Chapter Thirty

“You what?!”  Her sister’s voice rose at least two octaves in astonishment and disbelief.

Conversation around her stopped and every pair of eyes in the room turned toward her. Stephanie took a fortifying sip of her wine and looked at her sister, at the surprised and dismayed faces of her family.  Was she doing the right thing by telling them she had met someone?  They had endured so much change in such a short amount of time.  The hole left by losing Mark and Ben had barely begun to heal, and now she was dropping another bomb on them.  Was it fair?  

Was it fair not to tell them?

What did it mean that she wanted to tell them about Richie?  There had only been a few dates so far.  Nothing so serious that she couldn’t have kept this bit of information to herself for a bit longer.  But this was her family, she had never kept anything from them before, why start now?

Because after her trip to the cemetery this morning she was more sure of what she was going to let happen when she saw him again.

“I met someone” she repeated.

Silence.  She waited a beat and then all at once there were questions coming at her from four different directions.

“Who?”

“When?”

“Is it serious?”

“Are you sure you’re ready?”

The last question had her turning toward her sister.  She thought about Richie and all the times they had been together; the times he had just shown up, somehow knowing she had needed someone.  Was she ready for anything more?  She wouldn’t really know the answer to that question until she was face to face with him again, but after every time she pushed Richie away, how long would he wait around for her?  “I think so.  Things are moving very slow. He knows about Mark and Ben and he’s not pushing me for anything more then I’m ready to give.”  Not that he would, he’s too nice a guy to force me into doing anything.

She turned to face the rest of her family.  She was met with faces filled with uncertainty and worry.  “It’s not like we’re getting married or anything.  We’ve just gone out a few times.”   She took another sip of her wine.  “He’s a really great guy.”  She looked pointedly at her sister and sister-in-law.  “I’m pretty sure you’d like him.”

The girls eyed Stephanie.  There was something she wasn’t telling them.  Something she wasn’t sure she wanted them to know.  Jess spoke up first.  “Who is this mystery man?”

Stephanie smiled slyly and took a step toward the kitchen table that was laden with appetizers and holiday snacks and sweets.  “His name is Richie.”  She snagged a tiny piece of a baguette and dipped it into the seasoned olive oil.  “Richie Sambora.”

The fan girl in Jess and Marie squealed and crowded her at the table.  “Oh my God!  How did you meet him?”  “What’s he like?”  

She looked back at the rest of her family.   Her brother and brother-in-law wore shocked expressions and her parents just looked confused.  They had no idea who this Richie Sambora guy was.  She motioned for them all to sit around the table.

After explaining to her parents just who he was, she told them of how she kept running into him that first month she was out there, how things sort of spiraled into them going out a few times and how he had shown up on Thanksgiving night when she was having a near meltdown.

“I like him.  A lot.  But, honestly, it sort of scares me.  I’ve never had feelings for anyone other than Mark.  I never thought I would again.”  

Jess reached out and covered Stephanie’s hand with her own.  “It’s okay that you found someone else.  Mark didn’t expect you to be alone for the rest of your life did he?”

Stephanie shook her head.  “No, but I just didn’t expect to find someone else.”  Ever.

The kids surrounded the table then, clamoring for snacks and wondering when dinner was. They wanted to eat so they could get to the unwrapping present portion of the evening.   As the adults rose from the table Stephanie’s brother laid his hand on her shoulder.  “If this is what you really want, it’s okay.”  

She reached up and covered his hand with hers.  He had been 13 when she and Mark had gotten together.  Over the years Mark had been like a brother to him, introducing him to the wonders of rock and roll music, football and the Dallas Cowboys, the fun of learning how to drive.  Mark had even been the best man at his wedding.  He took the death of his brother-in-law almost as hard as she had.  These words coming from him had her eyes stinging.  “Thanks, Chris.  That means a lot.”

He hugged her briefly.  “I just want you to be happy.”

She gave him a watery smile and turned for the stairs.  She needed a minute to get herself together.   

She also wanted to make a phone call.

~

Richie swirled the deep crimson merlot in his glass as he stood listening to his mother and Ava chatter as they worked together in the kitchen.  Taking a step back, he turned to top off his glass before reconsidering and taking the bottle as he headed into the living room. Setting his glass on the mantle and the open bottle on the coffee table, he bent and lit the fire before moving to plug in the enormous Christmas tree that stood in the corner.

Picking up his glass once again he topped it off and took a deep swallow.  He couldn’t stop thinking about her.  Their call the night before had been one of the most intimate he’d had with a woman in a long time.  Even now, he was still humming that damn song.  He pulled his phone from his pocket, contemplating calling her.  With his thumb he flicked through his contacts until he got to her.  Then he noted the time and reconsidered.  She’d probably be having dinner right about now.  He sighed and, after one last glance at the picture of the two of them on her couch, he tucked the phone back in his pocket and filled his glass once again.   

He missed her something fierce.  He wasn’t used to this.

Joan saw him leave the kitchen with the bottle of wine in his hand.  After finishing up with Ava, she quietly followed him into the living room.  Standing in the doorway she watched him move about the room; watched him fill his glass and drink.  He seemed to be falling back on old habits.  She would hate for him to end up back where he was a few years ago, but he was a grown man, she couldn’t tell him what to do anymore.  

When he moved from the tree to the sliding glass doors he caught her reflection.  “Ma?”

She stepped further into the room.  “Are you all right?  You don’t seem yourself tonight.”

He nodded. “Yeah, I’m-” he cut himself off.  He couldn’t lie to his mother.  He sat down on the couch and motioned her to join him.  “Where’s Ava?”

Joan sat on the leather sofa.  “She went up to her room for something.  She’ll be down in a minute.”  She studied him again as he finished his wine.  “What’s going on with you?”

Setting his empty glass on the table he reached for the wine bottle again.  Feeling his mother’s eyes on him he left the glass and bottle and turned to face her.  “I met someone.”

Joan nodded.  “And?”  He “met someone” at least once a month lately it seemed.

“I know that look” he motioned to her face with his chin.  “This is different.  She’s different.”  With the wine loosening his tongue he told his mother about Stephanie and how they met and how slow things were moving with them and why.  “When I left you here on Thanksgiving night, I went to see her.”

Surprise registered on Joan’s face.  She had figured he went to his favorite watering hole or something.  Thinking back now, he was home too early for that and he hadn’t smelled like booze.  “Sounds like you have some serious feelings for this woman.”

He nodded and twisted the crucifix ring on his pinkie. “I do.”

“So why isn’t she here with you, with us, tonight?”

He felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He ignored it as he and his mother talked.  “She went back home to New York to visit her family for Christmas.  I’m going to see her for new years.”

A light went on for Joan.  Now she understood his mood today.  He wasn’t sad or upset.  He was lonely, missing this new woman that had come into his life.  She could understand the lonely and the missing.  She had often felt the same since she lost Adam.  “Why don’t you call her or text her or whatever it is you do to stay in touch these days.  Then maybe you can enjoy tonight instead of moping around like you have been for most of the day.”

He leaned in and kissed his mother on the cheek.  “Thanks.”  Just then they heard Ava coming toward the living room.  Joan stood.

“I’ll keep her busy in the other room.  If you’re serious about this new woman, you’ll need to tell her.”

Richie nodded as he dug his phone out of his pocket.  “I know and I will.”  He waited for Joan to leave the room before checking his messages.  

She had called him.