Updated: June 18, 2023

Aubrey

            Clay was telling me all morning to stop fidgeting. According to him I looked ‘more nervous than a long-tailed cat in a room filled with rocking chairs’. I couldn’t help it, the anticipation of meeting his only son was making me so anxious I was breaking out into hives.

            I prepared lunch for the four of us. The kitchen in the house was barely functional. Only one burner on the stove worked and the oven was fickle forcing me to move the roasting pan around inside to utilize one hot spot.

            I set the small dining room table with mismatched dishes and cutlery.  He really didn’t have much, living as bachelor.  The centerpiece was a duplicate of the beautiful arrangement he sent to my home days ago in Jersey, this one arrived yesterday morning.

            I was showered and dressed in a long sundress with a very modest neckline. Tying a scarf around my neck to hide the love bites he’d left visible, I laughed like a naughty teenager. I fixed my hair and makeup,  Clay whistled when I returned to the kitchen.

            “Prettier than a Georgia Peach, my girl.” He said happily, bending his head to kiss me. He sucked my bottom lip into his mouth and bit it playfully. “You like sweet taffy, Sugar. I’m bat shit crazy about you,” he whispered, kissing me again. He touched the pretty scarf around my neck, “Hide all the evidence?” he grinned with pride.

            “Speaking of bats, of all nights to go feral, it’s before I meet your son? “You’re a damn mess,” I shook my head and leaned in for one more soft kiss before company came.

             “I have no control with you, it should scare me–by the way honey, it smells like heaven up in here,” he winked, happily.

            I heard the car pull into the driveway and almost threw up. Clay held my chin in his hand,

            “Stop, he’s going to love you,” he whispered, kissing me tenderly. “Sugar, just like at the Sheriff’s office, be yourself. It’s all going to be fine.”

            “Pop!” Tate announced as he walked into the house with his girlfriend Katrina.

            Tate was a tall, lanky young man with his father’s blue eyes and athletic frame, his hair sandy blonde and tousled. He inherited his mother’s nose and chin, but for sure had his Dad’s beautiful smile. Katrina was shorter, a cute little green-eyed blond with a perky nose and a natural smile on her freckled face. They were dressed in worn jeans and different colored USC tee shirts.

            Clay grabbed his son in a massive embrace, “Boy you growing like a reed in Awendaw Creek, just look at you.” He held him close and then patted his cheek tenderly.

            “Miss Katrina, it’s been a minute. How are you doing?” he hugged the tiny girl, and she cheerfully returned the embrace.

            “I’m fine, Mr. Clayton. We’s all so proud of you and Mr. Jimmy Lee, the campus was buzzing for weeks with the trial.”

            I stood quietly behind Clay, waiting for the moment he would introduce me.

            “Son, I want you to meet my Aubrey,” he reached for me and brought me into the circle, his arm wrapped around my waist.

            “Sugar, this is my son, Tate and his girl, Katrina.” He was flushed with pride and joy. I was struck mute, I had no idea where my voice went.

            “Miss Aubrey,” Tate said gently, “It’s a real pleasure to meet you Ma’am.” He shook my hand politely and brought Katrina forward to greet me.

            “So excited to meet you Miss Aubrey,” Katrina gushed, shaking my hand.  “Y’all been blowing up the internet the last few days.  I never did meet celebrities like the likes of y’all.”

            Clay and I both chuckled nervously.  Little did they both know, we were all about to get more famous.

            “I’m so very happy to meet you both,” I whispered, my voice was strained.

            They took their seats around the table as I brought out lunch. Clay poured glasses of lemonade, and I presented the platters.

I roasted a chicken with lemon, garlic and rosemary with a thick gravy, cornbread dressing and candied sweet potatoes. All based on Clay’s descriptions of the menu items Tate could not resist. I did a bit of cheating by presenting a basket of Miss Dottie’s homemade biscuits, with her whipped honey butter.

