Эд Макбейн - Mothers and Daughters

She did not say anything. She waited. She waited breathlessly for him to speak again. She thought for a moment the connection had been broken. She heard him sigh. She could visualize him lying in the dark, in a hotel room in Rome.

“Kate, will you meet me at the airport?” he asked.

“Yes,” she said instantly.

“Will you?”

“Yes, yes.”

“There are things I want to... to talk about, Kate.”

“Yes, I’ll be there. Yes, David.”

“If the plane is late or anything...”

“I’ll wait.”

“Please wait.”

“David, you don’t know how long,” she said, and her voice broke curiously.

“Nine-fifteen,” he said. “Pan-American. It’s flight one-one-five.”

“Yes, hurry. Come safely, hurry, hurry! ”

“Kate?”

“Yes?”

“I won’t be able to sleep.”

“Sleep,” she said. “You must sleep, David.”

“Kate?”

“Yes?”

“You’ll be there?”

“Oh, David, if I have to walk!”

“I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Yes, tomorrow.”

“Good night, Kate.”

“Good night, my—”

The connection was broken. She put the receiver back onto the cradle and stood staring at the phone. When she went into the dining room again, Matthew asked, “Was that David Regan?”

“Yes,” Kate said. She sat opposite her mother.

“Isn’t he in Rome?” Bobby asked.

“Yes. He’s coming home tomorrow.” Kate paused. She looked directly at Amanda and said, “I’m meeting him at Idlewild.”

Matthew put down his fork. “David? David Regan? You’re meeting him at Idlewild?”

“Yes.”

“Why?” Matthew asked.

“Because he wants me to,” Kate said, and again she looked at Amanda. Matthew saw the glance and felt peculiarly excluded. Bobby seemed about to say something, and then judiciously closed his mouth. Picking up his fork, Matthew looked at his wife and his daughter, and said nothing.

“How do you propose getting to Idlewild?” Amanda asked. “You’re not allowed to drive outside Connecticut.”

“I hadn’t thought of that,” Kate said. “I’ll take a cab.”

There was a moment’s silence at the table. Matthew’s fork accidentally clinked against his plate.

“I’ll drive you, if you like,” Amanda said.

“Thank you, Mother,” Kate answered. “I can take a cab.”

Amanda raised her eyes to Kate’s. Very softly, she said, “It’s a long trip, Kate, to make alone. You might want someone to talk to.” She paused for a moment, as if what she had to say now was very difficult. But when the words finally left her lips, they were really quite simple. “I’d like to go along with you, daughter,” she said.

Matthew watched them silently as they faced each other across the table. Amanda smiled tentatively and extended her open hand to Kate. Kate hesitated a moment, and then took the hand wordlessly, her eyes never leaving Amanda’s face. He had the feeling something passed between them in that moment, something almost tangible passed between them as Kate took Amanda’s hand in her own, a love, an understanding, something he could not quite fathom, something like...

He shook his head.

Something like a legacy, he had thought.

“Eat your potatoes, son,” he said.