The Accidental Florist

“And I no longer have to put up with Grandma Thelma. That was a huge relief.“
    “Was she giving you trouble?“
    “Lots of it. She tried to forge an addendum to your father’s will saying if I remarried, I’d cease to get my third of the pharmacy profits.“
    Mike opened his mouth and nothing came out for a minute or two. “You squashed that, I hope.“
    “I told her that if she tried to get away with it, I’d take her to court for fraud and forgery. She’d become so much more bitter and combative over the last few years.“
    “I’m glad I wasn’t around to have to endure her. She’s always been nasty to me.“
    “You, too?“
    “Because I once told her I wanted to be a plant patent attorney. She only heard the `plant’ word and jumped all over me about having nothing but a gardening job.“
    “Why didn’t you tell me this before?“
    “Because I knew you’d go ballistic.“
    Jane grinned. “I guess I would have. Let’s don’t even talk about her anymore. It’s too upsetting. You and Todd decide where you want to go for dinner. I don’t want to labor over a hot stove in this heat.“
    After Mike came home with a tux that fit perfectly without any changes, Todd and Mike decided dinner should be at an Italian restaurant. Later, when the three of them got out of the car, Jane realized that the building was huge. “Have you made reservations?“
    “Oh, Mom. We’re not stupid. It’s a huge buffet and you can choose from about fifty different things, and even go back for seconds.“
    “How did you know about this, Todd?“
    “Elliot invited me along with his family two or three weeks ago. Don’t you remember that?“
    “Sure. But you never said where you’d gone. Let’s go in. I’m starving.“
    By the time they’d eaten, Jane was stuffed to the gills. She’d started with bruschetta and a big salad with grilled chicken. Then she went back for spaghetti and meatballs, and finished with tiramisu.
    “Do they have gurney service to the curb?“ she asked her boys.
    “Probably not,“ Mike said, “but if you want we could roll you to the car.“
    When they returned home, Jane was feeling the results of eating so much. She decided to go to bed early. Tomorrow would probably be a long day.
    Unfortunately, she couldn’t get to sleep. Her stomach was hurting. So she got back up and took a few Tums. That seemed to help. And by eleven she was sound asleep. But her last thought before sleeping was that she had to be up early to go to the airport with Mike to pick up her parents. She set her alarm for seven in the morning.
    She woke moments before the alarm went off, feeling better, but not quite up to normal. She took a quick shower and dressed, then went downstairs to make a very bland, unbuttered piece of toast, and another two Turns. Soon she felt like her usual self. Perky and feeling good about what a nice day it would be, seeing her parents after a long time. Almost two years since they’d been to Chicago.
    Mike drove his mother’s Jeep, since he knew his mother hated parking at the airport. He’d just drop her off. “You have your cell phone, right?“
    “I do.“
    “And is it charged?“
    Jane gave him a slitty-eyed sideways glance. “It is.“
    “Call me when you have their luggage out the door, and I’ll cruise around until I find you.“
    Jane opened the passenger door in a distinctly huffy manner and was muttering as she walked into the airport. “Is your cell phone charged?“ Had Mike, a full-fledged adult in law school, decided that his mother was becoming a bit dotty?
    She had no ticket and wasn’t allowed to meet her parents at the plane. So she went down to the baggage area and took a paperback mystery novel out of her purse. Luckily, the plane was on time, and she kept looking up at intervals watching people coming down the escalators. Soon she spotted them and raced to the right baggage carousel. Stuff was already coming off as she hugged and kissed her mother.
    She’s gone gray, Jane thought, and it suits her with that short curly hair. Her dad waited until his wife and daughter finished hugging and gave Jane a big bear hug. “You’re looking good,“ he said. “Are you a nervous bride?“
    “Not nervous, but a bit harassed. You got my e-mails about Thelma trying to trick me and then going to a nursing home and dying?“
    “That must be a huge relief to you,“ her mother said.
    “It was. But I had to go to the funeral with Ted. Dixie wouldn’t go and