Sunday Morning, Early
March 18
Ooh, that's why I'm easy
I'm easy like Sunday morning
That's why I'm easy
I'm easy like Sunday morning
"Moms?
Sorry to call so early, but I wanted to catch you before you left for
church. I wanted to be certain you'll be around this afternoon."
"Is
something the matter?" Helen Belden had been waiting for several days
to hear from her daughter, but her first reaction whenever she received
unannounced calls from her adult children was to panic. In fact, she'd
reminded them regularly that worrying was the part of her duties as a
mother that would never end, even when she was eighty and they were in
their sixties.
Her only daughter laughed. "Absolutely not,
Moms. Dan and I, we thought we'd drive out for the afternoon and didn't
want to miss you."
Realizing what must be the reason for the
call, Helen hesitated before continuing. "Dad and I will be looking
forward to seeing you. Would you like to join us for dinner?"
"Don't bother Moms. We're just stopping by for a quick visit. We'll see you in a couple hours."
Trixie Belden quickly hung up the phone and turned to the man standing behind her. "Well?"
"An idiot would know you're hiding something."
"I know. I...I'm not sure how to tell them. I've never had anything this important to share."
Dan
Mangan pulled her to him. "You inherited a lot more than those curls
and that nose from her." He kissed said nose before continuing. "She's
suspicious as hell."
Trixie laughed as she reached up and
pulled Dan's face to hers. "Think she knows what we're doing now?" She
kissed him gently on the lips.
"What we're doing right now,
or what we're about to do?" Dan carefully untied the belt of her robe
and allowed it to fall open. Reaching inside, he pulled her to him.
x x x
"You're
not upset I told Uncle Bill first?" A short time later, Dan was
steering his sporty Toyota Celica through the Sunday morning traffic
heading out of New York City and into Westchester County on the Sprain
Brook Parkway.
Trixie reached over and took his hand. "Of
course not. And if you hadn't, well, who knows how long I'd have had to
wait." She held up her left hand so that the sunlight reflected off the
diamond solitaire she'd worn less than twelve hours. "We both needed a
nudge, and I wouldn't have this--something so precious."
Dan
and Trixie had known each other for most of their lives, since he was
fifteen and she thirteen. For years they'd been close friends, and,
while they hadn't been involved romantically, he'd subconsciously
compared every woman he'd met to her. He'd even been involved with a
Trixie-look-alike while in law school. But each of those women had
paled when compared to the vivacious blonde New York City Detective.
Their
friendship had grown into a more intimate relationship a year ago and
they had talked frequently about marriage. However, Trixie had been
reluctant to make a permanent commitment, and Dan had refused to push
her.
Dan was certain that he would never love anyone else.
Orphaned at age thirteen, he yearned for a family, but had difficulty
convincing Trixie that his idea of family didn't have to be a "little
woman" and 1.8 children waiting for him in a suburban cottage with a
white picket fence. It just had to include her.
Trixie was
equally certain of her feelings about the dark, serious, and sometimes
sullen young Assistant District Attorney. They had shared experiences
and secrets as teens, pursued related careers, and now shared a love
and passion that poets spent lifetimes trying to describe.
When
Trixie had chosen to be a police detective, she'd known there would be
little time for a personal life. Dan's career was equally demanding.
Until they'd moved in together, they would go days without seeing each
other. Living together, they were too often just passing ships. And
while nothing would make her happier than to marry Dan, she was afraid
that by doing so, she'd be depriving him of a family life--one that he
needed and deserved.
But the moment he'd opened the tiny box
the night before, and she saw the diamond solitaire ring inside, she'd
forgotten every single doubt and concern. She knew she would never love
nor be loved as she was with this man.  Sunday Morning, Early
February 18, One Month Before
Ooh, that's why I'm easy
I'm easy like Sunday morning
That's why I'm easy
I'm easy like Sunday morning
It
was the first anniversary of the marriage of Bill and Mary Regan and
they were planning a celebration that included the baptism of their
two-month old son, William Patrick Regan, Jr., and a Sunday afternoon
dinner with family and friends. A confirmed bachelor until he was
thirty-six, Bill had never thought he could be as happy as he had been
the past year and wanted everyone he knew to have the same kind of joy;
especially his nephew, Dan. He knew Dan and Trixie shared a true love.
