Page 121 of Embracing the Change

When we were finished, we ended up in the library, which was full of books and leather furniture and a fireplace with a large television over it.

And I was studying yet another wedding portrait.

This depicted a glowing, flame-haired Rosalind wearing a cream Oscar de la Renta, full-skirted, to the calf wedding dress, Jamie, handsome in a tuxedo, with a much younger Judge at Rosalind’s side, and a little girl Dru wearing a pretty cream bridesmaid dress at Jamie’s side.

Judge looked a mite awkward. Perhaps it was his age. Perhaps it was that he didn’t know his place in that new family.

Rosalind, Jamie and Dru were all beaming.

“Uh…well? Do you have any ideas?” Dru called.

I turned to her. “Your mother decorated in, well…” I smiled at her as I swept my arm in front of me. “Jamie.”

Dru glanced around, then she burst out laughing.

“Oh my God,” she pushed out. “She totally did.”

“I can’t say I hadn’t noticed it before, I had. It just came very to the fore in inspecting the entirety of it. It’s not as if it’s overwhelmingly masculine, but she definitely balanced the scale more to that side so her husband would not only be comfortable but able to wallow in his many successes.”

The humor left her expression.

“Mom was super proud of Dad,” she said softly.

“It shows,” I replied.

“He really needs you to, um…change things.”

It was me talking softly when I said, “I know.”

“I think he, um…uh…needs you to make it very you.”

“I know that too.”

“I know he doesn’t want to erase her,” she said swiftly.

“Dru, darling,” I replied, going to her and taking one of her hands in both of mine. “I think we both know he needs that because he wants it for me. Our mission here is to give him what he needs so he can assure himself that I’m fully aware of his feelings for me, at the same time make it his space, your space, Judge’s space, and retain Rosalind’s space.”

Gratitude shone in her eyes even as she noted, “That’s a hefty order.”

“I believe we’re up for the challenge.”

Dru added her other hand to both of mine and gave them a squeeze. “I love how much he loved her, and even though it might seem bizarre, I love how much he grieved for her, because it showed how much he loved her, and it felt good, having someone share that with me, even if what we were feeling felt awful.”

“Of course, dearest,” I whispered.

“But I’m sorry he didn’t see what was right in front of him for so long so he could be happy again.”

“Oh, Dru,” I said, pulling her hands to my chest. “That’s very lovely. Thank you.”

“I should be thanking you for making him happy. He’s, I don’t know how to say it except, he’s back.”

I adored she felt this from Jamie.

“Outside my children, this is my greatest triumph,” I declared.

She smiled before she let my hands go, and she pulled me into a hug.

When we stepped away from one another, I said, “I think this room, we don’t change. It’s so very Jamie, it oozes him.”

---