Page 19 of One Last Goodbye

I’m too tired. I can’t think right now. So I only weep.

CHAPTER NINE

The next day, the Jensen’s host a party. Hugo is there, along with Veronica, Dr. Strauss and Thomas Keller along with at least thirty additional guests. I am not invited to this party, and I am grateful for that. If I see Dr. Strauss again, I am likely to tear her eyes from their sockets.

Instead, I spend time with the children. They are allowed to join the party if they wish, but not surprisingly, they don’t find the prospect of watching their parents and their friends and associates getting drunk on cocktails and champagne enjoyable.

So, we retire to the theater and enjoy snacks while watching the most recent superhero movie. I’m not a fan of the genre, but there’s something to be said for mindless action movies.

Ethan is the most excited I’ve ever seen him. He spouts endless facts about the different heroes, mostly the comic issues he owns that features them and what particular version of each hero is represented in the movie. Apparently different comic book “runs” change certain details of heroes, and the movies select the versions that best fit their plot.

Olivia spends most of the time on her phone, but when two particularly attractive young men are on the screen, I notice her payingveryclose attention. During these moments, she’ll irritably hush Ethan and gaze longingly at the actors’ eyes while they perform their stunts or make their speeches. It’s an innocent puppy love, and my heart warms toward both of them to see them acting like young people. I truly hope they can avoid the pitfalls that turned their parents to such a depressing life as they lead now.

The movie ends, and I tell Olivia to pick the next one while I get more snacks from the kitchen.

“Aww, she’s gonna pick some dumb romance movie,” Ethan complains.

“When you aren’t a baby anymore, you’ll understand that not all entertainment has to be people wearing tights pretending to shoot laser beams at each other.”

“Not a single person in that movie wears tights,” he protests, “and I’ll bet the movie you pick shows people getting naked.”

“It will not,” I interrupt, “or I will change it to a more appropriate movie. However, I wouldn’t mind seeing a good romantic comedy.”

Olivia grins triumphantly at Ethan, who rolls his eyes and pulls out a video game tablet. I forget which one. Video games were in their nascency when I was a child, and one had to go to an arcade to play them. I preferred libraries myself.

I head to the kitchen. Unfortunately, this means I must navigate my way through the living room and dining room. If you have never experienced a wealthy person’s party, consider yourself lucky. It is as though people forget how to behave with decorum and decency.

I suppose I’m being too harsh. Lasciviousness and drunkenness aren’t exclusive to the wealthy after all. Still, I can’t help but wonder what value people get in these displays.

Veronica is in the living room, escorted by Thomas Keller. She is clearly drunk and flirting rather shamelessly with him. Thomas, to his credit, has his wits about him and deftly deflects her advances while maintaining conversation with several other guests I don’t recognize. He meets my eyes and gives me a brief, exasperated look. I stifle a smile at that.

The dining room is somewhat calmer than the living room. Catherine and Hugo are there, deep in conversation. Hugo nods politely at me. I return his nod and hurry to the kitchen, pointedly ignoring Strauss’s cordial greeting.

“Mary?” Catherine calls. “Could I ask you a favor?”

I turn to her. “Yes? What is it?”

“Could you find Frederick for me, please? He’s been gone for over an hour. We’ve been waiting for him to return so we could discuss something together.”

I blink. “You wantmeto find him?”

“Could you? He likes you. He’ll listen to you.”

I don’t follow her train of thought at all. She must be drunk because what she’s said makes absolutely no sense. “Listen to me about what?”

“About coming back to the party,” she replies, as though that was the most obvious thing in the world.

“Well… What should I say?”

“Tell him that we’re all waiting for him.”

She’s irritated now. Clearly, I’m a fool who can’t understand even the simplest of instructions. “What should I do about the children?” I ask.

Sheasks.“For God’s sake, Mary, they’re not babies. They’ll be fine for a few minutes. There will be plenty of snacks left over after.”

She’s too drunk for me to feel offended by her clumsy attempt at insulting me. “Very well,” I say. “I’ll see what I can do.”

"Thank yousomuch,” Catherine replies, giving me an exaggerated bow.

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