LISA
"Another game?" I ask when Jackie places her last tile down having just beaten me at Scrabble for the third time.
"Nah. I'm so much better than you it's getting boring," she jokes, pushing the board aside. We're sitting in a café close to the hospital, waiting for the surgeon to call us once they've finished operating on my father. "How about a glass of wine? I've had enough coffee for today." She beckons the waiter over, brags about her Scrabble skills when he asks who won and orders a bottle of red.
"We should have ordered wine hours ago," I say when I take the first sip. "Would have helped with the nerves."
"Then we would also be two sheets to the wind by the time he came to." Jackie chuckles. "Well, no news so far is good news, I suppose. Isn't that how it works with operations?"
I shrug because I have no idea and stretch my legs out, stiff from sitting in the same position for hours. "Thank you for taking him in while he recovers."
"It's my pleasure. I just worry about what's going to happen long-term. What did the estate agent say about the value of the farm?"
"One point four million."
"What?" Jackie gasps. "Are you serious?"
"Yes. It's the land, mainly. It's worth a lot, especially because it's so close to the beach. I didn't know this but that wide strip of land between the farmland and the beach—the section where all the poppies grow— it's protected so the view is guaranteed to be unobstructed."
Jackie stares into the distance, and I'm waiting for her to tell me she thinks he should sell it after all, but she doesn't. I don't want to tell her about my conversation with Jennie yet as we have to discuss this in depth first. Although the idea seems fantastic, I don't want her to make any hasty decisions and have regrets later. Moving in together is a big step, especially if Lily and my father are involved.
"Jackie, are you okay?" I notice Jackie is suddenly deep in thought, her eyes glazy as if transfixed.
"It all started there," she says with a sad look in her eyes. "In the poppy field. I haven't been there in decades."
"What started there?"
"Your mother and I." Her eyes meet mine and she gives me a nervous smile. "It's where we first kissed."
"Oh…" Wanting her to continue, I remain silent. I hadn't expected her to bring up my mother. Not here, not today.
"I'd been in love with her for a long time and I think she knew it. I never told her how I felt until that day, and I never made a move on her; she was married after all, but she must have known how I felt. Besides, she was straight, as far as I knew, and I didn't want to ruin our friendship. We'd grown so close and loved to spend time together." Jackie pauses. "We decided to take the long route down to the beach, through the fields, instead of following the path. The poppies were in full bloom, and she was wearing a red dress in the same color. I couldn't help myself; I told her she looked beautiful." Jackie takes a long drink from her wine and swallows hard. "And then she kissed me." A single tear rolls down her cheek. "She kissed me. And with that, she changed our lives forever. We lay down and made love in the field and then we became inseparable. She didn't want to divorce your father; she loved him, and I never asked her to. When she was dying, I begged her not to tell him, but she was adamant that it was for the best. Looking back, I suppose she was right. I had your father after all, and you, and Linda."
"You loved her," I say, swallowing down the lump in my throat.
"Yes, I loved her with all my heart, and I still miss her every single day."
"Is that why you never dated?" I ask.
"Yes. No one compared to her. She just had this special aura about her, this radiant glow that made people around her smile." Jackie takes a deep breath. "I have many pictures of us together. They've been hidden away in a box as I couldn't bear looking at them. But you can see them if you want."
"Thank you, I'd like that." I reach for Jackie's hand over the table. "You should have told me."
Jackie shakes her head. "No, I couldn't. What we did was wrong, and it hurt your father. I wasn't proud of it, but I've never regretted it either because it was the most precious time in my life. Perhaps I should have told you my story when you grew up and came out to me, but you were so secure in yourself and so at ease with your sexuality that I didn't think you needed help in that sense. Besides, you were like a daughter to me and I was so afraid you'd be angry and that I'd lose you." She sighs. "But now you know."
"You'll never lose me, Jackie." I squeeze her hand. "Can I ask about Rose?"
Jackie smiles in relief. "Rose and I are dating. It's still very new, but when I met her, I felt that genuine spark, like I did with your mother. The Hamptons hasn't exactly been inundated with eligible lesbians, especially not back in the day, so I never met anyone I felt attracted to until now. Rose is wonderful."
"Thank you for telling me. I like Rose very much and I'm happy for you. You deserve love." I pause. "And I'd really, really like to see those pictures."
"Okay, honey. Come over one night and I'll tell you all about her. With Rose in my life I think I can handle it now."
My phone rings, and we both snap to attention, my hand trembling as I take the call and hear the surgeon's voice.
"Miss Manoban? Your father is just waking up following his surgery, but the operation went well, he's back in his room and we expect to have him up and walking in a day or two."
I thank him and give Jackie a thumbs-up and we get up to give each other a long hug. "He's fine."
"Thank God." Jackie holds me tight. "Come on, let's go and see him."
