By ten thirty that morning, the Bellamy sisters had reached a unanimous conclusion. The new man across the street was lonely. They had absolutely no evidence to support this conclusion.
Vivian had based hers on his face. Martie had based hers on the fact that he had not yet spoken to anybody. Lou had based hers on the way he had carried a cardboard box into his house.
"What was in the box?" Martie asked. Lou shrugged. "I don't know."
"Then how do you know he's lonely?" asked Martie. "I could tell," said Lou.
"You keep saying that," laughed Martie.
Vivian poured herself another cup of coffee. "Regardless of how she knows, I agree with her."
Martie looked at both sisters. "You two have lost your minds."
"We have not," Vivian said. "A man doesn't move into a strange neighborhood at seventy-some-odd- years old unless he's looking for something."
"Maybe he's looking for a house," said Martie.
"Don't be ridiculous," sneered Vivian. Martie stared at her. "That is literally what he moved here for."
Lou giggled.
Vivian waved her hand dismissively. "The point is, he needs welcoming."
"He doesn't need us," said Martie.
"Everybody needs somebody," said Lou.
Martie looked toward the window. Across the street, Arthur Caldwell was unloading another box. "I don't think he wants anybody."
Vivian smiled. "That's why we're going to give him a welcome basket."
Martie immediately shook her head. "No."
"Why not?" said Vivian angrily.
"Because I know you."
Vivian put a hand over her heart. "That hurts."
"I've known you for seventy-eight years. You don't make a welcome basket. You make an event," quipped Martie.
Lou nodded. "She's right."
Vivian ignored them. "We'll put some biscuits in it."
"Fine."
"Some homemade peach preserves," said Vivian, thinking out loud.
"Fine."
"A pie," she continued.
Martie frowned. "What kind?"
"Chocolate."
"He's old. Maybe he has diabetes," said Martie.
"Then he'll eat a smaller piece," laughed Vivian.
Martie sighed.
Vivian continued. "A little candle."
"No," said Martie.
"Why not?"
"Because we're welcoming a neighbor, not proposing marriage."
Lou looked thoughtful. "What about a plant?"
Martie shook her head. "Absolutely not."
"Why?" asked Lou.
"Because the last plant you gave somebody died." "It was a fern."
"It was a plastic fern," sighed Lou.
"It still died," said Martie.
Vivian burst out laughing.
Lou looked offended. "It got melted."
"By what?" asked Vivian." The sun," Lou said with a sad little smile.
There was a moment of silence. Then Martie stood up. "All right. Biscuits, preserves, and pie."
Vivian smiled. "And flowers."
Martie pointed a finger at her. "Small flowers."
"Of course," agreed Vivian.
"And no wine," Martie said sternly.
Vivian's smile disappeared. "Why?"
"Because we don't know him," said Martie.
"That's exactly why we should give him wine," Vivian said with a smile.
"We're not giving alcohol to a complete stranger," snapped Martie.
Vivian folded her arms. "You're no fun."
Martie said dryly," So I've been told."
Lou was already heading toward the kitchen. "I'm going to make a card."
Martie looked alarmed. "What kind of card?"
"A nice one," said Lou.
"Define nice."
Lou disappeared into the kitchen. A moment later they heard drawers opening.Then something fell.
Then Lou said, "Well, that's unfortunate."
Martie closed her eyes. "I don't even want to know."
"You will," Vivian said.
"Why?" asked Martie.
"Because we're sisters."
Twenty minutes later, the welcome basket sat on the kitchen table. It was beautiful. It was also enormous.
There were biscuits wrapped in a tea towel, peach preserves, chocolate pie, homemade strawberry jam, flowers, a jar of pecans, and a little loaf of banana bread.
Martie stared at it. "This is too much."
Vivian adjusted the flowers. "It's Southern hospitality."
Outraged, Martie said, "It's enough food to feed a family of six."
"Then he'll have leftovers," laughed Vivian.
Lou walked in carrying the card. She handed it to Vivian. Vivian opened it. Her eyebrows rose.
"What does it say?" Martie reached for it.
Lou grabbed it back. "I want Vivian to read it."
Vivian cleared her throat.
"'Dear Mr. Caldwell. Welcome to the neighborhood. We hope you will be very happy here. If you ever need anything, please don't hesitate to ask.'"
Martie nodded. "That's good."
