Page 31 of An Engagement for Erica

“Wow, very brainy.”

“Yes, but he’s not nerdy with it. Or doesn’t look it, but he’s an orthopedic surgeon and started practicing early. Went to Yale too and my mother pressured him to stay there. He bolted like the rest of us. He lived in the house I’m in for a few years and practiced locally and in New Haven when needed. His wife works at Blossoms as I said. They bought a house between Mystic and New Haven so his commute wasn’t as long and hers wasn’t much more than it was.”

“It’s nice when people can compromise. So you live in your father’s second home?”

“With my sister. We’ve been roommates since she graduated. No one thinks she can make it on her own, but I know she can.”

“Good for you,” he said. “My father, as you know, lived his life lording his name, title, and wealth over everyone. Including his wife and child. Sober or drunk, he acted the same.”

“I’m sorry,” she said. “For what it’s worth, you are nothing like that. From what I’ve heard of your father.”

“But you’ve heard an earful.”

“Double earfuls,” she said. “For as much negative said about him, there has been equally positive about your grandfather and you.”

“Trust me, there is more negative about my father than combined positive about my grandfather and me. And I’m not saying that to shoot us down but to prove the point of how much of a dick he was.”

“My mother was harsh and hard to live with. She’s still not the easiest person to talk to, but I realize now she wasn’t anything as horrible as she could have been.”

Her mother was controlling and negative, nagging and loved to pile on the guilt. But if you stood up to her, she backed down, and since Theo put his foot down, Marion James Ellsworth seemed to turn over a tiny little leaf.

Better than nothing.

“It’s not fun,” he said. “My mother was great. Is great. She should have left my father long before she did, but she held on hoping for change. She held on to be a family. It was my grandfather who stepped in, bought a house and moved us to that.”

“Oh,” she said. “That was generous of him.”

“My mother didn’t work at that point. One of the things my father wanted. She wanted to be a stay at home mother and it worked for them. But it kept her trapped. Let’s say my father lost big in the divorce and he had it coming to him.”

Erica smiled. “I’m not sure my father lost big in my parents’ divorce, but he did the right thing. My mother is remarried andthough her three kids and ex-husband have a hard time being around her, she is somewhat happy with her second husband.”

“That’s nice to hear and promising,” he said. “My mother has never remarried. I’m not sure if she will, but she’s had a live-in partner for ten years and lives in Florida. Norman is a nice guy. I’m happy she found someone.”

“Sounds like your grandfather was a great role model for you,” she said. “Not just in business.”

“He was the man in my life. I’ll do anything for him. I owe it to him. He can be a little naggy at times, but I think all parents and grandparents are.”

“From him, it’s probably because he wants you to be the best you can be,” she said softly.

Unlike her mother who was judgy with being naggy.

“Why did you just smile?”

“What?” she asked.

“You smiled just now.”

“I didn’t know I did.” Her hand went to her mouth.

“And you always touch your face when you smile as if you can’t believe you did that. Why?”

She laughed. “I don’t know. I think it’s a habit because I was always picked on as being the sarcastic one who didn’t smile even when I was happy. I thought I did, but my mother would always tell me, ‘Will you smile, Erica.’ I’d say I was and she’d say I wasn’t so I’d feel my face to see if I was. Being sarcastic and all.”

“I happen to like your sense of humor,” he said.

“Thank you, I think. I never thought I had much of one.”

“You’ve got what I like,” he said. “Another good thing for us. Feels like we are winning.”

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