She spent an hour getting ready for their lunch date, surveying her body in the mirror, and concluding that if Will saw what her body looked like now, he wouldn't be interested any more. She finally decided on a simple black skirt, a brown turtleneck, and black leather flats.
She had come to look forward to her nightly e-mail sessions with Will. Hungry for anything to stimulate her brain, she asked him to share information on the cases he was working on. Something Peter adamantly refused to do with her. Will told her what he could about his clients, and she was grateful to him for that.
Before she left the house, she went to her closet, and took out a box labeled "mementos". Mementos of her friendship with Will Gardner.
There was a book of matches, and a coaster from Holihan's Bar and Grill in Washington, DC. Sunglasses from the week they'd spent at the shore. That was when Will first kissed her, and things began to get strange between them. There were lift tickets from the ski trip they'd taken, ticket stubs from Springsteen at RFK stadium, and from the NCAA March madness tournament when they'd watched Georgetown in the sweet sixteen.
God, she missed him so much sometimes. He always had been good at bringing out her crazier, more spontaneous side. No one with the exception of her brother Owen could make her laugh quite the way Will did. She felt like she hadn't laughed in a very long time.
She told herself things would get better. The kids would get older. Eventually, they'd both be in school, and she could resume her career. Peter would work less, and be home more. They'd be together more often, as a family.
He was waiting at the Red Lion Pub already, sitting at the bar drinking a pint, and asking the bartender about the pub's famous cat mascot. The cat sauntered up and down the bar, stopping occasionally for the food and water set on the edge of the bar for him.
He jumped from the barstool, and embraced her as soon as she walked in.
"Alicia! You look great! Motherhood agrees with you," he said.
"And look at you. Wearing a suit. You look like a grownup, "Alicia said.
She sat down next to him, and ordered a glass of red wine. She hadn't a drink for over two years. There was no need to mention to Will that she was no longer breast-feeding.
"Sorry, it took me so long to get here, I had to wait for my mother-in-law to come over and babysit. Then Zach pitched a fit because I was leaving without him. He's at that clingy stage."
"I'm assuming you have pictures?" he asked her.
"Only about a thousand of them." She grabbed her purse, and pulled the most recent photos of Zach and Grace from her wallet.
He gazed at the pictures of a baby girl, and a little boy with Alicia's dark, wavy hair.
They're beautiful kids, Alicia," he said with sincerity.
"Will, I love my kids more than I ever imagined I would. But there are days when I'd like to climb onto the roof of the house, and start to scream."
"Don't do that. You don't want to get a reputation as Lunatic Woman" Will laughed.
They split a bowl of Guinness Stew. Soon they were laughing and talking. It was as though two years hadn't passed.
"Do you remember the ski trip?" he asked.
Alicia laughed. "I must have fallen on my butt eighteen times!"
The ski trip had been organized by some guys in Will's fraternity. Will had skied before in the mountains of Pennsylvania, and upstate New York. Alicia, having been raised in the flatlands of the Midwest, had never been on skis in her life.
You gave it a game try, from what I remember," Will said.
"All I remember is being cold and wet, but still managing to laugh hysterically. I think we finally gave up, and escaped to the lodge to sit in front of the fireplace with some warm adult beverages."
They had always had so much fun together. Will reminded her of the time they'd dressed up like geeky tourists, complete with garish tee shirts, hats, and cameras around their necks. They'd gone to Union Station, and gotten tickets for the Washington DC tour.
They'd stopped at the Washington Monument, and had lunch at the cafeteria in the American History wing of the Smithsonian. When the bus pulled up in front of the White House, Alicia, pretending to be the wide-eyed innocent from America's heartland, had gazed out the window, and said, "Wow. The President and First Lady really live there?"
An older woman sitting behind them replied, "Yes they do, dear." At that point, Will and Alicia were unable to suppress their laughter.
"So how is Peter?" Will asked.
She didn't want to talk about Peter. The present was too depressing. Alicia preferred to retreat into the past.
"Peter is Peter. Always working. He comes home after nine every night, has a few drinks, kisses Zach and Grace good night, and then goes to bed. We talk every night for about ten minutes."
Will smiled at her in sympathy. "So you have regrets?"
"No, I don't Will. I don't mean to sound like I'm feeling sorry for myself, or that I'm whining about how my life turned out. Peter gave me my children, and I'm thankful. I just didn't expect to be where I am at twenty-eight years old."
The bartender approached them, and Will ordered another pint and a glass of wine for Alicia.
"This place is haunted, you know. There's a ghost upstairs. But you have to come here between three and four on Sunday afternoon in order to hear the ghost."
