The Benefaction of Broadway Grace

Lorraine’s mother-in-law wasn't just hurtful. Rather, she hid her disdain for her son's wife right out in plain sight within words that almost sounded like praise.

"I certainly never said you were like my Aunt Grace. You, my simple Lorainne, are the absolute reincarnation of my Aunt Martha, bless her soul. As simple and as pretty as she was worthless. My son would have been lucky to snag a girl like old Grace. No, you are an Aunt Martha."

She thought that after almost ten years of marriage she should know better than to let any comment of her husband's mother get under her skin. Nonetheless, her words stung. She was absolutely sure it was beloved Aunt Grace, who she knew her mother-in-law idolized, that she had compared her to. It wasn’t Aunt Martha. Lorraine knew this really was trivial but for her, it meant she would have no sleep that night.

In the morning she just couldn't help herself. She didn't want to start another fight with her husband but she let him have it over breakfast anyway. It was his mother after all. He should be the one keeping her at bay.

"She's never going to change. You just need to put up with it." Almost immediately David realized that once again, he had said exactly the wrong thing. In a vain attempt to save himself he added, "I mean, she may be my mother but that doesn't change the fact that she's a nasty, mean old lady."

Lorraine knew he was trying, even if he was terrible at it.

"David, you believe me, right?"

"About what, um, exactly?" She could tell he was terrified to say the wrong thing.

"That at least one time your mother said something nice about me? Even more, she said it directly to me."

"She loves you! And she says nice things about you all the time! Why, there was that, um, that one time after the, um, thing where ---"

"I'm talking about your Great-Aunt Grace! It was her, not Martha. It was Grace she said I reminded her of. It was Grace."

David honestly had no idea what to say because he simply didn’t know what she was talking about it. He resorted to his usual defense tactic.

"I love you", he said.

"I know that. But, I want you to know ---"

"That it was Grace", they said in unison.

Minutes later, he announced he was going to be late for work if he didn’t leave right now and just like that, Lorraine was alone. Now that she had the house to herself, she did what she always did. After taking the dogs outside, the three of them went back to bed.

Back under the warmth of her favorite blanket, she attempted to read but found her thoughts too distracted.

Even though her husband hadn't helped, she knew that in a way he was right. No one could control what that old bat said. Lorraine also knew that only she had the power to let anything she said get to her. Nevertheless, at least this one time, she needed her mother-in-law to know that she was right. She needed this little victory.

She also needed David to understand why this was so important - and to believe her. Of course, she knew he believed her but he needed her to believe-believe her.

She knew she was right. At least, she was pretty sure she was right.

As she tossed her book onto the bedside table, she suddenly realized that in her frustration she had not journaled the night before. Now she was even angrier. Her mother-in-law had cast her out of one of her holy routines.

Sitting up, she grabbed her little black book from under her pillow. Then it hit her. She realized she had her proof. She jumped up so quickly that the dogs started barking, thinking something must be happening. Something was happening! Lorraine pulled open a drawer in the nearby dresser where meticulously lined up was a lifetime of journals. There were dozens of little black books, organized and labeled with dates going back to when she had been a little girl.

She found it quickly, the journal from just two years before. Each page was dated so she easily found the page she needed. She read what she had written:

Myrtle was actually nice to me today. It was at Nikki’s house. I'm still so surprised she asked me to help organize the party for Noah's christening. I'm even more surprised she let me run with it and handle the entire thing. Anyway, when Myrtle saw the decorations and the hors d'oeuvres, I could see right away that she was impressed. Without any prompting from me (not much anyway) she said and I quote, "Lorraine, you really do know how to throw a party. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you took after my favorite Aunt. My mother's sister Grace could throw a party, let me tell you. She would plan every detail and everything was always top-notch."

I had never heard her talk about her Aunt Grace so when I asked some questions I was surprised she was willing to tell me more.

“She was beautiful. Probably the most beautiful woman I ever knew. She acted on Broadway for a time, you know. When she finally settled down and married, she became the toast of the town. Those parties! I was very young but oh how I can still remember the dancing and the orchestras. She could have done amazing things if she wanted to but of course, she made her fortune the old-fashioned way, by marrying into it. Like you did. Not that you two are rich but that's on you, darling. If you worked maybe you could both afford that European vacation you're always talking about.”

