Glue, Baby, Gone

by Joanna Campbell Slan

  Detweiler sank down into a kitchen chair. After running his hands through his hair several times, he said, “Brawny, you should have told me about this.”

  “I tried. You were not hearing me.”

  “Time out.” I used my hands to make the universal sports signal. “This isn’t about blame. It’s about helping Kiki.”

  Detweiler nodded, but I could see the frustration in his face. “She’s my whole world, Cara. This injury and the situation with Prescott, well, I’ve been distracted. I figured we were making an adjustment. As a family. I know she pushes herself. I told myself to give it time. I guess I messed up.”

  I reached for his hand. “Look, buddy, you did not mess up. You’re adjusting, too. You guys have been through more in the short time you’ve know each other than most couples go through in a lifetime. Be kind to yourself. Now, here’s my plan…”

  We’d agreed that they’d support me in taking Kiki to the doctor’s office when the back door flew open. Hadcho blew in on a gust of frigid air, greatly at odds with the fury in his flint hard eyes. After the door slammed shut behind him, he kicked the side of the nearest kitchen cabinet.

  “Temper, temper.” I wagged a finger at him.

  Detweiler got to his feet. “Decaf coffee? Chamomile tea? Obviously, you don’t need anything to get you more cranked up.”

  With a complicated shrug, Hadcho slipped off his beautiful coat. I’d never seen him drape it over a chair. Instead he always walked to the coat closet and neatly lined up the shoulder seams as he hung it on a wooden hanger. But not today. Today, he didn’t seem to care.

  “Prescott is steaming mad about the Gossages appealing to the public. Calls are flooding in, and he’s angry about having to pay to have the phones covered.”

  CHAPTER 34

  Okay, I’d gotten Detweiler and Brawny on board. Detweiler was going to do everything possible to meet us at the doctor’s office, but I decided we shouldn’t count on it. He agreed. “It would be better to surprise her, than to disappoint her.”

  But how was I going to handle my friend? Kiki had suggested last night that she wouldn’t have time for “girl talk.” Had that been a subtle code for, “I don’t want to visit my ob/gyn”?

  I wasn’t sure, but I would not take no for an answer. My greatest liability in life has been my horrible temper. My second biggest problem is my stubborn streak. I come by that naturally. Poppy, my mother’s father, could make Monroe, the donkey, seem like a well-trained dog. My grandfather would dig his heels in, drag himself through the mud, and fight you tooth and nail, if he didn’t want to go along with you. The mixed metaphors were wholly appropriate because my grandfather defied all attempts to characterize his willful nature. When it came to stubborn, Poppy was in a league of his own.

  And I was his granddaughter, so being tenacious came naturally to me.

  Rather than fight with Kiki over breakfast, I said nothing about her alterations to our agenda. While Brawny made waffles, Kiki poured orange juice, and I encouraged Erik and Anya to eat. While they finished up, the nanny took a quick shower. On the pretext of getting dressed myself, I went upstairs with the kids. Erik wanted to show me his room, and that gave me a good reason to help him get his clothes on. I was encouraging Erik to pick out a pair of socks when Brawny came in and asked for my iPhone. In hushed tones, she programmed in her phone number. “Call me if the appointment runs late. I will pick up the children from school, but I can go by the store and start the crop. Or help Margit if need be.”

  She took the kids to CALA, the Charles and Anne Lindbergh Academy. Considering that Kiki had concerns about working a doctor’s appointment into her busy schedule, she seemed strangely unhurried. She took her time getting dressed. Kiki nursed Ty, changed him, and settled him in a baby play pen. Gracie was stretched out on the floor, right next to her young master, with her blocky head resting on her paws.

  “She is totally smitten by that baby,” said Kiki.

  That baby? This did not sound like my old friend Kiki Lowenstein. Or my newly married pal, Kiki Lowenstein-Detweiler for that matter.

  Kiki went on talking about her son. “He makes a sound and she’s right there by his cradle. He cries and she howls. Honest to Pete, that dog has fallen hard for the baby.”

  That baby and now the baby? Wow. Her lack of attachment scared me. I felt sick with worry, but I couldn’t let her see how concerned I was. I couldn’t risk making a tough situation worse.

  “That’s good, isn’t it? My Chihuahua Jack raises a ruckus when anyone comes up my drive. I like having a doggy alarm system. Makes it highly unlikely that some creep can sneak into your house.”

