I stood with JC on my shoulder, rocking to and fro, humming a little tune that had worked with all of my children. But it wasn't working with him; he was crying his little heart out. While I rocked and mumbled nonsense to him, I surveyed the scene below me from the one quiet spot remaining. The second story deck was deserted; overlooked seemed more likely.
We had been pretty sure we made a serious error in judgment when we let Grandma Mazur and Grandma Rosa get a hold of a carafe of wine at our wedding. The two of them have been thick as thieves ever since, and despite Rosa's 'inability' to speak English she managed to acquire a driver's license. It was no longer safe from Trenton to Newark or anywhere in between. On the roads, or off, they were terrors! That my mother hasn't spontaneously combusted from some of the phone calls she's received asking her to collect Grandma is a small miracle in itself. They were separated at birth, I would laughingly exclaim. I want no responsibility for that pairing!
It appears the two of them had taken up position next to the poor bartender, who had the sad misfortune of being somewhat easy on the eyes. Hot, even. Poor guy, someone should warn him about their hands and his package. I would have to make sure Carlos tipped him extra well tonight. If the guy made it through the party.
I looked around me. I loved the beach house. It is my favorite house. Of course there was the view, the waves; heck I was even something of a morning person here, what with the sun rising right outside my bedroom window. And it and its large private beachfront could accommodate so many people! There had to be close to a hundred people here already.
Today was our fifth wedding anniversary. We had had a small, intimate, and peaceful wedding on the beach; it had been right at the time. I had 2 small kids and was bulky and pregnant; while it was what I had wanted then, Ranger knew that I was very much a social creature. He had planned today's extravaganza with the able help of Mrs. Burg herself, Marylou.
There were three tents to keep people from baking in the sun, and one had a dance floor. It was a good thing, too, because today was the perfect July day, not a cloud in the sky, a gentle breeze blowing on occasion. The sounds of the surf and the seagulls just enhanced the perfection. Today was a day to celebrate. All of our family would be gathering together; and all of our friends were coming too. And what a mixed bunch it was. I had accumulated some interesting friends over the years.
I smiled to myself. I'm almost 46 years old and only in these past dozen or so years had I learned what it meant to be a grown up. I am sometimes surprised by how much I have changed. I have learned so many lessons, and some of them hurt like hell. Heck, most of the important ones were pure agony.
My mind wandered to my second husband; my first was one I had managed to mostly forget. But, oh, Charlie was a man I loved unconditionally. Charlie and my first child Rafael taught me more about life; about appreciating what a great gift love was, than anything else in the world. We had lost our son, and Charlie tried to guide Ranger and me through the hell we had to contend with. He did this because he had been there already, and had found his way back through the help of friends like Ranger. When Ranger got lost there, Charlie picked up the pieces of my life and made me want to love again.
And when Charlie died, Ranger stood by my side, being the strength I needed. In doing so, I think he finally recovered from the pain of Rafael's death; I think he got over his brother Miguel's death, and I think he was proud of the new person he became. These men who loved me so much have made me stronger than I ever though I could be.
I recalled the struggle Ranger and I had had getting together; both times it was a trial. I pondered that. It was odd; our attraction was never purely physical, but it was almost on a spiritual level. I was still bewildered that we had tortured ourselves for so long… what on earth caused us to adamantly deny our happiness, letting so many other issues get in the way of allowing ourselves to be together? I knew for a fact however, that the struggle was what had ultimately made it so sweet, so satisfying.
'If you don't have any downs in your life, how can you recognize the ups? Without valleys, little girl, there are never hills to reach the top of. How will know something is good, Steve, worthwhile, unless you have experienced something bad, something wounding?' Something Charlie taught me.
I looked towards the edge of our property where a volleyball net had been erected. The older children had gravitated towards it, and balls of all varieties and sizes were being tossed about. I spotted our children; oh what I wouldn't do for Charlie to see them once more. He would be so proud of how they grew. The twins were going to be eleven. They are lithe and athletic, both great swimmers; and it seems that Johno is the romantic soul of the bunch. Lily is not much of a student, but someday, something will click with her and she will shine.
I wasn't surprised to see Nica surrounded by a gaggle of children. The little ones seemed to be attracted to her; it was as if they could sense her innocence and acceptance. She had been working at the hospital for two years. She had become fascinated by nurses when Charlotte was born. She started bussing tables in their cafeteria. She had been asked to volunteer in the pediatric ward, since she always found her way up there after her shift. Most afternoons you could find her reading to a few children who would gather around her. To think that his once shy, withdrawn little girl was out in the world everyday, attempting to make her way, would have tears running down Charlie's face. He was just that kind of guy.
JC had wound his pudgy fingers around my claddagh necklace, but he finally had stopped crying. I was too chicken to try to disengage his fingers, to be quite honest, because the poor boy was cutting three teeth and had been generally miserable. So, we stood together at the rail. I nuzzled his neck and breathed in the fresh scent of baby powder, and looked around to see who else was arriving.
