didn’t need to live with him. That her mother was there to be the buffer to his moods. The salve that soothed all agitations. She nodded slowly. She hadn’t thought of Cynthia’s situation in that light before.
“Can you just sort of ask for a little privacy?” she ventured.
“Oh, Jude, I … I couldn’t. I wouldn’t want Daddy to feel that he’s not wanted. Not appreciated. He’s been so sweet. I don’t know how we ever would have managed. He’s been so … so gentle with me. I’m sure that’s why he agreed to take that early retirement package last spring. He didn’t really want to quit work. He did it so he would have more time for us. He has been so good with the boys. He says over and over how important it is for boys to have a male image to look up to. He’s—it’s almost like a broken record at times. But he’s right. It is. They do. I know that. Sports and fishing. Camping. All those—” She stopped abruptly and shrugged again.
“And he does all those little mannish chores and fix-it jobs,” she continued. “You know. He keeps an eye on the furnace filters and gets salt for the … something-or-other. And he checks the … the oil in the car and tests the tires with that funny little gizmo. I would never have known about all those things, and even if I did know, I’d never have the time to do them. What with working full time and trying to keep up at home and … everything.”
Judith took another sip of coffee, nodding in understanding above the rim of her cup. She wouldn’t know how to manage all of those things either.
“But now I think it’s… well, it’s time for a change,” Cynthia continued. “I think maybe I’m ready now. Well … not really ready. Some days I wonder if I’ll ever be ready. If I’ll ever truly adjust to life without—”
“’Course you will,” Judith filled in quickly. “It takes time. Don’t rush yourself.”
Cynthia sighed deeply. She began to fidget with the coffee spoon again. “Honestly …” she said in a soft voice. “Sometimes I feel … confined. Hardly able to breathe.”
Judith nodded toward the waitress in the bright checked apron and pushed Cynthia’s cup to the edge of the table to join her own. They were silent while the waitress replenished both cups, the hot stream sending little shivers of steam upward. Judith added a trace of cream and began to stir. Cynthia tested hers gingerly, taking a small sip, then set the cup on the napkin for a brief cooling time.
“Why don’t you just tell him?” Judith asked. The matter seemed really quite simple.
Cynthia looked shocked. “Oh, I couldn’t,” she exclaimed.
“You think he’d misunderstand?”
“Well, he … I’m sure by now he thinks that we … He’s been looking after us for three years. It would be cruel to just upset everything.”
Judith nodded, then leaned slightly toward the coffee before her to make the most of the delicious aroma. “You know, I’ve a notion to have another Danish,” she mused, but Cynthia was quick to cut in.
“You can’t. We took the pledge.”
“But surely—”
“Only one. One a Saturday. We promised to hold each other to it. Don’t try to fudge.”
It was Judith’s turn to shrug. She lifted her cup and took a sip of the coffee.
“Have you walked?” Cynthia asked.
Judith raised an eyebrow.
“Have you taken your walk?” The words demanded an accounting.
“What are you, the fat police?”
“Come on, Jude. We promised. At least three times. Have you walked this week?”
“I had to take the dog to the vet. I figured that should count for at least two. Maybe even three. You’ll never know how I have to wrestle him to get him into the van.”
“Jude!”
“Anyway, that doesn’t solve your problem with your father.” Judith felt just the slightest twinge of guilt in using her friend’s frustration to head her off.
A few moments passed in silence. Cynthia played with the spoon again, and
“Can you just sort of ask for a little privacy?” she ventured.
“Oh, Jude, I … I couldn’t. I wouldn’t want Daddy to feel that he’s not wanted. Not appreciated. He’s been so sweet. I don’t know how we ever would have managed. He’s been so … so gentle with me. I’m sure that’s why he agreed to take that early retirement package last spring. He didn’t really want to quit work. He did it so he would have more time for us. He has been so good with the boys. He says over and over how important it is for boys to have a male image to look up to. He’s—it’s almost like a broken record at times. But he’s right. It is. They do. I know that. Sports and fishing. Camping. All those—” She stopped abruptly and shrugged again.
“And he does all those little mannish chores and fix-it jobs,” she continued. “You know. He keeps an eye on the furnace filters and gets salt for the … something-or-other. And he checks the … the oil in the car and tests the tires with that funny little gizmo. I would never have known about all those things, and even if I did know, I’d never have the time to do them. What with working full time and trying to keep up at home and … everything.”
Judith took another sip of coffee, nodding in understanding above the rim of her cup. She wouldn’t know how to manage all of those things either.
“But now I think it’s… well, it’s time for a change,” Cynthia continued. “I think maybe I’m ready now. Well … not really ready. Some days I wonder if I’ll ever be ready. If I’ll ever truly adjust to life without—”
“’Course you will,” Judith filled in quickly. “It takes time. Don’t rush yourself.”
Cynthia sighed deeply. She began to fidget with the coffee spoon again. “Honestly …” she said in a soft voice. “Sometimes I feel … confined. Hardly able to breathe.”
Judith nodded toward the waitress in the bright checked apron and pushed Cynthia’s cup to the edge of the table to join her own. They were silent while the waitress replenished both cups, the hot stream sending little shivers of steam upward. Judith added a trace of cream and began to stir. Cynthia tested hers gingerly, taking a small sip, then set the cup on the napkin for a brief cooling time.
“Why don’t you just tell him?” Judith asked. The matter seemed really quite simple.
Cynthia looked shocked. “Oh, I couldn’t,” she exclaimed.
“You think he’d misunderstand?”
“Well, he … I’m sure by now he thinks that we … He’s been looking after us for three years. It would be cruel to just upset everything.”
Judith nodded, then leaned slightly toward the coffee before her to make the most of the delicious aroma. “You know, I’ve a notion to have another Danish,” she mused, but Cynthia was quick to cut in.
“You can’t. We took the pledge.”
“But surely—”
“Only one. One a Saturday. We promised to hold each other to it. Don’t try to fudge.”
It was Judith’s turn to shrug. She lifted her cup and took a sip of the coffee.
“Have you walked?” Cynthia asked.
Judith raised an eyebrow.
“Have you taken your walk?” The words demanded an accounting.
“What are you, the fat police?”
“Come on, Jude. We promised. At least three times. Have you walked this week?”
“I had to take the dog to the vet. I figured that should count for at least two. Maybe even three. You’ll never know how I have to wrestle him to get him into the van.”
“Jude!”
“Anyway, that doesn’t solve your problem with your father.” Judith felt just the slightest twinge of guilt in using her friend’s frustration to head her off.
A few moments passed in silence. Cynthia played with the spoon again, and
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