He understood that Dan and Trixie each believed the other deserved the
best, and they each feared they weren't the best for the other.
He
was getting impatient for them to realize that they each WERE the best
for the other, but he was determined NOT to interfere.
He and
Dan had risen early and gone to the stables to take care of several
chores. While Manor House Stables had grown to include a large staff,
Bill felt compelled to check in daily. It was a typically cold New York
February, so the two men retired to the warmth of his office to enjoy a
few minutes of quiet and camaraderie before returning home to shower
and change for Mass.
"I want to ask Trixie to marry me," Dan finally blurted out to his uncle.
"You've never asked her? I'd have thought by now you'd...well I thought all you two needed was to set a date."
"We talk about it," Dan offered.
"Maybe you need to stop talking and..."
"It's not that simple. I'm not sure." Dan had never expressed his doubts aloud, but his uncle understood that he had fears.
"Not sure of what? That you love her?" Bill Regan knew the answer, but he had to be blunt.
"Oh, no! I'm certain of that."
"And she loves you."
"Ah,
yeah." Regan watched as Dan's face turned red. He smiled to himself,
wondering why it was that someone known to be the embodiment of cool,
always managed to stammer and blush when discussing Trixie.
"She loves me too. I guess..." Dan finally stuttered out.
"Dammit, Dan. She's crazy about you."
"She deserves..."
"She deserves a man who loves her. Who can support her...not so much financially, but emotionally. Isn't that what you do now?"
Dan looked down at the cement floor and nodded his head.
"I have baggage."
"Dammit,
Dan. There's not a one of us who doesn't have baggage. But that woman
knows about your past problems and loves you anyway. We've discussed
this before."
"Actually, I..." He looked up at his uncle and grinned shyly. "I have been looking at rings."
Bill Regan laughed out loud. "Goading me, weren't you!"
"Not
really. I'm still afraid I'm asking too much of her. But we talk about
getting married all the time, Uncle Bill, and it's past time to make it
official. The problem is I've been looking at rings, but I can't find;
there's nothing perfect for her. She deserves more than a little chip,
but her hand is small. Her personality is so big, we forget how tiny
she is. A big ring will look gaudy on her hand. It's not the money. I
can afford..."
"You have the perfect ring, already."
"Mmmm?"
"And her birthday's coming soon. She'd love Trixie. It's what she'd want." Sunday Morning, Late
March 18 Ooh, that's why I'm easy
I'm easy like Sunday morning
That's why I'm easy
I'm easy like Sunday morning
Dan
pulled off Glen Road into the Crabapple Farm driveway. Dan had felt
calm and confident since Trixie had said, "yes," the prior evening, but
his palms began sweating the moment he looked at the rambling farm
house. "Maybe we should go by Bill and Mary's first," he mumbled.
"Dan?" Trixie laughed. "You're the one telling me not to be nervous."
"Yeah,
but like you, I've never done this before." Dan had survived a meeting
with Peter Belden just over a week ago, when he'd asked for what the
two men decided was a "Blessing in Disguise." Mr. Belden as assuaged
his fears then, saying he'd be proud to call Dan his son, but he still
was nervous about this official announcement. And Trixie still didn't
know about the earlier meeting. Dan knew he was lucky she accepted his
talking to his uncle first, but she'd never accept anything as
old-fashioned as his talking to her father before asking her.
"C'mon, Counselor. This is no worse than facing Judge Dalzmer or a tough jury." Trixie opened her door.
Dan
released his seat belt and was starting to open the car door when Peter
Belden came from behind the old barn, pushing a wheelbarrow filled with
firewood. Setting the wheelbarrow down, he pulled off his work gloves
and headed towards the car. Dan quickly got out and rushed over to the
older man, wanting to speak to him before Trixie.
Seeing
Dan's and Trixie's faces, Peter knew immediately why they had made the
trip. When Dan had visited him recently, he hadn't said when he planned
to give Trixie a ring, but he'd said it wouldn't be too long. Obviously
the very Irish young man had chosen a very Irish holiday to propose.
