Synchronicity for Six Pt. 13

"I know, but she said she would be here. I wanted her to have enough time to meet Maeve, Mary, Susan, and Ruth before the service starts. Besides, we need to get on Pastor John's calendar for June 12th."

"Give her five more minutes, then call her."

At 8:50, just as she was about to dial her mother's phone, Rose heard a car door close. She peeked out the window to see that her mother had parked in the driveway, blocking Alan's car in the garage, and Martha was strolling up the walk to the front door.

Rose opened the door and the expression on her face caused Martha to stumble slightly.

"Mother! I asked you to be here by 8:30! You're twenty minutes late! And now we all will be late as well!" Rose huffed her annoyance.

"I'm sorry, Rose, but I got caught up in a fascinating discussion at breakfast in the hotel. I met these two charming guys and I simply lost track of the time," Martha replied blithely.

"Oh, Mother! We won't all fit in your rental car or Katie's Honda, and it would be a tight squeeze for us all to fit into my car. We'll have to take Alan's Volvo, but to do that, we need you to park your car on the street, please."

Saying nothing, Martha spun on her heel and quickly parked on the street. Alan, Rose, and the girls got in his car in the garage, and he backed it out, stopping to let Martha get in. Rose had considerately left the front passenger seat vacant for her mother. Alan quickly had them rolling for the brief journey to the church.

"What was so charming about them that's causing us to be later, Mother?" Rose's voice had an edge to it that Martha either missed or ignored.

"They were younger musicians from England and get this: their names were actually Chad and Jeremy. Curiously enough, their repertoire included a couple of the hits by the original Chad and Jeremy. They were playing last night in the lounge attached to the hotel."

"Do tell, Mother." Rose's voice was a bit frosty, but Martha was ignoring it.

"They met while at the university, and they've been good friends for quite a while. Neither one is married, and they're traveling and performing around the U.S. They said they were heading West from here."

"So, what delayed you?" Rose was still quite irked with her mother.

"Well, they got to talking about their stops in various cities and..." Martha's voice trailed off.

"And...?"

"And about various... people... they had met along the way." Martha looked away and gave a faint smile.

Rose pressed her lips together tightly to keep from making her displeasure any more explicit. The rest of the short ride to the church was icily quiet. Alan and Maggie had the good sense to keep their heads down, and Katie was just agog at this dynamic.

They arrived shortly after 9:00 and Maggie and Katie stayed with Alan as he made his way into the Fellowship Hall. Martha followed Rose to the Ladies' room, and the pent‑up emotions on both sides practically exploded.

"Rosalie Annette Reynolds! What has gotten into you this morning?" Martha exclaimed as the door closed behind her. In her ire, Martha unconsciously reverted to her daughter's childhood name.

Pressing her lips together so tightly the blood fled, Rose glared daggers at her mother and held up her hand, palm outward, to stop the diatribe. Rose bent over slightly to see a pair of legs in the last stall.

"Not here, Mother!" she hissed through clenched teeth. "We are not alone."

Martha's eyes widened in surprise and her face flushed slightly with shame. As they fought to regain their composure, the two busied themselves checking out their makeup in the wide mirror. A few moments later, the toilet flushed and Maeve Johnson emerged from the stall. Rose sighed in profound relief.

Washing her hands, Maeve examined the women's reflections and considered how best to help Rose. Drying her hands and fluffing her hair, she turned to Martha and held out her hand.

"Hello, I'm Maeve Johnson. I take it that you are Rose's mother?"

Still blushing slightly with shame, Martha accepted the greeting and confirmed, "Yes, I'm Martha Reynolds; Rose's mother. Mrs. Johnson, was it? Is Jack your husband?"

"Yes, he is. He mentioned last night meeting you yesterday, Mrs. Reynolds."

"Please, call me Martha."

"Only if you call me Maeve. Come, Martha. Let's go get some coffee and we can talk a little more. Are you coming, Rose?"

"I just need a minute or two. Please, go on ahead." Rose's thoughts were in freefall at how rapidly the situation had devolved and then resolved into its current state. She was grateful that Maeve had been the one to overhear her mother's outburst, and even more so for providing a brief physical separation between Rose and Martha.