            “Miss Aubrey, you went to so much trouble, you didn’t have to do this. ‘Trina and me are college folks, we live on soup and pizza.  This is really wonderful thank you kindly.” He was polite and grateful. Both of them ate like starving college kids and I began to relax.

            “Catch me up, Son. How did the semester go?” Clay asked, fixing his own plate, and passing platters to me.

            Tate was busy chewing and not about to stop to give his father a debrief on his classes. He held his hand up to beg a reprieve before answering.

            Clay laughed, “Boy I see you didn’t lose your appetite up there in Columbia,”

            Tate wiped his mouth and took a sip of his lemonade.

            “Miss Aubrey I don’t know what you did to that chicken, but Lord Almighty you did it proud. That was tasty and the gravy, wow!  I must admit, you cook like a Southern woman. Thank you.”

            I smiled gratefully.

            Katrina was eating enthusiastically as well, nodding her head to agree with Tate and his assessment of the meal. “Miss Aubrey, the cornbread dressin’, it tastes like my Momma made it, just delicious.” She gushed.

Clay glanced over at me proudly and winked.

             We talked for about an hour, mostly small talk about the kids and their classes, the plans they had for spring break and their co-op assignments in Beaufort in the fall.

            I must have been too relaxed, comfortable in the ease of the conversation, when Katrina announced, “Miss Aubrey, I do declare that is the biggest diamond I’ve ever seen. It’s simply stunnin’.” She said wistfully.

            I looked down at the ring and suddenly wanted to hide my hand. I froze. Clay reached for my hand, sensing my panic.

            “Pop?” Tate asked, “Something y’all want to tell me?” I couldn’t judge by his voice. His tone was neutral, for me, a specialist at body language and vocal indicators, rarely was a subject this checked. I was sure it came naturally to him.

            Clay glanced over at me protectively, before facing his only child. “Son, I wanted you both here today to tell y’all I’ve asked Aubrey to marry me. She has graciously accepted. Now, we haven’t planned a date yet, but I wanted you both to know.” He squeezed my hand for reassurance.

            Tate sat in silence. Obviously processing the information and forming his reply. Katrina reached for his hand to support him. She smiled genuinely,  “Congratulations to y’all, that’s wonderful news.” She whispered kindly.

            “Tate, say something, please?” Clay pleaded gently.

            He took a huge breath and exhaled. His own emotions gathering and being bested by his logic. His voice was gentle and tinged with concern.

            “Dad, it’s all very sudden, that’s my only worry. Miss Aubrey please don’t take any offense by this, it’s merely my first reaction. Y’all just met each other a week ago. But I can see it, the bond y’all have and the great affection between you. Still, only a week? Pop, tell me this, if I had done this same thing, what would be your advice to me?” His question was not a bad one, very smart.

            Clay held onto my hand as if I was going to save him from drowning. I watched the dazzling prosecutor emerge from him. Laying out his case, or in this instance, our case.

            “If you came to me after knowing Katrina a week and told me y’all were getting married?  I’d probably lose what’s left of my mind. Because y’all are nineteen, Son. I’m fifty-two, I was married for over twenty years. I’ve got a grown son. The years and measure of experience between you and me is unequaled.” He kept his voice steady and convincing. I was in awe of how he argued a position. I squeezed his hand proudly.

            Tate contemplated this data, and I watched him internally attempting to work it out. Clay was right he was searching for the reason in the math. He wanted to make sense of this.  

            “Pop, you the smartest man I have ever known. You don’t make rash decisions or leap before you look. I have faith in your instinct and intellect on this matter. I watched you battle to keep your marriage intact when there was no chance it would remain that way. Even when all the proof pointed in the direction it was heading- you stayed in there and tried. I know, as your son, you exhausted every possibility to keep our family together, even when I begged you to face the inevitable.  I’m surprised and little shocked you would make such a big decision so quickly, but I have to presume, your feelings are very deep and legitimate…” he paused for a moment, regrouping his thoughts.