Dan grabbed his hand firmly. "Mr. Belden. Good to see you."
His broad smile growing even bigger, Peter tried to silently reassure the younger man that he was prepared to be surprised.
"Dan.
What brings you out here today?" he managed to ask as Trixie pulled him
into a hug. "Sweetheart," he choked out. "Come on inside. You mother's
baking."
"Trixie told her we didn't expect anything." Dan grabbed the handles of the wheelbarrow.
"You don't need to do that, Dan. You'll dirty your good clothes."
"This
is nothing, Sir. As long as I don't have to chop it!" Dan pushed ahead.
"I did enough of that to last a lifetime when I lived with Mr.
Maypenny."
They all laughed as they headed towards the service porch.
"Helen?
They're here." Peter called as he hung his jacket on a hook by the
kitchen door. Turning to take Trixie and Dan's coats, he noticed that
Trixie quickly tucked her hands into the pockets of her pants. Turning
back around so she couldn't see his smile, he called again. "Helen?"
Mrs.
Belden hurried into the room, hugged Dan and Trixie, and then pulled
them towards the family room. "I know you said you couldn't join us for
dinner, so I made some sweet rolls. And I have coffee and hot cocoa.
Come. Sit down."
Inhaling the sweet smell of fresh-baked
bread, Trixie and Dan followed her into the family room and sat down on
the sofa. Trixie attempted to discreetly tuck her left hand into Dan's
right one. Dan grabbed both Trixie's hands and wrapped his long fingers
around her tiny ones.
Mr. Belden settled into an overstuffed
club chair, while Mrs. Belden passed a plate and began pouring drinks
into large white mugs. Mrs. Belden offered them mugs and sat down.
Trixie and Dan each took a sip before placing their mugs on the coffee
table and grasping hands again. All four sat smiling, waiting for
someone to speak.
"Dan and I have something to tell you."
Trixie finally broke the silence. She looked at the handsome young man
beside her and then at each of her parents. Recognizing the smug looks
on both her parents faces, she stiffened and jumped up.
"You know! You know! Dammit! You know!"
She turned and looked down at Dan who had dropped his hands between his knees and was staring at the floor.
"Dan?"
"I spoke to your Dad last week," he mumbled while still staring at the floor.
Trixie spun around and faced him. "Why?"
"Trixie." Dan looked up at her meekly. "Please. Sit down."
Trixie plopped down hard next to him, folding her arms across her chest. "Okay, Mangan. Explain."
Peter
and Helen Belden exchanged glances, both amused and concerned about how
the young couple would handle a disagreement in their presence.
Dan
reached for Trixie's hand, but she pulled it away. "Trix, we've talked
about marriage for a long time. It's been no secret. Your parents had
to expect..." The frown lines in Trixie's forehead deepened. Dan knew
he was sinking. Fast. "I also know that your parents had some real
concerns about me."
"They..." Trixie looked over at her parents. "Just our rushing into something. And that was some time ago."
"Well,
if they didn't worry about me being suitable...they should have!" He
paused before continuing. "But we've talked about that before." He
brushed the hair from his face before continuing. "I wanted to reassure
you dad that, well that I'll make you happy."
"But it's my decision. Our decision."
"Exactly what your dad told me." Dan cautiously reached behind Trixie, resting his arm on the back of the sofa. "Trix?"
She looked up at him, but her arms remained crossed.
"Maybe
I was wrong. But sometimes...sometimes I want to be traditional,
old-fashioned. Just like I want our relationship to be consecrated in a
church, I want the support of our families. I never want to ask you to
choose between me and your job, your family, your, your anything."
"And you were prepared to lie to me?"
"No.
Yes. I mean no. Not. If it never came up, well, one less argument
between us." Dan grabbed her chin. "It did and I 'fessed up. And
quickly, I might add." Clearing his throat, he continued. "I'll
apologize for not telling you, but not for talking to your father."
Trixie's
scowl vanished as she reached up and pulled Dan to her. Oblivious to
her parents sitting across the room, she kissed him and murmured how
much she loved him. Dan responded by pulling her closer, when they were
brought back to the present by Mr. Belden's clearing his throat.
