Afterward, although she was tired and eager to get back to the room, Bethanne wandered into an antiques store in the Quarter and studied the cameos. She owned a couple of them, which she treasured, but didn’t intend to collect more.
“May I help you?” a pleasant clerk inquired.
“Just looking, thanks,” Bethanne said as she continued down the aisle. Both Annie and Ruth had followed her inside. They each found a different area to explore. The wooden floors creaked with age as Bethanne examined the contents of a display case.
“We recently got in something quite unusual, if you’re interested in a memento that’s out of the ordinary,” the clerk said. She moved behind a glass counter and brought out a small box.
Inside was a plain fabric button. Bethanne couldn’t see anything special about this particular button, other than its obvious age.
“This was sewn in the collar of a Confederate uniform,” the woman said as she reverently took the button from its protective box and held it in the palm of her hand. “I have a photograph of it here.” The clerk laid a picture of a tattered gray uniform beside the now-empty box. “When young men left for the War Between the States, their sweethearts would often soak a button in perfume. Once it was dry they’d sew it into their loved one’s uniform collar, reminding the soldier of all he’d left behind. That way, whenever he was lonely for his home and his sweetheart, all he had to do was breathe deeply.”
“That’s so romantic,” Annie said, coming to stand next to her mother.
“How much is it?” Bethanne asked.
The clerk named a price that shocked her. “For a button? Thank you, but no. That’s way out of my price range.”
“Mom, you should get it,” Annie urged.
Bethanne shook her head. “What would I do with it?”
“Keep it as a souvenir of our trip,” Annie said. “It’s different and historical and so romantic.”
Bethanne considered it for a moment. “I think I’d rather buy something else.”
“Something more reasonably priced, you mean,” Ruth commented, having joined them, as well.
The three shopped a bit longer. Annie bought a number of small items for her girlfriends and Ruth purchased pralines to bring to her own friends at home. In the end, Bethanne didn’t get anything; she wasn’t in much of a buying mood. She missed Max.
As soon as they returned to their hotel room, Ruth changed into her pajamas and was asleep almost immediately.
Annie was busy on her iPhone, answering emails. Taking the opportunity to soak in the tub, Bethanne sought a quiet thirty minutes to herself. A bubble bath was a luxury she hadn’t enjoyed in a while. As she lay in the hot bubbly water, she closed her eyes.
She was completely relaxed when Annie stepped into the bathroom and sat on the edge of the tub.
“Do you need anything, sweetie?” Bethanne asked.
Annie didn’t say anything right away. “I’m glad Max isn’t here,” she mumbled.
“I know.” Bethanne tried not to sound defensive.
“I can see how much you like him.”
“I do.” Bethanne understood her daughter’s concerns. “You’re afraid Max might ruin any chance of a reconciliation between your father and me. Look, Annie, I know how much you want me to get back with your father. But what you need to remember is that nothing’s the same as it was six years ago. Our family will never return to the way it used to be. You and Andrew are adults now. I’d never attempt to convince either of you to enter a relationship you didn’t feel was right. I expect the same courtesy and respect.”
Her daughter blinked and then nodded.
“We understand each other?”
Annie nodded again. “Just promise me one thing.”
“What is it?”
“Give Dad a chance. Just give my dad a chance.”
Twenty-Three
“Mom,” Annie whispered. She hadn’t slept. The glowing digital alarm by her side told her it was a little after three. There was a strip of light under the door from the hallway, but except for that and the clock, the room was dark. Grandma Hamlin snored softly in the other bed.
“Hmm?” her mother returned groggily.
“Are you awake?”
“I am now,” Bethanne said, and rolled onto her back.
Annie stared at the ceiling. “Are you mad at me?”
Her mother sat up, leaning against the pillows, and studied Annie. “Why would I be mad at you?”
“Because of what I said about Max,” she whispered. “The thing is, I think I might really like him if it wasn’t for Dad.” Annie had lain awake, examining her feelings, and realized that Max and Rooster were good guys, kind and helpful. She had no idea what would’ve happened at the lake if they hadn’t come by when they did.
“You really care about him, don’t you?” Annie sighed. Her father could have put an end to this romance and he hadn’t. More than that, he’d actually insisted they leave Bethanne alone to make her own decision. Annie admired his attitude, which she viewed as brave and selfless, but she wanted to shout at him to do something and fast. He wouldn’t listen, though. Both her parents were such complicated people.
“I do care about Max.” Her mother’s voice was tender.
“It’s kind of weird watching my mother fall in love with someone other than my father.”
“I can’t say I’m in love with him, Annie. It’s too soon for that. I’m…infatuated with Max, but we haven’t faced any real difficulties yet. I think it would be easy to fall in love with him one day. I like Max a lot, and I hope things work out so we can be together, but they might not.”
“But you love Dad, too, right?” She felt as if the dream she held of seeing her parents reconcile was crumbling at her feet.
“I do care a great deal for your father. I can’t dismiss our years together because of an error in judgment he made.” Her mother lay down again. “However, I doubt that you woke me up to chat about your father and me. What’s up, sweetie?”
Annie sighed, unsure where to start. “I heard from Vance again.” She made it sound like he’d only emailed her a couple of times. The fact was, Vance had contacted her nearly every day since he’d left for Europe with Matt and Jessie. She hadn’t answered most of his emails.