Wilson's Hard Lesson (52 page)

Two weeks later, Erin looked up from feeding the penguins to
see Michael sauntering toward her, hands stuffed into the front pockets of his
jeans.  She smiled.  “I guess they’ll just let anyone into the aquarium,” she
remarked. 

“It’s good to see you, too,” Michael said.  There had been
no word from him since Erin had limped out of the house in Evanston, although
she did suspect Michael had been the one who left the last box of her
belongings outside Corrine’s door a day after that.  “How are you enjoying the
new job?”

“Loving it,” Erin said.  She finished and stood up, taking
the now empty bucket back to the feeding supplies area.  “How’s everything with
you?”

“Pretty good,” Michael said, looking at the floor and
nodding.  “Just came over here from the court house.”

Erin frowned, puzzled.  “Court house?”

He reached inside his linen blazer and produced a folded
sheaf of papers.  Erin finished washing and drying her hands before accepting
the offer.  Her eyes widened.  “You and Mom are
divorced?
”

“We had that talk you suggested, right after you left,”
Michael said.  “There was a lot of yelling…a lot of anger and accusations…but
then we calmed down, sat down, and discussed it like rational adults.”  He
shrugged.  “And we came to the mutual decision that we both made a mistake by
getting married.”

“Did you…” Erin stopped, not knowing how to ask.  “Does she
know?  About…us?”

“Yes,” Michael answered.  “I told her that until I met you,
I wasn’t really living anymore – I was just going through the motions.  I
credited you for opening my eyes and making me realize that I had spent twenty
years immersed in work and avoiding relationships because I was too afraid of
being hurt again, and that getting involved with her had been ‘safe’ for both
of us.  The truth of the matter is, I was punishing myself for what happened to
Laura and the baby.  I craved companionship but at the same time I didn’t think
I deserved it.”  He smiled.  “Until
you
came along.”

Erin blinked, feeling her eyes prick with tears, and
smiled.  “That is one of the sweetest things anyone has ever said to me,” she
said.

“Well, maybe I can top that,” Michael said.  He reached into
his jacket again and pulled out two airline vouchers.  Waving them in the air
next to his face, he raised his eyebrows.  “How would you feel about going to
Las Vegas with me tonight, and then tomorrow morning waking up as Mrs. Michael
Kassmeyer?”

Erin’s mouth fell open and she nearly stumbled backwards
into the penguin enclosure.  “Are you serious?” she managed to gasp out.  “You
just got divorced from my mom and now you want to marry
me
?”

“I wanted to marry you the moment I met you,” Michael said. 
He walked over to her and took her hands in his.  “I want to marry the woman
I’m
supposed
to be with…the one who makes me happy…and the one I love.”

Now the tears began to fall, and Erin did not even bother to
brush them away.  “I love you, too,” she said.  “But, I can’t just leave – I
haven’t been at this job long enough to warrant any vacation time!”

“I wouldn’t worry,” Michael said.  “I know a few people who
work here…some through cooperation programs with the zoo.  Let’s just say, I
called in a favor.”  He smiled.  “For the rest of the week, you’re all mine.”

Erin stepped in close to him, reaching up to stroke the
stubble on his jaw.  “No,” she said, “I’m yours for the rest of our lives.” 
Hooking her finger in his collar, she tugged him down and presented him with a
kiss.

A refreshing breeze off the ocean wafted through the bay,
caressing over Erin’s bare legs as she reclined in a beach chair under the
shade of a large umbrella.  She watched the lazy waving of palm fronds and the
white caps cresting on the clear, turquoise-blue water.  She smiled, one hand
resting on the small rise of her belly under the green Lycra one-piece swimsuit
she wore.  Fast approaching her third trimester, she did not feel comfortable
in a bikini, even though Michael had insisted she looked beautiful.  He had
even offered to rub sun screen on her stomach but she had laughed and stood her
ground.  In truth, she liked the feel of Michael’s hands on her, especially
once they found out about the pregnancy.  At first, he had been terrified,
going by his past experience.  But that lasted all of five minutes, as his joy
at becoming a father took over.  He had proven himself to be very attentive,
sometimes to the point of obsession.  In those times, Erin just had to poke him
and tell him to knock it off, and he would laugh and apologize. 

Erin did enjoy the attention, though.  She knew Michael
would be a good dad.  The more time they spent together, the more she saw his
playful side emerge.  Sometimes, he could be like a big kid, and she liked
that.  He never got so carried away that she had to worry about him becoming
too immature.  He could act crazy and still be a serious, responsible person
when the need arose.  He once told her she brought out the best in him.  She
wondered if he knew that he brought out the best in her, as well. 

