Underestimated Too

by Jettie Woodruff

  Celeste squatted to Vincent, explained that he was going to spend the night, and they were going to get his sister.

  “I changed my mind, just get me a brother like Nicholas,” he decided.

  “You’ll just have to be Nicholas’s big brother. We’re getting a little girl, remember.”

  “Um, okay,” Vincent said, looking over to Nicholas, standing between Drew’s legs, deciding that plan would work.

  That day lasted forever. Drew and I put the boys to bed around nine in Nicky’s room without one word from Celeste or Alicia. I was worried sick.

  “Will you stop? Come here,” Drew urged, grabbing my arm from pacing the floor.

  “I can’t. Why haven’t they called?” I asked, leaning into him.

  “They will. They didn’t leave here until after seven. These things take time, remember?” he asked, reminding me of our own, very long labor with Nicky.

  “UGH, I hate waiting.”

  “Alicia’s right, you know.”

  “About what?”

  “About me going through your phone. I shouldn’t do that. I don’t know why I’m so insecure.”

  “Do you trust me?” I asked, turning to face him.

  “Absolutely. It’s not about that.”

  “It’s about the control, isn’t it?”

  Drew nodded and kissed the tip of my nose. “Probably.”

  “You can control me. I kind of like it, but you can’t ever mention Valerie or Skyler ever again, not even in the presence of Deidra, deal?”

  “Deal, but I shouldn’t need to control you. You think doing all this with Deidra is helping anything?”

  “I think it has gotten a lot of things off your chest, things you’ve kept buried for a long time. So, yes. I think it is. Do I think there is a fairy-tale cure, and we’re going to magically turn into a normal couple? No, I don’t believe that for a second. I think we’re always going to be a little on the screwed up side.”

  “Is that bad?”

  “It’s us, Drew. It’s who we are as a couple. I’m not sure I’d want it to be any other way with you.”

  “You have no idea how much I love you, Morgan,” Drew admitted, kissing me more passionately than he needed to. I wasn’t doing that. I couldn’t. My mind was at the hospital with my two best friends. I wanted to be there too. I wasn’t interested in having my legs in the sky at the moment.

  “Stop, I’m going to shower,” I sighed, getting away from him.

  ***

  Nicholas cried after us. It was the first time he’d cried when we left him. Drew made sure Vincent was secure in the backseat and turned to me.

  “Can’t we just take him?” he asked. It was cute as hell. He didn’t want to leave Nicky crying.

  “Drew, he’s fine. I’m sure he’s already over us leaving him.”

  “I should just run in and check on him real quick,” Drew stated, walking back towards the door.

  I grabbed the back of his shirt, not letting him go. “No, you’re going to make him cry again. Let’s go, Vincent is waiting to see his sister.” We headed to the hospital.

  “Oh, my god, Drew. Look how little she is,” I exclaimed, walking into the room with baby Christina—so not the name they had picked out. She was the tiniest little thing I’d ever seen. Nicholas was almost twice her weight when he was born.

  Celeste looked like the proudest peacock ever, smiling from ear to ear. She took the tiny baby from Alicia and sat in a nearby chair with Vincent. I watched in admiration as she placed his new little sister in his arms.

  “She’s got your nose,” Celeste remarked.

  I held her next, falling madly in love with the newest addition. “I need another baby, Drew,” I decided right that moment, staring down at the precious little angel, swaddled in soft pink blanket. I loved the squeaky little noises and the way she scrunched her little face.

  “We have a baby at home. He’ll be one in two weeks, remember?” Drew reminded me.

  “But he’s a big baby. I want a little baby,” I said, kissing her soft brown hair.

  “We don’t make little babies. We have big Brutus type boys.”

  Drew was right. I would probably end up with another ten pound baby boy. I wasn’t ready for that yet. It was still too fresh.

  I spent every minute I could with the new baby and Alicia. Celeste took a week off work and that was it. I’m not sure that she actually took time off. Alicia said she was on the phone or her computer the entire week. I’d even made Drew hang up the phone when he’d call her for things I thought could wait. They needed this time to bond as a family. His work could wait.

