between Trace and Cath is heating up. They just left here, stopping long enough to play kissy face under my liquidamber tree. I expect an engagement announcement very soon!
Other news: Beto is counting the days until Nicole gets home from her mission in Mexico. I don't know what to hope for when she arrives. I love Beto, but there's that looming question of the difference of religion.
No romance in Ira's life that I know of. He's still mourning Misty and the way she dumped him. He's doing another pickle commercial as well as working on his Ph.D. in English at UCLA.
Misty? Nothing new.
Juneau paused, her fingers poised over the keyboard. She'd been about to tell them the latest about her writing class and the man named Clyde, but she knew they didn't approve of her relationship with him.
She hated feeling guilty about something that was so innocent. Clyde was an important part of her life but only as a friend. Since taking over teaching Mrs. Jarvis's writing class, she'd stopped meeting with him afterwards at the cafe across the street. No, she wouldn't mention him. With a sigh, Juneau closed the e-mail and hit the send button.