A musical tone interrupted her thoughts.  Reaching around
the bottled water on the small bamboo table to her left, Erin retrieved her
phone.  She smiled as she answered.  “Hi, Mom.  How’s it going up in Chicago?”

“It’s freezing,” Mom said.  “We’re under another winter
storm watch.  They’re predicting eighteen inches or more of snow along the lakeshore. 
I’m sure you’re glad you’re in Hawaii right now.”

“Well, it’s not a vacation,” Erin said.  “We’re both
working.  For the last few days, we’ve been monitoring a pod of humpback whales
off the coast of Oahu that are in the area for the breeding season.  We’re sort
of taking a day off today but we’re lined up to go snorkeling and spend some
time with spinner dolphins.”  She laughed.  “You should hear the locals tease
us about how the sun reflecting off our pale Irish skin blinds them.  They
refer to people like us as ‘shark bait.’”

“Oh, my god!” Mom said, but she chuckled all the same. 
“That’s terrible!”

“Ah, it’s all good-natured,” Erin assured her.  “We just
have to slather on the waterproof sunblock a few times a day.”  She held up one
arm, looking at it.  “I’m actually going a little golden.  Definitely getting
more freckles.  Michael’s shoulders look like someone dusted him with cayenne
pepper.  His hair has lightened a bit since we’ve been here, going kind of
red-blond from all the sunlight.”

“How
is
Michael?” Mom asked.

Erin could hear the concern in her voice.  It no longer
bothered her to think about how her husband had once been married to her
mother.  Getting over the fact that Michael had sex with the woman who gave
birth to her had been little harder, but she had adapted.  “Michael’s fine,”
Erin said.  “We both are.  We’re doing what we love.  We’re having fun.  He’s
starting to get a little anxious about the baby, and it’s probably going to get
worse the closer I get to my due date, but we’ve been talking about it.”

“I know he’s scared,” Mom said, soft and sincere.  “But I
have a feeling that once this baby is on the way, all those fears are going to
disappear and he’s going to become so focused, he’s not going to even have a
chance to think about what happened in the past.  I’ve seen it happen dozens of
times, men who seem so nervous as they come in with their wives going into
labor, and suddenly something just kicks in and they’re still excited but
they’re also very controlled.”

“Yeah, I have a feeling that’s how Michael will be,” Erin
said, agreeing with her mother’s prediction. 

“He’s going to be a wonderful father.  And you’re going to
be a wonderful mother.  With no thanks to me,” Mom added with a
self-depreciating snort. 

“Mom…”

“No, Erin,” Mom said, cutting her off.  “I know I was not a
good parent.  You were right about that.  Giving birth and actually being there
to raise your children are two very different things.  I should have spent more
time with you.  I should have spent more time with your father.  But as you
said, I put my career before family.  I admit that was wrong and I do regret
it.  It’s a case of ‘physician, heal thyself.’  I was so busy trying to help
everyone else, I couldn’t see that my family needed my care, too.”

“Yeah, well.”  Erin sighed.  “It is what it is, Mom.  I’m
not mad at you for it.  You’re a great doctor and you’re teaching other people
to be great doctors, so that’s a good thing.  I don’t hate you for it.  I know
Brandon and Peter don’t, either, and neither does Dad or he would have stopped
coming back and staying at the house after the divorce.”

“About your father…”

Erin rolled her eyes.  She began to have flashbacks to Mom
breaking news to her long after the fact.  “Please don’t tell me he’s dead,”
she said.

“What?” Mom exclaimed.  “Oh, no, honey – god, no!  He’s
fine!  Why would you think that?”

“Nothing,” Erin said, shaking her head.  “Never mind.  So –
what about Dad, now?”

“Well,” Mom said, drawing out the word in a coy manner.  “He
called the other day and asked if I had any plans for Christmas, and when I
said no he asked if I would like to fly out to Los Angeles and spend the
holidays together.”

That made Erin sit up straight, her eyes wide and mouth
falling open in shock.  It took a few moments for her vocal chords to work
again.  “Mom,” she croaked out.  “Are you and Dad talking about getting back
together?”

