six tomorrow evening.”
“What time is her surgery scheduled for?” Ginger propped her head on her elbow, listening for a hint of worry in his voice.
He cleared his throat and paused for a moment. “It’s set for eight in the morning.”
“Is she in the hospital now?”
“Yeah. We stayed with her until she fell asleep. That’s why I got back so late. She hasn’t seen us all together in almost a year. All of us gave her a play-by-play on how her grandchildren were doing. She asked about Lady Bug and the boys.”
Her mother-in-law never failed to ask about her kids. Ginger secretly wondered if Hattie B. minded her son marrying a woman with three children from a previous marriage. But in the eight years Ginger and Jackson had been married, she’d never asked about the kids’ father, or why she’d divorced him. Ginger had to respect her for that. Most mothers-in-law were so nosy they couldn’t wait to pry and find out all the dirt on their nondeserving daughters-in-law, who they usually felt wasn’t good enough for their saintly sons. But not Hattie B.
“That was nice. Tell her I said hi when you go back to the hospital tomorrow.”
“She told me to give you a message.”
“What?” said Ginger, feeling immediately nervous.
“She told me to tell you she’s keeping an eye on me. You don’t have to worry about your old man running the streets with no strange women.”
“Jackson . . . did you tell her I was jealous?” she asked incredulously.
“I didn’t have to. Remember last summer when you got pissed off at my class reunion and left me at the party?”
“Yeah. I remember. But how was I supposed to know that was your cousin kissing you?”
“If you had asked, instead of jumping to conclusions, I would have told you exactly who she was.”
“I ain’t never seen a family with so many cousins in my entire life. Is everybody in Mississippi related?” Jackson laughed, and Ginger added, “Our family is one of the largest in Port Huron, but it doesn’t come close to yours.”
“I told you I had a big family when you married me, remember?”
“Yeah, I remember. But who doesn’t exaggerate a little these days? And when we come down there this summer I’m going to suggest to your sister that we wear name tags. I can’t remember all those people’s names.” She could feel him smiling through the phone.
“Mama gave me six quarts of her homemade plum preserves to bring home to you since she knows you’re so crazy about it.”
Ginger felt a pang of guilt. Her mother-in-law was so nice to her. Ginger remembered her preserves. She’d never tasted plum preserves in her life and couldn’t get enough of it while they were there last summer. Last year the plum trees hadn’t borne much fruit and his mother had been able to put up only a few jars. Ginger had emptied the last one before they left to go home in July. And now Hattie was sending her more.
Deep down she loved her mother-in-law dearly. But Jackson’s overwhelming love for his mother always made Ginger feel jealous and insecure in her presence. How long would these feelings persist? Why couldn’t she understand his respect and love for his mother? Would she ever feel the same kind of undemanding love from Jackson that he demonstrated toward his mother?
A lump formed in her throat before she spoke. “Give your mother a kiss for me, and tell her I love her.”
“Thank you, baby. I love you so much. I’ll call you tomorrow, after you get home from work, to tell you how she’s doing, all right?”
“Okay, sweetheart.” Looking at his empty space in the bed, she felt the sting of loneliness mist her eyes. “I love you,” she said. “You take good care of your mother, you hear?”
* * *
She hung up quickly before her voice broke. Knowing she needed the comfort of his body next to hers. Knowing she needed to feel his arms pulling her close. Knowing she never wanted to be without him again.
Kim opened the
“What time is her surgery scheduled for?” Ginger propped her head on her elbow, listening for a hint of worry in his voice.
He cleared his throat and paused for a moment. “It’s set for eight in the morning.”
“Is she in the hospital now?”
“Yeah. We stayed with her until she fell asleep. That’s why I got back so late. She hasn’t seen us all together in almost a year. All of us gave her a play-by-play on how her grandchildren were doing. She asked about Lady Bug and the boys.”
Her mother-in-law never failed to ask about her kids. Ginger secretly wondered if Hattie B. minded her son marrying a woman with three children from a previous marriage. But in the eight years Ginger and Jackson had been married, she’d never asked about the kids’ father, or why she’d divorced him. Ginger had to respect her for that. Most mothers-in-law were so nosy they couldn’t wait to pry and find out all the dirt on their nondeserving daughters-in-law, who they usually felt wasn’t good enough for their saintly sons. But not Hattie B.
“That was nice. Tell her I said hi when you go back to the hospital tomorrow.”
“She told me to give you a message.”
“What?” said Ginger, feeling immediately nervous.
“She told me to tell you she’s keeping an eye on me. You don’t have to worry about your old man running the streets with no strange women.”
“Jackson . . . did you tell her I was jealous?” she asked incredulously.
“I didn’t have to. Remember last summer when you got pissed off at my class reunion and left me at the party?”
“Yeah. I remember. But how was I supposed to know that was your cousin kissing you?”
“If you had asked, instead of jumping to conclusions, I would have told you exactly who she was.”
“I ain’t never seen a family with so many cousins in my entire life. Is everybody in Mississippi related?” Jackson laughed, and Ginger added, “Our family is one of the largest in Port Huron, but it doesn’t come close to yours.”
“I told you I had a big family when you married me, remember?”
“Yeah, I remember. But who doesn’t exaggerate a little these days? And when we come down there this summer I’m going to suggest to your sister that we wear name tags. I can’t remember all those people’s names.” She could feel him smiling through the phone.
“Mama gave me six quarts of her homemade plum preserves to bring home to you since she knows you’re so crazy about it.”
Ginger felt a pang of guilt. Her mother-in-law was so nice to her. Ginger remembered her preserves. She’d never tasted plum preserves in her life and couldn’t get enough of it while they were there last summer. Last year the plum trees hadn’t borne much fruit and his mother had been able to put up only a few jars. Ginger had emptied the last one before they left to go home in July. And now Hattie was sending her more.
Deep down she loved her mother-in-law dearly. But Jackson’s overwhelming love for his mother always made Ginger feel jealous and insecure in her presence. How long would these feelings persist? Why couldn’t she understand his respect and love for his mother? Would she ever feel the same kind of undemanding love from Jackson that he demonstrated toward his mother?
A lump formed in her throat before she spoke. “Give your mother a kiss for me, and tell her I love her.”
“Thank you, baby. I love you so much. I’ll call you tomorrow, after you get home from work, to tell you how she’s doing, all right?”
“Okay, sweetheart.” Looking at his empty space in the bed, she felt the sting of loneliness mist her eyes. “I love you,” she said. “You take good care of your mother, you hear?”
* * *
She hung up quickly before her voice broke. Knowing she needed the comfort of his body next to hers. Knowing she needed to feel his arms pulling her close. Knowing she never wanted to be without him again.
Kim opened the
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