The Face In The Mirror (24 page)

Later that evening, Mitchell took my hand and kissed the palm. “I can’t
believe you did this.”
“I told you before, you make me act impulsive! I can’t believe I did it
either, but now that it’s done, I’m glad I did. It’s a reminder of all we missed.
You’re stuck with me now. Forever, Mitchell – you said so.”

The next morning, Mitchell was already in the office working on some
paperwork when I got out of the bed. I got dressed and went to the kitchen to
get busy. We still had a lot to do – orders to be placed for supplies, menus to
plan…

Cassie had already set up a website, and with the mailer we’d sent out, we
were getting lots of online traffic requesting menus, and lots of messages from
potential customers saying that they couldn’t wait for us to open. I was
overjoyed!

Mitchell and I went over the calendar, calculated out what we still needed
to do, and decided on Wednesday March 5th for the Grand Opening. We
planned to do dry runs on Monday and Tuesday to assure that we were ready,
and invite friends to come be our guests. Mitchell reserved two tables for a
breakfast meeting that Wednesday. I knew two things - he wanted to be there
to support me, but he also wanted to be there just in case there were any snafus
so he could help out.

At 10:40, Cassie came in the back door. “Mornin’! I see the hubs’ truck is
here, am I interrupting anything?” she giggled.
“Not yet,” Mitchell laughed as he came down the stairs.
“I decided to come help cut the cheese!” she blurted out, and all three of us
laughed. She looked around, amazed. “Wow, someone’s been busy!”
“I already have sample muffins for us to try. Mitchell’s taking some for the
guys to let us know what they like and don’t. I made pineapple-coconut
muffins…”
“Pina Colada muffins!” Cassie said.
“Oh! I like that!”
“And there’s blueberry, and carrot, as well.” I noticed that Cassie had a
very serious look on her face, thinking about something.
“I’ve got it! Blueberry Thrill muffins – you know, ‘I found my thrill, on
blueberry hill’! Now, about the carrot…”
“I also made bran muffins. Ponder THAT!” I laughed.

Mitchell left us to go to the warehouse and we stayed busy, chatting and
prepping. “What the heck is in that crockpot that smells so good?” Cassie
asked after a while.

“Picante Chicken. It’s one of my favorite recipes. I decided it’s one that we
can freeze.”
Around 1:30, Mitchell walked in the back door just as Cassie was saying,
“Chuck will actually be home for dinner tonight. I’m gonna take that crockpot
and run like hell!”
I walked to the pantry, grabbed a bag of yellow rice, unplugged the
crockpot and said, “Dinner’s on me.” As I said the words, I saw the
disappointment on Mitchell’s face.
“No, I couldn’t take your dinner,” she protested.
“You’ve worked so hard and since you won’t let me pay you yet, it’s the
least I can do. Stop and grab a salad on your way and enjoy! I’ll throw the stuff
in for another batch for Mitchell and me in the morning. We can have it
tomorrow.”
Mitchell carried the crockpot to Cassie’s car, and after she was gone he
came back to the kitchen, pouting. He wrapped me in a hug, and then
whispered in my ear, “I can’t believe you gave my dinner away.”
Laughing, I promised, “I’ll make you one tomorrow.”
“Let’s go home tonight and stop at Two Wrong Fools,” he said.
“And get back to the journals.”
“Date! Pack up. Let’s go,” he said with a swat on my bottom.

After we had Derek at home with us, I worked hard to be the perfect mother
to him, but I swear to you, I couldn’t look at him without feeling hurt and angry.
Only the Ridgeways, Granny and Poppa, my brothers, and Midgey knew for
sure. I’m sure that lots of others suspected, but the people around home never said
a word – out of respect for Granny and Poppa, I was sure.

A year after I left, I returned to school and finished my classes on Daniel
Ridgeway’s nickel. Your dad was still in school, working part-time in Mr.
Ridgeway’s practice researching cases for the attorneys. He came home every night
to keep up the family ‘show’.

It took me a while to warm back up to Wayne and that meant four years
before I got pregnant with you, and when I did, the whole world changed for me. I
was happy! We were both in practice, Daniel Ridgeway paid for nannies for
Derek so that I could work. And I did, right up until you were born, and then I
had no desire to be anywhere else in the world, but with you.

Derek loved you the minute we brought you home. I would find him at the crib
watching you, but your father was keeping him busy with sports by that time.
Derek knows about his real mother, now. I have no idea what or when your
father told him, but I know he did.

The next morning we went to town. I was busy making apple-cinnamon
muffins, along with date and walnut bran muffins for Mitchell to take to work
the next day. My phone rang and I looked at the caller ID. It was my dad so I
answered it.
Just get it over with
, I thought.