Vivian kept reading. "'Except money.'"
Martie looked at Lou. Lou smiled. "That was Martie's idea."
"I did not say to put it in the card," said Martie.
"You said we weren't a bank," said Lou.
"I said that to you."
"I thought it was funny," laughed Lou.
Vivian laughed. "It is."
Martie snatched the card. "We're taking that out."
"No," laughed Vivian.
"Yes," Martie demanded.
"Why?" asked Lou.
"Because it makes us sound rude."
Lou considered this. "We are a little rude."
Disgusted by this point, Martie said, "That's beside the point."
Vivian was still laughing when Lou suddenly added: "I put our phone numbers on the back."
Martie stared, aghast, "You did what?"
"In case he needs anything."
Vivian smiled. "Good thinking."
Martie looked toward the ceiling. "Lord, give me strength.
At eleven forty-five, the three sisters stood on the front porch.
The basket was in Vivian's hands. Martie was carrying the pie. Lou was carrying nothing.
"Why aren't you carrying anything?" Martie asked.
Lou looked down at her empty hands. "I forgot."
"Of course you did."
They crossed the street.
Arthur Caldwell happened to be standing in his front doorway. He saw them coming. All three. Together. Carrying food. He immediately looked as though he'd just received bad medical news.
Vivian smiled brightly. "Mr. Caldwell!"
Arthur looked behind him. There was no escape. "Yes?"
"We're your new neighbors."
"I know," Arthur blurted out.
"You do?"
"I've been watching you," he said.
The sisters stopped.
Arthur cleared his throat. "I mean, I've seen you."
Vivian smiled. "I certainly hope so."
Martie elbowed her. Vivian ignored it. "I'm Vivian Bellamy. This is my sister Martie." Martie nodded. "And that's Lou."
Lou waved. "Hi."
Arthur nodded politely. "Arthur Caldwell."
"We know," Vivian said.
Arthur's eyebrows rose.
"You do?"
Vivian paused. "Your moving truck had your name on it."
"Right," he said.
A silence fell.
Then Vivian held out the basket. "We brought you something."
Arthur looked at it. Then at them. Then back at the basket. "What is it?"
"A welcome basket."
"I see that." He didn't reach for it.
Vivian continued smiling. Martie shifted the pie from one hand to the other. Lou smiled at Arthur.
Arthur finally took the basket. It was heavier than he expected.
He looked inside. "Good Lord."
Martie smiled. "There's biscuits."
"I can see that."
"Peach preserves."
"I see those too."
"Chocolate pie." Arthur looked up. "You made all this?"
Martie nodded. "Yes."
He looked at the three women.
Something in his expression softened. Just slightly. "Thank you."
Vivian smiled. "You're welcome."
Arthur started to close the door. Then Lou said: "And if you need anything, you can call us."
Arthur stopped. "Anything?"
"Anything.”
He looked suspicious. "What kind of anything?"
Lou thought about it. "Well..."
Martie interrupted. "Normal things."
Vivian smiled. "Mostly."
Arthur looked from one sister to the next. Then he slowly shook his head. "I don't think I'm going to need anything." He closed the door.
The three sisters stood on the porch. For several seconds, nobody spoke.
Then Vivian smiled. "I think he likes us."
Martie stared at her. "He just shut the door in our faces."
"He said thank you."
Still staring, Martie said, "That's manners."
Smiling, Viviian said, "He took the basket."
"That's because you were holding it out."
Lou looked at the closed door. "I think he's going to keep the pie."
Martie smiled. "Of course he's going to keep the pie."
Lou shook her head. "No."
She turned toward the street. "I mean I think he's going to keep us."
Vivian and Martie looked at their youngest sister.
Lou shrugged. "Eventually."
Then she started walking home.
Vivian smiled.
Martie sighed.
And neither sister noticed that behind the closed door across the street, Arthur Caldwell was standing in his foyer holding the basket.
He looked down at the chocolate pie. Then at the flowers. Then at the handwritten card. He shook his head.
A tiny smile appeared at the corner of his mouth. He caught himself smiling. The smile disappeared immediately.
Arthur looked toward the window. Across the street, the three sisters were climbing back onto their porch.
He muttered under his breath: "What in the world are those women planning now?"
And for the first time since he'd arrived in town, Arthur Caldwell found himself wondering what they would do tomorrow.