A Love of Her Own

by Bettye Griffin

  “He seems to have loosened up considerably.” She sighed as the phone began to ring. “Now, who could this be calling so early on a Sunday?”

  “I think I’ll check on what’s going on in the kitchen.”

  Ava reached for the phone on the end table. “Hello.”

  “Ava, it’s Connie.”

  “Connie! Um…hi.” She frowned in apprehension, unable to imagine why Connie Duke was calling her, especially at this hour.

  “I’m sorry to call you so early, but… we’re in a jam, and I was hoping you could help us out.”

  “What do you need?” she asked cautiously.

  “I hate to even ask you this, Ava. Cliff didn’t want me to call, but I don’t know what else to do. My aunt died Thursday—”

  “Oh, I’m sorry to hear that. I didn’t know.”

  “Thank you. She lived down in Mims, near the Space Center. Anyway, the wake’s there tonight and the funeral’s tomorrow morning. Our neighbor was going to take care of the kids for us while we stayed overnight down there so we could go to both, but last night she started to get chest pain and went to the emergency room. She just called to tell us she’s been admitted. Anyway, Cliff and I wanted to see if we could at least make the wake tonight. I guess we could bring them with us, but I do feel they’re too young for the whole death thing and don’t really belong at such a somber event. They’d be bored to tears with having to sit around and be quiet. I hate like hell to ask you this, Ava, and if you don’t want to do it just say so and I’ll understand…”

  “You want me to take care of the kids,” she guessed.

  “It’s just for the day. We’ll be back late tonight.” Connie released a defeated-sounding sigh. “Oh, I guess I shouldn’t have called.”

  “No, it’s not a problem. What time did you want to bring them over?”

  Connie drew in her breath. “Oh, thank you, Ava. I’m thinking about two, two-thirty. We want to visit Mrs. Washington—she’s our neighbor—in the hospital before we leave. The wake’s from seven to nine. We’ll probably spend a little time with the family afterward. Still, we should be back by midnight at the latest.”

  “Not a problem. I’ll do it.”

  “You will? Oh, Ava, thanks so much! You’re a peach, honest to God you are.”

  “I’m glad I can help. I know it has to be hard when you don’t have relatives living nearby and you need a babysitter.”

  “Thanks again. We’ll see you between two and two-thirty.”

  Ava hung up the phone and yawned. She was tired again today and had looked forward to a day of relaxation after coordinating a wedding yesterday, but she supposed it wouldn’t kill her to amuse two small children for an afternoon and then put them to bed.

  “Breakfast is served.”

  She turned to see Marcus carrying a large tray piled high with pancakes with sausage on the side. Max was carrying plates and silverware, and Hilton brought the glasses.

  “It looks delicious,” she said.

  Marcus set the tray in the middle of the dining table. “I’ll get the butter and syrup.”

  “I’ve got an idea,” Hilton began as they seated themselves. “Why don’t I do something with the boys today and let you chill out. You must be beat after yesterday.”

  “I wish I could, but I just committed to take care of Cliff and Connie Duke’s kids this afternoon. They have to drive down to Mims for a wake, and their regular sitter became ill.”

  “What about their families?”

  “Neither one of them has family…up here,” she added quickly.

  “Really? And here I was thinking that everyone in Palmdale and Nile Beach is related.”

  “Well, that’s true in some cases. Spencer’s got loads of family here. Connie used to live with her grandmother, who died years ago. Cliff—well, he doesn’t have anyone either.” She was beginning to feel uncomfortable with the subject matter, but she didn’t feel like going into a lot of detail, not after the wonderful night she and Hilton shared.

  “I guess if I needed someone to take care of Max I’d be up the creek myself.”

  “No you wouldn’t. You’d just call me. If I can take care of Cliff’s kids I can certainly take care of Max for you.”

  “Oh, I don’t know. If I had to get out of town for a day or so to a place not suitable for Max I’d probably want you to come with me.”

  Ava smiled, remembering what he had told her earlier when he thought she couldn’t hear him.

  “Why don’t I take the boys anyway? It’ll be easier for you to keep two occupied than four.”

