WE GATHER TOGETHER by Edward L. Woodyard

We Gather Together Chapter Fifty-Three

Annie Drexler drove her Suburban on Pleasanton Road which led to her parents' house as Cara McCulloch sat next to her in the passenger seat. The canvas boat bag with the phone receivers was between them.

Cara turned around to check on the four kids seated behind them. Kelly and Lindsay were in their car seats, Kelly still holding onto Chelsea, while Jason and Courtney were buckled together in the third seat. Cara saw Jason wiggle his lower incisor. "How's that tooth, Jason?"

"Loose," he answered. He took his fingers from his mouth and admired a cut-out handprint turkey Courtney had made at school by tracing her hand on brown construction paper.

"Mom, how come Courtney has a turkey and I don't," he asked.

"Because your teacher didn't have you make one this year. Maybe you can make one once we get to Grammy and Grampy's," Annie said. Jason returned to a Ninja Klutz game on his cell phone.

"I want to make one too, Mommy," said Kelly from her car seat.

"Of course," Annie answered. "Maybe we will all make them. Even Lindsay."

Cara turned around in her seat and could no longer ignore the phone receivers in the boat bag between her and Annie. She picked up a receiver and pretended to talk into it.

"Annie Drexler, phone call."

Annie stared through the windshield. "Sorry, Cara. Not in the mood." She watched Cara put the phone receiver back into the boat bag.

"Well, when you're in the mood, I'm . . ."

"I want to get a job," Annie said, letting Cara know why she'd been so quiet on the drive.

In order to be helpful, Cara knew she had to be cautious in her comments about Annie and Jack's separation. She was very fond of them both and had met Jack for dinner shortly after the separation, just the two of them. Jack had spilled his guts to Cara about all of his frustrations and insecurities he felt with his job, marriage and fatherhood, how he felt alone in the world ever since he lost his family within the span of five days; Cara had got him to stop complaining about what he didn't have and made him realize what he did have. He felt he could share his feelings with Cara since they wouldn't come back to haunt him if he had confessed them to Annie. He felt that any perceived weakness would be potential ammunition for Annie to use in any future confrontation. For Jack, Cara offered him understanding, not criticism; from that support, Jack felt he could atone and heal, thus possibly resolving conflicts between them. Cara would do everything that she could to bring Jack and Annie back together; she knew how excellent they were for each other.

Jack and Cara shared a bond, being "outlaws" as they termed it, both being married to McCullochs. In that position, they had distance from the emotional core of the family which not only provided them with objective insights into family dynamics, but also gave them a discretion in their comments which was respected. The blood family could say things to each other which were not in the purview of those who had merely married into it. Cara recognized that Jack and Annie's marriage had become a hostile competition between husband and wife, when it should be a cooperative partnership. Cara had seen that unity in her own parents' marriage, witnessed it again in Sam and Julia's, and was experiencing it still again in her own with Drew. She wanted to help Jack and Annie realize that compromise, respect, empathy and humor would go further than anger, resentment, obstinacy and conflict.

"So, you get a job." Cara stated, then asked Annie, "What then?"

"Then, I'd have some control. I wouldn't have to rely on Jack."

"Except to look after the kids and to do all the things that you no longer want to do."

"Jack does nothing around the house. For two years, I've asked him to clean out the basement so the kids can have a playroom. He's just as responsible for those two kids as I am."

Cara corrected her, "Three kids." She then glanced at Annie's stomach, then Annie.

Annie gave Cara a direct look. Cara knew she had to make Annie think clearly about the situation. "What if Jack doesn't work and he's at home taking care of the kids and the house? We both know that he's not equipped to do that. He can dress them and get them off to school, but not to do all the cooking and cleaning and still earn a living, all at the same time. . ."

Annie felt she had to defend herself, "I wasn't equipped either. But I learned. You learned. He can learn," she said, "even if it's on-the-job training." She paused, "Does it ever get any easier?"

"They sure didn't teach us this in college."

"Why did I work so hard and graduate magna cum laude? Only to be magna cum mommy. . ." Annie said, letting her thoughts ebb. "What is my problem?"

Cara knew the answer to Annie's question, "You fell in love with Jack Drexler."

"Jack doesn't want to even want to know what I go through. Let him do it."

"Where would that leave you?"

"Still pregnant."

Annie looked into the rearview mirror at the four kids behind her. She hoped none of them had heard her. The three girls were almost asleep and Jason was still playing Ninja Klutz on his cell phone. Annie was relieved that none of the kids had been listening.

Cara surveyed the back of the Suburban as well and then turned to Annie, saying quietly, "You don't want that bit of news about number three getting out on social media just yet."

But Annie's mind was elsewhere. "Cara, I'm never going to open my gallery. The new artist spaces they're converting in the old movie theater would be perfect."

"You could even display some of your own work," suggested Cara.

"But not the rainbow painting, Mommy," yelled Jason from the third seat. Annie and Cara realized something and then wondered together: how much had Jason overheard while he was playing Ninja Klutz?

As Annie drove down Pleasanton Road, she thought about Jack. "Love stinks."

Cara heard her, "But we all crave the smell."