            “I think its plumb crazy, but I’ve never seen you this happy. Sweet Jesus Pop, you look younger to me. And I thank you Miss Aubrey, you are most assuredly responsible for that. I love my father more than I tell him, and I should tell him more. I’m afraid for his newly recovered heart and I do hope your intentions toward him are honorable and you’ll take the best care of him you can.” His voice drifted off, but he smiled sincerely at the two of us.

            Finally I spoke, my voice was hoarse and dry, but I did what I could.

            “Tate, I love him more deeply than anything I have ever known. I agree, it’s crazy, but chemistry is one of those factors no one ever really discusses fully when it comes to love.  We knew almost immediately, at first sight. And I realize this sounds like a sappy Hallmark movie plot, but I couldn’t be more honest with you.”  I glanced over at Clay, his presence gave me calm. He smiled and nodded for me to continue. I smiled back at him, he was so handsome and glowing with love and pride.

            “Your father is right, our ages bring a different experience and perspective, chemistry, the physical attraction are an important aspect, but people our age require the mental connection, the intellectual compatibilities. The mere sound of his voice envelopes me like a warm blanket, but the way he thinks, the brilliance of his mind, his integrity, loyalty, ethics, and honor– those things drew me to him far before his physical attributes. I can’t describe it in tangible variables. But I want you to consider every formula you have studied so far with combustible components. You know when you’ve mixed the correct ones and when your equation is off.”

            Something I said impressed him, it flashed across his face quickly. Then Tate sat back in his chair, he chuckled and glanced over at his father.

            “You warned her that I would look for the math?” he laughed modestly.  

            Clay beamed with happiness. “No Son, I just told her the food you prefer, and she lovingly prepared it today. The brilliant calculating mind of my son she figured out all on her own.”

            Clay reached again for my hand and brought it to his lips to kiss.

            Tate’s body relaxed, I could see him resign himself to this new information. He gazed at me seriously, measuring me, calculations firing in his brain.

            “You are an interesting person, Miss Aubrey, thank you for answering my questions and more than that, thank you for seeing my father for who he truly is.” He was sweet and grateful. Then his body shifted in the chair.

            “Momma’s gonna bust a gut,” he laughed ironically and with a bit of self-indulgent glee.

            “About that…” Clay began with trepidation.

            Tate held up his hand, “No need, she called me last night and left me a four-minute voice mail shrieking in great detail how my father’s ‘Yankee tartlet’ threatened to remove her teeth or some nonsense like that. I’m beggin’ your pardon for quoting her verbatim, Miss Aubrey, but she is having a conniption and I don’t rightly understand why. She moved on with her life, she’s been with Rick for goin’ on three years now. She’s fixin’ to marry him. Why she is buzzing around y’all like a horsefly in summer molasses I couldn’t tell you.” He shook his head with exasperation.

            I stood up to bring out dessert and coffee. Earlier in the day I stopped at Miss Dottie’s and bought a peach cobbler and carton of their vanilla cinnamon ice cream. I started to serve the dessert as Clay tried to explain about Tate’s mother.  The kids lit up with the arrival of dessert, quietly exchanging happy glances. I laughed quietly.

            I handed Clay a dessert plate, he whispered, “Thank you Sugar,” and turned back to his boy.

            “Son, I wish I understood your Momma. It would have saved a great deal of time and heartache. It took me a long time to conclude, her feelings for me had diminished completely. I couldn’t tell y’all when it happened. It’s one of those things that occurs so subtly you don’t see it at first.  I think her current reaction is about her pride. Y’all know folks around here will be flapping their gums for weeks with this news and she’s ashamed. She lived through the gossip when she left me, now she gonna watch all the reruns and she’s not looking forward to it.” Clay sighed. He helped me to distribute dessert plates to the kids.

            I was fixing two cups of coffee for the both of us and handed one over to Clay, he winked at me and smiled.

