Cat Tracks
an excerpt

The next day was Sunday which dawned brilliantly with birds chirping, the humidity had been washed away and the tourists would be rampant. It was Ivy's only real day at home outside of church. Sometimes Ivy, her merchant side, regretted not being open on Sundays, just for the sales.

Nat was staying at her apartment over the summer, she had a fulltime "summer" job along with all of her friends so Ivy only saw her infrequently at this point. On Nat's last visit, she seemed in a hurry to get away. Ivy wasn't really sure if it was Mike's presence in the house or not, Nat didn't give much away about her feelings for Mike. She seemed glad that he was there and that her mother wasn't alone in the house, a constant worry it seemed for Nat since "she" wasn't there to protect her mother which Ivy thought was kind of funny, but in a strange way, Ivy also understood her daughter.

When you weren't with someone you loved, you always felt they were safer if you were with them, no matter how much protection you could physically provide. That was it pretty much in a nutshell.

After she and Mike attended church, they were walking home and by "Tidewater Treasures" and noticed the OPEN sign. It stopped them both in their tracks. The shop was full of people, just as the sidewalk was.

Ivy reached for the door, but Mike held it open for her. Before she could go in, two patrons stopped her, "I'm so glad you are now open on Sundays, it's our only day to shop," said the couple on their way out. Ivy could only goggle at them and worked her way inside only to find Nat behind the counter busily ringing up sales beaming from ear to ear. It was funny too, Pandora had found her way out of the house again and was curled up in her chair.

Ivy turned to Mike, speechless, then back to Nat who hadn't seen them yet. Ivy just stood back and watched while the crowd thinned out before the next rush began. Nat was a natural, she handled it all, just as she always had when she was with Ivy. Her confidence and brilliant smile garnered extra sales as she showed two other shoppers some hidden treasures for their pleasure which they promptly snapped up delighted with their purchases hustled out of the store.

Ivy stepped forward catching Nat's eye, "What brings you home and what prompted you to open the store?" asked Ivy.

Nat wasn't surprised to see her mother, "I thought you'd be by soon," said Nat smiling brilliantly. "I told you that you should be open on Sunday, closing the shop on Mondays instead. Just look at the sales! The day-trippers spend so much on Sundays!"

Ivy couldn't help but smile back at Nat, "So what, did you come down early this morning? You didn't stop at home. And how did Pandora get here?"

"I just pulled up here and opened at 8 AM, you know it's not a long drive from my apartment off campus. I went to bed early, I got off work there early and decided to come up. Besides, I want some crabs, they are having the 'feast' later today. You didn't think I'd miss the first one of the season did you? I also wanted to show you what would happen if you opened up on Sundays. Isn't that right Mike?" asked Nat as she pulled Mike in to defend her.

Mike couldn't resist, as much as he knew about human nature, most of it he loathed, he knew Nat adored her mother and had certainly proven her point. "Of course Nat."

The town "feast" and all comers was going to begin at 1 PM – until, well, until the town's sidewalks rolled up. It was held at the small, memorial park at the center of town. It was hosted by the oldest seafood restaurant in town, and while many had sprung up, some on the more elite side, the "Snapping Crab" had been around for many decades and knew how to steam a good crab and not boil it to death. They had the perfect balance of water to cider vinegar, salt, and Old Bay. Together with the town officials who were to help serve it up, they had pulled together both of the prominent churches in town, the Episcopal church, which took most of the town's center with it's towering gray edifice and most of it's population, but also St. George's Lutheran more modest brick church across the street. Together, "the church ladies" worked in tandem twice a year on these feasts. One early in the season, this one, and one in late August. It helped to bring the town more funds into its coffer. The early one was the least profitable, as in August they had the regatta races on the Miles River, that brought even more of the boating crowd.

Picnic tables had been brought from all over and lined up, then covered in long stretches of brown paper on rolls. Rolls of paper towels and plastic cups filled with melted butter, cider vinegar, and Old Bay were strategically placed about with the "bangers" and cheap plastic knives. The real pickers brought their own picking knives and the "all-you-can-eat" feast including either soda, iced tea, or draft beer from one of the many kegs set up was $25 a head in advance or $35 at the gate. Many came from the gate and the profits were high. The menu was hot steamed crabs, straight from the Miles and only the Miles, the sweetest, most succulent of all the Bay, with freshly steamed white Queen corn in the husk, special cubes of 'sweet, wet cornbread' from a secret recipe, and baskets of Maryland-style fried chicken for those who didn't like crabs.

Believe it or not, most folks could only eat so much and as most of everything was donated except for the crabs, and all the help was volunteer, the town made a tidy profit.

Ivy hadn't planned on attending but Mike waved three tickets beneath her nose, one for Ivy, Nat, and himself. Ivy turned to Nat who winked at her mother before moving out from behind the counter to close up. They'd done more sales in the last four hours the shop had been open than in the last two days. Pandora leaped down to leave with them.

"But we don't have our knives," started Ivy in a fluster.

Nat just laughed, "Look Ma! I didn't forget!" Nat waved both their special knives, two gifted to her from Granny Gert, that she kept sharpened just for crab pickin'.

"Well, then, I guess we have quite the feast to attend," said Ivy as she turned to Mike, "I don't have a knife for you. Did you want me to get you one from inside, we have a few, but they aren't very sharp," asked Ivy.

