Chapter 7

Ray stepped from the master bath into his bedroom. Rebecca was sitting up in bed, her back against the headboard. She wore a sheer, blue, baby doll-styled bed jacket with three-quarter length sleeves and closed with a pair of buttons at the bodice. “Where did you get that?” he asked as he regarded her.

“I was doing some clothes shopping today and it caught my eye. Do you like it?”

“It doesn’t leave much to the imagination.” He sat on the bed and kissed her lips.

“Would you prefer something a bit more modest?”

“Imagination is highly over- rated.” He kissed her again. Then, he noticed the ring box on the nightstand. He opened it and found it empty.

Rebecca held out her right fist. Ray held his open palm below it and she dropped the ring into it. “I was just looking at it,” she said.

“Have you made up your mind?”

“I have.”

“What’s your answer?”

She held out her left hand. “The answer is yes.”

Ray slipped the ring onto her finger. “How’s the fit? It feels a little loose to me.”

“My finger will grow into it.”

“So, was your decision cleared by your committee of two?”

She chortled. “I talked to both girls about it. They have concerns, but no showstoppers. Did you talk to Ken?”

God, it seems it’s one step forward and two steps back with him,” Ray replied. “He was quite cordial during the movie, but then he and Kamelya were squabbling again over using the bathroom.”

“We are invading his body domestic. Some sort of allergic reaction is to be expected.”

“Have you thought about setting a date?” he asked.

“Well ... I’d do it tomorrow if I thought we could get away with it. Sleeping with you is like a narcotic, Ray. The more I get the more I want. However I think we need to be realistic. I’m signing a one-year lease on the townhouse. Maybe we’ll need that amount of space for everyone to adjust.”

“How would you and the girls feel about weekend sleep-overs?”

Her lips drew up into a broad smile. “That sounds like a really good idea.”

“I was anticipating your decision,” he said as he opened a dresser drawer. From under a stack of sweaters he removed a pair of Champagne flutes. Then, he stepped into his closet and returned with a bottle.

“Do you have a refrigerator in your closet?” she asked.

“We certainly do. Maggie and I kept a stash of Champagne for celebrating important events ... like, for example, a particularly spectacular moonrise...” He removed the foil and popped the cork.

“Do you expect us to finish that bottle here and now?”

“Naturally. How can we make love like a pair of drunken monkeys if we’re not a bit tipsy?”

“I’ll have you know that I have never had sex while under the influence,” she replied.

Then, it’s about time you tried it.” He handed her a glass and clinked his rim to hers. “To us and to our blended family.”

Ken strolled into the kitchen where his father was filling the coffee maker. “Good morning, Ken,” Rebecca said.

“Morning...”

Without a word, Ken bolted out of the kitchen, stomped up the stairs and slammed the door to his room. “Now what?” Rebecca asked.

“I’ll go find out.”

Ray climbed the stairs and rapped on Ken’s door. “Ken?”

“Go away!”

Ray opened the door. “What’s going on?”

Ken stood and glowered at his father. “You lied to me! You fuckin’ lied to me!”

“What are you talking about?”

“You told me you had no plans to marry her. Yesterday, Sonay told me that you had asked her and I told her she was wrong. Now I see that ring on her finger!”

“Ken ... Plans change ... they’re in a state of flux.”

Flux. I’m the one who’s ... flucked.” Ken picked up a ceramic mug from the desk in his room and lifted it as if to throw it.”

“Think before you act, Ken.”

He set it down again. “I just want to break something! Dad -- why couldn’t you have told me? Why did I have to hear it from Sonay?”

“Ken -- you seem to be having so much trouble letting go. You’re mom’s not coming back, Ken. We have to move on.”

I know she’s not coming back, God damn it!” He wiped tears from his face. “Rebecca told her kids. At least she had the ... courtesy to tell them! That’s what hurts.” He glowered at Ray. “I think Rebecca has bigger balls than you!”

Maybe she does.” Ray sighed. “You know -- kids don’t come with instruction manuals. Nobody who’s a parent knows how to deal with every situation. There’s a word for someone who knows exactly how to raise kids -- it’s ‘childless.’ If I screwed up on this, Ken -- I’m sorry. It’ll only be about the four thousand, seven hundred and seventy-fifth screw-up I’ve made so far. Look at it this way -- we haven’t set a date yet. Rebecca is signing a one-year lease on that townhouse, so nothing’s going to happen for at least a year. It’ll give us all time to adjust.”