I asked David on the drive home for any stories he might have about his Great-Aunt but he seemed surprised to even hear that he had an Aunt who had been on Broadway or the toast of anything.

I’ll never understand his family.

She had the thought that there was more to this that she wasn’t remembering. She flipped the journal forward, skimming as she did so, eventually stopping at a point a couple of weeks later when Myrtle had come to visit.

Tonight, I just couldn’t help myself. After dinner, I gathered up the courage to ask Myrtle some more questions about her Aunt Grace. After a few glasses of wine I made my attack -- and it worked!

I didn’t really get any new information but then she did something amazing. She said that she had something of Aunt Grace’s, a very special item, and that she wanted me to have it! She said she would come by sometime tomorrow and give it to me.

Am I actually excited for my mother-in-law to visit again?!?

She was certain Myrtle never gave her any gift. After a while, she apparently forgot about it completely.

She had found her proof!

When her husband got home from work later she knew he was hungry and tired from his long day but she needed to talk about this now, goddammit!

She sat him down in the living room and made him read the journal entries himself. Afterwards, he was quiet and pensive. She knew this was how he got when he was angry.

They had a nice dinner together and she enjoyed herself, a weight having been lifted off of her.

Later, in bed, he said simply, "You know I believed you, right?"

"I know but now I know that you believe-believe me."

The next day, after her morning routine, she laid down in bed to read again but instead ended up taking one of those mid-morning naps that she loved so much.

At some point while she was deeply asleep, she was awakened. Her husband had come home.

“I don't have much time", he said. "I need to get back to the office but I have something for you”. He laid down next to her, obviously unconcerned for once about wrinkling his suit.

Out of a tattered old envelope he pulled a beautiful gold chain. At its center was an ornate twist of what looked like platinum or silver, mounted with what seemed like a million sparkling jewels. She didn’t usually go for anything this ostentatious but she liked this. She liked it a lot and not just because of how it looked. She wanted to ask questions but he quickly hushed her with a kiss.

“I visited my mom today. Let's just say, I reminded her of a few things. She said this is just old costume jewelry but I know it meant something to her. More importantly, it meant a lot to her Aunt Grace who she told me you're more like than she cares to admit."

She was so full of love for him at that moment that she wanted to punch him square in his stupid face. Worse, he continued being stupidly wonderful by saying even more nice things.

“You're more than my wife and my best friend, honey. You're the most awesome person I know. I love you.”

She lay in bed for a long while after he left but this time wide awake. It was a good thing she had another little black book ready to go because the latest was nearly full, especially after the many pages she was about to add with today's entry.

It was a few days later as she was looking at the necklace again that she couldn't help but think that those sparkles shone just a little too bright. She had a friend from college who bought jewelry at estate sales and sold them online. She knew she made a killing doing it so she must know something about old jewelry. She texted her and they agreed to meet for lunch.

Her friend dribbled wine down the front of her blouse when she saw the necklace.

“Lorraine, Do you know what you have? This is a Vernacci original! This is worth a lot of money. Where did you get this?”

She told her the entire story over lunch and being part of her tribe, a true friend, a soul mate, she understood completely. She too had her own mother-in-law problems. As they enjoyed their lunch, Lorraine couldn’t remember the last time she laughed this much. It probably wasn’t since the last time they were together.

Over a shared plate of cherry cheesecake, Lorraine asked, “Can you sell this for me?"

Her friend nodded as she scooped up the last bite of cake.

“Lorraine, this is easily worth twenty thousand dollars on the open market. You can hold out for more if you want but I know someone who will pay that right now.”

They sat in silence for a moment, grinning at each other. Her friend asked, “Lorraine, are you sure you want me to sell this?”

Lorraine smiled and her friend knew immediately her answer.

That night, Lorraine reminded her husband that their tenth wedding anniversary was coming up and that maybe this would be a perfect time for them to take that huge vacation they'd always talked about.

He did his usual panicky stammering about money and work and bonuses. This time it was her turn to hush him with a kiss.

“I got this”, she told him. “Of course, I'll plan and organize the whole thing but this time I'll pay for it, too.”

She relished every bit of the surprise that oozed from his face and added, “Let's just say, maybe your mother isn't so bad after all.”