Maeve and Martha entered the Fellowship Hall just in time to see Maggie and Katie pull Jack down and tag‑team him, kissing him on his cheeks at the same time. As Jack blushed at the girls' demonstrativeness, Alan just stood there with his hands full of two cups of coffee and chuckled at Jack's predicament. Alan noticed the two older ladies entering the hall. He had a quizzical look for his future mother‑in‑law, but he couldn't quite catch her eye. Maeve guided Martha over to the coffee station where they were soon joined by Mary and Susan.

Rose made her appearance in the doorway and quickly glided to Alan's side, gratefully accepting the cup with the light brown contents.

As Rose sipped her coffee, Alan softly inquired, "Is everything okay?"

Pausing for a moment to allow the warm coffee not to burn her throat, Rose swallowed carefully and murmured in reply, "Not really, my love. Things are still tense between my mother and I. She began raising her voice to me in the Ladies' room until I pointed out that we were not alone in there. Luckily, it was Maeve who overheard us, and you see how she has surrounded Mother with Mary and Susan." Alan nodded that he could see what Rose was referring to.

The others in the hall began to make their way toward the door, and Rose's friends herded Martha along with them. Rose had a puzzled look on her face, thinking it was too early for everyone to begin making their way to the sanctuary. Then she remembered they had arrived at the church much later than usual. Her irritation with her mother flared once more. Maggie and Katie slipped their arms around Rose's while Alan relieved her of the coffee cup.

"Come along now, Momma," Katie said. "Grandma seems to be in good hands. Let's go take our seats so we can all sit together."

When they all got to the sanctuary, Maeve and Mary quickly pulled Martha into their row of chairs and sat her between them, with Susan and Gil sitting nearby. Rose paused for a moment in surprise, then recovered her emotional balance. She took her seat in the row in front of the other ladies with Alan on the aisle to her left and Maggie and Katie to her right.

"She's in good hands, my love," Alan whispered in Rose's ear, and she nodded at the truth of his words.

Rose fidgeted a bit a few times during the worship, worried about her mother despite Martha being just a row behind. Alan, being the observant and caring guy he was, would take Rose's hand in his and gently stroke or interlace his fingers with hers to calm her. Maggie eventually clued into her mother's unrest and would lay her head on Rose's shoulder, trying to distract and comfort her.

For her part, Martha was enjoying the attention from Maeve and Mary who were very close to her own age. She had initially been taken aback at Maeve's forcefulness but had soon relaxed in the company of Rose's new friends. They all seemed very easy to get along with. Martha had allowed Maeve to guide her to a seat between herself and Mary, and she watched her daughter's occasional discomfort with a small smile.

Martha was particularly impressed with Alan's efforts to calm and distract Rose when she seemed to get a little antsy. 'Rosie has really hit the jackpot with Alan,' Martha thought. Yet Martha remained ignorant of being the cause of her daughter's uneasiness.

When the worship was over, Maeve and Mary once again corralled Martha between them as they exited the sanctuary and greeted Pastor John and Ruth.

"Oh! Why didn't anyone say you were a guest?" Ruth asked as she made Martha's acquaintance.

"I'm just here for this week and next," Martha explained. "My husband will join me once he finally retires at the end of the week. We both want to know these Harrison men our daughter and granddaughters have chosen. It was a very pleasant service, Pastor. I believe I'll drag Elliot here with us next Sunday."

"Well, we'll look forward to meeting him and welcoming you both formally," Ruth replied. Then she gave a small head shake as Martha's words sank in. "Wait a second! You're not here with Maeve and Mary? You're Rose's mother?"

"Yes, I'm Rose's mother," Martha admitted. "I had not met Maeve or Mary before this morning".

"We feel so blessed to have Rose as part of our congregation. Not to mention our choir," Ruth gushed.

"Rosie's always had a good singing voice," Martha allowed.

Before anything more could be said, Martha was led beyond Pastor John and Ruth. Martha turned to look for Alan or Rose behind her, but she didn't see them and was puzzled.

"Over here, Martha," Mary called, standing by a bench on the far side of the entryway. Martha stepped to Mary and they both sat to await Alan and Rose.

For their part, Rose and Alan hung back to be the last ones through the line. They wanted to speak to Pastor John about his availability for their wedding but did not want to broadcast the event or date yet to more people than absolutely necessary. Finally making it to the end of the line, John and Ruth seemed a little weary to the couple.

