Dark Memories Submerged by I. T. Lucas
Geraldine
Geraldine was glad that Martha had been too busy providing excuses for her late arrival to notice Shai holding her hand. He’d let go as soon as she’d arrived, presumably to get a chair for her.
Not that Geraldine had anything to hide, but she didn’t want Martha to think that she was a man chaser and was flirting with the first guy she’d met in the village.
Onegus’s mother wasn’t an easy woman to get along with, but Geraldine was determined to have a good relationship with her. If their children were going to end up together, they would become a family, and Geraldine wasn’t about to let small differences or pet peeves sour things for any of them.
So what if Martha was a snob through and through? No one was perfect, and the woman had her redeeming qualities.
“How are you enjoying your vacation so far?” Shai asked Onegus’s mother.
“I’m having a fabulous time, thank you.” She leaned over to pull him in for a quick one-armed embrace, which was surprisingly affectionate for a cold fish like Martha. “I’m so happy to be here for all these joyous occasions. First, the wedding, then Kian’s very special birthday, and now the little darling that was born ahead of time, so we can all get a look at her before going home.”
Martha hadn’t added Onegus and Cassandra falling in love to her list of happy occasions, but maybe it was just an oversight.
“Have you seen Allegra already?” Shai asked.
“Not yet. I want to stop by their house after lunch. Who do I need to coordinate the visit with?”
“Syssi’s mother is in charge of funneling the guests. No one is allowed to stay inside the house for longer than five minutes. After that, the guests are welcome to mingle in the backyard for as long as they wish and then leave through the side gate.”
“Smart.” Martha smiled. “I like Anita. She’s a take-charge kind of woman.”
“That she is.” Shai chuckled. “She bosses everyone around, including Kian, and he takes it without batting an eyelid. I don’t think he tolerates even his own mother doing that.”
“We should get moving.” Onegus put a hand on his mother’s shoulder. “Connor texted me that lunch is ready.”
“It was nice seeing you, Shai.” Martha rose to her feet. “Say hi to your mother for me.”
“I will.” He turned to Geraldine. “I hope to see you again soon.” He offered her his hand.
“Me too.” She placed her hand in his, enjoying the gentle way he clasped it.
As Shai returned to his table and the four of them headed toward Onegus’s house, it occurred to Geraldine that everyone was talking about their mothers, but no one was mentioning fathers. Well, except for Kian, the birthday-bash guy, who had just become a father himself.
Martha threaded her arm through Geraldine’s. “Isn’t it pretty here?”
“It’s beautiful. Very serene.” A little too serene for her taste.
The café was nice, and meeting Shai had been even nicer, but the rest of the place was too quiet. The gated neighborhood she and Cassandra were living in wasn’t much better. People mostly stayed in their homes, and hardly anyone walked the streets unless they had a dog.
Geraldine liked their old place better, even though it was a tiny apartment in a shabby building that faced a major street.
Noisy children played in the hallways, people used the pool and the small fenced-off playground that was in the center of the building complex, neighbors talked to each other, barbecued together, and watched over each other’s kids. The grocery store was a walking distance away, and so was the bakery.
“That’s my house.” They went up the stairs to the front porch, and Onegus opened the door.
“Something smells good,” Martha said. “Did Connor make grilled chicken?”
“Among other things.” Onegus held the door open for them to come in.
Inside, Geraldine had expected to see Onegus’s roommate, the composer Cassy had told her about, but no one had mentioned that there would be another couple joining them for lunch.
“Mom, this is Roni, and this is Sylvia,” Cassandra introduced them. “My mother, Geraldine.”
The lanky young man looked at her with a strange expression on his face. “Hi.” He walked up closer and looked down at her. “I’m Roni.”
She smiled. “And I’m Geraldine. It’s nice to meet you.”
Looking uncomfortable, he rubbed his hand over the back of his neck. “Do I look familiar to you?”
Her smile wilted. “Have we met before? I might have forgotten. My memory is funky. I sometimes forget things that I should remember.” She touched the side of her head. “I got injured a long time ago, and I forgot my entire life before that. I had to learn to talk. But that was long before you were born, so I couldn’t have met you then.”
He shook his head. “That’s okay. We’ve never met.”
So why had he asked her if he looked familiar?
Was he a celebrity she should recognize?
A smiling young man wearing an apron walked out of the kitchen. “Let’s eat first and reminisce later.” He offered Geraldine his hand. “I’m Connor, Onegus’s roommate, and the guy who makes sure he eats.”
“And I’m grateful.” Onegus clapped him on the back. “If not for Connor, I would live on sandwiches and frozen pizzas.”
“Ugh.” Martha shuddered. “I heard that Callie plans to open a proper restaurant. You need a place with proper food in here.” She tucked a long strand of hair behind her ear. “We are lucky to have a central dining room in the castle, with proper meals being prepared three times a day.”
Geraldine gaped. “You live in a castle?”
Martha waved a dismissive hand. “It’s just our community’s nickname.”
Geraldine was about to ask about what kind of community Martha lived in, when Connor started herding them toward the dining table. “We can talk over lunch. I've been slaving over a hot oven all morning.” He shifted his gaze to Cassandra. “I also hope that Callie will open her place, but it’s not certain yet that she will, and it might be a while until we have a full-service restaurant in the village. In the meantime, you’ll have to take over my job and make sure that Onegus is fed.”
Cassandra lifted her hand. “Not so fast. You can’t quit yet. First of all, Onegus and I are not moving in together anytime soon, and secondly, if he has to rely on me to feed him, the poor guy is going to remain hungry. Does the café deliver?”
Connor laughed. “It doesn’t. I’m afraid that the only other option is frozen dinners.”
“Gross,” Sylvia said. “I’m so lucky that my mother cooks for Roni and me.”
Again with the mothers. Did no one in Onegus’s family have a father? It was on the tip of Geraldine’s tongue to ask, but it occurred to her that it wasn’t good etiquette to inquire about something that might be a touchy subject.
“Bon appétit, everyone.” Connor motioned at the salad bowl. “First course is Caesar salad with garlic bread. Second course is chicken piccata with a side of pasta.”
“Sounds delicious.” Cassandra handed Onegus a bottle of white wine. “Can you uncork it?” She smiled at Martha. “A meal like this requires a glass of wine.”
“I agree wholeheartedly.” Martha lifted her glass for Onegus to fill.
It was a little after one in the afternoon, which Geraldine considered too early even for wine. Was Cassandra nervous about something?
Perhaps she and Onegus were planning to announce their engagement after all.