by Pat Simmons
Tabitha lowered her lashes in embarrassment for cataloging his features. Who was she kidding? Any whimsical thoughts of a relationship with any man were on hold as long as Aunt Tweet was under her care. Besides, she had to make every minute and memory count for both of them. She was making assumptions that there was mutual attraction all because of one civil conversation.
“Well, it was nice seeing you again under better circumstances.” She pivoted to continue on her mission when his deep voice stopped her.
“I see someone has a sweet tooth.” Marcus smirked, tilting his head at her cart.
“That’s Aunt Tweet’s doing.” She leaned closer. “I plan to have the cashier put most of it aside.”
“Hmm, I would never have thought of that.”
“When you’re a caregiver, you try to think of everything and be a step ahead. Sometimes”—she shrugged—“I miss the mark.” Tabitha mustered a smile. She hoped he got her hint.
* * *
A day later, Marcus opened his front door and was dumbfounded. “Really?”
Tabitha was guiding her aunt off his porch again, down his steps, back to her car. After seeing a softer side of her at the grocery store, he had mixed emotions, but he would not be swayed by a pretty face. He had to do the right thing.
“Sorry.” She seemed flabbergasted.
He crossed his arms. “I thought this wouldn’t be a recurring thing.” He expected some lame excuse about how her aunt slipped between her fingers again. The thought of her being a parent scared him. When he’d noticed Aunt Tweet by herself at the store, he grew concerned, hoping her niece was nearby. He had been relieved when he’d seen her and held his tongue, since he had no right to comment about leaving her aunt alone again because it wasn’t on his property. Now was a different story.
“Me too.” They briefly exchanged stares.
“I didn’t get it the first time your aunt found her way to my house, and now…” His nostrils flared. “If you’re unable to care for her, then let someone who can take it from here.”
She squinted. “I dare you to say I’m not responsible.”
He stepped out of his house and looked down the stairs at her. She didn’t flinch. “And I dared you not to let her out of your sight, like you did again at the grocery store. She’s not disappearing. You are.”
Tabitha gritted her teeth. She opened her mouth, then closed it. She walked away.
What was she going to say? he wondered. He stepped off the porch but didn’t trail her to her car. “Tabitha, I’m warning you. There better not be a third time or I will call 911 and have your dear, sweet aunt taken into protective custody, or one day she’s going to go missing and the results may be worse than me finding her on my porch.”
That must have struck a nerve; she spun and stormed back to him. “You think I don’t know that? What do you want me to do, put a padlock on her door?” Her nostrils flared and her beautiful eyes aimed darts his way. “One minute my aunt was asleep; the next, she’s at your doorstep.”
This woman irritated him and captivated him. He was a man with authority over seventy employees, some of whom had served time in prison, yet he had their respect. This woman didn’t seem fazed by his threats or think he meant what he said, so why was he engaging her, instead of reporting her to the authorities?
“Walk in my shoes.”
Her challenge made him glance down. The hem of her dress flowed around a nice pair of legs. He continued his appraisal until he stopped at her feet. The wind stirred, and a whiff of her perfume tickled his nose. A sense of how attractive she was brought his irritation down a notch. The sun cast a spotlight on Tabitha. Her dark-brown hair blended perfectly with the shade of her skin. That’s what he called natural beauty. She stepped back as he scanned her attire. He briefly wondered if her hidden toes were manicured. Stop ogling! he chided himself.
“I don’t know your shoe size, but if I could squeeze into them, I would still do a better job. You just don’t get it. This is my property. I’m trying to be nice about this—”
“Try harder. While you’re breathing smoke and fire, a good neighbor would be sympathetic and ask what they can do to help, but that’s a good neighbor. Now, being the responsible person I am, I’ll leave you to your tirade so I won’t be late for work.” She strutted back to her car. After helping Aunt Tweet into the passenger seat, Tabitha slid behind the wheel and drove off.
An hour later, Marcus paced the floor in his office. He was wondering if the word fool was stamped across his forehead, judging by Tabitha’s and Victor’s insulting behavior.
