Teri hadn’t expected tender words from Mark. She had thought their meeting would be all cold, hard facts: The thrill is gone; there’s nothing to hold on to; let’s just be friends.
Five minutes earlier she had been thinking about Scott and serving him tamales tomorrow night. How could she switch so quickly and think of Mark? She had to. He was finally sitting down with her. It was just the two of them, and they could talk.
“I wish I had time to eat,” Mark said. “I had a message this morning from Claire. Did I tell you about Claire?”
Teri braced herself. This was it, the other woman. This was why Mark had been aloof since her arrival. Claire.
“Claire is my research partner. She said we have some papers I need to sign this morning so she can fax them today to D.C. It’s for an extension on one of our grants. The federal funding people are real sticklers for deadlines. The day’s half gone in D.C.” He glanced at his watch. “I hate to do this to you. I know you want to talk, and I do too. Can we set up another time?”
Teri felt defeated. It shouldn’t be this hard to have a simple conversation. Maybe she was making too much of the whole thing with Mark. Anita could be right. She did tend to analyze the romance out of relationships. It certainly had been analyzed out of this one.
“You know what, Mark,” she said. “I don’t want this to be a long, drawn out powwow. I was under the impression when I came here that you and I might pick up where we had left off last summer. It doesn’t look as if that’s what is happening here. So let’s not make a big deal about trying to resolve our relationship. Let’s both just admit that it didn’t work out and get on with our lives. I’ll be around. If you have some free time and want to get together, great. If not, that’s fine too. Can we just leave it at that?”
Mark maintained his solid-as-a-rock expression. He didn’t look relieved or surprised.
“Coffee?” the waitress asked him as she automatically filled Teri’s cup.
It took Mark a moment to answer. “No,” he said looking up at her. “No thanks. I’m leaving in a minute.”
“I’ll take the check,” Teri said.
The young woman pulled it from her pocket and placed it on the table. “Mahalo,” she said and sauntered away.
Teri sipped the hot coffee and looked at Mark. Her mind and heart were flooded with doubts. She wanted to tell him she had been too blunt, too rigid in her approach. She hadn’t even given him a chance to say what he thought. Maybe that was because she didn’t want to hear it. Better that she reject him before he rejected her.
We’re too different, she reasoned. He has his life on the sea with the whales, and I have, well, I don’t think I could live on a boat. He’s so quiet and reserved. I’m too forceful. I would dominate the relationship … like I am right now.
“Well,” Mark said slowly. “I’ll do that. I’ll call you sometime.” Now he looked hurt.
Teri wished she could retract her words and start this encounter over again. She hated it when her sister dominated her, and here she was, dominating Mark.
He slid out of the booth and gave Teri a final grin. “Aloha,” he said and strode through the maze of tables and out toward the harbor.
Teri let out a huff and could smell her own coffee breath. Her stomach was in a knot, and she had a painful feeling of remorse. She might never see Mark again. At church perhaps. But she would never know what he really felt. She hadn’t given him the opportunity to say anything.
Her emotions wavered all the way back to Dan and Anita’s place. She couldn’t help but wonder if she had made the right decision.
Dan was waiting for her so he could take the car to work. He seemed especially cheery as he left.
“Annie?” Teri called out as the screen door slammed shut behind her. “Are you up?”
Teri ventured into the bedroom and found her sister sitting up in bed with a peculiar look on her face.
“It’s positive,” Anita said.
Chapter Eleven
What are you talking about?” Teri asked, making room for herself on the end of the bed.
“The pregnancy test,” Anita continued. “It’s positive. I’m pregnant.” She still had a dazed look on her face.
“Annie, congratulations!” All of Teri’s woes vanished. “Does Danny know? Of course he does. This is fantastic!”
Anita nodded. “Gordo was right, I guess.”