  “Well, that’s true. You’re sure you don’t mind?”

  “No problem.”

  “Where are we going, Mr. Hilton?” Marcus asked.

  “I don’t know, but I’m sure we’ll think of something.”

  Chapter 21

  “Ava. It’s Linda.”

  She immediately picked up on the breathlessness in her friend’s voice. “Neil called. You’ve got good news,” she guessed.

  “Yes. It’s definite; he’s coming Saturday morning. I just don’t know how I’m going to last until then. I’m a nervous wreck.”

  “You’ll be fine.”

  “I guess I should spend some time trying to get in shape. I think I’ve gained about ten pounds from all the stress. The problem is, all I seem to want to do is eat. Hey, you wanna go to the roller rink with me? Skating is supposed to be a great way to burn calories, and a good cardiovascular workout as well.”

  “Can’t do it today. Marcus is spending the day with Hilton, but I’m babysitting for Cliff and Connie. They’ll be here in about an hour.”

  “You’re babysitting for them? Wow.”

  “They were in a spot. I won’t say I wasn’t surprised when they called me. They were desperate, I guess. Connie did say I was their last hope.”

  “All I can say is, you’re a better man than me,” Linda said with a laugh.

  “You know, that roller skating idea you had isn’t bad. I wouldn’t mind bringing the kids if I had someone to help me supervise.”

  “That sounds like a not-very-subtle hint.”

  Ava grinned. “How about it?”

  *****

  The children enjoyed the outing, and Ava noticed that Linda was glowing as she made her way around the rink hand-in-hand with both Duke children. She, as well as Shawna and Clifton Jr., known as Cliffy, circled the large rink with ease, but Ava’s tired body would only allow her to circle the rink about half a dozen times before she had to take a break, and after that twice around was as far as she got. Her feet felt like lead. Thank goodness for Linda, although it helped that both Duke children appeared to be at home on skates.

  The kids participated in the mid-session games when Linda took a break and joined Ava in the spectator section. “I can practically feel the calories burning. I think I must have lost five pounds already.”

  “Good for you, girl.”

  “I’m glad I came. It seems more…more appropriate somehow going to a Sunday afternoon session if you’ve got kids. Every adult that’s here has at least one child with them. I’d probably feel a little silly coming here by myself.”

  “You shouldn’t. There’s no more shame in skating alone than there is in bike riding or jogging alone.”

  “Yeah, I suppose you’re right. But still…”

  *****

  “Mr. Hilton, this isn’t fair! I thought we were going to do something fun, not go to work.”

  “Come on, Marcus, it’ll be fun.”

  “Fun!” Max echoed happily.

  Marcus scoffed. “Painting is work.”

  “We’ll have it finished in no time. And when we’re done we’ll go have dinner.”

  Hilton set up the boys, clad in newly purchased overalls and their oldest t-shirts, to help him paint the walls of the empty apartment the eggshell color so often used in rental units. Max was thrilled to be helping out as he brought the roller as high as his short arms could reach. Marcus, being t
aller, could reach higher in the area he had been assigned. Hilton made a visual measurement of how high both boys could paint, and when he climbed the ladder he painted down to those respective points. He and Marcus could probably finish up tomorrow, and then he could start advertising for a new tenant.

  “Be careful, boys,” he said. “Make sure you have a cloth on the floor under where you’re painting. I don’t want to mess up the floors. He had decided against having the hardwood floors polished; a good cleaning with oil soap was good enough for the prospective tenant to see how lovely they were. The housekeeping service he utilized had taken care of it, but he’d probably give it another once-over before he let it be shown.

  He had purchased this two-story brick building with four two-bedroom apartments the year before when he was attending a college reunion jamboree in Nile Beach. A real estate management company had taken care of the upkeep and rent collection, but now that he had moved to the area he enjoyed the hands-on method of doing the maintenance work himself.

  “Who lives here, anyway?” Marcus asked.

  “No one right now, but when we’re done a new tenant will move in.”

