“Alright. I didn’t mean to bring up anything upsetting, I was just wondering.”
“No, it’s okay. I don’t mind, I’m not upset at all. I’m just explaining the situation to you.” Lydia swept her hair back from her face as a breeze lifted the strands. “Even growing up, Jane and I always knew we came second. They, as a unit, came first. And for me, it was one step beyond that, because they favored Jane so obviously. Whatever. Jane was older, prettier, more dynamic, did everything first, got married first, and she married a great guy with a great job—Tyler is an orthopedic surgeon, I think I told you that?”
Sam nodded once more.
“Me? I was quieter. A bookworm. Very few bells and whistles… and then, later on, there was who I chose to marry. My parents never really liked Matt, from the day I brought him home. He's does bookkeeping—steady enough, but no great shakes, at least not to them. Especially not when compared to a surgeon. Plus, we’re Jewish, and Matt isn’t. That was the ultimate deal breaker, especially for my father. Even though Matt and I agreed while we were engaged that we’d raise our kids to be Jewish, my parents were still pissed at me.”
She stared out at the view, remembering. “So, six months after Matt and I got married, they were gone. They left New York. They sold the house and moved down to Boca Raton. Didn’t matter that Jane had young kids, that it would’ve been nice for them to stay here and be involved with their grandchildren. They felt like we were both married, secure, had our own lives, and could be left on our own. They had done their duty, and they wanted to go off and do their own thing. That’s who they are, and what they do. Jane and I have each other, thank God. That’s all we need. Which is good, because that’s really all we’ve got.”
Sam looked at her and squeezed her hand. “Thanks for sharing all that with me.”
Lydia shrugged again. “There are no big secrets, it’s not a big deal. But now you know the story, and I won’t have to go into it again. Done.”
Sam studied her profile as she coolly surveyed the landscape below and beyond. He sensed there was more to the story, plenty she was withholding, but he didn’t need to know it. He knew the basics now, and that was fine. He was glad she’d told him as much as she had.
“Let’s change the subject, then,” he said, and lifted her hand to his lips to kiss the back of it. Her skin was cool and soft. “You’re not cold out here, are you?”
“No, not at all. It’s perfect, actually,” she smiled.
“Yeah, it is,” he smiled back. “We lucked out with this weather.” He noticed a couple slowly rise to their feet, vacating one of the stone benches. “C’mon, quick!” he whispered. He pulled her over to the bench and they sat down hard, claiming it.
“Well done, Forrester,” she praised him.
“Thank you. Now we can really just hang out and relax,” he smiled easily. “So… what else can I ask you? What do you want to ask me?”
“You’re digging for a real get-to-know-me session, aren’t you?” Lydia laughed lightly. She removed her sunglasses again to peer at him. “Haven’t we done plenty of that over the past two weeks, with our almost nightly talks?”
“True. Yes. But,” Sam said, his eyes twinkling, “there are things I didn’t ask you, because I wanted to have eye contact with you when I did.”
She cocked her head sideways, her eyes narrowing. “Like what?”
“Like… more intimate details,” he said carefully. "Past details." He rubbed his jaw, waiting, and watched her.
“You mean… you want to, like, hear my romantic history?” she asked, grasping what he was getting at. “Seriously?”
“Well, look. At our age, it's like… been there, done that. Right? By your mid-thirties, you have a history. You and I, in particular, both definitely have some, uh… hurdles behind us that we’ve already jumped over, or even tripped over,
“No, it’s okay. I don’t mind, I’m not upset at all. I’m just explaining the situation to you.” Lydia swept her hair back from her face as a breeze lifted the strands. “Even growing up, Jane and I always knew we came second. They, as a unit, came first. And for me, it was one step beyond that, because they favored Jane so obviously. Whatever. Jane was older, prettier, more dynamic, did everything first, got married first, and she married a great guy with a great job—Tyler is an orthopedic surgeon, I think I told you that?”
Sam nodded once more.
“Me? I was quieter. A bookworm. Very few bells and whistles… and then, later on, there was who I chose to marry. My parents never really liked Matt, from the day I brought him home. He's does bookkeeping—steady enough, but no great shakes, at least not to them. Especially not when compared to a surgeon. Plus, we’re Jewish, and Matt isn’t. That was the ultimate deal breaker, especially for my father. Even though Matt and I agreed while we were engaged that we’d raise our kids to be Jewish, my parents were still pissed at me.”
She stared out at the view, remembering. “So, six months after Matt and I got married, they were gone. They left New York. They sold the house and moved down to Boca Raton. Didn’t matter that Jane had young kids, that it would’ve been nice for them to stay here and be involved with their grandchildren. They felt like we were both married, secure, had our own lives, and could be left on our own. They had done their duty, and they wanted to go off and do their own thing. That’s who they are, and what they do. Jane and I have each other, thank God. That’s all we need. Which is good, because that’s really all we’ve got.”
Sam looked at her and squeezed her hand. “Thanks for sharing all that with me.”
Lydia shrugged again. “There are no big secrets, it’s not a big deal. But now you know the story, and I won’t have to go into it again. Done.”
Sam studied her profile as she coolly surveyed the landscape below and beyond. He sensed there was more to the story, plenty she was withholding, but he didn’t need to know it. He knew the basics now, and that was fine. He was glad she’d told him as much as she had.
“Let’s change the subject, then,” he said, and lifted her hand to his lips to kiss the back of it. Her skin was cool and soft. “You’re not cold out here, are you?”
“No, not at all. It’s perfect, actually,” she smiled.
“Yeah, it is,” he smiled back. “We lucked out with this weather.” He noticed a couple slowly rise to their feet, vacating one of the stone benches. “C’mon, quick!” he whispered. He pulled her over to the bench and they sat down hard, claiming it.
“Well done, Forrester,” she praised him.
“Thank you. Now we can really just hang out and relax,” he smiled easily. “So… what else can I ask you? What do you want to ask me?”
“You’re digging for a real get-to-know-me session, aren’t you?” Lydia laughed lightly. She removed her sunglasses again to peer at him. “Haven’t we done plenty of that over the past two weeks, with our almost nightly talks?”
“True. Yes. But,” Sam said, his eyes twinkling, “there are things I didn’t ask you, because I wanted to have eye contact with you when I did.”
She cocked her head sideways, her eyes narrowing. “Like what?”
“Like… more intimate details,” he said carefully. "Past details." He rubbed his jaw, waiting, and watched her.
“You mean… you want to, like, hear my romantic history?” she asked, grasping what he was getting at. “Seriously?”
“Well, look. At our age, it's like… been there, done that. Right? By your mid-thirties, you have a history. You and I, in particular, both definitely have some, uh… hurdles behind us that we’ve already jumped over, or even tripped over,
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