Chapter XII
Phyl carefully pushed the small wads of soft clay onto the rim of the large bowl, adhering the inverted leather-hard piece to the bat. This was her last pot to trim for the day and then she would head inside and take a shower and start dinner before Thad got home from the clinic. She leaned over and softly tapped the bottom of the pot to get an idea of the thickness of the base. Pushing softly on the foot pedal , she picked up the metal loop tool and rested her elbows on her knees. She placed the tool on the center of the base and moved it outward. Long strips of clay curled up and over into the attached tray as she thinned out the bottom, and she continued to trim the pot to form its almost inch-high foot. Taking a deep breath, she gazed out at the barren December landscape outside her studio. She did miss the gorgeous colors of autumn, but she loved each season in Vermont. She was actually looking forward to the first snow. There was nothing cozier than she and Thad holed up in their cottage during a snow storm, drinking a steaming mug of coffee or hot chocolate in front of a roaring fire, or playing gin rummy by candle-light. And with Christmas two weeks away, there would be the party at Pete and Emma's house Christmas Eve. Beth and Caleb planned on announcing their engagement at the party, and just thinking about the young couple made her smile. The transition to step-mother had gone pretty well, in her opinion, and she had been more than pleased when Beth asked her to help her pick out her wedding gown for the spring of 'eighty-seven wedding. Even though the couple would still have another year of college, she and Thad were in agreement that they were certainly mature enough to handle married life. What a wonderful day that was going to be, and she knew that it would be an emotional day as well, with Thad walking his daughter down the aisle.
She pushed up the sleeves of her green thermal pullover, glad that the space heater kept the studio so comfortably warm, and she smiled as she heard Bear yawn as he lay in his usual spot under the table. Phyl pressed the foot pedal, and continued trimming the large bowl until the foot was formed and the lower sides were thinned to her satisfaction. She removed the wads of clay, and carefully picked up the bowl, turning it over to inspect her work, then she got up and placed it on the shelf to dry thoroughly before its first bisque firing. After cleaning up the studio, she closed the door to the outbuilding and crunched over the gravel to the front porch, her hands dug in the pockets of her gray hooded sweatshirt. Once in the laundry room, she tossed her clay-dust covered clothes in the washer and shrugged on the white bathrobe she kept on the wall hook and headed up the stairs. Drawn by the view as she entered the living area, she walked over to the large window, and holding her robe around her, gazed out at her silvery lake, encircled now by bare-branched, skeletal birch and sycamore trees amidst the evergreens. As she turned, the blinking of the answering machine caught her eye. There were two messages.
She pushed the button.
"Hey, Phyl, it's me." Phyl skewed her mouth and bit her lower lip, frowning as she listened to Jonathan's voice. "I wanted to thank you and Thad for all that you did for me back in October. I've been laying low, and I'm just now getting back into the swing of things." She turned and looked out at the lake, exhaling as he paused. "I'm moving to California in a week to take a position at a law firm there. I, umm...I met a nurse here, while I was recuperating, and she's joining me there next month. Her name's Sophie." He paused. "Well, this is probably the last time you'll hear from me, and I'm sure Thad would say 'good riddance'." He laughed. "I wish you both the best..." A pause. "You know I always have." click
She laughed to herself and shook her head softly as she gazed at the lake, then turned around and pushed the button to hear the second message.
"Phyl, I'm guessing you're out in the studio." Thad's deep, warm voice filled the room, and she tilted her head and sighed. How fortunate she was. How supremely fortunate. "I just wanted you to know that I was thinking about you." She smiled, hearing her handsome husband tapping the counter with his pen. "And I wanted to know if you'd like to go out tonight to that French restaurant in town. It's been a while since we've been there, and I remember how much you liked it." She smiled as she pictured him standing at the counter, his dark eyes serious. "Give me a call when you get this. Talk to you soon." click
Yes, she definitely wanted to go back to that romantic, dimly-lit restaurant, and just with him this time, for a nice, intimate meal. The last time was the day they'd returned from the Bahamas to find their home ransacked and later, that fateful night with the intruder. This would be under much better circumstances, to say the least. Phyl tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear as she pushed the off button, and picked up the receiver and dialed Thad.