“I don’t think Gordo had anything to do with it,” Teri said. “You’re going to have a baby!” She threw her arms around her sister. “No wonder you haven’t been feeling well. Do you want me to get you something? Tea or juice or anything?”
“No, it’s still too early in the day to think about putting anything in my stomach. I can’t believe this. I’m pregnant.”
“You don’t look too excited.”
“I’m scared, Teri. If I lose another baby, my heart will absolutely break.”
“Let’s pray,” Teri said.
“I have been praying.”
“I know, but let’s pray together. Right now.” Teri slid closer and placed her hands on Anita’s stomach. Together the two women tearfully asked God to protect the life of this tiny child. When the Moreno sisters were united on anything, there was no stopping them.
“Amen, amen,” Teri said. She leaned over, wiped her sister’s tears, and in an excited whisper said, “I’m going to be an auntie!”
After their prayer time, Teri decided to spend the day on the beach and give Anita an opportunity to work. By the time Teri returned to the house later that day, she had pretty much convinced herself she had correctly handled the situation with Mark. That relationship was destined not to go anywhere. The fireworks from last summer had fizzled, and there was no rekindling them.
With that relationship settled, she had more freedom to think about Scott. That’s how she spent the day at the beach—daydreaming about the tall, blond, handsome dream-come-true.
When Teri had left the house in the morning, Anita was working on several tight deadlines. She was still at the computer when Teri walked in the door.
“Did you finish everything you had to do today?”
“Almost. I called Mom. I told her I was pregnant, and you know what she told me?”
Teri plopped on the bed and slipped off her sandals. “Let me guess. This is our mother, right?”
“Right. The sweet one with the over-protective attitude.”
“She probably said you should go to bed and stay there for the next nine months. And you should stop drinking coffee.”
“You got it!” Anita said. “Exactly.”
“Well, do you think she’s right?”
“About the caffeine, of course. All the baby books say that. About staying in bed, I don’t think that’s very practical or necessary.”
“Probably wouldn’t hurt to take it easy for the next few months. Didn’t you lose the other two at around four months?”
“At three,” Anita said.
“So what’s wrong with taking it easy for the next three months?”
“Did I ever tell you that you’re beginning to sound more like our mother every day?”
“And did I ever tell you,” Teri countered, “that you’re stubborn as all get out?”
“I’m not going to argue with you, Teri.” Anita’s face maintained a serene expression. “You’re right; I do need to take it easy. I told Mom I would. But you both are acting as if you’re the one responsible for this baby. I’m the one who has lost two babies, not you and not Mom.”
“Mom lost her first two grandchildren. Did you ever think of that? We all hurt when you did, Annie. You’re not alone in this. I’m here for the next few weeks, and I’ll only be a phone call away during the rest of your pregnancy.” The thought flashed through Teri’s mind that Gordon had said it might please the Lord to let Annie be pregnant while Teri was in Hawaii. For the first time she realized what a sensitive comment that had been, especially for a man. Perhaps Gordon was a prophet. He did have the loo
k of someone who had heard heavenly voices.
“I guess the hike through the crater is out for me,” Anita said.
“I would think so! I didn’t know you were planning on going.”
“Danny really wanted me to. I was looking forward to it, but I don’t mind sitting this one out. It’s a pretty intense hike, from what I’ve heard. Do you want to go?”
“It might be fun,” Teri said, thinking of the good exercise it would be plus the possibility that Scott would go. “Are any spots left?”
“I don’t know. It seems to change every day depending on who is able to get time off from work.”
“I’d like to do it, but that means you would be home alone. I should stay here with you.”
“No, you should go. I’ll be fine. This really is a rare opportunity. You can use my backpack and everything. You should go, Teri.” Anita pulled back a little and softly added, “I mean, if you want to go. It’s up to you.”
Teri recognized her sister’s effort not to dominate her and smiled in appreciation. “Why don’t we wait and talk about it some more when Dan comes home. You want me to make dinner?”
“I can make dinner.”
