Diary of V: Episode 309

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Diary of V

2003





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PAGE 2 of: September 26, 2003: Episode 309

Diary of V continued

Tuesday
The billboards are going up next week, at a cost of $2,880. I spent the morning writing press releases and calling reporters, mostly radio people, to try to drum up some publicity.

It's almost noon. I'm going to grab some lunch, then head over to the Platter to help Audrey and Lynnette finish painting. Carmen -- my savior -- is busy downstairs, reorganizing the kitchen. She's cooking dinner tonight, a Mediterranean feast. As for housekeeping, the place looks like something out of a magazine. Except those houses always look as if kids and pets never crossed their threshold; even Carmen can't erase the evidence that a boy and two big dogs live here, but I'm not sure I'd want her to. There's a lot of life in this house, and I like that. Anyway, Carmen has completely cleaned out the garage -- dropped off five big cardboard boxes of old stuff at Goodwill and cleaned away all the icky cobwebs and bug carcasses. Now she wants to repaint the garage walls. She also wants to paint the garage floor; apparently there's this great epoxy concrete paint that gives the floor a colorful, speckled look. Am I the luckiest woman in the world or what? I keep telling Carmen to slow down. I don't want her to burn herself out. But she insists that she's fine. In fact, she's better than fine. She says that working for our family is the most gratifying work experience she has ever had. I hope she feels that way two months from now.

By the time I got home from the Platter, Dan and Pete had finished dinner and were starting on Carmen's baklava. I felt tired and paint-splattered and sweaty, and so happy to be home with my family. "Sorry I'm late, guys. I totally lost track of the time."

Dan looked at me quizzically. "I'm sorry. Do I know you?" Then he looked at Pete. "Does she look familiar to you?"

Pete played along and shrugged. "Nope. Does she look familiar to you?"

Dan looked at me again and squinted. "She sort of reminds me of your mom, Valerie DeLuca. But I haven't seen her in so long I've forgotten what she looks like."

I didn't like this. Roger used to tease me this way, pulling Pete into his little grudgefests. I felt myself getting defensive, then angry. "Like I said, I'm sorry I'm late." I came around the table and forced myself to kiss Dan, who surprised me by pulling me close for a long one. Then I realized that this wasn't my ex-husband, and he wasn't triangulating with Pete the way Roger used to. He was teasing playfully, not maliciously.

"You've got to taste this food, Val. I put everything in the oven to keep it warm for you."

I started moving toward the kitchen, but he stopped me. "You sit. I'll serve."

I lowered myself into a seat and smiled at Pete, who had eaten only a little bit of the baklava. Pete won't eat walnuts. I should have mentioned that to Carmen. "How was school today? Did you get any homework?"

"I already finished it. Carmen helped me before dinner."

I checked the clock. It was after 7. "Wow. She stayed late tonight. I hope you fed her."

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