"I'm sorry." Dan quickly dropped his hands and moved away from Trixie.
Mrs.
Belden stood, wiping the tears from her eyes. "Are you going to show us
the ring?" She asked as she walked over to her daughter and
future-son-in-law.
Trixie held up her hand. Seeing Dan's
face, beaming with pride, she began to cry, too. She knew he had so
little of his mother's to share and yet he had given her this ring. Not
just as a symbol of his love for her, or his pledge to her, but of his
trust in her.
"Dan. It's exquisite." Mrs. Belden held Trixie's hand. "It's heirloom. Where'd you?"
"It was my mother's. And my Gramma's before her."
Helen
looked down at the earnest face of the young man and knew how treasured
it must be and how much he must treasure her daughter to have given it
to her. Sunday Morning, Early
March 17, Sixteen Years Earlier
Ooh, that's why I'm easy
I'm easy like Sunday morning
That's why I'm easy
I'm easy like Sunday morning
"Danny."
"Danny. Time to get up."
"Ah, Mom. Do I hafta'?"
"Early Mass, Dan. And it's St. Patrick's Day."
Twelve
year-old Danny Mangan rolled out of his bed, mumbling. The small studio
apartment he shared with his mother was never warm, but it was
especially cold this morning. He glanced at his mother as he stumbled
to the bathroom. "Why can't we go to late services?"
Shutting the bathroom door, he added, "Why go at all?"
"I heard that Daniel Mangan! And God heard it too! You get a move on. I've laid out your good pants and green sweater."
"Green
sweater. Green milk. We must honor Patrick, patron saint of the
homeland." Dan cursed as he flushed the toilet. "None of the other guys
hafta' dress up and go to Mass."
"And they're heathens. Every one."
Dan
washed and dressed before joining his mother at the small kitchen
table, where, just as she did every year on March 17, she'd put green
food coloring in his milk. Dan squirmed as his mother watched him over
the rim of her mug. Her bright blue eyes observed his every move, but
she revealed nothing of her thoughts. Finally, he pulled a small box
from the pocket of his pants.
"Happy Birthday, Ma." He held it towards her as he sat down in front of the bowl of oatmeal.
"Danny! I told you not to!" She hesitated before she took it. "Where'd this? How'd you?"
"I
bought it, Ma. I saved the money." Dan refused to look at her for fear
she'd see that he was lying--well not exactly lying, but he didn't want
her to know how he'd gotten the money.
Patty opened it and
hesitated before saying anything, her suspicious stare revealing she
knew that this was not some trinket Dan had purchased with savings. She
knew he had no way to earn enough to purchase such a beautiful
necklace, at least not legally.
"Oh, Danny. Danny. Did you?"
She stared directly at her young son, praying that he hadn't stolen it.
"Danny? How DID you get the money?"
Dan sat staring into his
cereal, using his spoon to cut green swirls of milk through the white
mush, and knowing he couldn't swallow a single bite with his mother
watching him like that. "Mom. It's for your birthday. I...you need
something nice." He finally looked up at her. "I DID earn the money.
Really." He had earned it. She just wouldn't like how.
Patty
looked at her watch. "We'll discuss how you earned the money after
church. Finish your cereal," she ordered as she closed the box. "I
can't wear it with this sweater and it's too late to change. I'll carry
this in my pocket until after church." She stood and kissed her son on
the cheek. "Thank you."
Dan continued to dawdle over his
meal, not wanting to head out into the cold for the long walk to
church. While he found comfort in the familiar surroundings, the
rituals found within, and the compassionate ministering of Father
McMurtrie, he hated the teasing he received from his new friends
because of the long hours he spent there. The only good thing about
early Mass would be that the guys wouldn't be out on the corner when he
walked by with his mother.
His mother. It had been almost
four years since his father had died and, at twelve, Dan was well aware
of how difficult it had been for her to provide for his material needs.
But he also was aware that she made up for those deficiencies ten-fold
in her love and care. Dan was determined to never disappoint his
mother. Well, almost never.