  “That one wasn’t about work,” he complained when I hung up his phone, sliding it into his lap.

  “What was it about?” I challenged.

  “The estate. We have to get it cleaned out.”

  “Oh, well, I’m meeting them both there tomorrow. Leave them alone for the night and pay attention to me.”

  “You need me to pay attention to you?”

  “I do.”

  “Where do you need attention?”

  I didn’t have a chance to answer. Marta cleared her throat at the door. “Do you want me to bathe him, or are you?” she asked.

  “I will, you go home if you want. I’ll see you tomorrow,” I replied, taking Nicholas, who squirmed from my arms and onto the floor. He loved the living room. Drew had these black shiny glass balls on a bottom shelf that he seemed to always remember were there. I was afraid he was going to break one of them and get cut. Drew told me I worried too much and sat on the floor, rolling the solid balls with him.

  “How about you keep him while I grab a shower and then I’ll bathe him,” I offered.

  “Go ahead,” he replied, half paying attention to me. Nicholas had his full attention at the moment, not me.

  ***

  “You really bought this place.” I stated to Celeste, walking around the cluttered mansion. There was so much stuff. How could one man accumulate so much stuff? The auction would last an entire week.

  “I did,” she excitedly exclaimed in a skip, “and I think Alicia is a little more into it now too. She loves the pool.”

  “And you guy’s will be closer to me.” I smiled.

  “Mrs. Kelley, I think we’re done here. We left a few boxes in the office for you to go through, some papers and things,” the realtor interrupted.

  “Thank you,” I smiled, walking to the pool area with Celeste. The pool was amazing, even nicer than ours. Vincent was going to love the slide. I wondered why Callaway would build a slide to begin with. Was it because he was expecting Drew and me to have children to swim there?

  “Are you getting excited?” I asked, sitting on one of the stools in front of the extravagant outside bar. They were going to love it here.

  “Yes, I am so excited. Did Alicia tell you what she wanted to do to the nursery? I can’t wait to see what she does. She’s such a good artist. I’m hoping she’ll have more time to get back to that here. It gives her something to do and still keeps her at home. She picked out that room right there.” Celeste anxiously pointed to the left side of the mansion.

  “She is very talented. I’m happy for you guys, really,” I said warmly. I was glad Drew hired Celeste. I don’t know what I would do without them in my life now. And I couldn’t imagine that baby girl growing up without me in her life.

  Celeste modestly smiled back. She was so much like Drew. I swear sometimes they were twins separated at birth. Celeste didn’t do emotion either. She did the same thing Drew did, either make a joke or change the subject. Celeste took the latter.

  “Can you imagine living with all these dead animals?”

  “Do you think people will actually buy them?” I wondered about the stuffed wild animals throughout the house.

  “You’d be surprised.”

  “We’re not keeping any of them, that’s for sure.”

  “Are you keeping anything? I mean, he was like your grandfather,” Celeste remarked.r />
  I thought about it for a second. I didn’t feel like he was my grandfather, and if I was being honest, I sort of resented him for Michael, and what he’d done to Drew. “I don’t think there’s anything here I want,” I decided.

  “Ahhh, your needy husband,” Celeste teased, answering a call from Drew.

  “Yes, it’s already taken care of,” Celeste rattled on, listening to Drew. She held the phone down so to talk to me. “You bringing Alicia home?” she asked, I nodded as she told Drew she was on her way.

  I walked around the house, observing everything that would be sold off. “This place is crazy,” Alicia called from the north balcony. The house had two sets of stairs, leading to two different wings in the house. “Come here, I want to show you something.”

  I walked up the stairs with a smile. I knew she was making plans in her head. It made me happy that she was finally excited about the estate. I was pretty sure Celeste wore the pants in their home as well, and she knew she’d be living there whether she wanted to or not. Might as well make the best of it, that’s how she felt. I could relate, feeling the same way many times.

  “What do you think for the nursery? I want to paint it with pink fairies, sort of like I did for Nicky’s room, a little girl’s enchanted forest, only with more pinks and purples. What do you think?”

