Page 18 of After the Red Carpet
“Congratulations on your engagement!” Barbara added.
“Yes, congratulations! We’re just glad Finn finally let us come by to meet you. We weren’t sure if he’s been keeping you to himself or holding you hostage. If you need to make a break for it, just give us a signal,” Daniel said with a wink.
Ella giggled and Finn said, “Let’s go hang out in the living room. We set up snacks on the coffee table.”
They ambled into the living room. Finn and Ella dropped onto the couch, where he slung his arm around her, and his parents sat in the surrounding chairs.
“This looks delicious,” Barbara remarked, admiring the cake dusted with powdered sugar. “Looks like Joyce outdid herself.”
“Actually, Ella made it,” Finn said. “Here, let me serve everyone some tea and cake.”
“It’s just an old-fashioned butter cake with blueberries,” Ella said.
“I’m sure my doctor would have a fit—she’s always getting on me about my cholesterol—but it looks too good to pass up,” Barbara said.
“This is scrumptious,” Daniel raved, wiping powdered sugar off his lips after taking a hearty bite.
“Mmm, it’s wonderful,” Barbara agreed.
“Yeah, it’s delicious, sweetheart,” Finn said softly.
Ella smiled. “You can top it with any fruit, and it caramelizes as it bakes. I usually use apples or plums, but blueberries are special to us, so I thought for today . . .” she explained, rubbing Finn’s thigh.
“Sweetheart, tell them the story about how Albie and Margaret met.” Finn turned to his parents and said, “When I got back from that Jean Mercier film, I told you about how extraordinary it was working with Albie Hughes.”
“Yes, you did, after you eventually stopped gushing about Ella,” Daniel said.
Finn blushed. “Albie was one of a kind, as remarkable in life as he was on-screen. He told us the most wonderful story about how he met his wife, the love of his life, to whom he was married for forty years. Go on, tell them.”
“It was at a party in London,” Ella began. “Something completely uptight and pretentious, a total upper-crust soiree, which was definitely not Albie’s style. Margaret ended up there by chance, with no idea what kind of party it was, so she showed up in a simple dress with a homemade blueberry pie. Albie was hit by lightning the moment he saw her standing there, so beautifully out of place. Eventually, he spotted her at the dessert table and sidled over to her. He took a piece of the pie she’d made, and they started talking. He said he fell madly in love with her on the spot.” Finn rubbed her back and she continued, “Anyway, ever since we heard the story, blueberries make us think of love. Epic, crazy love.” She crinkled her nose and shook her head. “Maybe it’s silly, but they’ve become special to us.” She looked at Finn, and he gently kissed her forehead. His parents watched with warm smiles across their faces.
“That’s a lovely story,” Barbara said. “It was so thoughtful of you to make this for us, but I hope we didn’t put you to any trouble with our impromptu visit. We would have taken you kids out somewhere, but sometimes it’s easier in private, because of . . .”
Ella looked at her quizzically.
“Well, sometimes it can be difficult for Finn in public. The attention, you know,” Barbara explained.
“Oh! Yes, of course. I’m sorry, I always forget he’s famous. Not that I don’t realize he’s an actor. Of course I do. We met on a film set, after all. And he’s such a deeplytalented artist,” Ella stammered. “It’s just that I think of him as Finn, that’s all.”
Barbara and Daniel smiled at one another and then at their son before Barbara said, “So, Ella, Finn tells us your mother is an artist and that she lives in Spain with her partner. How exciting. What kind of painting does she do?”
An hour later, they were laughing hysterically, all completely at ease. “I’m telling you,” Daniel said, “these people have never read a book. Critical race theory isn’t new. I was teaching it decades ago, before some of these pissants were alive. If I hear one more of them say that it’s corrupting their babies, I’m going to lose my mind. Sadly, it isn’t taught in preschool, so if their ‘babies’ are learning it, they’re probably in graduate school. Pretty smart babies, especially considering how dumb their parents are.”
Everyone cracked up.
“Ella, you must relate. I’m sure there’s resistance to your work. Keep fighting it. Your insights into how culture corrupts the experience of pleasure is freeing women from the shackles of modern hegemony. It’s recentering the discourse and pushing forward a new body politic grounded in women’s experiences,” Daniel noted.
“She’s absolutely brilliant,” Finn said, washed in a look of pride. He bashfully turned to Ella and quietly said, “It’s true.”
Barbara smiled, watching her son and his betrothed.
“Brilliant may be an overstatement, but I do like to push the bounds. If nothing else, it keeps this one on his toes,” Ella replied, giving Finn’s hand a squeeze.
“That it does,” Finn agreed, looking down, his face turning red.
“Well, I know we could sit here and chat all day long,” Barbara said. “It’s just so wonderful spending timetogether, but I’m afraid if we don’t leave soon, the traffic will be horrendous.”
“We’re so glad you could stop by,” Finn said, rising to his feet.