“I know you can. I’m offering to give you a break and do it for you. Or at least help you. Oh, by the way, I invited Scott over for dinner tomorrow night. I told him I’d make tamales.”
Anita raised an eyebrow. “Tamales? You’re getting ambitious. When do you plan to make them?”
“Tomorrow. Could I borrow the car to go to the store sometime? I plan to make enough tamales to last us the rest of the month.”
“Sure, but don’t count on me to help,” Anita said. “I have too much work to do tomorrow.”
“No problem,” Teri said, feeling as if she and Annie were finally settling into a more even relationship. “I’m on vacation. I have all the time in the world.”
Chapter Twelve
Cooking energized Teri, especially a full day in the kitchen, hand-rolling dozens of tamales. It evoked so many wonderful memories. Ever since she was a little girl, the women in her large, extended family would gather on a Saturday three or four weeks before Christmas and spend the day making tamales, hundreds of tamales. They would order pizza to eat while they were working, and she remembered her Aunt Diane would bring an ice chest full of Diet R.C. Cola and drink half of it herself.
At the end of the day, the men would help wash the huge pots and pans, and all the tamales would be divided up between the families and frozen. Teri’s family lived off those tamales far into the spring each year.
One of her aunts, Yolanda, was single and didn’t particularly like tamales. She used her portion as Christmas gifts each year. When she accepted a new job, her old boss asked if he could pay to remain on the tamale gift list since it had become his family’s tradition to eat Yoli’s tamales for Christmas Eve dinner.
Anita’s small kitchen was much hotter than Mom’s had ever been during the December tamale marathons. Teri was sweltering by noon, even with a box fan blowing directly on her. She had a long way to go before she could halt the process.
“Teri,” Anita called out, emerging from behind her closed bedroom door, “I’m sorry, but I can’t take it much longer. How far along are you? I’m so sensitive to smells right now.”
“I’m only about halfway. Do you have another fan around here? Would that help?”
“I’ll check with one of my neighbors.” Anita left, and Teri wondered how the smell of spiced beef could bother anyone. To her it was one of the wonderful smells of Christmas.
A few minutes later Anita returned, lugging a big box fan.
“Here,” Teri said, running to her side, “let me get that. You don’t need strain of any kind, remember?”
“My neighbors wanted to know what we were cooking. I told them I’d pay them in tamales tomorrow if I could borrow their fan.”
“Good trade,” Teri said, taking the fan into the bedroom and plugging it in. “The aroma really is strong in here. I’m glad you have the fan. How’s the work coming?”
“It’s okay. I wish I could get more motivated about typing all this technical jargon. I feel like a machine. It’s not exactly the most challenging job in the world, but it pays.”
“And you can stay home with the baby,” Teri said. “I think I’d be able to endure a whole lot of boring for the luxury of being with my baby.”
Anita looked a little hesitant.
“Are you still nervous about it being okay?”
“Of course. I’m sure I will be until I hold her in my arms and see that she’s okay.”
“You think it’s a girl, huh?”
Anita nodded and patted her flat stomach. “I made an appointment to see the doctor next week. I want to make sure the home test was accurate and that everything is okay, as far as they can tell at this point.”
“That has to be the most incredible sensation,” Teri said. “To know that you have a tiny life inside you before you can feel it or see it growing. I can’t wait until it’s my turn. I want at least four kids. Maybe five.”
“I recommend you marry first,” Anita said with a dry twist of humor in her voice. “First things first, you know. It’s always better if their daddy is committed to sticking around for a while. Which reminds me, you haven’t said anything about breakfast with Mark. I’ve been so dazed about the baby I didn’t even think to ask you. How did it go?”
Teri bit her lower lip. “Well, I’m not sure. He was in a hurry, and I blurted out that it wasn’t coming together for us so we might as well give up.”
Anita looked shocked. “You didn’t.”
“I did.”
“What did Mark say?”