  I took the baby from her arms and snuggled her close to my neck. I loved the smell of her, she was precious. “I think I love it, and this room would make the perfect nursery,” I replied, happy for her excitement.

  “Yeah, I guess this could work. Have you seen the office here? Maybe Celeste would stay home more?”

  “She will, they’re working on it. I was actually just heading there now, wanna come?”

  “I’ll be down in a few. I want to check out a few more things up here. What are we supposed to do with the whole other side of this house?” Alicia asked, overwhelmed with the space she was going to have.

  “How about an art studio?”

  “Oh, my god, Morgan. I picked the perfect room? I can do this, uh?” she overzealously told me.

  “You sure can. I love your art. I’ll see you in a few,” I said, handing over the baby again.

  Opening the door to the breathtaking office with bookshelves as walls, I noticed the two cardboard boxes set aside for me. I wondered if I should just take them home for Drew. He’d probably get mad at me for going through them without him. That’s what I’d do. I would take them home to Drew. It was safer that way.

  I sat in the brown leather desk chair and looked around the almost empty room. I wanted that room. I would love to turn it into a reading retreat. I could make it so cozy. I’d even have one wall full of kids’ books for Nicky.

  Getting an eerie feeling, like when I was reading a suspenseful book, I saw something out of the corner of my eye, on the middle shelf of the bookcase. I am not even sure why I noticed it? None of the moving guys had seen it when they packed up the room? It was just a corner, barely visible, peeking out of a tiny crack in the wood.

  Trying to get a hold on the little corner, I ripped it. Holding the torn piece between my fingers, I wondered how it got in there. What was it? I could tell that it was a miniature manila envelope, but why was it hiding there. Maybe it accidently got stuck there. Prying on the shelf, I used enough pressure to pull it out. I could tell before I even opened it, it was a key, and it wasn’t accidently hiding between two pieces of wood.

  Holding it between my fingers, I looked around for a secret compartment or something. Shaking my head I shoved it in my pocket. I was being silly. I wasn’t reading a book. It probably didn’t go to a secret room at all. It was more than likely to a safe deposit box or something. I pulled it back out, inspecting the gold paper. Sure enough, on the back of the tiny envelope was the number 795 just below NSB. I knew what NSB was. It was our bank, well, one of them anyway. Answering my husband’s call, I placed the key back in my pocket.

  “You coming soon? The photographer will be here any minute. Do you really want me to dress Nicholas for this?”

  “No way, we’re leaving now… Drew?”

  “Yeah.”

  “The moving guys left two boxes of papers here for me. Should I bring them home for you?”

  “No, I’ll send Celeste after them tomorrow. Come home. Nicky will be awake soon.”

  “Okay, but you just called him Nicky again.”

  “You don’t have to point it out every time I do it.”

  “Yes I do. I’ll see you in a few. I have to run Alicia home first.”

  “You should stop and get us some beer. We’ll float around the pool naked after Marta leaves and NICHOLAS goes to bed.”

  I laughed at the notable way he didn’t say Nicky. “I can do that. I think Marta needs to leave right after supper, and Nicky should be in bed by seven.”

  “Come home. I love you.”

  “Love you too, be there in a few.”

  Chapter 18

  I never lied to Drew. I was afraid of lying to Drew. He’d find out, I was sure of it. I should have let it go. I couldn’t. I needed to find out what was in the lock box at the bank. I’m not sure why I needed to find out. I just did. It was probably nothing. Some jewelry or something. I’d just have a look and then put the key back where I found it. I wouldn’t mess with the contents of the locked box.

  “You just went out with Alicia yesterday,” Drew complained when I told him that Nicky and I were going over to her house and maybe to lunch.

  “So, you’re just going to be locked up with Celeste all day. What else do you want me to do?”

  “I don’t like you having that much freedom. It worries me.”

  I moved myself close to Drew’s chest, leaned against him and kissed his chin. “Stop worrying about me. I’m fine, just bored.”

  “I’ll give you something to do,” he teased, kissing my lips.

  “Hmm, okay, let’s do that now,” I offered.