            “What’s your take, Miss Aubrey?” Tate turned to me suddenly. I was caught off guard, but I leaned forward at the table and made eye contact with him.

            “Tate, I think everything melts. Most major life events are similar to observing a snake ingest a bunny rabbit. You think–that’ll choke him for sure. But time, time does what it’s designed to do. Big things become little things you can manage. Your mother will get there, eventually. As your father said, this is about her pride with neighbors and the community. They can be unforgiving, and presently everyone is a huge fan of your Dad, they are rooting for him, she can’t find any alliances. It will melt. It always does. Remember the common denominator will always be you, and the unconditional love both of them have for you, and now you can count me in your corner as well,” I grinned modestly.  

            Tate and Katrina exchanged glances, it was sweet to see their non-verbal assurances. They had something very real as well.

            “Thank you, kindly, Ma’am,” he nodded humbly.

            “She’s your Momma, Son. I know it’s a huge ask but be patient with her. She is the only one you will ever have. “Well, with the exception of a stepmother,” Clay chuckled.  Everyone shifted awkwardly half laughing.

            “Clay, that was definitely too soon, baby.” I teased shaking my head, and the kids relaxed and laughed with more ease and comfort.

            We finished our dessert and coffee, and moved out to the porch to sit, when Clay brought up the Saint Helena property and gave them both a brief understanding of what was going on down there.

            They had questions which between the two of us we did our best to answer. The two of them went through a myriad of emotions and physical reactions but seemed to emerge aligned with us.

            “Jeez Pop, anything else y’all want to tell us?” he sat back on one of the porch rockers and exhaled heavily. Clay and I were sitting across from them on the glider holding hands.

            “No, that’s about it, right Sugar?” he asked me.  I nodded my head and agreed. Clay continued,  “Well with the exception of the press is gonna blow gasket when this hits. I’m fixin’ to warning y’all now, they will be relentless, just as they were when I was prosecuting Nadler. Just do what you do Son, ‘no comment’ them to death.”

            “I got you Pop, I don’t know shit, can’t tell them shit,” he laughed. He reached over and patted Katrina on the knee.

            “Well we are going to be heading down the road before we lose daylight. Our friends are waiting on us in Hilton Head.” Tate explained and stood from his chair and stretched. “I’m fixin’ to take a run past Bishop’s and see Lovey for a minute, before getting on.”

            Clay nodded happily, “Y’all do that Son, she’ll be plumb delighted to see you.”

            I had no idea who they were talking about, but the subject caused them to both soften and smile. Katrina ran inside to use the restroom before they left. I reminded her to grab Tate’s duffel bag of clothes inside the doorway.

            We stood to say goodbye.

            “Y’all sure you don’t want to stay the night and do that drive early tomorrow morning?” Clay asked, he stood his six-foot two frame toe to toe with his son and I could see they were almost the same height.

            “Nah, I’d rather wake up on vacation tomorrow morning. Besides, y’all need time to get to know each other better.” He snickered. “Seriously, I’m very happy for you Pop, you look wonderful. I’m tickled to see you like this,” he hugged his father and held him close, “I love you Dad,” he whispered.

            He then came for me and embraced me gently, “Thank you Miss Aubrey, it’s been a delight to get to know you. Thank you for an amazing lunch and I know it was no simple endeavor considerin’ he has an original Easy Bake oven in that kitchen. Thank you for your hospitality and for taking such good care of this old redneck for me,”

            I blushed and held him close to me, “Don’t you worry, I’ve got him,” I whispered.

Katrina gave me a sweet hug and embraced Clay quickly before skipping down the steps beside Tate.

            We stood on the porch together watching them leave, Clay holding my hand in his.

            “Well that was the hard part,” he sighed with relief.

            “Oh baby, if wishing only made it so,” I whispered, looking up into his cornflower blue eyes.

Clay

            I slept like an innocent man, not waking until after nine am. Aubrey wasn’t in bed, and I went looking for her. She was in the kitchen fixing our coffee when I slid up behind her and held her close to me. Roaming my hands down the front of her body.