As they walked to church, Dan's
mother told him they were meeting with Father McMurtrie after services.
When he questioned why, her face became sullen and she cut him off.
"You'll learn soon enough." Sensing that something was wrong, Dan
gripped his mothers hand. "It's okay, Ma."
Patty Mangan
looked down at her son. At twelve, he already shouldered far more
responsibility than he should. And, after today, he'd be forced to
shoulder even more. She squeezed his hand, but said nothing.
After
services, Patty and Dan waited in their pew for the other parishioners
to file out of the church and Father McMurtrie to join them. Dan
watched as the priest bid well to the last stragglers and turned his
attention to the Mangans. Seeing the older man's expression grow somber
as he walked towards them, Dan knew for certain that something was
wrong. Seriously wrong.
"Patty, Dan, would you like to go over to the diner or?"
Dan's mother shook her head no. "Let's just go to your office, Father."
They
proceeded to the front of the chapel and through a side exit. Once
settled in the dark, paneled office, Dan blurted out. "Okay. What the
heck's going on?"
"Danny!" His mother started to correct him, but her voice caught in a choke.
Father
McMurtrie smiled weakly as he rolled his chair around the desk to face
Dan and his mother. "You don't miss much, do you Dan?" he offered
quietly. "Your mother does have some news to share. She asked that I be
with you."
Dan began trembling, feeling a fear and panic he'd
never known. His heart was pounding so loud, he could barely hear the
words the priest spoke. What could his mother need to share that she
wanted a priest to be present? He looked from his mother to the priest
and back to his mother. "Ma?" he choked out.
His mother
pulled a small velvet-covered box from her purse. "First, I want to
show you this. I want to give it to you." She opened the box.
"It's
your engagement ring. Why aren't you wearing it?" Dan's mother had
continued to wear her engagement and wedding rings since his father's
death. He hadn't noticed that morning that she'd removed one.
"I
have my wedding band." Patty held out her hand to show him. "And I want
to be burr...I'll never remove that. But this, this is for you. It
belonged to your Da's mother, it was mine to wear, and it will be for
that special woman you'll meet someday."
"But you can still wear it." Dan's voice became high. "You can wear it until I meet her."
"No.
Danny. I can't. But you'll find that special woman and she'll wear it
with the same pride that I have. And if she isn't proud to wear it."
Patty tossed her long thick auburn mane over her shoulder and sat up
just a bit straighter. "Well, she isn't good enough for my son!" Sunday Morning, Late
March 18 Ooh, that's why I'm easy
I'm easy like Sunday morning
That's why I'm easy
I'm easy like Sunday morning
"So
you're okay with September?" Trixie asked Dan as he started up the car
and turned it around in the driveway. Waving back to her parents who
were watching from the service porch, she asked him again. "September
15th okay?"
After Trixie's father had opened a bottle of
champagne and they'd shared congratulatory toasts, the young couple had
discussed possible dates for a wedding with her parents.
"That's six months, Trixie."
"June's
out. April and May are too soon, and it'll be so hot in July and
August. It's not like...I mean it's not like we'll be celibate for all
that time."
Dan reached over and touched her cheek. "I want
more than that. Our relationship...I want to make it sacred. I want to
marry you. In a church. And soon. I don't want to just..." He stopped
before pulling out onto Glen Road. "I love you, Trix. This is real."
Trixie
leaned her head back against the seat of the car as Dan pulled out and
they headed towards his uncle's home. "Thank you, Dan."
"Thank you?" Dan glanced over at her.
"Thank you for loving me enough to give me your mother's ring. It's..." Her voice cracked. "I'll be so proud to wear it."
Dan quickly pulled the car to the side of the road. "She said that."
Trixie sat up. "Who?"
"When
my mother gave it to me. She said that someday I'd meet a woman who'd
be proud to wear it...and if she weren't, well, then she wasn't good
enough for her son."
Trixie released her seat belt and
stretched across the console. "I am proud. And I hope I'm... She didn't
finish as the man she loved pulled her to him and silenced her with his
lips. Ooh, that's why I'm easy
I'm easy like Sunday morning
That's why I'm easy
I'm easy like Sunday morning
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