I heard the sliding glass doors moving and felt Ranger silently step onto the deck. There goes the solitude! Someone will come looking for him, eventually. Someone always does.
Ranger's arms came around my waist, and he placed a gentle kiss into my hair, and then bent over and placed a tiny one onto the adoring face of JC. "Babe. What are you doing hiding up here?" JC reached up with his free hand to grab at Ranger's sunglasses.
"Oh, no buddy," he proclaimed as he took them off and stashed them safely way from his reach. Ranger put his arms out again. "Let me have him."
"He won't let go of my necklace," I told him, slowly turning around. Ranger easily disengaged his fingers from the necklace, smiled at me, remembering that first Christmas, and took him from my arms.
You look so cute with him in your arms, you know that?"
"Babe." He joined me, looking over the balcony. He planted a big old kiss right on my lips, and smiled that wonderful smile. I kissed him back, and rested my head on his shoulder. This was a happy time.
"Looks like the whole world was invited, Carlos." I smiled up at him, and my hand ran along his cheek. I still couldn't touch him enough.
"Nah, babe, just half."
I shook my head. A Ranger funny.
"Are you happy?" He looked deeply into my eyes, and I knew he was asking about far more than the party arrangements.
"Yeah. Very. This is wonderful, Carlos. It's perfect. I love you so much. More even, I think than I did on our wedding day."
"Babe." He kissed me again, this time his tongue gently ran along my lips, seeking entrance. Oh, those lips. And then, oops, those fingers. We both laughed as we broke apart, JC's fingers still playing with Carlos's mouth.
Ranger took the baby's hand and held it away from his mouth. He reached into his pocket and handed him a set of car keys, and JC shook them with pleasure. "So, who's still missing?"
"From what I can tell, the Morelli's and the Santos's. And Celia, of course."
"Let's sit." We settled ourselves into lounge chairs. "Enjoy the quiet while it lasts, babe. The party officially starts in about ten minutes; until then we don't have to play host."
JC occupied himself with Ranger's key ring and we leaned back and held hands. I closed my eyes and enjoyed the feeling of the sun on my face; the breeze, the smell of the ocean. My life was wonderful; it was full and loving, because of this man.
"We've been spotted." I opened my eyes as Ranger nodded down the path, where Julie was walking hand in hand with Charlotte. Well, not really; Charlotte was skipping and Julie was laughing, trying to keep up. Charlotte ran up the stairs and straight to Carlos. She climbed directly into his lap, after kissing JC on his cheek. JC giggled in return and blew a big raspberry at her.
She smiled at her father, and kissed him on his nose. She adjusted herself onto the lounger until she and JC fit comfortably on Ranger's lap. She handed him a small black seashell. "Daddy, this is for YOU."
"Thank you Charlotte." Ranger fingered the small shell, and grinned at his youngest daughter.
"Keep it forever daddy, ok? It's your favorite color!"
"I'll keep it always, rosebud."
Charlotte planted little kisses all over his face. "I love you, Daddy."
"Daddy's girl," Julie said teasingly. I raised my eyebrow at her…she should speak! Julie grinned back at me.
Julie walked over and took JC from Ranger's lap. "Come here Jakob Charles Forbes, you adorable hunk of man," she said as she lifted him high into the air and made him screech with laughter.
Ranger turned to me and asked, "Where are his parents anyway? This is your party; you shouldn't be babysitting all day!"
"Oh stop Carlos, you are enjoying him and you know it."
"I don't want for us to be raising this child," he grumbled in mock irritation.
"Ranger, Trey and Yvette are going back to Germany in three weeks. Enjoy your grandson while you can, ok?"
"Where are they anyway?" he asked.
Julie was bouncing about on the deck, making JC giggle. "Out in the surf, Daddy; Alexander is trying to teach them to belly board."
I glanced towards the water, and sure enough, Trey and his wife Yvette were out in the surf. Trey had surprised us almost two years ago when he called to tell us he had just gotten married. He had fallen in love with a student in Stuttgart and they decided to marry. No family, no friends, no big production. This past few weeks was actually the first time we had gotten to see our grandson. It tugged at my heart to see a part of Charlie reborn.
Charlotte realized she had one more huge bit of information to pass on; I could tell by the way she was doing what we called the potty dance. "Daddy! Mommy!" Charlotte tugged at Ranger's shorts since he wasn't paying attention.
When she got our attention she proclaimed with serious intensity, "Alexander kissed Julie."
Julie blushed.
"Charlotte Noelle! How many times do I have to tell you to mind your own business?" I scolded her, trying not to laugh. She was the nosiest child I had ever met.