            “Come back to bed Sugar, there are some unspeakable, nasty, unclean things I’d like to do with you.” I whispered lusty into her ear.

            She laughed and spun in my arms to kiss me. “What happened to us last night? We fell asleep with our clothes on, did having lunch with those kids act like Kryptonite? I swear I could barely form a sentence after they left.” She smiled at me.

            “We were sitting on the bed talking and before I knew it you were curled up beside me, your breathing changed, and I didn’t have the heart to wake you to even get to you out of your pretty dress to make you comfortable. So I covered you with the blanket and spooned up for the night.”  

            “You’re so sweet, letting me sleep. But I think I’m right about the Kryptonite.” She said, tilting her chin up to kiss me.

            “Well if you’re looking for a man of steel, Sugar, look no further. I’ve got what you need,” I took her hand and slid it down the front of my shorts.

            “There’s an offer I can’t refuse,” she caressed my erection gently. “What are we waiting for? Let’s get back in bed,” she clucked with joy.

            Lazy Sunday morning sex was by far the greatest invention of mankind. No rush, no fuss, just languorous lusty earth shifting fuckery. From the wireless speakers, the sounds of vintage Van Morrison played in the background and floated around us.

            I felt like a twenty-year-old frat boy. I quietly hoped my son was getting this much glorious ass. Not to mention it was daylight and I could better see that brick shit house of a body ride atop me like a bee stung cowgirl. Those epic tits in my face and that thick ass in my hands. This naked goddess in my bed, crying out my name, wearing my ring. Thank you God for this miracle, I whispered humbly to myself.

            We lay together spent and satiated when she asked, “What are we doing today?” She was prone beside me, draped in a sheet her face on the pillow. Sweet Jesus, so pretty.

            I rolled on my side and rested my head on my hand to look at her. “If you are up for it, I’d like to bring you out to meet Miss Abigail, my Momma.” I asked tenderly, stroking her soft cheek with my fingers.

            “Oh Clay I’d be honored.” She was humbled and her cheeks flushed.

            “Before we go, I need to give you some background. She’s in her early seventies, very good physical health but hasn’t been in her right mind since my baby sister died. Susie was ten and I was almost fourteen when it happened,” I took a breath and sat up against the headboard. I exhaled and continued.

            “My Daddy and I tried to keep Momma insulated. One day she proclaimed herself Queen of the Fairies and took to tending to our garden. She speaks to butterflies and fireflies, communes with woodland sprites, tree fairies and water nymphs and intermittently my sister will visit, according to her. She would spend the entire day weeding and pruning until one of us insisted with her coming inside to sleep. We’d bring her meals out there and when the weather was bad, we built her a greenhouse to putter around in.” I reached for my now cooled cup of coffee and took a swig. Aubrey’s gaze was fixed on me intently.

            “When I got married, Daddy couldn’t take care of her alone, he searched for and found an excellent place for her to stay. It’s a residential facility about twenty minutes from here. She has a small apartment and round the clock care. They let her mind their flowers and plants and she is miraculous, the woman may be truly off the plantation, but she knows her flowers. She operates their greenhouse, and the facility sells her potted annuals every year at the beginning of spring. Her roses win the county awards yearly and Southern Gardens magazine has done numerous articles about her distinctive landscapes,” I proffered proudly.

            Aubrey’s expression projected fascination and quiet melancholy. “How sad and magical,” she said, emotion choking her voice. She snuggled up to me her arm draped across my stomach. I kissed the top of her head, my eyes filled with tears.

            “There are things she still knows, she obviously knows who Tate and I are. I never told her my father died. I couldn’t bring myself to do it. She will inquire about him, just go along with me. It’s her world and I don’t disturb it.  Her concept of time and reality is skewed. She’ll remember suddenly Susie is dead and she gets very blue, but just as quickly will tell me a story about recently chatting with her.” I said wistfully. “I can’t predict how she will interact with you, she is unusual with strangers. The only recent one she has met is Katrina, and she barely acknowledges her. Just don’t take it personal is all,” I was stroking her bare back.

