Chapter 13

Turner lay awake in bed.  He had been unable to sleep after listening to the story Hailey told him.  Was it true?  Did his father really love her?  And had he really cheated?  Turner didn’t even stir when he heard his parents come through the front door.  They were laughing and giggling.  Could you love two people at once?

Tap tap tap!

“Turner, are you awake?” Elynne peered through the doorway at Turner with a big goofy grin on her face.  He stared at his mother before giving her a dirty look.

“MOM!  Haven’t you heard of PRIVACY?!?!” He threw his pillow at the door, and she shut it quickly.  He felt terrible.  Turner wasn’t mad at her, he just couldn’t face her.  He showered and dressed before he looked for her again.

 

Elynne was in the garden crouched over her Cherimola Blan grapes when Turner knelt down to help her.  The two worked in silence until Elynne finally broke the silence.

“Did you have fun while we were away?”

Turner nodded, “I met someone too.”

“Oh?” Elynne stood up and wiped her hands clean on her skirt before turning to face her son.

“Hailey.” Turner said her name.  Just the one word while he stared his mother in the face.  Turner wanted to see her reaction.  Elynne bristled and knelt again to harvest her tomatos.  “She says she knows you, mom.”

“I’m sure she does,” Elynne plucked her tomatos much more fiercely now, and she accidentally bruised one of them in the process.

She knew.  How could she know, and not have left his father?  Turner was furious, but he didn’t want his mother to see.  Without saying anything more to Elynne, Turner rose and headed inside to get ready for school.

Olive had wanted to stay home from school, but Elynne and Gussie insisted that she go.  They knew she had missed them terribly, but they had a lot of sleep to catch up on.  You can’t argue with jet lag.

Olive tried to make conversation with Turner on the bus, but he sat staring out the window with this stoic expression on his face.  She couldn’t even annoy him enough for him to call her ‘Ollie.’  Last night he hadn’t come home until late, and she doubted that he had gotten any sleep.  Olive was worried.

Back at the house, Gussie and Elynne were catching up on some much needed rest completely unaware of what Turner knew.

Tonight was the school dance, and Turner didn’t have a date.  School was torture, and he desperately wanted to ask someone to go with him, but he didn’t have the nerve.  Anyone worth taking already had a date.  All of his friends were headed to the Corsican Bistro, but Turner didn’t have any money or a date so he declined.

He ate veggetarian spaghetti with his parents in silence.  Olive had ballet practice since her recital was tonight.  Turner had even thought about skipping the whole prom to go see her perform, but his friends told him that there was no way they were leaving him out.  If he didn’t show up they were coming to get him.

“Turner,” Elynne smiled, “look out the window.”

Wow!  A white limo!  Turner changed in haste and ran out the door.

He felt absolutely dapper in his formal wear even though the only dress shoes that fit him were his dad’s reject zebra print patent leathers from the ‘80s.

Elynne was overcome with turmoil, and she didn’t let it show until Turner was gone.  What had posessed Hailey to get anywhere near her son.  Yes Hailey had a past with Gussie, but those days were over.  How could she even expect to get her claws on him now?

Her frustration was plenty of fuel for artistic inspiration, but she found herself painting Gussie, so she had to stop.  It was time to go to Olive’s recital anyway.

Olive’s recital had been a hit, and as they waited for their taxi, Elynne looked over her shoulder and gave Olive a knowing smile.  It was Olive’s birthday.

Elynne gasped in surprise.  Olive was a beautiful teenage girl.

The two girls giggled on their way back home.  Olive loved her new dress, and Elynne was pleased with her daughter’s newfound fashion sense.  Surely Olive would make a fantastic heir… Of course, she would have to talk that over with Gussie first.  He had his sights set on Turner.  Elynne had never strayed from their marriage though.  Shouldn’t she get more of a say?

Olive was so hungry after all of the excitement she had experienced today.  She was determined to wait up until Turner got home.  Olive couldn’t wait to see the look on his face when he saw her!  While she scarfed down her autumn salad, Pato crept up behind her.

“Olive!” Pato stuttered, “you look absolutely beautiful!”

Olive grinned appreciatively, but was too hungry to talk.  Out of the corner of her eye, she thought she saw sparkles.  Wait!  If today was her birthday then it was also Pato’s birthday!

“PATO!” Olive squealed, “why didn’t you say something!”

In an attempt to wait for Turner to get home, Pato and Olive danced in the living room in their pajamas.

But they didn’t quite make it.  Eventually, Olive passed out on the couch, and Pato poofed back into toy form.