CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Mrs. Moretta lived in a tidy two-story cottage three blocks over from Luke’s parents. The front porch was partially obscured by colorful pots overflowing with petunias.
A hummingbird feeder hung from a rafter.
Harper blew out the breath she had been holding. Claire reached across the console and patted her hand on the steering wheel.
“You’re a good girl, Harper. Let’s go help a friend.”
They were only halfway up the walk when Mrs. Moretta burst out of the front door. She was wearing a flopping sunhat and one garden glove. Harper could see tears.
Claire hurried up the steps to her friend. “Oh, Ina.”
The two women embraced on the porch. “Thank you so much for being here, Claire. They just called. He’s alive.”
“Thank God for that,” Claire said, holding her tight.
“Harper.” Mrs. Moretta released Claire and nodded in her direction. “Let’s go inside and get a drink.”
They let her lead the way back to a cozy kitchen with a greenhouse window over the sink. Mrs. Moretta paused, staring off into the yard. “He’s in surgery. They think he’s going to lose a leg. But he’s going to live.”
Harper covered her mouth with a hand and closed her eyes. Aldo was alive and that was what mattered. She excused herself for a moment and fired off an email to Luke from her phone.
To:
[email protected]
From:
[email protected]
Subject: Alive!
Alive and in surgery. May lose leg, but he’s expected to survive. We’re with Mrs. M now. She’s holding up. I’ll let you know if I learn anything else. I love you.
H
When she returned to the kitchen, Mrs. Moretta and Claire were talking quietly at the dining room table.
“The base said they’ll be sending me to Dover when Aldo gets there, and then I’ll go with him to Walter Reed. I’ll know more once he’s been moved to Germany.” She sighed and removed her glove. “What would we ever do without our boys, Claire?”
“We’re not going to have to find out, Ina.” Claire squeezed her friend’s hand. “Aldo’s going to come home and be just as big a pain in your ass as he ever was.”
“Remember when they were just boys and playing in the creek the entire summer?”
“Remember when they camped out in the back yard in a tent and I found them curled up side by side on the couch the next morning?”
“When did our little boys turn into men?”
“They’d tell you it was a lot earlier than I would.”
Mrs. Moretta sniffled.
“Can I get you a drink, Mrs. Moretta?” Harper offered. “Some tea or water?”
“Harper, there is a box of cheap Chardonnay in the fridge. How about you grab us three of the biggest glasses you can find and we’ll drink to our boys?”
It was on the third refill trip from the kitchen that Harper returned to Claire whispering to Mrs. Moretta.
“She’s just what he needs —”
“Harper, Claire is distracting me with gossip about you and your Luke. She seems to think that you’re doing him a world of good.”
Harper felt the blush rise to her cheeks. “I think it’s more vice versa.”
“I wish Aldo would settle down. That boy can’t focus on one woman for longer than a month at a time,” she sighed.
“Maybe they just weren’t the one he wanted?” Harper offered.
“You sound like you know something.” Claire said, wiggling her eyebrows.
“Spill it,” Mrs. Moretta ordered. “The gossip, not the wine.”
Harper handed out the glasses, sloshing only a few drops over the rims.
“There seemed to be some sparks between Aldo and Gloria when we had them over for dinner. And Aldo gave her a ride home.”
“Hmm,” Claire and Mrs. Moretta said in unison.
“Little Gloria Parker,” Claire said. “I never would have guessed.”
“Aldo also may have confessed to carrying a torch for her since high school. But that I can’t confirm without permission from the source,” Harper added.
“No wonder he hated that asshole Glenn so much,” Mrs. Moretta said, sweeping a hand over her hair and finding the hat.
“Why the hell didn’t you two tell me I was still wearing this? I was gardening when the base called. I’m such a mess.” She yanked the hat off and tossed it over her shoulder where it hit a brass birdcage full of silk flowers.
Claire and Harper snickered.
In the end, the box of wine was empty, the pizza they ordered was mostly gone, and Charlie had to come pick them up.
“I’m so thankful to you two for being here for me,” Mrs. Moretta said as she wrapped them both in a bear hug. “It means the world to me.”