"Oh, Rose, thank you for bringing your mother today," Ruth expressed her gratitude. "Are we to understand that she will be here all week and that your father will be joining her next weekend?"

"That's the current plan," Rose replied. "We'll see if he actually shows up. He has a checkered history of keeping promises like those. Can Alan and I meet with you this week for about half an hour?"

John looked a little puzzled but replied that he thought he could be available before choir rehearsal on Wednesday if that would work for them.

"That would be convenient," Alan supplied, then in a much softer voice, "It's about Saturday, June 12^th," as he gave a quick wink and held up Rose's left hand.

Pastor John's eyes widened with pleased surprise as he responded at the same volume, "Really?" Alan and Rose both nodded, and John's face lit up in delight.

"What?" demanded Ruth, to which John answered, "I'll tell you on the way home, dear." Turning back to Alan and Rose, he confirmed, "Wednesday at 6:30 in my office?"

"Works for us," Rose answered, and they moved on to meet with Martha and the girls at the bench.

"Shall we get some lunch and then head over to look at our new home?"

= = =

Susan Larsen had been working quietly to do right by her new friend, Rose, and Rose's fiancé, Alan. She had actually kept the details of the house rental to herself, although she had floated the idea around the office when it was originally proposed. Now she was taking the extra step for her clients. On their way home from church, with Gil driving, she called Helen.

"Hello, Helen? This is Susan Larsen... Yes, it's nice to hear your voice as well... Have you and Steve discussed the proposal? You'll have to admit that renting the property to the eventual owners while they get their financing in place is a win/win scenario... Yes, I think it's an 'out‑of‑the‑box' solution... They're wonderful people and I think you'd like them, too...

"I was calling to ask you to consider something. The first of March is next Monday. It would be really helpful to them if they could start moving in next weekend, a couple of days early... I think they could kick in a few more dollars if you need it, but it'd be a really nice gesture to give them those couple of days. They're going to buy the place. God, with Alan's credit score and the fact that Rose manages the credit union, nothing is standing in their way...

"Oh? You're coming to Middleburg for the last full week of March? Yes, I'll gladly set up some home viewings for you. I know of one that isn't listed yet that might be perfect for you and your family.

"No, I can't recommend that motel to anyone, not even my worst enemy. But I have a better idea. Since you were here last, we have renovated the entire basement into an apartment. We'd like to offer it to you for the week... Yes, three bedrooms, a bathroom, and a full kitchen... Much nicer than a hotel or motel, and a whole lot cheaper, too!"

After listening for another minute, Susan wrapped up the call with, "So, may I tell Rose and Alan that they may move in next weekend? I can? That's wonderful! I'll rewrite the lease agreement to include the extra days, just to protect everybody. We're both looking forward to seeing you once more and meeting your family. You remember where we live, right? Great! I'll be in touch again very soon, Helen. Have a great rest of your day!"

Susan lightly stamped her feet in her excitement. She delighted in making her clientele happy and her mind was awhirl with plans for both sets of clients. First thing, though, was to meet Rose and Alan to let them back into the house.

= = =

"I'd rather have lunch at home and then drive out to the house," Alan declared. "Eating out is not a lifestyle choice I wish to make very often."

"That's fine by me, Alan," Rose allowed. "How about soup and grilled cheese sandwiches?" Katie's and Maggie's eyes lit with delight.

"Can you add some bacon to my sandwich, Momma?" Katie asked. Maggie was quick to second the request. Maggie stopped for a second to grasp that Katie had beaten her to ask for the bacon. 'What ever happened to the shy and retiring girl I met at Christmas?' Maggie wondered.

"I think we have enough for you two to have bacon, as long as Mother and Alan are good with that," Rose agreed with a smile. "Let's go home and see what 'falls out of the refrigerator.'"

Rose started making the sandwiches while Alan busied himself with the soup and the girls took it upon themselves to prepare a Caesar salad. Martha just sat at the kitchen table, at the same time both surprised and pleased at the teamwork occurring before her. They made quick work of preparing and eating the food since everyone was eager to proceed to the house.

Before they left, Alan remembered that he wanted to take a tape measure, a flashlight, a pencil, and some graph paper to make sketches of the rooms. As they got into Alan's car, Rose pulled out her phone to call Susan, advising her of their departure.

"Okay, Rose, I'll meet you there soon," Susan replied.