“We haven’t exactly
talked
about it,” Mom said.  “But
when he was here in September, things…
happened
…”

“Okay, ew,” Erin said, holding up her hand even though her
mother couldn’t see it, her face screwed up in disgust.  “Mom.  Please.  Thanks
to having a mother in the medical field, I grew up thinking there was nothing
wrong with the subject of bowel movements as dinner conversation.  And I know
we’ve had clinical discussions about sex many times, and that we’re both
adults, but when it comes to hearing about you and Dad doing it?  I’ve got to
draw the line.  Okay?  I just…I can’t.”

Mom laughed.  A genuine, guffawing kind of laugh, not one of
her polite little chuckles.  “All right, I’ll spare you the details.  But I
thought you should know that we’ve started seeing each other again.”  She
paused, and Erin could almost see her smiling.  “Now that I’ve had my eyes
opened, maybe this time I’ll get it right.”

That made Erin grin, but she still had to swipe at the happy
tears that filled her eyes.  “I hope so, too, Mom,” she said, and she meant
it.  She wanted her mother to be happy.  If her parents could get back
together, that would be great.  “Just make sure your calendar is clear
next
year, too.  It’ll be the baby’s first Christmas.  I’d like to share it with
you.  And Dad, if things work out.  Heck, maybe we can get Peter and Brandon to
join us.  Christmas at home, all of us.”

“I can’t remember the last time there were that many people
in this house at the same time,” Mom said.  “But I do love that idea.  Yes,
let’s plan on it.  My children and my grandchildren, the whole family.  I like
it.”

She really has had a change of heart,
Erin realized. 
Well, I guess they’re right – you’re never too old. 
Spying Michael
coming toward her across the beach, dressed in swim trunk and a light blue
t-shirt, she smiled.  “Well, Mom, I hate to cut this short but it looks like
they’re ready for us to head out to meet the dolphins.  I’m interested to see
how the mothers and calves in the pod react to my pregnancy.”

“You’ll have to tell me all about it, later,” Mom said. 
“Have fun, honey.”

“Thanks, Mom.  Love you.”  Erin ended the call and looked up
as Michael stopped in front of her.  She leaned back in her chair again and
rubbed her belly.  “Hey, mister,” she said in a seductive purr.  “Like what you
see?”

He grinned.  “Always.”  He swooped in and presented her with
a tender kiss, lingering for a moment to nuzzle her cheek.  “You ready to go?”

“Yeah.”  Erin dropped her phone and bottled water into her
woven shoulder bag.  Michael took her hands and pulled her up.  She laughed
when he took that opportunity to draw her in against his body for a hug and
another kiss.  The sunlight glinted off their matching white gold wedding bands
as he gathered her left hand in his and brought it to his lips.  It had taken
two weeks to finalize the uncontested divorce from her mother; the next day,
Erin and Michael had jumped on the first flight to Las Vegas where they had
purchased the rings hours before exchanging their vows.  And just in time, too,
as Erin found out a month later that she was pregnant.  It had been the
proverbial whirlwind, and they had laughed about it even as they had signed the
license.  Remembering that day, Erin chuckled.  “Do you realize that as of
tomorrow, we will have been married exactly one week longer than you and my
mother had been?”

“Well, I did tell you I was in this for the long haul,”
Michael joked.  He gazed down into Erin’s eyes, his own full of love and
contentment, and his voice softened.  “And I do plan to be with you for many
days, weeks, months, and years to come.  I love you, Erin.  I love that we’re
together, and that we’re making a family of our own.  This is the life that I
have always wanted, and I’m thrilled that it’s happening with you.”

“Given the way I was raised, I didn’t realize there was such
a thing as having a satisfying career
and
a successful marriage.”  Erin
reached up, circling his neck with her arms.  “But now I know that it
is
possible to find a happy medium between the two.  And that is where the heart
finds its home.”

“Mine found yours, the day we met,” Michael said, and bent
his head to kiss Erin.  When they separated, he draped his arm around her
shoulders.  “Come on – we’ve got a date with some fish.”

She gave a snort and poked him in the side.  “Dolphins
aren’t fish, they’re mammals,” she said.  “Oh my god, where did you get your
degree, anyway?”

“Where I find all the best things that ever come to me,” he
replied, and smiled down at her.  “At the Pancake House.”

His reference to the first time they met made Erin laugh. 
“Dammit, now you have me craving a Dutch baby.”

“Well, I’ll see if I can find someplace around here that
makes them.  And if I can’t, I’ll have one flown in from Chicago.”  Michael
kissed the top of her head.  “Anything to make you happy.”

“I already am.”  Looping her arms around his long waist,
Erin leaned into his side and smiled.