Golden Bird

"I'm not going back to Boston."

Edith's eyebrows shot up in surprise, and Sara explained, "I think Dad really does need help at the store, and I think he enjoys having me there. I know even though he never let on, he was disappointed that Joey chose Real Estate instead of hardware as a vocation, but I like the retail business. So what difference does it make if I'm selling nuts and bolts instead of cosmetics and costume jewelry?"

Mother and daughter laughed at the absurdity of Sara's question, and then Edith became serious again.

"Sara, do you love David?"

Avoiding her mother's eyes, Sara got up from the table to rinse her mug out at the sink. She gazed out the window, past the clothesline and the barbecue pit, to the woods that separated the house from the river. She could just barely make out the wooden slats Joey had carefully nailed to the old chestnut tree that had once been the site of a magnificent tree house.

"Did you forget the question?" Her mother's voice brought Sara back to the present, and she turned to face her.

"No...I was just thinking about Joey's tree house. Is it still usable, I mean, it hasn't rotted away or anything, has it?"

"No, but what's all this interest in that old tree house anyway?"

"Oh, nothing, I was just wondering...I used to go up there when I needed to think about things."

"Are you telling me you need to think about whether or not you love David?"

"No... I love David, of course I love David. He's a wonderful man...and I think we can be happy together."

"Then why don't you just marry him? I can't understand this new fad about having to live together before marriage."

"I'm not ready to get married again."

"And when will you be?"

"I don't know. I don't know if I'll ever be."

"Ah, I understand now. You're scared, and I can understand that, but are you being fair to David?"

"What do you mean?"

"I know it's easy for you young people to just up move in together or have babies out of wedlock," she held up her hand to stop Sara from interrupting her, "...I know babies aren't the subject right now, but it is something to consider, accidents do happen you know, anyway what I'm getting at is this: David is closer to my generation's way of thinking than yours, how long do you think he is going to be patient with you. I think David is the kind of man who would want to be married. And what about his daughter? She's ...what? Fifteen? What kind of example would it be setting for her?"