“Nothing. Aloha. He had to meet his partner, Claire, and sign some papers.”
Anita shook her head.
“Don’t shake your head at me!”
“I don’t understand your logic, Teri. You would give up a man like Mark Hunter just like that,” she snapped her fingers for emphasis, “and go to all this trouble of making tamales for a man like Scott Robinson.”
Teri didn’t want to hear it. “There won’t be any tamales if I don’t get back in there and finish them. I hope the fan helps.” She scooted out, closing the door behind her.
By 5:30, everything was done. The extra tamales were stuffed into Anita’s freezer, a dozen or so sat in the refrigerator waiting to be steamed right before Scott arrived, and Teri was debating if she should make the homemade salsa now or take a shower first.
Just then Dan walked in. “Smells good in here. Where’s Annie?”
“In there. I overwhelmed her with tamale smells today.”
“I think it smells like home. I haven’t had a Moreno tamale in more than two years. Annie just doesn’t have the time to make them.”
“Scott’s coming for dinner.”
“Scott, really?” Dan paused and said, “Hey, whatever it takes to get you to make tamales is worth it!” He disappeared into the bedroom.
Teri wasn’t sure what Dan’s opinion of Scott was. She supposed it didn’t really matter. What mattered was what she thought of Scott. The best part about his coming tonight was that she felt her relationship with Mark was settled. She could evaluate Scott more accurately now that she wasn’t juggling her confusing thoughts of Mark at the same time.
Abandoning the half finished salsa, Teri pulled a clean pair of shorts and a cotton shirt out of the hall closet and headed for the shower. She could finish the salsa even after Scott arrived. Just thinking about the handsome, athletic Scott Robinson coming to see her and eat her tamales made Teri feel good about herself.
Scott was five minutes early, which spared Teri the anxiety of being jilted that she had tried to ward off in the shower. He looked exceptionally good tonight, fresh from the shower with his still-wet blond hair combed straight back and his face clean shaven.
He handed Teri a bouquet of unusual looking flowers. They almost looked plastic.
“They’re proteas,?
?? Scott explained. “I’m told they grow here. Up country. We’ll have to check it out one of these days. I hear an art colony of some sort is up there, too.”
“They’re unique,” Teri said. “Thanks!” She appreciated them more than the grocery-store rose he had brought as his peace offering Sunday night. The rose had drooped and withered before it had even opened its red bud. She found a vase and placed the proteas on the counter.
“Something sure smells good,” Scott said.
“I hope you’re hungry,” Teri said.
The bedroom door opened just then, and Dan and Anita came out.
“How you doing?” Dan said. The two men shook hands. “You don’t know what an honored guest you are. The Moreno women don’t make these tamales for just anybody, you know!”
Scott reached over the kitchen counter and gave Teri’s hand a squeeze. “I’m not just anybody, am I, Teri?”
She was aware of her sister’s gaze on them as she answered. “Of course not.” She wished she and Scott were alone. Anita’s presence was starting to make her feel restricted, and Scott had only been there for three minutes.
“Do you want some help with anything?” Dan asked.
“I thought we would eat outside. Do you want to take these plates and things out for me?”
Dan, Anita, and Scott pitched in, and within five minutes they were sitting down to a mound of steaming tamales.
Dan and Anita, just like Teri, were in the habit of praying before they ate. Scott looked as if he were ready to dig in, when Dan said, “Should we pray first?”
“Sure,” Scott said.
“Would you like to pray for us?” Anita asked Scott.
“It’s your house. Why don’t you pray, Dan?”
Dan prayed. Teri knew her sister had made a note on her mental list: Does not pray. Teri expected to hear about it later and was already making excuses such as, That doesn’t mean he doesn’t pray at his house. He was just being polite because it’s your house.
“Any word on the Haleakala backpack?” Scott asked Dan.
“As a matter of fact, yes. Annie’s not going now, so you can take her place if you want.”