  “This is a nice place. It’d be perfect for Granny and Granddaddy and my cousins. Granddaddy has trouble with stairs, and this is on the first floor.” He made a face. “But it prob’ly goes for big bucks. Everything inside is new, even though the building is old.”

  “That’s because the owner had it all remodeled—” Hilton suddenly broke off.

  Marcus didn’t notice. “Oh, well. I guess their place in the senior citizen apartments’ll come through soon.”

  Hilton didn’t reply. Deep in thought, he continued the automatic up-and-down movements of painting.

  *****

  Ava was exhausted when the skating session ended at five. “Linda, I don’t know what I’d do without you. No way could I have kept up with these kids this afternoon.”

  “I hate to point this out, but you’ve still got the rest of the day with them.”

  “Hilton and the boys should be back by the time I get home. I’ll just put Marcus in charge for a few hours. He’ll love it. He’s got leadership instincts. Before you know it it’ll be eight o’clock and time for them to go to bed. Cliff and Connie will be back late tonight and will carry them straight from bed.” She yawned uncontrollably. “Excuse me. I’m still tired from yesterday, I guess.”

  “What about dinner?”

  “Cliff insisted on giving me forty dollars to cover expenses. I guess I’ll just send out for some pizza.”

  *****

  When Ava got home with Cliffy and Shawna she sent them upstairs to play in Marcus’s room. It was all she could do to stay awake. She’d have to settle for stretching out on the couch. But first she’d order those pizzas.

  She was lounging in front of the TV when the doorbell rang. She heard the sound of footsteps above as the children, whom she knew were hungry, ran to the upstairs landing to inquire if the pizza had arrived. “This is it now,” Ava said, gesturing for them to come down.

  They were finishing up when Hilton and the boys returned. “I took the kids for some dinner, but we had to change clothes first,” he explained. “I’m sure you and your charges must be hungry, too. What do you feel like eating? Name your pleasure, and I’ll get it for you.”

  “It’s too late; we’ve already eaten. I ordered two large pizzas and was planning on you guys to help eat it all. If you guys already ate I guess we’ll be having leftover pizza tomorrow, not that Marcus will mind.” She got up and gathered Marcus and Max in a bear hug. “So what did you guys do that rated having dinner out?”

  “We worked all afternoon,” Marcus said with a scowl. “Mr. Hilton had us painting.”

  “Painting?” She looked at Hilton, not understanding.

  “I do the maintenance for an apartment house at Wilson and Main. There’s a vacancy in one of the units, and it needed to be painted.” He shrugged. “I needed the help.”

  “I painted, too, Miss Ava,” Max said proudly. “This is the first time Daddy let me help out.”

  “And I’m sure you were very good.” Ava turned to Marcus. “Since you’ve already eaten, why don’t you entertain Cliffy and Shawna until it’s time for them to go to bed?”

  “Okay, but where’re they gonna sleep, Aunt Ava?”

  “I’ve got an air mattress they can sleep on. It’s a queen size and plenty big enough. By the time their parents come for them all of you will be fast asleep.”

  “Me, too?” Max asked.

  “Well…” She looked to Hilton for an answer.

  “It’s a school night, Dude.”

  “But the other kids are staying. Can’t I stay too?”

  Ava caught Hilton’s eye and nodded approval.

  “Tell you what, Dude. “You can stay as long as the other kids do, but when their parents come we’re going home.”

  Satisfied, Marcus and Max went to join the other children. “Cliffy and Shawna, you make sure you wash your hands before you touch anything,” Ava called as the foursome headed for the stairs. “I don’t want to find grease or tomato stains anywhere.”

  “They were a handful, huh?” Hilton asked as they sank onto the sofa.

  “Not too bad. Their stay was only about six hours if you don’t count the time they’ll spend sleeping.” She yawned. “Excuse me. I just can’t seem to wake up today.”

  “Maybe you need vitamins.”

  “I started some recently, but they don’t seem to be doing much good. I’ve been feeling really tired lately.”

  “You probably haven’t adjusted to being a mom yet, and you’ve been pretty busy lately on top of that.”