  “Highly unlikely? I’d say it’s darn near impossible. Gracie would tear him limb from limb. She’s even been known to growl at the plumber. That’s a new trick for her. Usually, once I let a workman in, she’d do everything but dance on her hind legs to get his affection. But now? Since the baby has arrived? She actually snarled at a pizza delivery guy. I had to take her into Anya’s bedroom and lock her up. She had that guy shaking like a kite in a strong wind.”

  Around ten, Brawny returned from dropping off the older kids. “I guess I’d better get to work,” Kiki said.

  I offered to drive. We were in my car and I was pulling onto the street when Thelma Detweiler turned onto my empty spot. I politely rolled down my window. “Hi, Thelma,” I said with the cheeriest voice I could muster.”

  Her normally pleasant face pinched with worry. A woven wool scarf in shades of brown was tucked into her tan car coat. She wasn’t wearing a hat. I was surprised to see that an inch of her gray roots showed. Usually she gets her hair colored regularly. “Where’s Ty?”

  I sucked in air. This was not going to be pretty. I felt like an umpire officiating the deciding game in the World Series. “Ty is inside with Brawny. Kiki fed him, changed him, and he’s ready for his nap.”

  Thelma wasn’t buying any of that. She stuck her head inside my window, forcing me to lean back in my seat. “Kiki? You are coming back soon, right?”

  “There’s both milk and formula for him in the refrigerator. He’ll be fine.”

  “That baby needs his mother.” Thelma grabbed the handle on my car door.

  Again with the “that baby” stuff!

  “She’ll be home soon. I promise.” I smiled. Or at least, I tried to smile.

  Thelma didn’t move.

  “We’re going now.”

  She still didn’t move.

  I rolled up my window. Thelma glared at me and reluctantly let loose of the handle. I tapped the accelerator so that we moved forward, out of her grasp.

  CHAPTER 35

  “I cannot believe that woman,” I said, as we followed a stream of traffic onto Highway 40. “That was totally inappropriate.”

  “You think?” Kiki huffed. “I’ve been dealing with that attitude ever since I went back to work after New Year’s Day. She went from being my best friend to hating me. I tell you, Cara, I’ve been through this before with Sheila. I’ve got the tee shirt. Not going there again.”

  My head was still reeling from Thelma’s aggressive behavior. “I can’t blame you.”

  “At least Sheila loved Anya so much that she’d always consider how her behavior might impact my daughter. Since Ty’s so young, Thelma has no reason to chill. She doesn’t care how she makes me look. I swear to you, I have no idea what her problem is. None.”

  I thought about that. Turned it over and over in my head. “You know, I went to a therapist after my husband and I broke up. She once told me that when a person’s reaction is totally disproportionate with the situation at hand, it’s a tell. Like in poker. That tell is a signal that there’s something going on inside the person. I suspect that Ty’s birth triggered a reaction in Thelma.”

  “Yeah. Too bad it wasn’t an IUD.”

  “Um, I think you mean an IED.”

  “What did I say?”

  I got to giggling. “IUD, as in birth control. You meant an IED a
s in an explosive device.”

  Once we got to laughing, the day got marginally better. We stopped again at Kaldi’s for coffee and more cookies. If it took sugar and butter to keep Kiki on an even keel, that was fine by me.

  This evening’s crop would have a Valentine’s Day theme. Participants would bring photos that represented people, places, or objects they loved. I helped my friend package up paper, butcher’s twine, and lace. In between making progress on that, we waited on customers.

  At noon, we turned on the news. The reporter interviewed Prescott, a man whose evolutionary tree includes weasels and other small rodent-like creatures. He did his best to look sincere, but that’s hard when you have a face like a badger. Over and over, he assured the public that he was “on top” of the infant abduction suffered by the Gossages.

  “But are you making any progress? Do you have a suspect? A person of interest?” The reporter pushed her microphone closer to the acting police chief.

  “I can’t comment on that,” he snapped. “This is an ongoing investigation. A child’s life is hanging in the balance here.”

  “No thanks to you,” Kiki said.

  I agreed.

  At four-thirty, I tapped Kiki on the shoulder. “Time for us to head to Dr. Gretski’s office.”

