The next Sunday Joyce had a plan. She was going to glean what she could about the relationship between Cully and Gavin.
She had her set of facts.
They were introduced through her father. They have gone to a play together, when Tom couldn't make it. From then on Gavin had accompanied them to every play Cully was in, claiming a love of theater.
There had been a rift between them when Cully was home for Christmas last year. Gavin dropped by to give them a Christmas gift, and Cully walked him out. Tom grumbled but Joyce gave him the trash to take out and he was distracted. When looking out the window they had stood reasonably close, but the discussion looked to turn negative and they backed up. Just as Tom reentered the back door, Joyce turned on the porch light. Taking it as a sign, Cully was back inside by the time Tom made it to the living room. Nothing more was said, but Cully didn't mention Gavin for another month. Tom had even noted the morose nature of his partner through January. By the end of the month, though he had rallied.
There was an increase in communication at some point between them. And something happening in the background causing Cully's language to evolve.
The phone rang and Joyce was glad Tom was not around, off visiting his aunt. Less chance of him hearing something or interrupting.
"Hi Mum." Cully said, bright and cheerful.
"Hello dear. How is your day today?"
"Oh you know" She said, "loving the day but dreading the morrow. We have a primer with the visiting coach from Harvard and I've been obsessing over my piece all week."
"Now I'm sure you know it cold." Joyce said, resolute in her confidence in her daughter.
"Ha, I know. That's what Gavin said too."
The God of Fortune must be smiling on Joyce today, she thought.
"Gavin said? Have you heard from him lately?" There was no accusation in the tone, just gentle curiosity.
There was a brief pause as Cully gathered her words. "I didn't mention it? Yeah, he was out this way visiting a friend, so we had a drink on Saturday. He fancied that place we had dinner after my last show. Said the IPA was unmatched at home." She spoke quickly, getting all the words out in a stream of consciousness.
This piqued Joyce's curiosity, not only had she heard from him, she had seen him in person. But showing any interest would scare her daughter off.
"Well I'm sure you had a nice time. I'm glad he is getting out to see friends, it is such a grey time of year." Joyce paused and continued. "Did I hear right that they are considering skipping the Spring musical this year?"
There was the faintest sound that Joyce swears was a sign of relief, "Yes. They need to do some repairs to the roof so the grounds keepers are pushing to do it as soon as possible. The Dean was in a state at the thought. There is a meeting before the President next week."
"I'm sure they will get it worked out." Joyce said. "We'd hate for you to miss your last musical, but if the building is in disrepair waiting could make it much harder to fix."
"Practical as ever mom." Cully signed, "I couldn't care a whit for the roof. I just want my Senior Spring to go well. Who knows the scouts that could be there."
"We will just have to wait and see."
"Yeah."
That conversation in the Fall just before Christmas had been the start of further opening up to Joyce.
Cully and Gavin had had dinner while she was home, and was careful to avoid mentioning who the friend she was having dinner with to her father.
It was the morning after that Cully asked her mother if she minded that Cully had had dinner with Gavin.
"No, why would I?" Joyce asked, rolling out the cookie dough Cully had supervised making. Joyce maybe not great with recipes but she could decorate like nobodies business.
"It's just" Cully began, sitting on the island across from Joyce and playing with some of the cookie cutters.
"Dad is so rigid in his ideas of how relationships should be. I know he doesn't like the thought of anyone he works with getting close to…us."
Joyce read the pause as Cully wanting to say "me" but said nothing.
"It's a little unfair. If I must hear about these people so much, sometimes I want to be friends without Dad involved." Cully kept her eyes on the cutters, shuffling them about.
"That sounds reasonable to me. There's nothing wrong with wanting to have individual relationships with people, even if we meet them or have other, larger, relationships." Joyce had thought about this progression for a month since their last conversation about Gavin and Cully.
Cully contemplated this.
"I like having someone more my age to talk about the cases with. I can better understand what Dad goes through." Cully paused, and Joyce kept cutting out cookies and laying them on the greased tray.
"And he's funny. Dad never mentioned that. And he's sharper than he gets credit for. …we get along well." Cully had a smile on her face and glanced to her mother.
Joyce smiled back. "Well I'm glad you enjoyed your dinner. Maybe you can see him when you come back for Easter."
Joyce picked up the tray and turned to the oven, sliding it in gently. She set the timer for 5 minutes and turned back around.
"We are actually planning to go to one of his friends New Year parties next week." Cully said trepidatiously. "I like our at home traditions, but I'd like to actually see the ball drop".
Joyce chuckled. "Of course, that sounds like fun. I know you are young and have a life to live Cully, you don't have to worry about things changing. Our holidays may shift but being together is what is important."
Cully smiled warmly, happy at her mother's reaction. "Great! So I was wondering what I should do about Dad…"
"Well." Joyce said, tilting her head to think. "I don't know. Telling your father that you are friends with his Sargent could be messy. But we don't want to keep it from him."
"Exactly." The smile left Cully. "I don't want this secret hanging over me. But I also don't want him to make up work to call Gavin away because he doesn't like it."
Joyce nodded. That was something Tom would do and had done.
"Is there something more you are worried about?" Joyce ventured. "I think we can explain away New Years, but you know he will be digging until he finds the reason you are hiding it from him."
Cully blanched. "No, nothing he needs to worry about. It's just dinner, drinks…friendship."
Joyce could see Cully didn't believe that last part, but let it slide.
The timer sounded and Joyce turned to take out the cookies. Moving the tray to the stove she set the hot pan down. Decision made she turned to Cully.
"I'll tell him about the party. No need to expand on the why for now. It won't matter to him. He will grumble about it anyway."
"Really?" Cully asked, rounding the island to hug her mother. "You're the best!" With a kiss on her cheek, she positivity skipped out of the room.
Tom had been less than thrilled to learn about her New Years plans. But after a stern word from his wife, wisely avoided mentioning it to Cully, at least in her presence.
Joyce was up at 4am on January 1st, having had two glasses of wine the night before, it always drove her to rise early.
She was walking to the kitchen past the front window when a car pulling to the street in front of her house caught her eye. It didn't pull in the driveway but sat at the road.
Even from a distance Joyce knew whose car it was, and why it was here. It sat unmoving in the dark, the faint light from the street illuminating the car but not the passengers.
She passed through to the kitchen and fetched a water. Passing back through the living room, the car remained in place. With a last look, she carefully treaded up the stairs to her room.
She sat in her reading chair, sipping her water and listening to the silence of the morning.
Eying the clock it was another 5 minutes before she heard the soft sounds of the front door and a car engine starting up.
With a small smile to herself, Joyce tucked herself back in bed. Her suspicions were now confirmed, there was some relationship between young Sargent Troy and her daughter, and whatever it was it was evolving.