“I will never adjust.”

“It seems to me that you and Sonay hit it off.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t mind if it were just Sonay. It’s her sister. I hate her, Dad. I HATE her!”

“I see moments when you seem to get along just fine. Maybe you’re not trying hard enough.”

“It’s not only me, Dad. We just can’t get along.”

“Here’s something else to consider ... This house really isn’t big enough for the five of us.”

“Tell me about it!”

“If Rebecca is successful at Kirk’s firm, she’ll be wanting something more permanent than a rented townhouse. We’d be pooling our resources and buying a place that fits us all -- so both girls can have their own rooms, and enough space so we’re not standing on each other’s air hoses. Maybe even one with a three-car garage. That’ll take time, too; especially if we decide to have one built for us. By then, you’ll be most of the way through your Junior year. You’ll be looking at applying to college ... and moving away from here. Think about it, Ken -- you’re looking at putting up with her for a year and a half or so.”

He nodded. “Yeah, I get it. No choice, pal. I get it, Dad. I just wish you had told me first. Then I wouldn’t feel like such a jerk-head about it.”

I’m sorry I didn’t, Ken. It was my screw-up. I know I’m your dad and kids expect their dads to be infallible; but I’m only human and humans screw up.” Ray sighed. “Ken -- I can’t tell you who to like or who to dislike. Those are feelings and they come from inside. I’m asking you to please try to be polite and cordial and helpful and not ... not be provocative. Can you do that for the next few days?”

“I guess.”

Good.” He patted Ken on the shoulder. “You man up about this and so will I. I won’t keep anything from you going forward. Deal?”

“Deal.”

“Rebecca said she was going to have a talk with Kamelya. Maybe I should have a talk with her, too. What do you think?”

“Maybe...”

“Are you coming down for breakfast?”

“In a little while.”

Ray returned to the kitchen. “What was it?” Rebecca asked. Ray held up his left hand and tapped his ring finger. “Oh...”

“It kinda rubbed some salt into a wound.”

“Will he be all right?”

“I think so.”

“Do you want me to talk to him?”

“If you’d like. Maybe I’ll have a word with Kamelya. It’ll have to wait ‘til I get home from the office. I’m late already.”

“Don’t forget my letter from Kirk.”

Oh, I won’t.” He embraced her and they kissed. “Kids -- they can be a pain in the ass, can’t they?”

Ray parked his Amanti in the driveway and headed into the house. He handed an envelope to Rebecca. “Something smells good.”

I’m making one of my small repertoire of recipes -- beef stew with dumplings. I’m doing it more to prove to myself I still can do it.” She opened the envelope. “Ah -- the offer letter and one acknowledging my acceptance of their offer. This ought to do it.”

“So, you’ll sign the lease tomorrow?”

“Yep -- and the furniture should be delivered Friday or Saturday.”

“And then, you’ll be moving out.”

“We won’t be strangers. Dinner’s about ready. Do you want to call the kids?”

Ray stepped into the family room and saw Ken and Sonay working at the laptop. “Dinner’s ready,” he said. “Where’s Kamelya?”

“Up in our room,” Sonay said.

“She’s been kinda down all day,” Ken added.

“I’ll go have a word with her.”

Ray headed up the stairs. He found the guestroom door open and Kamelya lying on the bed on her stomach, her face resting on her hands. “Kami? Can I have a word?”

She rolled off the bed and sat on its edge. “What?”

“You do know I’ve asked your mother to marry me.”

“I know.”

“How do you feel about that?”

She shrugged. “It means a lot to her and you seem to be a nice enough guy.”

“The problem is Ken, isn’t it?”

“I don’t know why he hates me so.”

“How do you feel about him?”

“I don’t know ... I don’t think he’s a bad kid...”

He’s not -- he’s a good kid ... a different kid ... a sensitive one. I’m going to share something with you, Kami, that I haven’t told anyone. I haven’t even told your mother this.” He drew in a deep breath. “Ken’s an only child.”