Invasives

Mary Herlihy pulled the last weed and stood to examine her flower beds. Neat rows of tulips and daffodils bloomed in the Northern Virginia sun. Behind them a mass of pink and white azaleas stood before the red brick walls of her home. Things looked fine—she hoped. Company was coming, and she wanted her home to look like a place where people cared, where they cared about their daughter and always would.

Linda Adams came striding down the street. “Hello Mary, so today’s the big day.”

Something about Linda always made Mary uncomfortable. Maybe it was her searching gaze that said she wanted to know all your business. “Yup, Erin’s fiancé comes tonight. She went to Arizona and brought back an Arizonan. Really eager to meet him.”

“I hope he works out better than the last husband. What do you know about him?” If Linda could remind you of something bad, she did. 

“They met at work. He’s a manager at the resort she works for.” 

“Indian casino, isn’t it? He’s a Navaho or something?”

Mary found the “or something” annoying. “Native American, not sure what tribe.”

“I’ll want all the details about how it goes. You can tell me at the service project. You haven’t forgotten that have you?” 

“The bike path at 9 AM, I’ll be there.” She was happy to help with the project, but she wished it didn’t involve another interrogation by Linda. 

“Good, we have a particularly nasty invasive to clear out, and we need a lot of helpers. Maybe the happy couple would like to join?”

“Maybe.” Mary wanted to end the conversation. “Sorry to run off, but I’ve got to get things ready for tonight.”

As Mary walked into the house, she reflected on how little she knew about her daughter’s fiancé. He was eight years older than Erin. Was that large an age difference a problem? And their backgrounds, so different. He’d been raised by his mother on the reservation where she still lived. Mary had spoken to the woman by phone but not learned much. 

But she had known more about Erin’s first husband, and it hadn’t helped. A boy from the neighborhood, sandy-haired, handsome, polite, well-spoken, and a CPA—she had no reason to warn her daughter. Six months into the marriage, Mary had seen the bruises. She tried to put those thoughts away as she got things ready. Soon the good China and crystal sparkled on the dining room table, and the smell of the roast she was cooking filled the house. 

Steve, her husband, watched through the window. His gray hair was neatly combed, and he wore his favorite red plaid shirt. His face showed that, like her, he was a bit nervous, but a wide smile spread across it when he called out, “They’re here!”

Mary watched as Erin pulled her rental car up in front of the house. Erin had rejected Mary’s offer to let her and her fiancé stay with them. Erin said they’d be more comfortable in a hotel, but that was probably because she knew Mary wouldn’t let them sleep together. Erin got out of the driver’s side. She wore a light blue summer dress. A man in khaki slacks and a light green button-down shirt got out of the passenger side. That had to be Joseph. Mary was surprised at how tall he was—several inches taller than Erin. He walked around the car to where Erin stood, stroked her arm a few times, and said something to her. They joined hands and started up the walk. 

Mary followed Steve to the front door. He threw it open and yelled, “That’s our daughter!” Steve and Erin hugged, then Erin said, “Dad, this is Joseph Ogo.” 

Steve shook the younger man’s hand vigorously. “Great to meet you, come in, come in.” 

It was Mary’s turn to hug Erin. Her daughter looked healthier than when she had seen her last. Erin had lost a little weight, and her fair skin was as tan as it ever could be. She put her arm around her fiancé. “Mom, this is Joe.” 

Joe put his hand out. “So nice to meet you.” He sniffed the aroma of the roast. “Dinner smells great.”

Mary studied the man as she shook his hand. He was handsome with large eyes and high cheekbones. His jet-black hair was cut conservatively and parted to the side. His skin had a dark coppery tone that suggested he’d spent a lot of time in the sun. “Thanks, it’s not ready yet, so come into the family room and make yourselves comfortable.”

They sat on the flowered sofa, and Mary put a tray of cheese and crackers on the coffee table in front of them. Steve got them drinks: beer for him, coke for Joe, Pinot Noir for Erin and Mary. The parents sat in armchairs, and Mary asked about the wedding plans. 

Erin sounded like she had a prepared response. “It’s hard for Joe’s mother to travel, so we’ll get married on the reservation near Prescott. There’s a beautiful place, a meadow with majestic mountains in the background. One of the tribal elders will say the ceremony.”

Mary had been hoping for a church and a priest, but she just said, “Sounds wonderful.”

Joe took a cracker, no cheese. “We’ll get married right at sunset, when the mountains will seem to glow, and Erin will outshine them.” 

Erin squeezed his hand. “Flatterer. Since we’re not getting married until October 23, the Arizona heat won’t be too bad.” 

Steve chuckled. “Don’t worry about that, we have heat here too—wet heat, it’s worse.” 

Mary went to the kitchen to check on the roast, then told them all to move to the dining room. Dinner was served. As always, Steve and Mary first said grace. Joe bowed his head but didn’t fold his hands together. 

As they filled their plates, Steve asked, “So what were you two doing today?”

Joe smiled. “Erin took me over to Washington D.C. for some sightseeing.”

“Had you been there before?”

“No, first time. I really enjoyed it.”

Erin patted her fiancé’s arm. “What Joe wanted to see the most were the moon rock and the Hope Diamond.” 

 “I must have a thing for rocks.” Joe laughed.

Steve shook his head ruefully. “I never saw the Hope Diamond. It’s the old story. We live right across the river from things tourists travel miles to see, and we never get around to seeing them.”

They were all silent for a moment, then Mary said, “We’re looking forward to seeing where you live when we come out for the wedding.” 

“It’s a great place Mom, the scenery is like nothing we have here.”

Joe brightened. “Do either of you play golf? We have an excellent course at the resort, and sometimes employees and their families can play at a discount.” 