“So what are you going to do about this little home-invasion thing?” Demetrius snickered.
Marcus scowled. “I have no idea. Seriously, I need to call the police and at least have her put on notice about elderly endangerment.”
“But something tells me you won’t—no, you can’t. You like her.”
“Why wouldn’t I? She’s very polite, despite her neighborhood adventures. She reminds me of—”
“I know…Grans,” Demetrius said, cutting him off. “But I’m talking about the other neighbor. The gorgeous one—your description, not mine.” He held up both hands in surrender.
Huffing, Marcus didn’t reply as he stormed out of his own office. Next time, he would make the call—but he wasn’t looking forward to a next time.
Chapter 6
In hindsight, there was a reason why Tabitha had woken feeling anxious. She was exhausted, mentally and physically, and had to give Ava Elise an answer about whether she would attend a work-sponsored function the following week.
She thrived at seminars, luncheons, and other work-related gatherings. It didn’t matter that she often went solo, since most of the guys she had dated briefly in the past were too self-centered anyway to care about what mattered to her. That was why Tabitha had looked forward to Aunt Tweet’s six-month stay. The social butterfly could accompany Tabitha to those functions. That was before her aunt’s “in the blink of an eye” disappearing episodes.
“Next week, Ceyle-Norman is sponsoring a two-hour meet-and-greet with specialists to introduce our new drug to treat hyperaldosteronism,” Ava Elise said. “There are no good excuses not to be there.”
Tabitha’s interest was already piqued. She was a magnet for information, and the topic promised to be interesting. She knew that hyperaldosteronism was caused by a benign tumor on the adrenal gland and that, before this promising drug, doctors were controlling the secondary symptoms.
At her former company, she helped organized meetings throughout the year. These gatherings were key to building rapport with professionals in the medical community and learning how new medicines impacted patients’ quality of life. Tabitha sighed. If only there were a proven drug to prevent dementia symptoms instead of managing them once they manifested.
Her mind worked overtime to see how she could attend and keep an eye on Aunt Tweet. How? She was packing up her things after class, and Ava Elise strolled in her direction and took a seat. “It would be nice to have another sister present for a change, to increase the diversity at this function.”
White males dominated the field. Despite diversity programs throughout the pharmaceutical industry, blacks and other minorities had to work harder and be better than the average worker to stand out. Tabitha understood how important the strength-in-numbers support system was. She bit her lip to keep from gnawing on it. Again, how could she make it happen? “If I didn’t have my great-aunt living with me, I would be there. She’s suffering from dementia and my multitasking skills as a caregiver are being challenged in my own home. She wandered away a couple of times and that was scary. I don’t even want to think about her going missing at an event.”
Ava Elise nodded, then patted Tabitha’s hand. The gesture was comforting. “My family has been in a similar situation, so I understand your concerns. A home aide can probably watch h
er for a few hours.” They stood. “This speaker is a big, big deal. You might be the one to pitch the drug to doctors, so I strongly suggest you rework things at home for a couple of hours. You’ll want to hear what the chief surgeon and a group of endocrinologists from Barnes-Jewish Hospital’s findings are on using our new drug.”
“I know. It’s so tempting.” But an unknown home aide? Aunt Tweet was her responsibility, not a stranger’s. The temptation still lingered when she picked up Aunt Tweet from the facility and continued all evening while they watched game shows.
The last thing Ava Elise said before Tabitha left was “I’m sure you’ll make it happen.”
Tabitha had wanted to say It’s not that simple but held her tongue.
After a restless night, she had come to a decision that she wouldn’t budge on. Sacrifices were part of her life now, so for the next six months, some things would have to be tweaked or eliminated, including evening events.
Before she used the bathroom, she tiptoed to Aunt Tweet’s bedroom. Inside, it was like a whole new world compared to the rest of Tabitha’s house. The decor was Victorian influenced with vintage, dark furniture where Tabitha preferred white modern furniture in her bedroom, including wood shutters. An oversize floor rug and oil paintings gave her oasis splashes of color.
