Page 67 of Life, Love, and Other Messes

When we got to the country club around five thirty, Kevin and Missy and the kids were dressed and everything was set. I considered starting at the bar before guests showed up, but I told myself that would be a really bad idea. As people began to arrive, my mother dragged my father to one side of the door, about twenty paces in, so that she could see that everyone signed the guest book and put on a little nametag. Then, she greeted them like it was either a wedding or a funeral. Dad stood there looking awkward, hands in his pants pockets between congratulations.

I suspected that Mom would have liked Kevin and me to stand there with her, but I buzzed around pretending to make sure the Sterno cans were lit and other things that weren’t my business. After a while, I got caught up in conversations with people I hadn’t seen “since I was this big” and started to wonder if Gerald was going to stand me up. Maybe he realized this was idiotic and was sitting at home with a pizza and a beer. Maybe he had a real date. No, probably the pizza and beer.

I was talking with one of my dad’s golf buddies when Mom yelled, like actually yelled across the room. “Samantha! Gerald is here!”

Shit. “Pardon me…It was so good talking with you,” I told the buddy, and hurried toward my mother so she would shut up. Everyone was staring.

I expected Gerald to be standing awkwardly at the door, but I couldn’t find him. I scanned the whole ballroom, but I didn’t see him anywhere. I finally turned to my mother, wide-eyed, and mouthed “Where?”

She gave a not-at-all-discreet nod to the doorway. I nudged past a few people and finally found him, just bending to sign the guest book. I threw my mother an evil look that she probably didn’t even catch, swallowed my pride, and joined Gerald in line.

He gave me a genuine smile. “I’m sorry I’m late. My neighbor’s dog got out and I tried to help, but ended up with mud all over me so I had to change.”

I had to grin. I didn’t care if it was true or not, I liked that excuse a lot better than getting caught in traffic or, God forbid, being fashionably late. “What kind of dog?”

“Oh…I don’t know. Brown.”

Well, so much for that. Obviously not a dog person. I decided to skip telling him about Ollie and wondered what we’d talk about the rest of the evening. Maybe we could watch the ball game in the bar with my father.

“Mr. and Mrs. Travis.” Gerald had made it up the line to my parents. “Congratulations! Fifty years is remarkable.”

My mother gushed in return, and my father’s eyes went big for a second and he rocked back on his heels.

“Well, we’ll just…” Gerald made a motion at me and then toward the rest of the room, awkward as ever. I gave my mother a saccharine smile and led him away from the line.

“Do you want a drink?”

Gerald blinked. “Aren’t I supposed to ask you that?”

I gave him a smile similar to the one I’d just given my mother. “No need for chivalry tonight.”

He nodded and took a deep breath. “Yeah, let’s get a drink.”

We spent the next half hour making small talk with more of my parents’ acquaintances, but at least we had wine. Every time, the people looked expectantly at Gerald and I responded with a flat, “This is Gerald.”

After hearing that several times, he bit the bullet and led with, “I’m Gerald. Nice to meet you,” which was quite helpful. People had started eating by then, and my parents were still standing by the door, so I asked Gerald if he wanted to grab a plate.

Kevin and Missy were sitting at the head table, passing Jeremiah back and forth like a football so that each could get a bite to eat now and then. Beyond that, they were both shooting daggers at the kids’ table so that nothing would go awry. I wanted to tell them not to worry because someone else’s kids were running around like banshees.

Gerald set his plate next to Kevin. “Gerald Sandridge,” he said, offering his hand.

Kevin set down his fork, transferred the baby onto his left thigh, and shook Gerald’s hand. He gave me a little glance, acknowledging what Mom had done to me. “Kevin Travis. My wife, Missy. Good to meet you. Sorry…Our kids are over there and…”

“Which ones?”

“All of them at that table.”

Gerald looked horrified. “All of them?”

“Well, except the teenager. She’s watching them.”

“Five?”

Missy took Jeremiah from Kevin. “Well, six.”

“That’s a lot of kids.”

Kevin smiled tersely. “That is a true statement.”