Will chuckled. "You're such a logical person. You are the last person I'd expect to believe in ghosts."
"It's a Chicago legend. The Biograph theatre across the street is where John Dillinger was killed. They say his ghost haunts the alley behind the theatre. Perhaps it's the same ghost," Alicia explained.
"So Dillinger's ghost comes over here on Sunday just to have a pint of beer? I think I'm really going to like Chicago!" Will said.
She asked him about his interview, and he said it seemed to have gone well. She hadn't asked what had happened in Baltimore, and will hadn't volunteered any information.
Will had finished his beer, and was settling with the bartender. What do you say we go and have some fun? Can you call your mother-in-law, and let her know you'll be a few more hours?"
Alicia wanted nothing more than to spend the day with him, but she was afraid of Jackie's reaction. "Sure. I guess I can call her on their pay phone…."
Will was pulling his cellular phone from his brief case. "You haven't gotten one of these yet?" he asked her.
"Peter has one. I really don't need one. I hardly go anywhere except the doctor's office, or the grocery store," She was sorry the minute the words came out of her mouth. She was sounding whiny and self-pitying again.
Will handed her the phone. "Call her, and find out if she can watch the kids a little longer."
He showed her how to work the phone. She ended up getting the answering machine. Bitch. She was deliberately not picking up. Alicia was sure Jackie was somewhere in the house. It was a big house, but not that big that one couldn't hear the phone from anywhere in the house.
She ended up leaving her mother-in law a terse message. "Hi Jackie. It's me. My friend and I decided to do some shopping on Michigan Avenue. If that's okay. Give the kids my love, and I'll be home by about five. You can call me back at 410-655-7455."
They walked outside, and walked across the street to the Biograph. There was an old-fashioned ticket booth out front with a mannequin dressed in 30's style garb.
"Let's go in and watch the movie," Will suggested.
He bought two tickets, and they ended up buying a large tub of popcorn, and two massive cokes.
Alicia could not have told anyone afterwards what the movie was about. Some lame romantic comedy. She liked Sandra Bullock, and Hugh Grant, but this was not their best effort. She couldn't believe she was sitting here in the middle of the afternoon in a darkened movie theatre with Will, giggling at nothing like a teenager.
He began kissing her neck, and she told him to stop, even though she really didn't want him to.
"We're in a public place, Will," she warned him.
"Look around, Alicia. We're the only ones in here. Come back to my hotel with me. Please. Just this once."
"I can't. You know that."
They movie had just ended, and they were walking outside when Will's phone rang. It was Jackie.
Will handed Alicia the phone. "It's your mother-in-law. She sounds upset."
"Yeah. Jackie what's going on?"
"Alicia, who was that man who answered the phone? Where are you?" Peter and I are at Northwestern Hospital.. In the emergency room. Grace had a high fever, and started having seizures."
"Oh my God. I'll be there as soon as I can."
She explained to Will what was going on, and he offered to walk her to her car.
"No, that's okay. I need to go. I'm sorry, Will."
Peter and Jackie were standing together in corridor of the ER at Northwestern, Peter was holding Grace. Zach ran into her arms when he saw her approach,
"Mama!" he sqealed.
She took Zach in her arms, and walked slowly toward Peter and his mother. She felt like she was walking the plank.
"Oh thank God she's okay. What happened?"
"The pediatrician said it's not uncommon for babies to have seizures when they spike a fever. She should be fine. He wrote a prescription for an anti-seizure medication, and said to keep an eye on her. Alicia where were you?" Peter asked.
She ignored his question. "They're just going to let us take her home? I would think they'd keep her here overnight for observation or something." The very idea of her daughter having seizures was terrifying. There were some many ramifications. Epilepsy. Permanent brain damage. She didn't even want to think about it.
"Alicia, look at her, She's fine. I have to go back to the office. Mom is going to go back to the house with you to help you get the kids settled. We'll talk when I get home tonight."
That's right Peter, she said to herself. Walk away. Because that's what you always do best.
A few days later, she E-mailed Will.
From: Zach and Grace's Mom
To: Lawyer Boy27
I enjoyed our little get-together. Grace is going to be fine. Peter was pretty angry when I confessed to him that I'd seen you. I think its best if we cease the E-mails for a while. Good luck at your new firm.
. It would be twelve years before they met again.
To be continued…
Sorry for the long delay. Bit of trivia- The Red Lion pub does exist in Chicago, and at one time there was a cat who roamed the bar. He passed away a few year after Will and Alicia would have been there! Anyway, enjoy and please review…