  “Let’s not,” Celeste said from the door.

  “Great, you always do this in front of Celeste. Now she thinks of me as being weak. She’ll never listen to me now,” Drew complained in a joking manner.

  “She doesn’t think of you as weak. She thinks you like to fuck your wife.”

  “GET OUT OF HERE!” Drew yelled, sending both Celeste and me into a laughing state.

  ***

  “I don’t like this, Morgan. What if Drew comes here? What if he calls? What am I supposed to say? Just let me come with you and I’ll wait in the car.”

  “No, Alicia. Just keep Nick for me for a little while. Drew’s not going to call you. Has he ever called you or stopped by to check on me? No. He’d call me, not you. I won’t be long,” I promised, handing over Nicholas and quickly getting out of there. I didn’t know how much time I had or if I even needed to worry about it. Chances are Drew wouldn’t call at all. I still couldn’t help the excitement and fear, sending my nerves on an overloaded high.

  Turning up the music, trying to drown out my panicked thoughts of Drew catching me, I went where he forbid me to go, even with Alicia. I drove to the strip, right to down town Vegas. Drew would kill me if he knew I went there.

  I had to walk two blocks to even get to the bank. There was nowhere to park, and I ended up paying nine dollars just to park in a parking garage for ten minutes.

  “Hey, pretty lady,” some guys hanging out inside the dim lit garage called to me. I knew I shouldn’t have worn a skirt. I ignored them with a speeding heart, hoping they didn’t follow. Thank god they didn’t.

  “Can you tell me where to go for this?” I asked, the man just inside the bank doors.

  “Right through there, ma’am,” he nodded to a set of white doors with gold trim, the kind you’d expect to see in Las Vegas.

  “I’m sorry, ma’am. This key is registered under a Drew Kelley. Without proper identification, I can’t let you in,” the nice lady explained. Shoot. Now what?

  “I’m his wife, and Michael Callaway passed away. H
e was my father,” I tried. It was worth a shot.

  “I’m sorry, but I still need a power of attorney or Mr. Kelley’s presence.” She smiled.

  “Thank you,” I disappointedly, replied. Well, that didn’t work. Oh, just stop it, Morgan. It’s probably nothing anyway, diamonds or something. Let it go, I tried to tell myself. Why couldn’t I let it go? Why was that deposit box eating away at my mind like it was? I needed to forget the deposit box, take the key back to the estate, and let it go. But why was the key at Randal’s house if the deposit box was in Drew’s name? It didn’t add up.

  Quickly walking back the way I came, I once again ignored the same group of guys, admiring my black Lexus. Investigating in my mind about how to get in that deposit box, I jumped from the ringing of my phone.

  “Hello,” I answered Alicia.

  “Drew tracked your phone. He knows you went downtown.”

  “How do you know? Shit, Alicia. What did you tell him?”

  “Nothing, I told him you didn’t tell me where you were going, that you only asked me to keep Nicky for a bit.”

  “He’s calling me now. I’ll call you back.”

  “Where the fuck are you?”

  “Oh, my god, Drew. I’m fine.”

  “Why are you downtown?” he angrily asked.

  “I wanted to buy a new outfit and some new toys for us and surprise you later, but I can’t seem to get out of your sight long enough to do anything on my own,” I yelled, pulling that lie from I have no idea where. I always lied better under pressure. I was glad I didn’t have time to conjure up a story, I’d screw it up anyway.

  “Get Nicholas and come home, now,” he ordered, hanging up.

  He was pissed. Shit. I was scared. Maybe I shouldn’t go home just yet. Maybe I should stay with Celeste and Alicia for a while until he calmed down. He wouldn’t come there and cause a scene, he didn’t work that way. Drew couldn’t hide behind his sheep’s clothing if he did that. He wouldn’t blow his cover. Then again, I’d just make things worse for when I did go home.

  Drew stood at the door, waiting for me with his hands in his pockets. He was pissed. I could tell right away. Nicholas kicked his legs, lunging for his daddy, happy to see him. Drew’s face lightened, just a bit. Nicholas had that effect on everyone he came in contact with.