“Renee, it’s Daddy.”
“I knew that,” I said, with a fake smile in my voice. “What’s up?”
“Does something have to be ‘up’? I’ve just been missing you. You’ve been

scarce.”
“Everything’s so busy trying to get things up and running. We’re shooting
for the first week in March,” I said, and felt genuine excitement in my voice.
“I’d like to come by and see how things are going.”
“Sure, you’ll be amazed! When?”
“How about a bite of lunch,” he said and added, “today?”
“I’ll throw something together.”
Ugh
, I thought when he agreed.
I sent Mitchell a text to let him know of my lunch plans and as Cassie came
in the back door with the empty crockpot, he called me back.
“Hey,” I said.
“Make enough for Dave and me.”
“You don’t have to do that, Mitchell, it’ll be fine. Cassie just got here and
it’s just lunch with my dad.”
Cassie had a surprised look on her face, and Mitchell said they were coming
anyway before hanging up.
“I gotta throw some chicken salad together, quick!”
Cassie knew some of the story of my dad, but not all of it. She just knew
that the relationship was strained because of the divorce.
“Do you need me to go?”
“Oh heck no. Mitchell is coming. The more the merrier!” I said,
sarcastically. As I made the chicken salad, Cassie threw the ingredients for the
Picante Chicken in the crockpot.
When my dad arrived he came in the kitchen door. “Wow, this doesn’t
look like Granny’s at all.”
“Yes, it does!” I replied quickly. “Only it looks like it did way back when.
We’ve worked hard to make sure it did. I found pictures and researched back in
that time period, when she and Poppa moved here. It’s disorganized, but it
looks just like Granny’s to me,” I finished, trying not to be snippy.
“Something smells really good. Is that lunch?”
“No,” Mitchell said as he and Dave came in the door. “That’s my dinner!”
I introduced everyone and explained about last night’s meal ending up
going home with Cassie.
“Oh my gosh, Chuck loved it!” she gushed, going on about how good it
was.

Conversation filled the mealtime, but I could tell that my dad wanted to
talk to me privately. Finally, I went to the kitchen with a stack of dishes to put
in the dishwasher, and my dad followed with another stack. The others were
still talking, and my dad asked, “Might we have a few minutes to talk?"

I walked him up the stairs to the room Mitchell and I were using as the
office for privacy.
“You’ve not been around much; you don’t call…” he began.
“Since you left my mother,” I interrupted.
“And you are angry at me.”
“I’m not past the hurt and disappointment yet, no,” I said, honestly, and
wondered if I should tell him what I knew. Suddenly, I could hear her sweet
voice whispering to me, ‘not yet’, so I decided against it.
“I’m sorry about the way things worked out, Renee.”
“Sorry for hurting my mother or for getting caught because Roxanne got
pregnant?”
“Uncalled for, Renee.”
“I believe that I’m a grown woman, in control of my own thoughts and
words. I’m angry with you. I can’t help my emotions. You can deal with my
feelings, or you can walk away.” I was so pissed now that I wanted to scream
the words. “I can’t help the way I feel.”
“
We
would like you and Mitchell to join us for Christmas,” he said,
emphasizing the word ‘we’, a reflection of our conversation at Thanksgiving.
“You haven’t seen your sister since the christening and she’s grown so much.”
Half-sister
, I thought, reminding me once again of the revelation about
Derek.
“Derek and Janell will be there with Jared,” I heard him say, trying to
encourage me.
“I don’t know, Dad. I think Mitchell already asked Alecia to join us.”
“I love you, Renee.”
“I know.” Somehow I couldn’t force those words in return. I didn’t know
if I really did love him right now, or if I felt obligated to love him because he
was my father, so I decided not to say anything more.

When we returned to the kitchen I noticed that Dave was gone… and so
was my damn crockpot! “What the heck?”
“Dave took it,” Cassie cackled. “He was slobbering and drooling, so
Mitchell told me to give it to him. I threw in a bag of yellow rice and he ran it
home real quick.”
“Oh for cheeseandrice! Two nights in a row! Mitchell Donovan, that was
my dinner, too!”
“Hey! I wanted it as bad as you did, but the man was drooling! What was I
supposed to do?” he said and everyone, including my dad, was laughing.
“I guess I’m just not meant to eat this Picante Chicken that smells like
Spanish heaven,” Mitchell said, jokingly.
“What is this Picante Chicken?” my dad asked, and Cassie went full-blown
brochure description on him. I quickly grabbed a pen and pad and started
scribbling.
Everyone was watching me. I looked up with a smile and said, “So we’ll
remember what you said!”
“That sounds delicious, Renee. How about I come by on my way home
and get one for our dinner? I’ll gladly pay you.”
“I couldn’t charge for it, and Dave has the crockpot, and tomorrow I’m
gonna make one for Mitchell and me, and NO ONE IS GIVING IT AWAY!
Do you hear me?” I said, eyeballing everyone.
My dad pulled out his wallet, and threw a hundred-dollar bill on the table,
and said, “Go buy a new one.”
“They’re like twenty bucks, Dad.”
“So buy five. I’ll pick it up tomorrow.” He kissed my forehead and was
gone.