Ranger laughed out loud. "That's alright, Charlotte, Alex is going to marry Julie. They can kiss, ok?" he ran his hands over her mop of curly black hair, and attempted to tuck some of it behind her ears. Give it up, I thought to myself. Losing battle, the hair. It was like mine. Wild. But it was a much richer darker brown, bordering on black. Most of Charlottes' features were mine. She had the same pale skin, my nose, my hair, my propensity for disaster. Ranger always said she was just like me; she had never met a stranger.
But she had her fathers' eyes. Deep, dark brown, soulful eyes. I fell in love with her every time I looked at her. My baby, my youngest.
Ranger and I wandered around for hours, laughing and sharing memories with our friends. We went from table to table, thanking everyone for coming out to share our day. There was a live band and much dancing. Ranger and I must have danced a dozen dances, whenever we wanted a little alone time.
The table we found ourselves at currently was mostly Burg. Joe and Marie Morelli, Mr. and Mrs. Lauderdale from across the street from my parents. Why are they here? My sister Val and Albert; and Angie, who was working towards her bachelors' degree--- in Accounting. No surprise, right?
I took my time observing Joe. Damn, the man was closing in on fifty, and he still had looks to kill. His hair had grayed, but in that irritating way Italian men grayed; they looked sexier than ever! Oh, damn men. Women grew ragged and unkempt with age if they didn't stay on top of things, but as I glanced at my husband I had to acknowledge the sad truth. Men grew sexier with their weathered faces; their laugh lines only accentuated their eyes. Carlos had kept his hair long, the way I liked it, but his had begun to turn as well. And it made me crazy with desire. I could so envision our growing old together.
I glanced again at Joe, and then at Ranger, and I thought of Charlie. I had had my share of incredible men. I was so happy Joe and I had been able to become good friends. You could never have enough of those, I had learned.
Mikey Morelli was chasing Charlotte around the table, and there was a lot of 'am to, are not, am to' being battered back and forth. I tried to ignore it. I held my head in my hands, smiling. Ranger was very close to me, and he too pretended like he was listening to the inane Burg gossip. What he really was doing was driving me crazy.
His fingers were feather light, and they were under the table. They ran up and down, up and down the length of my upper leg, starting at my knee, and stopping just past the edge of my short skirt. Each trip up my leg seemed to take a little longer, and his fingers traveled a little further. He was quite simply driving me to distraction. My smile was probably getting bigger and goofier, but oh, it felt so good. I loved this man.
"Daddy! Aren't I going to kindergarten? Tell Mikey!" Charlotte stopped her running directly in front of her father, and she put her hands on her hips. Ranger looked like he was going to bust a gut trying not to laugh. "Char, you're only 4. You're in preschool."
"Daddy. I am so going to kindergarten at the big kids' school. Aren't I mommy?"
"Yes baby you are; stop teasing her, Carlos."
"See? I told you so!" And then Charlotte pushed Mikey in the shoulder and she ran off before we could even scold her. Joe tried to catch Mikey's arm as he ran after her, but he was too slow. We rolled our eyes at each other, Joe Ranger, and I. Something seemed very familiar …alarmingly so.
We heard a song we liked begin to play, and excused ourselves. Rangers' hand traveled to my ass as he pulled me tightly to him, and we swayed in time with the music. He burrowed his head in against my neck, and nibbled at my ear.
"Mrs. Manoso does that mean that you will be home alone every day?"
"Yes, Mr. Manoso all the children will be in school all day."
"How are you planning on occupying your time, Mrs. Manoso?"
Hmmm. I don't know but I bet you could find something for me to do…."
"Always babe. Always."
the end…
WHY Geometry Lessons for a title?
geometry Gr.,earth measuring, branch of mathematics concerned with the properties of and relationships between points, lines, planes, and figures and with generalizations of these concepts.
I am not really into this as a religious aspect, but I am fascinated by the way nature does have patterns… and great art, great societies, they have all acknowledged this. For the purposes of my story, this is the definition of sacred geometry that I subscribe to….
I am borrowing this definition, as it expresses best what I am trying to say. Sacred Geometry"In nature, we find patterns, designs and structures from the most minuscule particles, to expressions of life discernible by human eyes, to the greater cosmos. These inevitably follow geometrical archetypes, which reveal to us the nature of each form and its vibrational resonances. They are also symbolic of the underlying metaphysical principle of the inseparable relationship of the part to the whole. It is this principle of oneness underlying all geometry that permeates the architecture of all form in its myriad diversity. This principle of interconnectedness, inseparability and union provides us with a continuous reminder of our relationship to the whole, a blueprint for the mind to the sacred foundation of all things created." Bruce Rawles
Thank you all for staying with me through all of the pain and heart-ache.
My goal was to entertain, make you think, gain appreciation for all different types of love...that of siblings, parents, lovers and friends... it's what makes life worth living... and things worth having are worth suffering for, working hard to try and attain...I wanted this story to be character driven, so therefore, new characters whose stories are just as important as Steph and Rangers story were created. Once created, I felt an obligation and desire to assure their happiness as well.