Danielle Steel - The House

“Were you with him in New York?” Sarah asked with interest.

“I was,” Audrey said, beaming at all of them. She had never been as happy in her life. Sarah had been right when she introduced them. He was an amazing man.

On the way back from New York, Audrey had stopped in St. Louis to meet Tom's children. They had all been wonderful and welcoming to her, and she had spent some quiet time with Debbie and her nurses. She had read her some of the stories she used to read to Sarah when she was little. Tom had watched them from the doorway of Debbie's room with tears in his eyes. Audrey was more than willing to help him handle the nurses and Debbie's care, as his late wife had done. She wanted to do everything she could to help him. And then she looked around Sarah's dinner table with damp eyes. “I feel so guilty leaving you both.” She looked at Sarah and her own mother. “I just don't want to pass this up…he makes me so happy.” Sarah got up and put her arms around her then, and Mimi was next in line. All three women were crying tears of joy, while Jeff smiled at George. Jeff was a little embarrassed to be participating, but both men looked touched.

“What a wonderful occasion this has turned out to be!” George announced, as Sarah went to the refrigerator to look for a bottle of champagne she had brought from her apartment. She found it, and Jeff uncorked it for her. They all toasted the bride.

“Best wishes,” Jeff said politely, knowing that you were only supposed to congratulate the groom, and not the bride.

They each toasted Audrey, and Tom in absentia, and then Sarah suddenly realized they had a wedding to plan. “Where are you going to do it, Mom?”

“Good lord,” she said, setting down her glass, “I have no idea. Tom and I haven't even talked about it. Out here, of course. His children will come, except for Debbie. We only want family at the wedding, except for a few of my close friends.” In Audrey's case that meant a dozen women she had been hanging out with for the past twenty years. “Tom's daughter wants to give a party for us in St. Louis. But I don't think we want a big wedding here.” She didn't have a wide circle of friends, and Tom knew no one in San Francisco.

“I have an idea,” Sarah said, smiling at her mother. “My house will be painted by then.” It was nearly two months away. “Let's do it here. You could help me stage it, Mom. We could rent some furniture, some trees maybe. We could have drinks in the garden, and do the ceremony in the living room…it would be so pretty, and it is a family house. What do you think?”

Audrey looked at her and beamed. “I'd love that. Tom's not very religious, and I think he'd be more comfortable here than in a church. I'll ask him, but I think it would be terrific. What do you think, Mother?” She turned to Mimi, as her mother smiled lovingly at her.

“I'm thrilled for you, Audrey. I think it would be wonderful to do it here, if Sarah can do it. It would mean a lot to me,” she said, smiling happily at her daughter. It was wonderful news for all of them to share. Audrey said she would call a caterer, and a few musicians. Her florist could do the flowers. All Sarah had to do was be there. And she and Tom would order the invitations. Sarah couldn't believe it was happening. Her mother was getting married and moving to St. Louis.

“I'm going to miss you, Mom,” Sarah said wistfully, as she walked her mother to the door a short while later. They had a million details to plan now, and Audrey was buzzing with excitement, mostly about the groom, which was as it should be. “You told me I should rent the house out for weddings once I'm finished,” Sarah said, laughing as she thought of it. “I never realized the first one I would do here would be yours.”

“Neither did I when I said it.” Audrey put an arm around her daughter and hugged her. “You can use me as a guinea pig. I hope one of these days the wedding we have here will be yours,” her mother said, and meant it. “By the way, I like your architect. He's a lovely person. It's too bad he has a girlfriend. How serious is he about her?” Audrey was always matchmaking, but this time Sarah had beaten her to the punch, on both counts. But she wasn't ready to tell her she was dating Jeff. She wanted to keep it to herself for a while, and enjoy it in private while they discovered each other.

“They lived together for fourteen years,” Sarah said honestly in the past tense, but Audrey was too excited about everything else to notice.

“That's too bad… and I think you said they own a house and business together. Well, there's always Tom's son Fred in St. Louis. He's adorable, and just got divorced. He's already got a million women chasing after him. You'll meet him at the wedding.”

“Sounds like I'd have to fight my way through a crowd to find him. Besides, geographic undesirables don't work for me, Mom. I'm a partner in a law firm here.”

“We'll find someone,” Audrey reassured her, although Sarah wasn't worried. She was comfortable by herself now, and she was dating Jeff, even if it was still a secret. She wasn't desperate to find a man. And from all she could see, she had one. A really great one.

“I'll talk to you soon, Mom. I'm so happy for you and Tom,” Sarah said, as she kissed her good night. Mimi and George left a few minutes later. They were adorable together, and made a sweet couple. Sarah teased Mimi, as they left, that theirs would be the next wedding, and Mimi tittered and told her not to be silly, while George guffawed. They were happy as they were, going to parties and dancing, playing golf, and going to Palm Springs. They had all they wanted without marriage. But Tom would be great for Audrey, who was still young enough to want a husband. Mimi said she was happy as she was.

The house was strangely quiet after the others left. Sarah walked back to the kitchen, thinking of how odd it felt to know that her mother would be moving away. She already missed her. They had been getting along so well in recent months that it was really going to be a loss to Sarah, and made her feel a little sad, like a kid being abandoned. She didn't even want to put the feeling into words. It made her feel silly, but it was real to her.

“Well, that was quite an evening,” Sarah said, as she walked back into the kitchen. Jeff was filling the dishwasher while he waited for her. “I didn't expect that piece of news,” she said, as she went to help him. “But I'm happy for her.”

“Are you okay with it?” Jeff looked at her intently. He knew her better than she thought, and he cared a lot. “Is he a nice guy?” He liked her family, and suddenly felt protective even of Audrey, whom he scarcely knew.

“Tom? He's a fantastic man. I fixed her up with him myself. He was one of the heirs to Stanley Perlman's estate and this house. I had no idea she'd marry him, though. I know they had dinner together when he was out here, and he sent her some e-mails. She hasn't said a word to me about him since. But I think she'll be really happy with him, and once you get past her occasional prickles and sharp tongue, my mother is a really good woman.” She respected her and loved her, even if Audrey had given her a hard time over the years. But those days seemed to be behind them. And now that they were closer than they'd ever been, she was leaving. It made Sarah feel sad. “I'm going to miss her. I feel like I just got dropped off at camp.” He smiled at her and stopped filling the dishwasher long enough to kiss her on the lips.

“You'll be okay. You can go visit her whenever you want. And I'm sure she'll come back to see you and Mimi a lot. She's going to miss you, too. Speaking of which, I have a confession to make.”

“What's that?” He had a nice way of reassuring her, and she liked it a lot. There was something very steady and comforting about him. He never gave her the feeling that he was about to run away. He was the kind of guy who stuck and stayed, just as he had with Marie-Louise until she left. He had a good track record.