The thick curtains her aunt preferred kept the room dark day and night. Tabitha stepped closer to verify Aunt Tweet was resting peacefully and her breathing was even. Smiling, Tabitha was about to back out of the room when one of her aunt’s eyes popped open. “I’m still here.”
“Whew!” Tabitha almost jumped out of her skin. She patted her chest, trying to comfort her pounding heart. “You scared me.”
“Didn’t mean to, miss. I was just resting my eyes. I get up when the birds start chirping and fall asleep under the melody of the crickets and owls.”
“I’m Tabitha, your niece.” She didn’t add remember, because her poor aunt couldn’t.
Aunt Tweet only stared and nodded with a slight smile.
“It’s early, so you don’t have to get up yet. I’m going to take a shower, then make breakfast.”
Back in her room, Tabitha spied her powder-blue business suit hanging from a brass hook in her walk-in closet, which she’d had redesigned from a nursery off the master bedroom. The sunlight continued to brighten her room by the second, giving Tabitha a mental and physical boost. It was going to be a great day!
After her shower, Tabitha dutifully checked on her aunt, who was gone from her bedroom. “You’ve got to be kidding me.” Tabitha shook her head as she searched the entire house. She had a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach as she imagined her aunt’s whereabouts.
The good day Tabitha had hoped for turned into a nightmare. She had thought after her cordial conversation with Marcus at the grocery store—maybe even an imagined slight attraction—they had that truce he’d mentioned. Nope. This morning, he had been the same jerk she had met the first time.
Now, they were back inside the house, and Tabitha thought about indulging in a sixty-second pity party, but she didn’t have the time to spare. She would schedule that later.
Sniffing back tears of frustration, she resisted asking Aunt Tweet why she was drawn to Marcus’s house. Instead, Tabitha performed her tasks with her aunt, praying to God to tame her frustrations.
Unlike the first time Aunt Tweet went missing and Tabitha managed to get to work on time, she was an hour late this time and apologized for her tardiness, hoping she still had a job. Ava Elise graciously accepted and continued with the training. Tabitha wanted to cry. She wasn’t one for dramatics, nor was she one to feel out of control or to be tardy. Why was her aunt pulling these stunts? Were children this mischievous, because Tabitha was starting to feel like the parent.
During the class’s midmorning break, Ava Elise pulled her aside. “Walk with me.”
“Okay.” She braced for a tongue-lashing or verbal warning as she followed her trainer through the door to the campus’s courtyard.
“What happened?” Ava Elise asked softly.
Shaking her head, Tabitha could barely open her mouth before the tears flooded her face. Ava Elise guided her to a nearby stone bench surrounded by meticulous flower beds. They reminded Tabitha that she and Aunt Tweet were supposed to work in the garden and plant flowers this coming weekend.
“Here.” Ava Elisa handed her a travel-size package of tissues from her suit pocket.
Nodding her thanks, Tabitha dabbed her eyes and blew her nose.
“Take a deep breath,” Ava Elise coaxed her. “Tell me what’s going on.”
“I’m so sorry. I’ve always maintained perfect attendance. I don’t practice tardiness—”
“Hey, I’m not worried about you being late. I won’t have you sign a verbal warning. I’m concerned about you. You looked flustered when you walked in.”
“My aunt”—Tabitha swallowed the lump in her throat, conjuring up the memories—“before I showered, she was in the bed. When I finished, Aunt Tweet was nowhere to be seen and I had the hunch she had wandered to this one neighbor’s house.”
Her trainer listened patiently, even though their break time had surely ended.
“My aunt and I are still adjusting to this new phase in her life. Aunt Tweet doesn’t remember who I am at times. She might freak out with a nurse’s aide in the house and I’m not there. I can’t attend my first company function, and I can’t promise to attend the next one and the one after that.” Tabitha knew she was probably asking to be terminated, but with her qualifications, she could get another job. There would never be another Priscilla “Aunt Tweet” Brownlee.