After he drove away, Cassie snatched the money from the table and started
for the door. “Where are you going?” I asked.
“Walmart! I’ll pick up two crockpots and the stuff for two batches of
Picante Chicken! Besides,” she said with a sweet smile, “you look like you need
some time with Mitchell.”
“Do you?” he asked after she was gone.
“I will never, ever pass on alone time with you.” I waited a moment and
then added, “He asked if we would join them for Christmas, and made sure the
invitation included ‘we’ would like… and he used your name.”
“I can tell you that I already made plans with my mom,” Mitchell said.
“You did?” I asked, surprised.
“No, but I can tell you that,” he said with a big grin.
“Good, because that’s what I told my dad!” I replied.
“How long will Cassie be gone?”
“Long enough,” I replied, and we bolted up the stairs.

I decided that if we spent Christmas with my dad I’d be a hypocrite. I
wanted no part of the fractured family lies. I’d lived all those years not knowing
of the secrets and lies, and I didn’t want to continue it. After Convenient
Cuisine was up and running, I would make a plan to sit down with dad. By then
we should be done reading the journals, and I would talk through all of this
with him.

I wanted to be the one to invite Alecia for Christmas.
“Well, hello there!” she said when I called.
“Hey to you! I’m making dinner tomorrow night and we’re eating at

Granny’s. Do you have plans?”
“Free as a bird,” she laughed. I told her the story of the traveling crockpot
and the Picante Chicken.
“Well, I can hardly wait to taste this dish!”
“Mitchell, too,” I replied, with a giggle.

When Alecia arrived, I showed her around, happy to share our new
adventure with her.
“OK, I finally get it,” she admitted. “You do all the prep work, and then
your customers throw it together and get the praise for a delicious meal!”
“I guess that’s the way it will be, but I sure hope they get enough praise
that they come running back for more! I’ve collected dozens of recipes, and
tweaked them to my liking. I’m also taking an online course on food
preparation, learning what makes a ‘safe zone’ for preparing with no nuts for
those with nut allergies. I’m even doing some special needs meals like glutenfree and vegetarian. I want fresh and healthy, but tasty!” I told her excitedly.
“I can hear your passion about this, Renie, and whatever is in the crockpot
smells delicious!”
Mitchell came down from his shower just as she spoke and said, “Spanish
heaven!”
“Mitchell, do we have the stuff for Sangria?” I asked, knowing we didn’t.
“I’ll look. If we don’t I’ll run out and get it,” he said, taking the hint.

After he was gone, Alecia turned to me. “Something you need to get off
your chest?”
“Yes, but first I want to tell you about something I read recently. It was an
article about the relationship a young woman had with her mother-in-law. She
used the words, ‘mother-in-love’ when she talked about her. I liked that. A lot.
When I think about you I feel so blessed. I miss my mother terribly, and I’m so
lucky to have you back in my life.”
She hugged me and said, “I love all of that, Renie. Now, why don’t you tell
me what’s really on your mind.”
“I’ll give you the synopsis, not the novel,” I laughed. “I want to spend
Christmas with the people I love. I’m not sure that includes my dad, right now.
I’m still angry with him. He invited Mitchell and me for Christmas and I really
don’t want to go. I’d rather repeat Thanksgiving at the beach, surrounded by
people I want to be with, my family. You, Midgey, Dave and Ashley, Chuck
and Cassie - that’s the family I want surrounding me.”
“I know this is hard for you - your mom’s birthday, your first Christmas
without her - but it seems more like something about your dad is troubling
you.”
“
He
troubles me. I still can’t help feeling that him leaving her for Roxanne no, not even that really, but the fact that she was pregnant - caused her such
grief that she lost her way. There’s more, Alecia, but I’m not ready to talk about
it just yet. I’ll tell you that as we were going through things at the condo, we
came across journals that are filled with my mom’s words and some of the
things she wrote about cause me such sadness.”
Mitchell returned and made the Sangria. When the concoction was ready,
he served it, joining us at the table. “I’m just really having a hard time even
liking my dad at this point,” I told Alecia.
“Renee, I want to tell
you
something. I’m aware of your dad’s ways, as is
half the town. I was very close to Granny Ella; she and I shared many
conversations about this over the years. I’m sure you will know how you want
to handle it when you’re ready. I’ll be right here if you need me.”
“And that is exactly why I love you. Let’s eat that chicken,” I said.