Lean on Me (ARC)

by Pat Simmons

  Her big sister stepped forward to lift her luggage off the carousel.

  “There’s mine.” Rachel pointed and moved closer. As she reached for the handle, a gentleman intercepted.

  “Need help, pretty lady?” He didn’t wait for her to answer—and he was cute.

  Tabitha and Kym exchanged knowing glances, then giggled. Even Aunt Tweet was fully aware of the vibes. Tabitha may favor their aunt’s features, but Rachel had inherited her charm.

  Once they left the airport, Tabitha took them to Ol’ Henry’s for a soul food brunch. They discussed highs and lows in their lives as they devoured chicken and waffles. It felt like old times. Their aunt didn’t add much to the conversation, but her eyes twinkled every now and then.

  “We heard you’ve been singing.” Kym leaned forward and waited.

  Aunt Tweet shrugged and patted the table. “I can’t sing.”

  “I heard you just the other day in church.” Tabitha nudged Aunt Tweet.

  “I don’t remember.”

  Clearing her throat, Kym changed the subject. “What are we doing for the next three days?”

  “I thought we’d chill.” Tabitha was looking forward to some much-needed rest. Between work and Aunt Tweet, the thought of sleeping late made her smile.

  “What? We can’t play tourist? No cruising through Forest Park or Creve Coeur Park?” Rachel knitted her arched brows together. “I checked out the local events online last night, and there’s a play at the Muny.”

  The Saint Louis Municipal Opera Theatre, called the Muny by locals, reigns as the largest and oldest outdoor musical theater in the nation. The amphitheater could accommodate eleven thousand seats, and fifteen hundred were always reserved free on a first come, first served basis.

  “It would be nice to check it out,” Rachel said.

  Tabitha shook her head. “That’s too much effort. Save your excitement for Pasadena Hills Neighborhood District’s summer kickoff.”

  “As many times as we’ve been back home, it’s never during the kickoff.” Kym laughed. “I’m glad the district is still hosting that summer kickoff. It’ll be interesting to see who still lives in the neighborhood.”

  “And meet new neighbors.” Tabitha smiled, thinking about Marcus.

  Once they were finished eating, she drove the short distance home. She turned on Roland Avenue to find the beloved landmark fountain circled by food vendors. Game booths and lawn chairs dotted the street corners. Some neighbors were dressed in costumes and handed out balloons.

  Tabitha inched along until she made it to her driveway. Her bedding plants around the patio were bursting with color—the evidence of her and Aunt Tweet’s labors of love.

  “Looking good, Sis,” Kym complimented. “The lawn is green and lush the way Daddy used to keep it.”

  “It’s called lawn service,” Tabitha admitted and snickered.

  Rachel agreed. “The flowers around the garage bring back memories of us playing upstairs,” she said with a nostalgic sigh, referring to the spacious attic above the two-car garage. As little girls, they had spent hours entertained with their doll collection, a collection started by their aunt. Whenever Aunt Tweet traveled, she would bring back different dolls for all three of them.

  They had a makeshift classroom to teach their dolls lessons. Tabitha’s whimsical thoughts faded as she helped Aunt Tweet out of the car and inside the house.

  Rachel kicked off her heels and slipped into comfortable, stylish sandals to stroll through the festival. It didn’t take long for the sisters to note their aunt’s stubbornness at the simple suggestion of changing her attire to something more casual.

  “I wouldn’t sweat it. We won’t be out there long anyway,” Kym said.

  Hmph. Aunt Tweet powdered her nose. “A lady should always look as if she’s about to step on a runway.”

  Hands down, Rachel was the winner on that one. Even in her casual outfits, she was polished. Her nails, hair, and makeup were always on display. Called “the accessories queen,” their youngest sister knew how to sassy up any outfit.

  Kym was the color trendsetter. She would wear the same shade for months and dare anyone to question her color binges. Despite the high expected to be in the low eighties, she was still in her all-black phase. Her big sister was going to burn up.