After a moment of silence, Ava Elise spoke. “I know you made a sacrifice to take in your aunt, even on a temporary basis, but life goes on, and you’re going to have to figure out how it goes on, juggling commitments at home and work.” She stood. “Take as much as time as you need to regroup. I know you won’t have any problems catching up in class.” To Tabitha’s surprise, Ava Elise bent and snapped the stem of a tulip, lifted it to her nose, then handed it to Tabitha. “Flowers always cheer me up.”
She laughed. “I can’t believe you did that.” Her eyes widened in disbelief as they both looked around the garden area, hoping no one saw what she’d done.
“Me neither.” Ava Elise grinned. “But I won’t tell if you don’t.”
“You stuck me with the evidence, so I’m walking back inside with you.”
* * *
On Saturday morning, Tabitha woke and stretched at the foot of Aunt Tweet’s bed like a feline, then shifted on a body pillow that had been surprisingly comfortable last night. Since she couldn’t bear any more of her aunt’s daring escapes and Marcus’s wrath, this was her solution. Although she heard Aunt Tweet’s light snoring, Tabitha refused to take a shower until her aunt was awake and occupied.
After a big breakfast, Aunt Tweet helped Tabitha tidy up the kitchen. When her aunt became quiet, Tabitha glanced over her shoulder. Aunt Tweet had found an old photo album that Tabitha had tucked away and was flipping through it. Tabitha sat and rested her head on Aunt Tweet’s shoulder.
“Do you remember any of these people?” She pointed to a younger picture of her parents and Aunt Tweet.
Her aunt frowned. “That’s me…” She didn’t identify the others in the photograph. For the next half hour, Aunt Tweet’s memory faded in and out as some photos triggered recollection of antics and travels.
Late afternoon, they enjoyed the sunshine outside gardening. There was no music or conversation, just quiet time as they worked side by side. It was entertaining and relaxing until Tabitha realized her aunt was pulling up the petunias they had just planted. “No, no.” She felt as if she were scolding a kindergartener. Her frustration surfaced.
“These aren’t flowers. They’re weeds,” Aunt Tweet argued and continued undoing their tedious work.
Getting up, Tabitha dusted off her pants, then assisted her aunt to her feet. She would have to finish later, by herself. “That’s enough for one day. Let’s get cleaned up and eat.”
“I ain’t ate in a while.” A while was the light lunch they’d had a few hours earlier.
The rest of the day, they stayed inside and watched movies while Tabitha multitasked, reviewing her class notes. At about eight, her aunt retired to bed, so Tabitha returned to her patio and replanted the flowers that had been unearthed and finished planting the others. It was ten thirty by the time she had completed her task and watered her efforts. Turning off the lights, she climbed the stairs, checked on her elderly relative, then relaxed in the bathtub filled with bubbles. Tonight, she would sleep in her own bed.
The next morning, Tabitha felt someone nudging her from her sleep. Her sore muscles protested the interruption, so she snuggled deeper under the covers.
“I’m ready, sweetie,” a voice echoed in the room.
Springing up, she blinked until a familiar face came into focus. Aunt Tweet was fully dressed with her purse dangling from her arm.
She yawned. “Ready for what?”
“Church,” Aunt Tweet said as if it were obvious.
Whew. She’d thought her aunt was asking for permission to leave for Marcus’s house. This was an easy one. “We don’t go.”
Aunt Tweet frowned. “My church is across the street from where I work.”
What was she talking about? Her aunt had been retired for more than twenty years. Maybe she was referring to Bermuda Place as her job, which would make sense, since she had gone there every day that week.
If there was a church nearby, Tabitha hadn’t given it a second glance. Besides, she was drained. Her body craved sleep and relaxation. Wasn’t Sunday a day of rest anyway? She floated back to her pillow. “Let’s do a rain check, please.”
“Tabitha Faye Knicely, if you don’t get out of that bed, I’ll drive myself.”
Tabitha sprang forward again. Aunt Tweet had said her full birth name. She was about to celebrate the baby step when she realized her aunt also knew how to drive. It was where she could end up that concerned Tabitha, so she wasn’t about to call her bluff. “Give me an hour.”