            “Clay will it unsettle her to meet me, it won’t upset her in any way? She doesn’t grasp your divorce I’d imagine.” Aubrey asked, her chin resting on my chest. I shifted to make her more comfortable and held her to me, close, caressing her soft skin and nuzzling my nose in her sweet-smelling hair.

            “I brought Tessa out to meet her for the first time before we were married. Miss Abigail acted strangely, strange even for Momma. I could swear now she saw something about Tess that had alluded me.  She didn’t warm up to her at all. Tate has accompanied me out there his whole young life– she adores him and he her. He calls her ‘Lovey” that’s his nickname for her. Tess once in a blue moon would go back. I respected it, it’s a great deal to get your head around.” I explained, not knowing why I defended my ex-wife’s choices.

            “That’s who he was going to meet yesterday on the way to Hilton Head!” Aubrey smiled. “Lovey, what a great nickname,” she sighed.

            It gave me a remarkable feeling of joy to know Aubrey had already accepted this reality. I continued with the conversation.          

            “Those two together are a real love affair, she practically melts when he gets there, and the boy, well you met him, he may be all logic and math, but when he’s with Miss Abigail, a thing happens to him, he’s an entirely different kid. He is the only person she will allow to walk amongst the gardens with her, permitting him to assist her.” I chuckled, “That boy has hauled more mulch in his life for his Grand Momma than for anyone else.”

            Aubrey stretched up to kiss me, “I’m excited to meet her, I’ve never met the Queen of the Woodland Fairies, I’ve known some exceptional drag queens, but sadly they don’t converse with the flowers.” Aubrey smiled.

            I started to laugh, God, this woman was good for all that ailed me. I rolled on top of her and kissed her tenderly. “I’m big time in love with your fine ass, Sugar, thank you for being here with me.”

            “Where else would I be? I got a ring baby, and a state wide investigation developing, were else am I going?” she giggled.  

            She ran her nails down my back, scratching lightly, it felt so fucking good, “More to the right, back to the center,” I snorted like a contented hog, “Ahh perfect,” I kissed her again, biting on that fat bottom lip.

            “Let’s get that fine ass dressed and head out to have tea with her royal highness.” I smacked that thick ass playfully and we headed for the shower.

            When I came out from the bedroom after dressing, Aubrey was in the kitchen wrapping a piece of the remaining peach cobbler from the night before in tin foil.  She was tying a ribbon with one of the white roses and a small head of the blue hydrangea from her arrangement atop the package. I stood in the doorway watching her, and I felt the wave of such extraordinary love in my chest. My ex-wife never brought a gift or anything out to visit my mother and was squirrely to get out of there as soon as we arrived. I barely knew this woman, yet she was everything I never knew I wanted in my life.

            We drove up to the grounds of Bishop Episcopal Retirement Village, it was bucolic and peaceful. The sun was shining and the sky blue and clear for miles. We had a nice breeze, and the day was simply perfect.

            I parked and took Aubrey’s hand in mine as we headed out to the gardens behind the main entrance. I eyed her up tenderly, her pale blue dress was long and flowy with delicate little flowers printed on it. As if she intentionally dressed this way to meet the Fairy Queen.

            I spotted Momma quickly, her signature oversized straw hat bobbing down a row of award-winning rose bushes. Nearby keeping an eye on her was her long-time caregiver, Nadine Gibson. She waved and smiled at me. I stopped to introduce Aubrey and hugged her in greeting, ‘Tate was here yesterday, Miss Nadine?” I asked. She was an older African American woman, with round cheeks and a shy smile.

