“I wish you would look after yourself, Diane. You do so much for myself and our congregation that you keep forgetting to take care of yourself.”
“I don’t forget, Father. I just do it in my own time.”
Besides, Diane had a lot to do that morning. She needed to get to the church and make sure everything was in order. And – she didn’t say this to her father – Diane had forgotten to get the cassocks that the choir were going to be wearing from the dry cleaners. They needed to get picked up as soon as possible.
It didn’t take long to clear up the kitchen, and Diane wiped down the surfaces. There was plenty of time before the funeral, so she could get on with a few extra tasks that had been in the diary for a while that had ended up being neglected.
Apart from the cassocks, pretty much everything was sorted; they just needed to be put out and ready to go.
I wonder how many people are going to turn up to Mrs. Maisley’s funeral. She only had a son that we know of, and she wasn’t very well-liked….
Don’t think like that. It’s very unkind. If your father heard you thinking like this…
Diane bit back a sigh and concentrated on her cleaning. She didn’t look at her father as he looked through the flyers and opened up the bills while he ate, munching away rhythmically. Just like he did every morning. He was a very predictable person.
It hadn’t taken long for Diane to know his routine by heart when she was younger. Everything had to be just so, and when she was old enough Diane looked after his needs.
She didn’t mind so much; her childhood home was warm and comfortable, and she got paid for her work as the church secretary as well as the bookkeeper for several businesses in the area.
There wasn’t much Diane wanted in her life right now if she was honest. Although she did wish that James Gilbert would do something a bit unpredictable one day. Just so she could have something interesting happen in her life.
“Oh, by the way, Diane,” Gilbert said as Diane was about to leave the room, “we need to talk about Brent.”
Diane frowned.
“Brent? Brent Maisley?”
“Yes. His mother and I were in conversations about the two of you.”
“In conversation?” Diane didn’t like the sound of that. “Father, what do you…?”
“Natasha was concerned that her son was approaching thirty, and he still hadn’t found himself a wife. That he is now showing interest in women.”
Diane could almost see where this was going. She stared at her father.
“Are you telling me that you and Mrs. Maisley were preparing to match us to each other?”
“Why not? Both of you are single, and you need a spouse.” Gilbert grunted as he sipped his coffee. “God only knows how much I’ve wanted you to find yourself a husband to settle down with, and any decent, single men in the congregations are far and few between now they’re all married.”
Diane felt a panic building in her chest. No, not this now. She had hoped to avoid this.
“Seriously, Father?”
“You’re twenty-six now, Diane. And all you care about is me and work.”
“What’s wrong with that?”
“For the most part, nothing at all,” Gilbert frowned. “But you need to be a wife and mother by now. There are classmates of yours who are married with at least two children by now. And you haven’t even thought about finding a husband.”
“Because things are really busy, Father. I don’t have time for a husband.”
“Well, it’s not that much of your time. And once you’re married…”
“Once I’m married, I won’t have time to do what I want,” Diane pointed out.
Gilbert shook his head.
“You make it sound like you’re immediately locked up in a house and refused a chance to go outside for anything.”
“It’s pretty much it.”
“You don’t lose your freedom, Diane. It’s just marriage.”
Diane didn’t see it like that. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly; she didn’t want to lose her temper now. Fixing a blank smile on her face, Diane went to her father and kissed his head.
“I’ll be at the church. Don’t forget to be there at ten-thirty.”
“You think I’m going to forget something as important as a funeral? Especially with a member of our congregation?”
“Of course not. But you know how you are with time.”
Gilbert sighed and waved her away.
“Be off with you, cheeky, and let me have my breakfast.”
Diane gladly left the room. She didn’t want to stay for much longer if talks of marriage were going to come up.
*****
“Did you sleep in the office or something, Gregory?”
Gregory looked up to see his mother, Moira Benjamin, coming into the room, carrying a cup holder with two cups of coffee, along with a small white box. The smell of freshly-baked donuts filled the air and made Gregory’s stomach grumble.
Putting down his pen, Gregory stood up and came around the desk.
“You are a lifesaver, Mom. I can’t function without my morning coffee and donuts.”
“You really need to eat healthier,” his mother said as she handed him the box. “I swear your arteries are clogged up with sludge.”
“If you didn’t want that to happen, you wouldn’t bring me this as my breakfast every morning.”
Moira sighed as she picked up her coffee cup.
“Sometimes, it’s far easier to go along with you instead of arguing.”
“And you love your donuts.”
“Unfortunately, that’s the case.”
Gregory laughed. Moira did complain about how unhealthy their diet was, but neither of them did anything about it. They did have healthy meals, just not all the time. And both of them were avid runners, so it wasn’t like they were gaining weight in front of the TV.
At fifty-nine, Moira was looking fitter than Gregory could ever look at thirty.