She can’t imagine life without Dr. O, her oldest, dearest friend, more than fifty years of working together, fifty years of friendship, of knowing everything about the other, except for one—she never knew, she never guessed about Dr. O and Rusty. How he managed to hide that from her she doesn’t know. Proves that everyone, even the person closest to you, can have secrets.
—
RUSTY’S LET her hair grow and doesn’t color it. She wears it in a braid hanging down her back. There’s something about her still-lovely face, silver hair and clear eyes that makes people turn and stare, the way they did when she was in her prime. She’s a western woman now, though she’s never felt comfortable on a horse, or driving long distances on her own.
When Miri and Christina ask if they can plan an early eightieth birthday celebration for Dr. O the last weekend in March, she gives her blessing. That’s five weeks from now, she thinks. Who’s to say what will happen in the next five weeks? He’s made his wishes clear. No more treatment. Palliative care only. Don’t try to extend his life. He’s had a good run. Thirty-five fantastic years with you, my love. When he says that, she dissolves. She can’t bear the idea of losing him.
“You’re strong,” he tells her.
“Not anymore.”
“I need you to be strong.”
She nods. For him she’ll do anything. If he needs her to be strong, she’ll be strong.
“I never expected to make it to eighty,” he says. “And I’m not talking about cancer. I expected God to strike me down for wanting you.”
She smiles. “Arthur, you’re becoming religious in your old age?”
“I’ve always been religious deep down. I never wanted to hurt anyone, not even when I was drilling a tooth.”
She kisses him. “Is it any wonder I love you?”
“No funeral,” he reminds her for the tenth time.
—
NONE OF THEM KNOWS if Natalie will show up for his early birthday party, but at the last minute, she does. She brings fifteen-year-old Ruby with her, the youngest of her three children, each by a different father. She’s never seen the point of marriage. They stay in a two-bedroom suite at Caesars Palace, arranged by Christina. A car and driver are at Natalie’s disposal, delivering her and young Ruby to Miri’s house for Dr. O’s party. It’s a sunny afternoon, warm enough to set up the buffet on the deck.
Eliza hits it off with Ruby Renso. “What exactly is our relationship?” Miri hears Ruby ask Eliza.
Eliza answers, “Well…your grandfather is married to my grandmother. That must make us something-in-laws.”
“Yes,” Ruby says. “Something-in-laws.”
Before sunset Eliza and Ruby come to her. “Mom,” Eliza says with more enthusiasm than Miri has heard in ages, “Ruby’s invited me to Santa Fe for the summer.”
“Actually,” Ruby says, “we live on a spread in Tesuque, outside of Santa Fe.”
“Can I go?” Eliza begs. “Please…”
Miri has to think fast. “Let me talk to Natalie about this and see what we can work out.”
“Does that mean yes?” Ruby asks Eliza.
Eliza says, “It means We’ll see.”
“Great!” Ruby says. “At least it doesn’t mean no!”
Miri laughs. So do Malcolm and Kenny. “She’s going to be okay, Mom,” Kenny says of Eliza.
“I hope so,” Miri says.
“At least we didn’t give you any trouble,” Malcolm says. “Right, Kenny? We were perfect children.”
Ha! Miri remembers the pot plants in the closet, the acid trip to the mountains, the fake IDs falling out of Kenny’s wallet when they were stopped by the police on their way to hear the Grateful Dead. But they’ve made it through. They’re good young men.
When the trio begins to play “It Had to Be You,” Dr. O gets up with help from his and Rusty’s sons, and he and Rusty slow-dance. Their grandchildren circle around them. They end with a kiss and immediately the trio plays “A Kiss to Build a Dream On.” The other guests get up to dance, led by Miri and Andy. She’s felt closer to him since the trip to Elizabeth, more appreciative. If he’s noticed, he hasn’t said anything. He looks down at her and smiles. “Nice party.”
Tears spring to her eyes. “Thank you.”
“Love you,” he says.
“Love you, too.”
—
NATALIE ASKS for time alone with Dr. O the next day. Can she be trusted not to upset him? Miri wonders. Not to accuse him? Is it any of her business? She checks with Rusty, who asks Dr. O, who says yes, whatever Natalie has up her sleeve he can take it.
Twenty minutes later Natalie comes out of his room. Miri is waiting. “Thanks for encouraging me to come now,” she says. “I needed to apologize to him. Instead, he apologized to me.”
Natalie hugs Rusty for the first time since she was a young girl. “Thank you for making my father happy.”
Rusty breaks down.
—
CHRISTINA ARRANGES for the plane to fly Natalie and Ruby back to Santa Fe.
At the airport Natalie looks hard at Miri, then hugs her. “So long, cowgirl,” she says softly. “I’ll see you in my dreams.”
“Not if I see you first,” Miri whispers into Natalie’s hair.
Natalie strides out to the plane with Ruby. She turns back once and waves. Miri returns her wave.
“You okay?” Christina asks, as the plane takes off.
“I’m good,” Miri says, then adds, as if the thought has just popped into her head, “I think I’ll take a leave from the paper.”
Christina looks at her. “This is sudden.”
“I’ll be able to spend more time with Andy, meet you for lunch.”
“And…” Christina says.
“Maybe I’ll write a book. I might have a story to tell.”
“It’s about time,” Christina says.
As they lock arms, starting back to the car, Miri begins to sing. “Somewhere there’s music, how faint the tune…”
Christina joins in. “Somewhere there’s heaven, how high the moon…”
“Or maybe we can put together a sister act,” Christina says. “I know a guy who knows a guy who owns a hotel with a lounge in Vegas.”