            “Oh for sure he was Mr. Clayton, they had a fine time, a fine time. She still a bit bashful around Miss Katrina, don’t engage much with her, but her and your boy got on famously as always. By the way, congratulations on your trial Mr. Clayton, we all proud as punch with y’all,”

            “Thank you Miss Nadine, just doin’ my job, Ma’am.  She doing alright?” I nodded my chin toward the gardens.

            “She good, Mr. Clayton. She’s Miss Abigail, making the world a prettier place to live,” Nadine grinned happily. “It’s a real pleasure to meet you Miss Aubrey, y’all enjoy your time here today,” she smiled.

            “A pleasure to meet you as well Miss Nadine,” Aubrey shook the older woman’s hand politely.

            “Miss Abigail, you have visitors,” Nadine announced. My mother peeked up from her gardening and gave me the most picturesque smile.

            “Clayton!” she exclaimed with joy. She was a wispy, willowy woman with all white hair and radiant blue eyes. Dressed in her typical denim coveralls with a pale-yellow shirt underneath. She was wearing her worn garden gloves and holding her pruning shears.

            “My precious baby boy all grown. You almost as handsome as your Daddy.” I reached for her and hugged her tight. She whispered to me quietly, “Clayton? You filled with light, son, I can feel it.” When she released me from her embrace I gently brought Aubrey to the forefront.

“I truly am Momma, I’d like you to meet Aubrey. She’s fixin’ to be my wife, darlin’.” I announced proudly.

            “Miss Abigail, it’s my honor to meet you Ma’am,” Aubrey whispered humbly.

            Momma slowly removed her garden gloves and set them down with her shears on a nearby table. Then, my mother astonished me, she approached Aubrey very slowly and held her arms out to embrace her. Aubrey glanced furtively to me to check, and I nodded quickly.

            “Saints preserve us girl, we’ve been waiting on you a long time,” Momma said with great relief.  “Susie been goin’ on and on about how you due any day, I didn’t believe her, but here you are.” She smiled warmly.

            She held Aubrey close to her and leaned back to gaze up into her face. She touched her cheek with tenderness and her smile was fantastic.

            “Come now, let’s have tea and some lunch. I’ve been looking forward to meeting you, Aubrey.” I was amazed, stunned and you could have knocked me over with a whisper.

            Nadine served us lunch out on the terrace and Miss Abigail launched into her entire garden routine with Aubrey. Picking at her food, she discussed the flowers and how they are connected to the fairies and the woodland sprites. She informed Aubrey how she was responsible for their protection and guards their homes with her life. She discussed the importance of her private possi of fireflies and the significance of certain butterflies who visit her garden.

            Aubrey asked her about everything, telling her how fond she was of fireflies and butterflies.

            Momma expounded on their personalities and how they were mostly tricksters, but she enjoyed their companionship. She asked Aubrey if she ever noted how a tiny blue butterfly visited her every spring. Aubrey gasped with recognition.

            “Yes Ma’am it’s almost identical every time.” Aubrey responded in awe.

            “That’s your Momma, sweet girl. She fixin’ to check in on you, she been guarding you your whole life. She was taken from you way too soon. She very sorry about all that.” Momma reached for her tea and took a sip.

            Aubrey’s tears were quick and snuck down her face. I reached over to hold her hand. She raised a tissue to her eyes and whispered. “Thank you Miss Abigail. That means so much to me,” she sniffed.

            Momma patted her hand, “Now child, don’t you cry. She good where she at, she got your Daddy back with her and there is no better joy. They proud as punch how well you turned out. And don’t you worry about her not finding you here, she knows, she guided you here.”

            Aubrey glanced over to me with disbelief, she was completely overcome.

            Miss Abigail changed mood when she saw the dish of peach cobbler. She was touched when Aubrey handed it to her to have after her lunch, she considered the white rose and hydrangea gently tucked into the ribbon.

            “Clayton brought you these flowers, didn’t he?” she asked knowingly.

            “Yes Ma’am he did, arranged in a pretty blue watering can,” Aubrey blushed.

