The good thing was, with that many people, all of them wanting Ty’s time and to get to know me, distance from him didn’t seem unusual, so I nursed that as best I could. He was in huddles, I was in huddles. Sometimes, we’d find ourselves in the same huddle and his arm would move casually around my shoulders and I’d smile bright and listen hard so I didn’t miss anything but mostly so I wouldn’t dissolve into tears again.
And those tears I was holding back were because his arm slid casually around my shoulders, tucking me to his side, a place I liked to be but no matter our physical closeness, he was gone. I saw it in his impassive face which he didn’t only give to me. He was going through the motions and I wasn’t the only one to notice this. Tate caught it early on, Krystal not long after and Wood not long after that.
But they didn’t say anything. They watched but said not a word. We ate, we drank, we cut the cake which Ty flatly refused to do in a traditional wedding way no matter how much everyone was teasingly trying to push him to do it. I ended up doing it, saying stupid shit about how the superhero Mr. Humongo was above cutting cakes and didn’t use the laser beams he could shoot from his eyes for trivial purposes, making people laugh and doing all this in an effort to cover for him.
Then we opened presents. Like Ty, his friends were generous. A whole set of brand new, stylish, expensive stoneware including serving platters, bowls, creamer and sugar, the whole enchilada. It was awesome, the tops and insides a shiny, dusky sky blue, the backs and outsides a gorgeous matte dark gray. Also a whole set of beautifully shaped glasses including drinking, wine and even martini glasses. And a whole set of unusual but kickass cutlery. And, last, a new KitchenAid coffeemaker.
“Ty’s got good shit but he’s a man. Men buy expensive TVs and mattresses. They do not think of stoneware,” Maggie explained to me after I’d opened everything (Ty also didn’t open presents) then to Ty with a wicked smile she said, “Goodwill, honey. That’s where your old stuff is. Kiss it good-bye.”
Ty sighed. I forced a laugh that I hoped didn’t sound forced.
“And Tate told me Ty told him you liked your coffee,” Laurie whispered in my ear, surprising me with this news. “So I sent Pop and Jim-Billy to the home store to get you a good coffeemaker so you’d be covered.”
There it was again. Good people. Generosity. Thoughtfulness. Kindness.
I smiled at her and it wasn’t forced but my eyes were again wet.
Her return smile was warm and she gave me a hand squeeze. I knew she saw the wet but thankfully she didn’t mention it.
Presents didn’t herald the end of the party though, night fell and they kept on going. I liked them, they were fun, their vibe was good enough to cut through my worry but I still wanted them to go so I could talk to Ty.
They eventually did but by that time, I was slightly drunk, dead on my feet and Tate, Wood, Bubba and Deke sent their ladyfolk home with others and they moved to the front deck with Ty getting close to me and saying, “Go on up. I’ll be up later,” then not waiting for an answer and following the men.
It was time for a man huddle. I knew a woman never messed with that. And with those men, I knew she never, never messed with it.
So I went on up and fell asleep before he came up.
I woke up with him gone and no note. Mid-morning, my cell rang and it was him saying he had the Charger and was “seein’ to shit” in town and didn’t know when he’d be back. I didn’t get that single word in edgewise before he disconnected.
I spent that day getting used to his house and phoning my girls in Dallas to see how things were progressing.
Ella told me three boxes of stuff were already in the post, shoes and clothes. She was still sorting and would get back to me.