(See first part for disclaimer, notes, spoilers, etc.)
Chapter 2: "A New Day"
March 1976
The sun rose lazily from the east. Its pale golden rays peaked gently over the tops of buildings and homes. The streets were quiet in the early morning as the sun moved slowly higher.
The call of the seagull pierced the stillness as the sunlight washed over him and the railing of the pier that he perched himself on. The surf lapped gently onto the white sand of the beach. The air was not heavy, suggesting that a balmy temperature would envelope the small seaside community today.
As the sun became brighter, the town began to stir. The amount of cars increased on the paved blacktop. Along the cobble stoned main street, shop keepers opened their blinds and let out their doors. A bus boy opened the umbrellas that covered the sidewalk tables and wrought iron chairs.
Further up the beach, the stretch of homes began to stir from within. Windows and patio doors opened, allowing the sounds of morning to linger in the air.
The largest house on the beach, Reve de la Mer, sat on a plot of land surrounded by gardens on either side. The beachside boasted various levels of stone patio and a large in ground swimming pool that sparkled like sapphires in the strengthening sun. The palatial home stuck out like a sore thumb in the midst of the airy California homes made of wood and glass.
Reve de la Mer is ornate and heavily influenced by western European architecture. A large stained glass window depicting a foaming wave crashing against jagged boulders is cemented above the front doorway. When the morning sunlight is just right, shafts of multicolored light stain the Spanish tile of the foyer.
Down the winding staircase came a sleepy woman. Her left hand trailed down the banister, the other hand covered her mouth to hide her yawn. The platform sandals clicked across the tile as she walked through the sitting room to the patio. Walking down the stone steps, she moved across the lower patio. She kicked off her shoes and tested the water of the pool with her foot. She pulled off the white crocheted poncho and tossed it on the stone next to her lounge. She flopped down on the cushioned lounge and closed her eyes, adjusting the strings on her bikini. The sun beat down on her and she sighed tiredly.
From the upper patio, she heard the sounds of the maids laying out the morning buffet and breakfast plates. Next, the irritating squeak of the cart echoed across the patio as the food was rolled out and laid on the sidebar. The noises floated over her as her mind drifted aimlessly.
The maid walked over to the railing and called down to the still form stretched out on the chair, "Mrs. Deschanel…Breakfast is served."
Olivia sighed and sat up. "Thank you, Therese," she called back. "I'll be up in a moment." She sat up and draped the poncho back over her tanned body. The fringe swung and bounced as she stepped back into her sandals. As she walked back up the stairs, she let her hair down and shook it out for a moment before putting it back up into a careless twist.
Her sandals stopped making noise as she sat down in the chair and nodded at Therese. The maid stepped forward and poured steaming black coffee into the delicate porcelain cup. Olivia watched as the level of coffee in the cup rose and eventually covered the hand painted rose on the inside rim. "Thank you. That's enough." She looked at the coffee and changed her mind, pushing it away and leaning back against the chair.
Voices filtered out from inside the house and a moment later, Armando Deschanel, Sr. walked onto the patio. Olivia sat up and smiled at her father-in-law as he kissed both of her cheeks lightly.
"Good morning, ma chere," he said softly in French accented English. "Did you rest well?" Armando sat down heavily in the chair and looked attentively at his son's young wife.
"With the waves lulling me to sleep, it's hard not to sleep well." Olivia watched as Armando leaned forward and gestured at Therese to fill his cup. The maid stepped forward unsurely before hesitating, the silver pot frozen above his cup. Olivia cleared her throat to spare the woman any further anxiety. "You know you aren't supposed to drink coffee," she chided. "The doctor said-"
"The doctor said this, the doctor said that. To hell with it. I drink my café au lait every morning." He waved his hand at the cup. "Pour Therese." The maid bit her lip but poured the dark liquid into his cup.
Olivia rolled her eyes at Armando's stubbornness but slid the small pitcher of ice-cold milk to him. He smiled victoriously at her and allowed a splash of the white milk to hit the coffee, turning it into a shade of creamy brown. He brought the cup to his lips and sipped out of it as Therese laid a plate of toast, fruit, and cottage cheese in front of him. He put the cup down angrily and asked, "What the hell is this? Where is my breakfast?"
"Mrs. Deschanel gave me a new menu to follow where your meals are concerned," Therese said as her cheeks burned. She watched as Armando pushed the plate away from him and glared at her.
"What the hell is wrong with her? Julianna is now taking orders from these doctors. This is not what I pay them for."
"No, you pay them to keep you alive." Olivia dismissed Therese and leaned in closer to Armando. "You can't keep eating such rich food forever. It isn't good for you."
The older man cursed in his native French and drummed his fingers angrily on the tabletop. "They coddle me like I'm a feeble old man!" He smacked his hand against his chest. "Do I look old to you?" He stood up, pointed wildly at the beach, and then back at the house. "Everything! Everything! I built it all from nothing!"
Olivia swallowed an amused smile as she followed Armando's movements with her eyes. She nodded in feigned seriousness when he turned back to her and sat back in his chair. Armando glared down at the offending plate and pulled it back to him. He started to shred the toast with his hands. After a moment, he picked up his knife and stabbed the jelly dish with it. He smeared the apricot preserve on the now smaller pieces of toast and sighed deeply before putting it in his mouth.
"There now…That's not so bad, is it?" Olivia asked pleasantly. She laughed at Armando's grimace and rubbed his shoulder.
"When you and my son are at my age," he said after swallowing, "may you both be able to eat whatever you want. And may your children not side with your doctors over you." He spooned some of the cottage cheese dejectedly over the fruit and stabbed a strawberry slice. Looking down at the red and white on his fork, he added, "And may you never eat fruit and cottage cheese. Mon dieu."
She wrinkled her nose in disgust before spooning some cottage cheese and a grape into her mouth. She frowned and struggled to swallow the food as Armando tossed his head back and laughed loudly.
Olivia smiled shakily and swallowed a large gulp of her coffee. "Ugh, that was disgusting!"
Armando pulled her to him and kissed her forehead. "Oh, ma chere fille…Don't ever change."
"Who shouldn't change?" AJ Deschanel asked as he walked out onto the patio. "Olivia?" He sat down next to his wife and squeezed her knee playfully.
"You stay just the way you are, Olivia," Armando ordered.
She smiled and lowered her head as AJ kissed her cheek.
"You know," the senior Deschanel continued, "if I was fifteen years younger, I'd-"
"Give me a run for Olivia's affections," AJ finished for his father. "Yes, Father…We all know how you feel about beautiful women, including my wife."
"Making a play for our daughter-in-law again, Armando?" a clipped voice asked. Julianna Deschanel sat down across from Olivia and crossed her legs tightly in front of her. "Should I feel threatened by you, ma chere?"
Armando waved his hand dismissively and picked up the morning paper that Julianna placed on the table when she sat down. Silence fell across the patio as Therese returned to serve AJ and Julianna their breakfast.
Olivia reached for her coffee cup, her eyes meeting Julianna's as she did. The older woman's eyes moved over her daughter-in-law's bikini and poncho clad body, her eyes screaming disapproval. Olivia stared back at her until Julianna glanced away.