  Ava smiled at his reference to her as a mom. No one had ever called her that. She liked it.

  “Why don’t you relax? Go to sleep if you want. I’ll watch the kids, and I’ll wake you when Cliff and Connie come if you’re not up by then.”

  She hesitated. The idea was tempting. She didn’t feel she could stay awake another ten minutes, despite her long slumber of the night before. On top of that her legs ached from the small amount of skating she’d done. “The kids need to be in bed by eight. I usually let Marcus stay up ‘til eight-thirty since he’s a little older, but if everybody else is going to bed at eight, then he can too. I’ll just get the vacuum and blow up the air mattress.”

  “You go lie down. I’ll take care of it. Just tell me where the vacuum is.”

  The relief she felt showed in her face. “In the closet under the stairs. Thanks, Hilton.”

  *****

  By ten past midnight the house had been quiet for hours. Hilton, the only one awake, was making himself at home, his stocking feet propped on the coffee table, watching a biography of Leonardo da Vinci on a cable network. Bright lights outside caught his eye, and when he got up to investigate he saw it was headlights of a car parking. Surely this was the Dukes.

  He rushed up the stairs, taking them two at a time. Ava, covered by a crocheted throw, lay in the center of the bed, hugging the very pillow on which his head had lain just about twenty-four hours ago. He wondered if his scent lingered on the cotton.

  There was really no time to entertain wishful thinking; the Dukes would be ringing the doorbell any minute.

  Through the haze of slumber Ava felt something rub against her, then soft lips against her cheek. She didn’t stir until those lips moved to her ear and whispered, “They’re here.”

  “All right, I’m up,” she mumbled, eyes still closed. She slowly counted to five and then abruptly sat up, opening her eyes. The room spun around her, and she gripped the edge of the bed, afraid she would fall off if she didn’t hold tight. She closed her eyes as the doorbell sounded, a loud two-part ring that could be clearly heard throughout the small house.

  “I’ll get it, sleepyhead,” Hilton said. She could tell from his voice that he was standing near the door, too far away to have noticed her dizzy spell.

  “Thanks. I’ll be right down.” H
er eyes were still closed, but she could hear him retreating. Then she took a deep breath and opened her eyes. Perhaps she had simply sat up too fast.

  This time there was no dizziness. She slowly got to her feet and crossed the hall to the bathroom, where she bent over the pedestal sink and splashed cold water in her face, then combed her hair into place and slowly made her way down the stairs.

  “Did the children behave?” Connie was asking Hilton when Ava entered the living room.

  She answered the question in his stead. “They were a joy.”

  “Hello, Ava,” Cliff said. “We’re sorry to get back so late. We know it’s a terrible inconvenience, and we can’t tell you how much we appreciate your helping us out.”

  “You were a real lifesaver,” Connie echoed.

  “I was glad I could help. C’mon, I’ll help you get them up.” Somehow she summoned the strength to lead Connie up the stairs.

  The women went upstairs. Hilton caught Cliff’s eye and gestured toward the seating in the living room. Can I offer you something to drink?”

  “No, thanks. I just want to get home and go to sleep,” Cliff replied as he seated himself.

  “Yeah, I heard that.”

  “You’re up awfully late.”

  “Oh, I’ve been dozing, but I knew you were coming so I’ve been on autopilot, I guess. Ava and the kids were all upstairs asleep.”

  Cliff looked at Hilton thoughtfully. “It’s good to see Ava so happy.”

  After a brief pause, he replied, “I like to think I have something to do with that.”

  “I’d bet on it.” Cliff lowered his voice. “I hope you don’t think I’m speaking out of turn, but I’d hate to see her hurt.”

  “I would, too, believe me. I think it’s good of you to be so concerned. You two must go back a long way.”

  Cliff’s brow furrowed in confusion. “We do. She didn’t tell you?”

  “Tell me what?”

  “We used to be married.”

  Hilton stared at him, astounded. “You and Ava…” He had difficulty absorbing this. “You’re the one who was so disappointed because she couldn’t…”

  The other man’s sheepish expression and quick averting of his gaze was his answer.