Steve said, “Mary and I never got into golf.”

“Maybe you should try it, Dad. Joe’s gotten me playing, and I’m loving it even though I’m not very good.”

“Don’t let her fool you. She’s really good.” 

“No I’m not.”

Joe patted her leg. “I have to look sharp, or you’ll beat me.” Erin grinned at him. 

Silence fell for a minute or two, then Steve said, “Joe, Erin told me you went to Arizona State.”

“I did, both undergrad and for my MBA.”

“If we’re out there in the fall, could we see the Sun Devils play football?”

Joe thought for a moment. “Possibly. I don’t really follow the team, and I’m not sure how available tickets are. I’ll check.” 

For a moment, everyone was quiet. Joe said, “This roast is delicious, Ms. Herlihy. I see where Erin gets her cooking skills.”

“Thank you, Joe, I’m glad you like it.” Mary wondered if the compliment was sincere. Probably, Joe was eating a lot. 

Another pause in the conversation. Mary wanted to fill it. “Our neighborhood association is having a service project tomorrow. We’ll pull invasive plants from the area around the bike path.”

Steve shook his head. “Count me out. I’ve got my own yard to work in.”

Erin half frowned. “Linda Adams again, I bet. She’s the great expert on what plants belong and what don’t.” 

“Yup, she came by earlier looking for volunteers. Do you think she should leave the plants alone?” 

Erin took a breath. “Not necessarily. Some invasives will drive out native plants, and that should be stopped, but some can be good. Ms. Adams interferes whether she should or shouldn’t.”

Joe looked over at Erin. “Maybe we should volunteer? You could tell her if she’s pulling the right thing.”

“Linda Adams doesn’t want advice from me.” 

Mary thought that if they came, it would give her more time to spend assessing Joseph. “We’d love to have you!”

Erin grimaced. “But Joe, don’t you want to see more of Washington? Not fair to make you pull our neighborhood weeds.”

Joe reached over and stroked Erin’s arm. “It’d give me a chance to meet your neighbors, see more of where you grew up. Sounds like a great idea.”

“Yeah, OK.” Erin sounded resigned, not pleased. 

After Erin and Joe went back to their hotel, Steve sat on the sofa and turned on the baseball game. Mary sat beside him and put her hand on his arm. “So what do you think about Joe?”

“He thinks well of himself. He made sure to let us know he had an M-B-A.”

“He wants to make a good impression. Still his background is so different from hers. And the age difference.”

Steve frowned a little. “If she marries him, she’ll never move back here. That’s for sure. But she loves him, that’s what matters.”

Mary squeezed his arm a little tighter. “That’s not enough. Will he love her? Respect and support her? She thought she loved the last one too. . .”

He shrugged. “She’s older now, and he seems level-headed. We just have to hope.”

Mary sighed. “Yes, just hope.” 

The next day Mary met Joe and Erin at the bike path. Mary hugged them both. They had put on bug repellent, and its odor mixed with the sweet scent of the park’s wildflowers. The early May day was mild, and the sky was a pure blue. Mary was glad Joe would see Virginia’s weather at its best. 

She introduced Joe to Linda, who flashed a toothy smile. “Oh I remember Erin from when she was a little girl. So you’re her new fellow. I heard you’re a native American. Are you a Navaho?”

“No, my tribe is the Yavapai.”

“I thought the big tribe in Arizona was the Navaho.”

Joe frowned just a little. “There are a lot of us too.”

A few more people arrived, and Linda had everyone gather in a semicircle. “Thank you for coming. As you all know, if we don’t do something about invasives, they’ll crowd out our native plants.” She looked around her audience to make sure everyone was paying attention then held up a plant. “What we’re after today is garlic mustard. You’ll know it by the long stem, small white flower, and heart-shaped leaves with serrated edges. It grows in both shady and sunny areas. Give a gentle pull near the ground and the roots should come up easily. Leave what you pull in piles next to the bike path and someone will pick it up later.”

As they fanned out down the path, Mary heard Joe whisper to Erin, “Should it be pulled?”

“Yup, it takes over places because its roots exude something that suppresses other plants. Particularly bad if it’s new to an area and the other species haven’t adapted to it.”

He put his arm around Erin. “Garlic mustard, is it edible?”

“You could, but traditionally it was used more as an antiseptic. Wild mustard has a better flavor. Also you need to harvest it earlier in the year. Harvest it now and the leaves will be too tough.”

Linda was only a step in front of them and overheard. She turned around. “So how do you know so much about it? Are you a botanist?” 

Erin shrugged. “No, but I’m interested in plants, particularly the ones we could eat but usually don’t.”

Joe looked admiringly at Erin. “She could be a botanist, she knows so much.”

“I learned a lot of it from your mother and her friends.” Erin gave Joe a little hug.

He turned back to Linda. “Knowing plants helps with her work in our kitchen. She finds unusual ingredients to add to our restaurant menus. We can offer dining experiences other places can’t.”

Linda wrinkled her nose in surprise. “Work in the kitchen! You mean after all those years in college you’re a cook? I-”

“Not cook, chef.” Joe’s voice carried a definite note of irritation. “Very different. A chef is a leader in the kitchen. Erin’s our sous-chef, second in command. She keeps the staff doing its best, trains new staff, and makes sure our customers get great meals every time. You have to deliver that to get them to come back, and without repeat customers, a resort can’t survive.” He looked at Erin. “And she’s creative enough to develop new menu ideas, which means she’ll be an executive chef soon.” 

Linda said, “How interesting” and walked a little slower. She wasn’t near them when the threesome stopped by some small white flowers. Mary bent down and grabbed some garlic mustard near the ground. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Erin throw her arms around Joe and give him a long kiss. Mary smiled to herself. Her new son-in-law would work out.