A Year of Summer
At
The House of Four Seasons
by Atonia
Part 3
They went to Boston to visit Toni’s elderly Aunt who she hadn’t seen since she moved to the house. She’d been talking about her family with Max and it was his idea for her to go. At first he wasn’t going to go with her but she talked him into it. He’d been to Boston before when he helped her move her things out of her house.
The old lady’s name was Sara Stanley and she was Toni’s great aunt on her father’s side.
“I’m not sure I’m good with Auntie’s” Max said as they climbed the steps to the front door of her townhouse.
“You’ll charm her out of her knickers Max,” Toni grinned ringing the bell.
Miss Stanley’s maid answered the door and led them into the living area and quietly left to make tea.”
Toni went to give her a hug, “Auntie Sara, so good to see you looking well.”
“I’m as well as can be expected, oh who is this with you?”
“Auntie this is Max Skinner.” Max stepped forward and took the old lady’s hand brushing a kiss across her knuckles.
“I’m honored to meet you Miss Stanley.”
“Call me Auntie young man and I shall call you Max,” she smiled looking from one to the other and wondering exactly what he was to Toni. “You’re English.” She said.
“Yes, from London actually.”
“Oh…and how did you happen to meet with my great niece? You haven’t been to London have you dear?”
“Oh no Auntie…he ah…”
“I was on holiday,” Max supplied, “along the coast here abouts.”
“I see, how fortunate for you both, you look very happy together.”
“We are,” Toni reached for his hand.
“And have you relocated here Max, you aren’t going to take her away are you?”
“I won’t be taking her away, I’m here for the summer and then I must go back to London and Provence. I have business there.”
“I see, only for the summer, that’s a shame.” She noticed the sparkle on Toni’s finger. ”Forgive an old lady but are you engaged?”
Toni didn’t know what to say, perhaps this had been a mistake, too many questions and her eyes widened at what Max was saying.
“No Miss Stanley, actually we’re married for a year now. It’s rather an odd and difficult arrangement but it can’t be helped.”
Toni was relieved when the tea tray arrived. “How’ve you been Auntie are you still able to get out?”
“I go to church on a Sunday but that’s about it, one of the deacons comes around for me.”
“Do you ever hear from the rest of the family?”
“Oh there’s not many left are there, occasionally I get a card from your grandmother in Virginia. She’s good about birthdays and that.”
“Yes she is, I haven’t seen her in oh two years I guess.”
“You should go home and see her Toni, she may not be around much longer.”
Toni sipped her tea, “I should yes.”
“How about you Max do you have family?”
“Not anymore, I have a cousin left she’s in France now.”
“Our family is about to die out, I never married you see and Toni was an only child so I guess it’s up to you two now to keep it going,” she smiled and sipped her tea.
“Speaking of going, I suppose we should be,” Max looked at his watch.
“Yes we should if we’re going to make it home tonight. Thank you for tea Auntie and I’ll try and get down to see you more often.”
“I’d love that Toni and you too Max, go see your grandmother.” She said trying to rise.
“Oh please Auntie don’t get up,” Max took her arm and helped settle her back in the chair, he kissed her cheek, “You’ve been a delight.”
Toni gave her a hug and her Auntie held her a minute, “Don’t be separated from him Toni, you go to England if you have to dear.”
“I love you Auntie,” she said and kissed her goodbye.
Once back in the car, “Oh you silver tongued devil, don’t you know she will write my grandmother and tell her we’re married, I’m going to catch hell for that, she’ll want details and why wasn’t she informed, why wasn’t she invited…”
“What else was I to say, we are you know…married for all purposes, we are.”
Toni looked at him, “The ring.”
“Yes, the ring you are my summer bride..”
“And you are my husband, I thought something had happened, that I belonged to you.”
“Perhaps I didn’t explain the significance.”
“You didn’t but I felt it. What will happen in Fall?”
“That’s up to Terry, you are mine in summer. I’m glad he comes after I leave, otherwise I think it would be very hard for you.”
“It would be yes.” They stopped at a light and she looked into the car in front of them, a man and his wife and their two children in the back seat. It would never be that way for her, never.
“Sometimes I wish I could split myself into four people and live out here, have children, see you off to work each day.”
“That’s a dream darling, only a dream.”
“I know. Once you were a dream.”
“I have a dream too Toni, that I could move you up here on Beacon Street and fill the house with children for you. I can’t do that, I have three months with you each year, that’s all we can have and it has to be enough. We’ve been through this conversation before love, it goes in a circle.”
“Yes, I’m sorry Max I’m never satisfied am I?”
“I wouldn’t say that, I’ve seen you satisfied. Would you like to stop for dinner somewhere?”
“I would yes and something stronger than tea.”
Max looked over at her and smiled, “I can do that.”
The summer was winding down; only a week left and Max hadn’t mentioned leaving. They were playing tennis one hot day and Toni was giving him a workout.
“That was out Max,” she yelled.
“It was not, point to me.”
“Wrong, it does not count.”
They slammed the ball back and forth, he was winning but had lost count because of all the arguing and thought she was ahead.
“If you cheat it doesn’t count,” she reminded him.
“I’m not cheating Toni the ball was in bounds right here on this line, I hit it you missed.”
“Okay if we’re going to play by your rules then that last one I hit out of bounds counted so there!”
“I am going to nail you to the back wall Toni get ready,”
She tried to hit it jumping up but it went past at an alarming speed. “Hah!” he yelled.
“Okay Max you win, you were ahead by 8.”
“Eight, it was more than that.”
“Eight legal returns you were winning without the whining and cheating.”
“I don’t whine,” he said wiping his face with his bandana.
“Ha, ha, no but you cheat,” she laughed.
“Skinny dip,” she called out and ran towards the pool peeling off her sweaty shorts and top.
He caught up with her and jumped in the pool clothes and all.
“Ah this feels good, better than a cold shower.” He sputtered.
Toni swam over to him, “You are so much fun Max even when you’re whining.”
He gave her a look and rolled over on his back floating looking up at the trees over the pool to the sky beyond. He didn’t want it to end.
Toni swam to the side and watched him wondering what he was thinking.
He didn’t want it to end, he didn’t want to leave he loved it here and loved his wife, he’d begun thinking of her that way since he’d given her the ring. What would happen if he didn’t leave, would he disappear never to return, would he stay and Terry not show up, would the whole place go up in flames. There was no way he would risk it but he thought about it.
“Max.”
He rolled over and went under water coming up in front of her, “I love you Toni.” He crushed her to the side of the pool with the intensity of his kiss.
This year he waited until the last day of the month and left right after lunch on the terrace. He held her to him until he thought he would burst and then turned and got in his car, backed it out of the drive and drove away. Toni stood by the garage until he was out of site and crumpled to the ground and cried for him. Something had happened between them this year, something strong, something forever, something bound up in the eternity ring he placed on her finger. She didn’t want him to go.