            Momma smiled, a memory shone across her face. “His Daddy brought those same flowers when he came round to court me. Dear Lord, I was a fool for that man. It should be illegal.” She tittered like a young girl. Causing us both to laugh.

“Did you know that Clayton? Those were the flowers your Daddy used to bring to me?” she asked.

            “I must have remembered, Ma’am.  When I was ordering them for Aubrey it was the first combination to come to my mind.” I shrugged humbly.

That explained Lora Jean’s comment to me the morning I asked her to have them delivered, she said, ‘Just like your Daddy’ Holy Shit, LJ must have placed that order a thousand times over the years, and I never remembered.

            Momma looked up toward the sky, “Rain coming, not now, but it’s coming. It’s blowin’ up a storm, darkness gathering, take care.” She whispered ominously.

            “White roses,” she focused on Aubrey, “Means purity of affection and love, the blue hydrangea tend to indicate a request for forgiveness but a promise of abundance….they whisper to me you know, all of them, the fairies, the sprites, the butterflies, they tell me what they know,” she stared intently into Aubrey’s gaze. Aubrey held the eye contact.

            “Anything we should know, Miss Abigail? “Aubrey asked gently.

            “Not yet, sweet girl, not yet.” She reached for Aubrey’s hands and saw the ring.

            “Goodness Clayton, is this my Momma’s ring?” She asked happily.

            “Yes Ma’am it is, with some slight alterations. I hope you don’t mind.” I asked, realizing I never asked her permission to use it.

            She held Aubrey’s hand and patted it with her free one.

            “It belongs with you, sweet girl. Y’all waited a very long time to find each other. Many obstacles in your way but nothing was going to stop it from happening. All the souls are in a frenzy of joyfulness for your great love. It’s important and powerful. Y’all take care of each other now. It’s what y’all were brought together to do.”

            I looked at Aubrey and she glanced over at me, we were both gob smacked. I couldn’t rationalize this encounter.

            A smile radiated from my mother, she whispered with pleasure. “Aubrey, hold out your hand, child.” She reached over and took Aubrey’s hand and turned it palm up over the table. If I didn’t witness it myself you could have never convinced me this happened. From literally nowhere came a small blue butterfly gracefully dancing around Aubrey’s head and settled to rest in the palm of her hand.

            Aubrey’s shoulders shook with her quick flash of tears. The butterfly fluttered its wings for a few moments and quickly took off again.

            “See child? She knows– you where you belong.” Momma chirped. Aubrey leaned over to hug her, and my mother held her tight, patting her back.

            Suddenly my mother stood. “Well now, I have work to do. Got to get to it before the weather. Was so kind of y’all to visit and I hope to see again soon.” She adjusted her hat.

            Aubrey stood and kissed her goodbye, and I embraced her tightly again.

            “You stay well Miss Abigail,” I whispered, kissing her wrinkled cheek.

            “You tell your Daddy I’m waiting on my soap opera magazines, he keeps promising me he’s fixin’ to bringin’ them by, but I think he lost his way here. And tell my Lovey–I love him most.”

            We were silent on the ride back. I had no idea what had just happened. My mother hadn’t bonded so genuinely with anyone since Susie passed, with the sole exception of her grandson. Could it be true? Was there something my Momma could see that defied our vision?

            “Clay?” Aubrey whispered and nudged me from my haze. “I will never ask you to leave here, I would never take you far away from her. I don’t want to be far away from her. I’m selling my house as soon as possible. I can’t be anywhere else but here.” She whispered quietly.

            I turned to glance at her, this beautiful girl who sat beside me, the one I had been waiting for my entire life and never knew it. But my crazy, half-cocked mother knew, and this was going to take some getting used to.

            “Are you okay, baby?” she asked.

            “I am now, Sugar. I sure enough am now.”

            And then I saw it, the line of ominous black clouds appearing from out of a clear beautiful sky, the storm was gathering, she was right my Momma, the rain was coming.