Sunday, April 1, 1956

2:50 p.m.

Once she had finished her slice of lemon-coconut cake and two cups of coffee, Therese excused herself from the table. There was nowhere for her to hide, not on this unknown, strange property in the middle of the New Jersey suburbs. Therese didn't know her way around any part of suburbia for the life of her. It all looked alike, same houses, same shops, same little train stations lining the route. She supposed she could walk to the nearest station and wait, it was only a mile away. However, the trains would be running on a holiday schedule because of Easter and be even more infrequent than usual. Either way, it would be better than being stuck in that house. Therese had had enough of the yelling. For people who claimed to be so refined and so dignified, they sure liked to yell quite a bit and about the most inconsequential things.

Harge's sister wouldn't even look at her. His mother could barely stand her presence. They were cordially polite to Therese since Rindy was sitting at the table beside her and no one wanted to alarm the little girl. As soon as Rindy left the room to get a book or one of her toys right before dessert was served, that's when it started. That's when everyone started to shout.

She knew none of this was her fault: She simply didn't want to hear it. Carol could only say so much, as could Harge, but it wasn't the best circumstances to be at his parents' home in Montclair. Before she got up from the table, Carol placed a hand on her lap and said it would be perfectly alright if she left all of them there to talk. Therese bolted from the table, grabbing her coat and hat in the foyer before stepping outside. She didn't even wait to put it on before she got outdoors, she just walked out of the house with her coat in her hands and quickly put it on as she walked down the driveway. Therese thought about sitting in the car, maybe laying down on the back seat and curling up with the blanket they always kept back there. Even though the air was crisp, it wasn't unbearable and she glanced over to the stone wall lining the driveway. Therese walked over toward the grass and sat down with her back against the wall. She pulled a pack of cigarettes from her pocket, nervously pulling one out and then patting down the entire coat looking for her lighter.

Not ten minutes and one-and-a-half cigarettes had gone by before there were footsteps approaching. Therese didn't bother looking up, only saw the shiny black Oxfords in front of her. "Got another one?" Therese shuffled around in her pocket and pulled out the packet one more time, offering Harge a cigarette. "I'm sorry about all them. May I?" Harge gestured to the patch of grass next to Therese.

"Go ahead, Mr. Aird."

"'Mr. Aird?' Please, you're sleeping with my ex-wife. Call me Harge, for God's sake." Therese tried to stifle a laugh, but failed. She had never thought Harge to be this blunt, or so cheerful for that matter. "Like I said, sorry you had to hear all that. I told them, I told Mother before you arrived I didn't want any blow ups, no charades, no bullshit. You are both my guests: Carol is Rindy's mother, you are Rindy's… whatever you are. Mother - "

Therese sensed the growing anger in Harge as he continued on. "You don't need to apologize for any of them."

"But - "

"No, really, Harge. They don't understand. I'm certainly no one to them."

"You're not no one to Rindy though," he observed. "And that's what matters most."

There was amiable silence between the two as they smoked their cigarettes, watching the breeze shift the bare trees in the yard. It was still early for spring blooms, even earlier for seeing daffodil spurts to appear with the nearly frozen ground. Harge took a drag from his cigarette and instantly began to cough.

"Should you be outside like this?" Therese questioned, finding herself surprisingly concerned for his well-being.

Harge shrugged and leaned back against the wall, resting his head comfortably on the top stone. "I'll be fine. I dealt with much worse in the Pacific."

Therese finally reached down to button her coat, the chill in the air finally affecting her after ten minutes or so outdoors. She wished for a moment that she had some gloves, but it was alright to keep one hand in her pocket for warmth while the other clung to her cigarette.

"Say, did you see Rindy's room with all those pictures I was telling you about the other day?" Harge asked.

This made Therese smile. "I sure did. Did you help her put them up and frame them?"

"Yeah."

"You did a great job with the framing."

"Thanks." Harge put out the rest of his cigarette against one of the stones and turned back toward Therese. "I can easily see how Carol loves you so much. I bet you ten bucks she gave you that necklace you're wearing."

Therese softly laughed. "No need to bet. Of course Carol gave me this." Her hand traveled upward to finger the silver chain around her neck. She loved her necklace and loved the memory of the night Carol gave it to her, that moment where she, Carol, Abby and Rindy spent a Christmas together.

"And you," Harge gulped, "gave her that ring?"

"I did. Back in December."

"That was nice of you."

"Well, I love her. It wasn't hard or anything."

There was another lull in conversation between the two of them; Therese could have sworn she felt a droplet of rain, Harge almost thought it was snow for a moment it was getting to be that cold. It might have been cold, but the fresh air was far more appealing than being back inside that house again for another half hour or so while everyone cooled down.

"What the hell are you two doing out here?" The voice came from the landing with footsteps approaching Therese and Harge sitting over on the grass together. They looked up to see Carol walking towards them, her fur draped over her shoulders and barely clinging to her body. "Did we miss some Easter eggs this morning?"

"You just missed the Philip Morris bunny dropping off cartons for all the good adults of Montclair." Therese quipped.

Carol looked back toward the house, disgusted and annoyed by Harge's family. She honestly didn't expect any differently from them, but still, it was a family day and a holiday at that. They could have at least tried for Rindy's sake. Or even for Harge's for that matter. "Pass me one, will you?" Therese reached into her pocket one more time and pulled out the packet. There were two left and clearly the three of them were clamoring for another smoke out of boredom or to keep warm.

"You go ahead, I've already had a couple." Therese offered first to Carol, who winked a thank you to her as she pulled one from the packet, and then to Harge.

"Thanks, Therese." Harge found a lighter in his breast pocket and lit both his and Carol's cigarette.

After taking the first puff, Carol looked around for a place to sit, debating whether to sit on the ground or up on the stone wall. Rather than bend down to the grass, she sat on the wall between Harge and Therese, now pulling her coat around her as possible. Her legs reached the ground, her left brushing against Therese's jacket, her right brushing against Harge's wool coat.

A gentle, cool breeze rolled past them causing Therese to shudder and shiver, her shoulders repeatedly falling up and down to stay warm. Carol noticed while between puffs of her cigarette and reached to pull Therese against the side of her leg, covered by the warm fur of her coat. Therese burrowed into the fur and rested her head there, keeping her warm and comfortable.

Harge leaned forward, watching Therese and Carol. He and Carol once had that. Never again though. He smiled seeing his ex-wife so happy and finally so in love. Harge attempted to stand up, only to have Carol place a hand on his shoulder to keep him down on the same level as Therese. Carol pulled him toward her, much like she had done with Therese and let Harge rest with his head against her leg.

"What a trio of misfits are we." Carol muttered as she finished her cigarette and stroked Therese's hair.