The Dream Jumper's Promise

Chapter 19

The Grill and Bar had been Tina’s choice for her birthday dinner and Philip Greene was not pleased. “I like it here,” Tina said. Thinking her father would appreciate the ambiance of the country club, she was surprised he wasn’t thrilled with the popular restaurant. Her mother commented it was more of a lunch place, but Tina held firm.

            She ordered the artichoke appetizer while her father perused the wine list, knowing he’d find something absurdly expensive and she’d keep her mouth shut to allow the evening to go smoothly. Her mother had already started in about the lack of fine dining on Maui and Tina had been grinding her teeth for twenty minutes.

            When a bottle of four hundred dollar wine arrived, Phillip Greene poured three glasses. “To our daughter,” he smiled. “Who means so much to us.”

             “Thank you Father.” She sipped only a tiny bit remembering Jamey’s headache. She did not want a repeat of last time’s brush with death. 

            After dinner, when they exited the restaurant parking lot Tina recalled that Jamey’s father’s condo was just across the street in The Ridge complex. She remembered torturous nights, years ago, driving by the Ridge, wondering why he’d given up on them so easily.

            According to Katie, her uncle was there again. “Not so far from your house,” she’d said. Katie had been fishing for signs of interest in her uncle for weeks and Tina had to laugh at the obvious attempts to get them together. Little did she know.

            “I think he really likes you,” she’d said. “You should see Pops condo, it’s so beautiful, and you’ll love the view. Really! You should ask Jamey if you can see the view.”

             The Greenes’ car twisted along the lower road to Tina’s house as Elizabeth talked the whole way about Kristina returning to Seattle. “Even just for a few weeks,” Elizabeth persisted. “You need a break from here.” Her mother’s topic choices were like a broken record.

            “Maybe at the end of the summer, Mother.”

            “You need a break now.”

            Tina pinched her lips tightly with her teeth before saying something she’d regret like “Blah, Blah, Blah.” She’d learned never to cross her mother. There was no winning that battle. Instead she tried avoiding these conversations.

            Elizabeth was finally quiet. This was one of those times when silence from her mother was not good news. Looking over, she saw that her mother looked far too smug to give her reason to think she’d given up.

            The house was dark when they pulled into her driveway. “That’s strange,” Tina exaggerated. “I thought I left a light on.” When the driver turned off the ignition and Tina stepped out of the car, Obi barked from above them, his head poking between the railings of the deck.

            “Hello, Boy.” Turning to her parents, she asked, “Would you like to come in for a night cap?” There’d better be a party because she had nothing to back up that offer of a drink.

            “That would be nice,” Phillip helped his wife out of the car and they mounted the stairs to Tina’s surprise birthday party.

            With the flip of a light switch the house came alive with people, like an army of happy robbers. ‘Surprise,’ they yelled at different intervals. She staggered back in fake shock.

            “Oh my God! What’s going on?!” Her hands flew to her mouth. This was the move she’d rehearsed in the mirror earlier. “Where did all of you come from?” She put her hand over her heart and scanned the friends in her living room. These were people she hadn’t talked to in months. Some, not since the memorial service at HonoluaBay.