  “Cara! I told you we don’t have time for this!” Kiki narrowed her eyes and glared at me. The effect was ruined by the gooey cookie in her hand.

  “Yes, we do.”

  “I’m fine. Honest I am! There’s tons of work that needs to be done here. This can definitely wait.”

  I sent up a prayer. “No, it can’t. You are not yourself. We both know it. If the doctor thinks you’re fine, then I’ll apologize and let it go. But I don’t think that’s the case. You don’t either.”

  She folded her arms over her chest. A pink heart waved in my face dangerously. Rather than let the subject drop, I added, “Let me ask you one thing. One thing only. What are you looking forward to?”

  “Plenty of stuff.”

  “Such as?”

  Her mouth puckered and then trembled. “I, uh…”

  “Go on.”

  “Valentine’s Day?” Her voice nearly cracked with emotion.

  “Pretty weak, girlfriend. Come on. If we hustle, this shouldn’t take long. The office closes in thirty minutes.”

  CHAPTER 36

  All waiting rooms look alike. I don’t know who does the bulk of interior decorating for doctors, but it would be a mercy if someone lined them all up and shot them. Seriously. Most waiting rooms are populated with terribly uncomfortable seating, nasty looking magazines, and battered coffee tables. In this one, shelving units were packed with handfuls of garish brochures, most of which were not suitable for a PG audience.

  A tired silk flower arrangement covered dust on one of the side tables. The palette was an objectionable tired mishmash of pastels. The peach colored wallpaper looked faded. The peach and aqua chairs were wholly out of place here in St. Louis. They might work in Florida, but really only in a pinch. My fingers itched with the desire to take photos and send them to my friend and co-worker, Skye Blue. Together we could refurbish this tacky room and make it much more welcoming.

  “I’m fine,” said Kiki to the receptionist.

  Four other women in various stages of pregnancy struggled to get comfortable on the unyielding chairs.

  “No, she’s not,” I shot back.

  “Do you have an appointment?” A woman with a zebra-striped pair of cheater readers asked Kiki in a quarrelsome voice. What was it with the attitude? I began to wonder if there was a nasty demeanor virus running rampant through the streets of St. Louis.

  “No,” said Kiki.

  “Yes,” I said. “I called in yesterday. It’s at five. She definitely needs to see Dr. Gretski. Right now. Today. Can’t wait.”

  “He’s very busy. You might need to re-schedule,” said the receptionist, and she actually put one hand on the sliding glass window in preparation for slamming it shut in our faces.

  Instead, I reached up and grabbed it. “I’m afraid that’s not good enough. My friend here has a serious case of post-partum depression. She needs to be looked after right now.”

  “I wasn’t the one who made the appointment. She didn’t log it in correctly, I’m sorry but—”

  “No, that won’t cut it. She needs to see the doctor. Today. I don’t think you heard me correctly.” I levered myself on my toes so that most of my torso was stuck inside the window. This caused the rest of the support staff to turn and stare at me, but I didn’t care. I had a job to do, and I wasn’t leaving until it was done. “My friend needs to see the doctor right now. Today. Cannot wait. We’re not going anywhere. This is a dangerous situation.”

  “Cara, don’t—” Kiki tugged at my sleeve, but my direct appeal had caught the attention of one of the other support staff members. A tall, angular woman with intelligent eyes. She’d been tucking folders in the file cabinet, but now she stopped to listen. Whereas the receptionist had simply been put out with me, this woman showed genuine concern. I knew I had her attention, and being the granddaughter of a car mechanic, I understood the basic principles of leverage. That’s how you could raise a two-ton car off the ground with nothing but your body weight and relatively tiny jack.

  “I am worried about my friend’s safety and the safety of her children. Is a silly little appointment mix-up more important than getting my friend the help she needs?”

  That did it for the tall woman by the file cabinet. Without preamble, she leaned over the receptionist’s shoulder. “Bring her on back. You can come with.”

  “But—” The receptionist drew herself up, puffing up with anger. “I make those decisions.”

  “No, you don’t,” said the tall woman with intelligent eyes. “I’m the head nurse. This is a medical decision, not a clerical one.”

  That left the receptionist sputtering and fuming, but I didn’t much care. Instead, I grabbed Kiki by the hand and dragged her toward the door as it swung open. Kiki protested, but her complaints were half-hearted. The other women stared after us, not that I cared.

