Keeping Faith by Cindy Bradford (serial 45)
Chapter 17 Part I
Cindy Bradford
The train was less crowded and quieter on Saturday and Carol was glad of that. The commuters were taking a well deserved respite in the suburbs. Taking a seat by the window, she sat by herself, glancing out at the skyscrapers, the steam rising from the tops of buildings and the lines of traffic as they flew by her sight. Her thoughts turned to Patrick and the tranquility that life in Maine brought.
Patrick was waiting at the station and saw the train come to a stop and he rushed to the exit, noticing immediately that Carol had much more than she could easily carry. She quickly handed her packages and portfolio to the porter who passed them to Patrick. Then grabbing her suitcase and an extra shopping bag, she descended the steps into Patrick’s outstretched arms. He kissed her softly and said, “I missed you so much.”
“Patrick, I don’t want to be without you again,” she said, reaching for one shopping bag and then taking his arm, “I have so much to tell you.”
“Yes, like what is all of this?” he asked, grinning, as he held up the packages and portfolio.
“I can’t wait to show you my dress and also my portfolio, which I picked up at the gallery.”
“Your hair looks nice.”
“I wasn’t sure you would notice.”
“I like it like that, but it also looks nice pulled back. You know what? I just like everything about you!”
“How was everyone when you left?”
“Oh, not too bad. My family has a lot of faith, but that of course won’t keep them from missing Mom. It will, however, sustain all of us until time eases some of the grief. I really don’t know what will happen to Dad. Mary Margaret wants him to go live with her, but I think he is too young for that. Whatever he decides I’ll support. I think her three kids will drive him crazy, but her husband is a nice guy, and he and Dad get along great. They can both watch sports for hours. After a few years of that, Mary Margaret might divorce Ted and leave him with Dad,” Patrick laughed. “If, of course, Catholics in our family ever divorced.”
Patrick hugged Carol and asked, “What kind of restaurant sounds good to you tonight? Would you rather stay downtown or out on the way back home?”
“You know what I would really like, Patrick?”
“What?”
“I would like to go to Quincy Market and walk around, and then have a burger or something really simple.”
“Too much gourmet the last couple of nights, huh?” he teased.
“Yes, I loved it, but that’s enough for awhile. I thought after last night, I might never eat again, but I’m really quite famished now. I didn’t eat breakfast or lunch. But if I eat now, it might ruin our plans for later.”
“Who cares? I’d like to go to Quincy. I haven’t been in years. Let’s grab a snack now and then again right before we head to the room.”
“I would like that, and if it is all the same to you, why don’t we stay the night somewhere close to Quincy. It will probably be dark when we leave.”
“Sounds good to me,” Patrick agreed.
After walking around the market for a few minutes, Carol saw a Chinese fast food place. “I think I’ll have an egg roll to hold me ‘til dinner. You want one?”
“Yeah, I’m a little hungry. Maybe we can find a nice sit down burger place later.”
After the snack they began walking through the little shops. “There is nothing I need, but I love looking at these places,” Carol said.
“You are trying to make a shopper out of me, aren’t you?” Patrick teased. “It won’t work, you know.”
“But I’ll never stop trying,” laughed Carol.
Strolling hand in hand, enjoying the late afternoon, they passed a flower stand, where Patrick bought a bundle of fresh mixed blooms for Carol. “For you, my fair lady.”
“They’re beautiful. I’ll put them in water when we get to the hotel, and hopefully, they will last a couple of days when we get back. I’ll get a packet or two of sugar when we eat. I understand sugar preserves them for a little longer, but I’ve never known for sure.”
Two hours later Patrick said, “If you’re ready to check in, let’s try the Harbor-Ritz Hotel. I think it is the most terrific location for having a glass of wine and watching the boats come and go. We might want a burger in their restaurant or even call up room service. What do you say?”
“That’s great, either way. I know you must be tired from the stress, if nothing else.”
“Seeing you gave me a rush of adrenalin, although tonight I’ll probably crash.”