Among the Ducklings by Marsh Brooks

yes,
where is he? I have not seen him lately. Is he in Orlando?”

    “Yes. He is
going to be there for at least another week or so, because of construction
projects.”

    “I bet.”

    “What?”

    “Nothing,”
Marcia said. “Phil seemed to really love you.”

    “I love him
too, but I can't just walk away from Richard.”

    “Let me
know how I can help you.   I like Phil
myself,” Marcia said

    “I can
tell,” Isabel said. “Somehow, I always sensed you had something against
Richard. But I don’t know why.”

    “Why don't
you ask him what he does when he goes to Orlando?”

    “I told you
what he does,” Isabel said, not understanding her aunt's fixation with
Orlando.   As far as she knew, her aunt
had never even gone to Orlando.

    “I guess
you're right,” Marcia said, giving up. “By the way, before I go, I did speak
with Mark's parents today.”

    “What did
they say?”

    “I didn't
tell them about the pregnancy but they knew something was up when I told them
that we wanted to talk to them about Mark and Rebecca.”

    “Did they
say anything?” Isabel asked.

    “We are
meeting them this Saturday for lunch at the Habana Cafe on Bird Road.”

    “Why
the cafe? Do they
like Cuban food?” Isabel asked.

    “We’ll find
out, won't we?   Besides, they’re not
paying so they have nothing to complain about,” Marcia said. “And,
Isabel?”

    “Yes.”

    “Don't miss
any more of your therapy sessions.”

    “Yes, Doc,”
Isabel laughed.

     

    ##

    Isabel
reached home as the phone in the kitchen was ringing.   She picked it up and her heart jumped when
she heard Phil on the other line.

    “Isabel?”

    “Hi Phil,
how did your exercises go today?”

    “Boring
and painful. Are
you OK?”

    “I’m
feeling better,” she said.

    “When I
didn't see you today, I was really worried.”

    “I needed to
go to church and pray. Tell me, Phil, Are you Catholic?”

    “Me? Does
it matter?” Phil asked. He was afraid to say the wrong thing.   He didn't know where this was going.

    “Not
really. But I just wanted to know. Do you go to church?” Isabel then asked.

    Phil didn't
know what to say.   “You mean on Sundays?”
Phil asked. Phil was buying time. He needed to think. Was it a test? Was there
any meaning behind the question?   He
understood that women were complicated. Was there a double meaning behind most
of their questions?

    “No I just
wanted to know if you go to church,” Isabel simply said. She could feel that
Phil was scrambling to give her the correct answer and said reassuringly,
“Whatever the answer is, it will not make me think less of you Phil.”

    Phil, a little
relieved, said, “I go sometimes.”

    “When was
the last time you were at church?” Isabel asked.

    “At my
friend Jeremy's wedding. I have also gone to the typical masses, weddings,
funerals, birthdays, etc ,” Phil said.

    “There is
no birthday mass,” Isabel said with a laugh.

    “I mean
baptism,” Phil immediately corrected himself.   
He was failing the church
test
.

    Changing
the subject, Isabel said. “I missed you today too, but I needed to go and pray.
It's been a very difficult time for me and I just wanted some divine guidance,
if you will.”

    “I know. I
would like to help, but I don't know what to do.”

    “No
thanks,” Isabel said with another laugh. “You have done too much already.”
Isabel was in a good mood.   She still
didn't know what she was going to do.   She knew that Richard would be coming back in a week.   He had called but she had yet to return his
call, afraid of what she might say.  
If
only a week wasn't so short,
she thought.

    “Isabel, my
friend Jeremy is coming to town this evening and I wanted to know if you have
any time in the next day or so. I told him a lot about you and he would like to
meet you,” Phil said.

    “I can do
better. Why don't the two of you come over tomorrow evening to have dinner with
my sister and me? She makes a mean