  “I’m Jacey,” said Miss Intelligent Eyes. “Let’s put you right here. This is Dr. Gretski’s office. He’s with another patient, but I’ll get him right away. It’s Lowenstein, right? Lowenstein-Detweiler, right? Let me go pull your chart. Won’t be but a second. Can I bring you any coffee? Decaf? Green tea? Good. I’ll have Marcy get it for you. Just ignore her frowny face.”

  With that, she closed the door firmly behind her.

  “I can’t believe you did that,” Kiki said. “I’m not really in any distress. You’re a dear friend, but you’ve gone overboard, Cara.”

  “Maybe.”

  “There’s nothing wrong with me. Nothing serious. I just need to buck up and accept my responsibilities. I’ve just been a little weepy lately. That’s all.”

  Time for a good distraction. Or two. Or three. I called Kiki’s attention to a photo of the good doctor holding a sailfish. “Look at that! Did I ever tell you that my new home is the Sailfish Capital of the World? It sure is. Wait until you come down and see this place, Kiki. Oh, and you’ll love the cool old cottage I’ve moved into on Jupiter Island. You’ll never guess who I saw yesterday when I was out walking my dog.”

  “Who?” she sounded mildly interested, but at least she wasn’t complaining.

  “Celine Dion. She was jogging. Wearing these great big sunglasses, little running shorts with the waistband rolled down and a matching top. So cute. Of course, her hair was in a ponytail as always, and some dude was riding his bike alongside of her. For protection, I guess. But she waved, and that’s how I knew it was her because most joggers give you just this little head nod and keep on going, but it was like she was accused to—”

  The door flew open. In walked a man with a full head of gray hair and a stylish pair of round tortoiseshell glasses. The harried expression on his face told me he wasn’t really happy about us being shoehorned int
o his schedule.

  Big whoop.

  “What seems to be the problem, Kiki? I just saw you, what? Ten days ago? Everything going all right?” As he slid into his oversized brown leather chair, Jacey opened the door and handed him a thick file with colored letter tabs on the edge.

  “I’m fine.” Kiki’s tone was flatter than a piece of paper.

  “She is not fine,” I said. “She’s crying in the shower every morning. She shared with me her concerns that she won’t be able to take care of all three children. I’m her best friend, Cara Mia Delgatto. I’ve known Kiki for years, and I’ve never seen her this way. Usually she gets all excited about crafting projects, but not now. And do you know what she calls Ty? She calls him ‘that baby.’ Just ask her what she’s looking forward to, would you? I did, and she couldn’t think of anything. Finally, she came up with Valentine’s Day and then she started to cry.”

  Gretski looked from me to Kiki to Jacey, who gave him a subtle nod of the head. His eyes widened and his hands shook as he fingered the papers in the file jacket.

  Grabbing a pen from his desk, he said, “Kiki, I’m going to ask you a couple of questions. I need you to answer honestly. I want you to talk and you alone. Is that clear, Ms. Delgatto?”

  “Perfectly. Fire away, pal.”

  “All right,” he said, as he took a long, deep inhale. “Since the baby was born, have you been bothered by feeling down, depressed or hopeless?”

  The room drowned in silence. It was thick and heavy, a worrisome weight on my shoulders. Had I been right about my friend’s condition? Or was I practicing medicine without a license? Instead of looking over at Kiki, I simply reached for her hand and held it. That simple gesture broke open the dam of pent-up feelings. Big tears welled up, spilled over and ran down her face. With her free hand, she flicked them away until Jacey handed her a fresh box of tissues.

  “I, um, I’m not sure I can cope, you see. I wonder how I’ll do it. I mean, how I’ll do everything. Take care of the kids, my husband, my mother, my sisters, and the store. See, it’s all a bit much. M-m-my mother probably needs to go into a care facility, but my sisters are waiting until I can discuss it with them. I know she’ll think she should come live with me. Sheila, that’s my mother-in-law, she’s in rehab for alcoholism, and she’s not getting better, and I miss her. A lot. Cara’s down in Florida, except now. Detweiler loves me, but he’s had two bad marriages already, and I disappointed him when I had Ty at home and his mother, Thelma, I thought she liked me but…” with that she dissolved completely into noisy, shuddering sobs. I leaned out from my chair so I could wrap my arms around her. Softly I patted her back and murmured comforting sounds.