  At the moment, Tabitha was satisfied with what she had on. What brought her joy was her sisters were there to help. Of course, Marcus had made it known that he was there to rescue her anytime. His words and his kindness made her heart flutter, but the bottom line was Aunt Tweet wasn’t his responsibility. This was the Knicely sisters’ caregivers’ pact.

  Yet the other day, Marcus took responsibility for Aunt Tweet’s care when he picked up her from the adult facility. Tabitha had arrived home to see them sitting on the park bench by the pond. He had fed and entertained her aunt and even had a carryout for Tabitha from Ol’ Henry’s, which was why she’d taken her sisters there, to try something else on the menu. Enough thoughts about Marcus. Her sisters were in town and Tabitha wanted to enjoy every moment with them.

  Caving in to Aunt Tweet’s demands, the sisters let her stay dolled up as they left the house and took a leisurely walk toward the activities around the fountain. Kym recognized some familiar faces from their childhood, like Mrs. Pope, who was now an elderly widow. They also introduced themselves to new families who had moved into the neighborhood.

  “You might get a chance to meet Marcus,” Tabitha said casually. “Despite our rough start, he was willing to help me out in a pinch.” She told them he had picked up their aunt. “That’s what neighbors do.”

  “That will be a good thing. How well do you really know him, besides his address?” Always the cautious one, Kym was definitely alarmed. “Does he have a criminal past?” she asked in a hushed voice, so Aunt Tweet wouldn’t hear as she strolled ahead of them with Sweet Pepper on a leash.

  “I’m with Kym on this one. Why would he be willing to drop everything he’s doing to help you when he threatened to have you arrested? I don’t trust him…” In the middle of her rant, Rachel paused, then stuttered, “Whoa. If these are guys are neighbors, you’ve got another roommate, Sis.”

  Looking in the direction that had Rachel in such a daze, Tabitha sucked in her breath. Two men commanded the sidewalk with their presence. Of course, Marcus was the more handsome one.

  “Good eye,” Kim said with an hmph. “A man’s confidence shows up in his walk, and those brothas have the swag.”

  Did her big sister just say that? Kym was usually nonchalant about men, but clearly Marcus and the other guy had piqued her attention. It was a good sign he had made a good impression. A hint of a smile tugged on his lips when they made eye contact, and he held her stare until he invaded their space.

  “Ladies,” he greeted.

  His eyes sparkled as he leaned closer and kissed Aunt Tweet’s cheek. Tabitha blushed as if it were she who was graced with his adoration. Sweet Pepper yelped for attention, so Marcus squatted and scratched behind the puppy’s ears.

  Tabitha caught herself waiting in line for whatever affection he was doling out. She didn’t want to have any romantic fantasies concerning him, but he was the mold those heroes in romance books were made of. He winked. “You look pretty.”

  “Thanks.” Her blush spread.

  “And you are?” Kym arched her eyebrow the way their mother often did when they were in trouble.

  He smiled and extended his hand. “Marcus, one of Tabitha’s neighbors. I hope she mentioned me.” He glanced at her and mischief danced in his eyes.

  “Oh, she did.” Kym nodded, accepting his hand.

  His grin widened, which confirmed a faint dimple.

  Tabitha made the introductions. “This is my older sister, Kym, and our youngest sister, Rachel.”

  “Nice to meet you, ladies. This old guy here is my
brother, Demetrius.” With a low grunt, Demetrius gave a curt greeting. Clearly, he wasn’t the friendly sibling.

  “Need an escort?” Marcus asked them.

  “Sure do,” Aunt Tweet said. “You snooze, you lose, girls.” Latching onto his elbow, she allowed him to lead the way.

  * * *

  Marcus had been distracted all morning—until he saw Tabitha. She seemed to have the ability to bring a sense of calmness to his life, although she probably thought it was the other way around.