Mike smiled wickedly at her, the heat of his gaze seared her to the core, causing Ivy to catch her breath. "I think we'll manage," said Mike.

They stopped by Ivy's house and let poor Hercules out for a run. He was worried to death after being all by himself. After running to the back of the yard and doing his business, and stopping three or four times on the way back to mark everything he could, he found Pandora. He barked loudly and joyfully, charging her before stopping and slathering the poor cat with drooling wet lab kisses. Pandora hissed at him to stop, her back totally arched, but that didn't put off Hercules. He'd eaten her poop after all, he thought Pandora was a goddess from on high.

Nat slipped inside and dragged her laundry in behind her starting a load she'd retrieve later. Her giggles over the dog and cat were heard throughout the house.

It didn't take long for Nat to return. Mike couldn't bring the boisterous dog with them, but Ivy knew Pandora would come with them no matter what, she couldn't explain it and didn't even try as Mike found a long tether for Hercules at the front of his workshop in the backyard. He could run for the afternoon, but he couldn't trust him to stay away from park and all that food.

They also thought the better of going to the feast in the Sunday clothes and took the time to change into casual jeans, t-shirts, and sneakers. Suddenly Ivy was starved and eager to go. With Nat and Mike, the threesome appeared a perfect family, filled with smiles and teasing as they turned in their tickets at the table entrance. There were lots of smiles and hellos as they walked through the throng of picnic tables set up, but Harry waved them over to join Lois and Johnny.

Johnny hadn't seen Nat in a while and was nearly goggle-eyed over the changes in her. He still remembered her as a freshman in high school when he was graduating. They immediately started catching up and rehashing the old dramas they shared in high school.

Soon the trays of food were delivered and after some serious eating was done by all, the crab picking slowed and conversation resumed. Nat ended up helping Johnny clean his crabs, showing what she felt was the proper way, nearly playing teacher with him. Johnny was a good student, a little bashful growing up in a waterfront area and not knowing the proper way to pick a crab. It gave Nat the giggles that became infectious, soon the entire table was laughing. It was a beautiful day, clear skies, the bugs weren't bad, low humidity, the food was great, and the company couldn't have been better.

It was one of those afternoons that was golden. All was right with the world and with everyone else. The general consensus from the town was smiling upon the pairing of Ivy and Mike, nothing snide was being commented upon, at least within earshot. Their now regular visitation to the Episcopal Christ Church each Sunday together was nodded at. They were now considered a couple with the full blessings of the town. There weren't even nasty whispers about them sharing the same house without the sacraments of the marriage bond. And in this town, Cromwell Corners, that was difficult.

Doc Bennett, down from Easton stopped by for a visit, as did Nelson from the American Store, trying hard not to gawk at Nat. Nelson blushed furiously, his always evident adam's apple bobbing in his discomfiture, as Johnny slid a little closer, more proprietary about Nat. Finally, Old George came wandering over and took up a space, calling to the matrons to bring him some crabs. He settled in on the other side of Mike smiling, knowing while he'd lost his best boat help, he was happy for Mike, thinking he'd found something better for himself.

Finally, Marcus wandered over and took up the end space on the other side of Johnny, who was at first very nervous, finally relaxed knowing that Marcus was not only a friend, but wasn't there the stare at him as if he had a third eye or something. Their table was now filled with family, friends, and lots of laughter. Then the hours wound down until it was getting to dusk. People ate their fill and left, some lingered, chatted and gossiped, and spent time with friends the winter had kept apart. It was a true town sort of reunion.

No one seemed to care that Pandora was with Ivy. Pandora had hopped out of Ivy's oversized purse and sedately sat beside Ivy between her and Mike. She didn't try to take food from the table or walk on it. Ivy picked her plenty of crab meat and Pandora ate it greedily but didn't try to take or intrude on the humans at the table. Ivy asked for a separate glass of water for Pandora, no one made a nasty comment about the cat within earshot. Half the town already knew Ivy was now never without Pandora, many admired the stately, well-behaved, and stunningly beautiful feline. She charmed all who saw her, her poise required it.

Just as it was time to go, while Harry, Mike, Marcus, Old George, and Johnny were holding a heated debate over relative horsepower about the latest new cars, especially the reproduction of the Dodge Charger, how slick its lines were, its new hemi engine and just how powerful it was. Lois and Ivy took the lead, Nat picked up on it and began to clear off the table, to the relief of the matrons. Theirs would be one less table to clear and clean up.

They were a diverse group, leaving the "feast," they headed over to Ivy's house, stopping at the pub for a 30-pack of beer, and then Nelson slipped across the street to the American Store before it closed and picked up a big bag of frozen hot wings, some celery hearts, and some fresh blue cheese dressing. Old George was right in there behind Nelson picking up some Club Crackers and Cracker Barrel cheeses, his favorites, the black label and the Vermont extra sharp Green label, and Lois did the same. Lois knew how the men went straight for the protein and the cheeses, she hit the deli department and bought up the last fresh vegetable tray and three kinds of dip, along with three bags of fresh lemons, knowing at Ivy at least had tea at the house. They were going to have to counter some of the alcohol as the party was going to continue at Ivy's house.