The five were standing on the porch when Susan pulled onto the crushed rock driveway. Seeing them gathered by the front door in the chilly February air, Susan hurried to get the house unlocked. Standing aside, Susan gestured for Rose and Martha to precede her inside.

While Rose, Martha, and Susan wandered around the main level of the house, Maggie and Katie quickly ascended the stairs. Alan descended into the basement, turning on his flashlight. He looked around for any evidence of work needing to be done. He did find the place in the foundation where a crack had been repaired, but no sign of anything more than cobwebs in some of the corners. The main circuit panel looked fairly new as well, and every breaker was labeled. Alan was very pleased to note the lack of water damage or evidence of moisture or undesired animals.

Rose led Martha through the dining room into the kitchen as Susan followed along. Martha was especially impressed with the amount of countertop workspace available.

"And the refrigerator will go here," Rose pointed out. "I'd like to get a new one, although the one we have could work as well."

That prompted Susan to blurt out, "Perhaps you'd consider leaving it behind for the next owners. Rose and Martha swiveled their heads around quickly at Susan's unexpected remark.

Then Rose narrowed her eyes and asked, "Okay, Susan. So, what's going on in that pretty little head of yours?"

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to say anything. Can we promise to keep this just between us?"

"Sure, I guess," Rose responded. "Mother, any problem with that?"

"I probably would not have anything to do with the goings‑on here, so, sure, I guess," Martha answered.

Looking around over her shoulder to be sure other ears were not listening, Susan began to share some of her plans.

"Helen McKinley, now Helen Waters, was a childhood friend of my daughter, Sophia. In fact, she used to have the occasional sleepover at our house. They grew apart during high school, but she seemed to remember me fondly when we made contact last month."

"Yes, I remember your sharing that during one of our Tuesday morning gatherings," Rose interjected.

"Well, I had the idea that if you and Alan were to buy this house from her, and she and her husband Steve were to move to Middleburg and buy Alan's house, everyone would get what they wanted."

Rose's eyes widened at the thought of a near‑ready‑made buyer for Alan's house. Then she thought for a moment and verbalized some of her thinking.

"And you'd get two house sales commissions without having to do very much at all, wouldn't you?"

"I'll have to share the commissions with the realty company, but as both the listing and the selling agent, I should be able to keep half of the commissions from both transactions."

"All right. Let's table this discussion and pick it back up on Tuesday morning. If we're going to make this all happen, we need to keep the numbers realistic and reasonable."

Turning to Martha, Rose then led her across the back hallway to the master bath in the rear corner of the house.

"Oh, my," quietly escaped Martha's lips as they entered the master bathroom. The shower was decently sized; two could fit into it, and there was a seat opposite the shower head. It was the large soaker tub that caught Martha's attention, as well as the long countertop with two sinks. Rose thought it was a very nice upgrade from Alan's en suite and it gave Martha some design ideas for her bath as well.

The tour progressed into the master bedroom and the fireplace in the corner gave Martha some naughty thoughts. Thoughts which she couldn't quite contain as she muttered, "Now, all we need here is a bear‑skin rug."

Rose smirked as she overheard her mother. She would have to get Alan to tell the joke to her parents about lounging naked on the bear‑skin rug. "And look at these closets!" Rose directed Martha's attention.

Completing the main level tour, they looked into the living room with its corner fireplace mated to the one in the bedroom. They heard the girls talking upstairs and went to the base of the long stairway to look up. Due to the higher ceilings on the main level, the staircase seemed even longer than usual. The window at the top of the stairs facing South let in a good amount of light.

"Well, shall we?" Martha inquired, gesturing up the stairs. Just then, Alan emerged from his trip to the basement and he joined the three ladies in evaluating the climb before them.

When the group was halfway up, the girls appeared at the top of the stairs, one from each side of the landing.

"Grandma, you've got to see this view!" Maggie exclaimed, and Katie echoed the excitement of her 'sister'.

"Go on, Mother, see what your granddaughters are so excited about," Rose encouraged while slowing to take Alan's hand in hers.

The view of the backyard to the South with the gentle slope to the pond was perfectly lit by the afternoon sun. The elevated perspective reinforced Martha's belief that the ceremony ought to be held there. She could practically hear the string quartet (cello, viola, and two violins) as well as envision Elliot escorting Rose down a white linen runner. She just stood there, basking in the winter sun and luxuriating in her dreams.