Page 11 of Truth, Lies, and Second Dates
They are not doing great.
Well, who knew? Perhaps this was meant to be (a phrase she loathed until this moment). Perhaps she and Dennis would rekindle something. Out of mourning comes love. Out of death comes life. Out of Xenia comes Ava.
Wait, that’s not right…
(Perhaps this was her very own romance novel.)
“Sure I will,” she said. “I mean, I’m free. That sounds—that’ll be great. Really great.Fine.I meant fine. It’ll be great to catch up.”
“Great!”It’s official: we all need to find a synonym for great.But Dennis was oblivious to her need for a thesaurus. He let go of his mom’s hands, held up one finger. “One sec. I’ve gotta grab something and then we can go. Ma, you’re good? Car’s outside?”
“I’m fine, Dennis. I should be getting back, too.”
“I’ll see you tomorrow before church, okay?” To Ava: “Don’t fly away this time, okay?”
“Great! I mean, I won’t. Fly. I’m—my feet are here. On the ground. Definitely not flying, heh.”Oh my God. Staaaaawwwpp.
Dennis darted off and Mrs. Monahan bid a listless farewellto the stragglers. Far too soon it was down to her and the missus.
“I was surprised to see Pat made it. In a good way,” Ava added, since, with Pat, the grouchy buzzard, it could have gone either way. She’d always gotten along with him, though not being related helped. The other Monahans had always walked wide around him.
Mrs. Monahan shrugged. “He’d never miss a family gathering.”
“Yep, only death could have thwarted him, and maybe not even that.” In fact, Ava wouldn’t have wanted to bet on the outcome of a mano a mano with the Grim Reaper and Pat Monahan. Death would be down for the count by the fourth round. “But why’s Xenia taking him to a hotel?”
“He sold the farm some time ago.”
“You’re kidding.” The Monahan farm was family legend. Started by Pat’s father—or was it grandfather?—it had seen countless births, deaths, and baby showers. Danielle had hated the place, so Ava had only been there a couple of times. “It’s hard to imagine him letting it go.”
“Heisnearly ninety, Ava. And no one in my generation wanted to take it over. We don’t even like corn.”
Wait, you had to like the crop you were growing? Is that a secret farmer rule?The things you learned on the rare trip home you had desperately wanted to avoid!
“And Danielle and Dennis never liked it.”
“No, they were always trying to get out of visiting when they were teenagers,” Ava recalled.
“Yes. Exactly. Even if she was—was still alive, she would have had no interest.”
“Yeah, I can’t really picture herorDennis in overalls.”
Mrs. Monahan ignored her silly-ass attempt at humor(understandable) and continued. “Grandpa M. rents the house and sold the rest of the land a couple of years ago. I think it was a relief. He lives up in Saint Cloud now. It’s just easier to spend the night, then start home fresh in the morning.”
“Yes, that’s a good system.”Ugh. This conversation. I definitely should have downed some vodka.
“So do you get very homesick, all your time on the road?” Mrs. Monahan made a vague gesture that encompassed the funeral home. “Do you miss Minnesota?”
“Of course I don’t miss fucking Minnesota. Are you out of your goddamned mind? The weather sucks and for every pleasant experience I had here, I had nine more that ensured PTSD, substance abuse, lefse, or a stomach virus. The only reason, theonlyreason I’m in town is because I gave another pilot my hours, and the only reason I’m in this room with you is because I wasn’t fast enough and then slow enough to give Dennis the slip, and then wasn’t smart enough to come up with a credible excuse for missing this horror show. Do I miss Minnesota? Are you clinically insane?Jesus.”
She stopped herself, appalled, but when Mrs. M. just kept blinking at her and waiting, she realized none of that had been out loud. ThankGod.
“Oh, sometimes,” she lied. “The, um, fall. Is nice.”
“All the colors,” was the vague reply.
“The lakes are nice.”
“All the lakes.”