  When she smiled, he grinned like a preteen boy with a crush. What was amusing was watching his brother’s infatuation with her younger sister. Rachel was a beauty. Marcus had to give her that. She acted older and a tad bolder than Tabitha, who was low-key, soft-spoken until pushed, and had no problem fading in the background, but she couldn’t hide from him. Marcus would always sense her presence, even if his eyes were closed.

  Those qualities were attractive. She was a woman who could speak her mind to show her strength, yet she was feminine and vulnerable enough to make him want to be her hero. In hindsight, how could she have irritated him?

  But Marcus was irritated. Another woman right now was becoming a thorn in his side, which explained his earlier bad mood. It was as if his employee wasn’t taking no for an answer, judging from Latrice’s morning phone call.

  “Good morning, Mr. Whittington, I’m sorry to bother you at home, but you always said if there was an emergency, your employees were free to call you.” She released a sigh. “I was hoping you’ve changed your mind about helping Victor. Maybe you’ve had a chance to sleep on it.”

  “I slept very well, thank you, because I gave Victor’s situation no further thought.”

  Every time he thought about Latrice’s ridiculous request, it irked him. What was next, Latrice and her boys picketing in front of his house for Victor’s release?

  Marcus didn’t realize he was frowning until Tabitha came to his side “You okay?” The genuine concern in her eyes and the brief touch on his arm rescued him from the mental nagging.

  “Yeah,” he sighed, trying to put Latrice and Victor’s situation out of his mind. He was in the company of a woman he wanted to think about.

  “It’s getting hot, so we’re all getting a drink from the food stands, and I’ll treat.” Tabitha’s smile brought them back to the present.

  That gesture made his knees weak. She could make an army of soldiers surrender when her lips curled. “Not on my watch.”

  She nudged him and whispered, “You’re not on Aunt Tweet duty. It’s the weekend. You’re off.”

  “When are you off?” He stared into her eyes and tried to read her emotions. She had no answer, so he continued, “If you need me, I’m here.” He didn’t realize that they were the center of attention until Demetrius cleared his throat.

  “The ladies ate, but I’m hungry, man,” Demetrius said.

  “Sorry.” He and Tabitha led the way with Aunt Tweet sandwiched in between them. Tabitha’s sisters and his brother followed behind.

  Although the ladies were stuffed, they did agree to lemonade. Aunt Tweet, on the other hand, pointed to a corn dog at the food truck. “Sure am hungry.”

  Marcus frowned and looked to Tabitha.

  “Trust me, she was well fed, but I guess one won’t hurt.” No wonder her aunt’s clothes were getting snug. After the ladies placed their lemonade orders, Tabitha fumbled in her pocket for money.

  He was faster and handed over cash for their drinks, the corn dog, and his greedy brother’s plate of food.

  They sat at a vacated table. While the various conversations were lively, Marcus went through the motions that he was following their every word, but Latrice’s request invaded his thoughts again. Why was the woman hard to shake?

  When a small band began to play, some residents began to dance in the street, which had been closed off except for residential traffic. Tabitha’s sisters convinced Aunt Tweet to dance with them. Placing Sweet Pepper in Tabitha’s lap, their aunt gave them a show with her moves until she became winded. They guided her back to her seat. Immediately, she gathered the puppy.

  “I bet she was something back in the day,” he whispered.

  Turning to him, Tabitha chuckled. “Don’t let her hear you say that, because she’ll tell you it’s still her day.”

  “Aunt Tweet,” Kym said, “you’ve still got it.”

  “Umm-hmm.” Their aunt chuckled. “I guess I do. I was in a dance troupe, and we toured the world…”

  The sisters exchanged curious expressions, as if it were the first time they’d heard this. Even Marcus was beginning to question whether Aunt Tweet embellished every tale she told him.

  Somehow, the conversation bounced from dancing around the world to singing at church.

  “She’s up at eight thirty, and we’re out the door by ten for church. That seems to be the trend,” Tabitha told them.

  “Any plans to barbecue on Memorial Day?” Marcus changed the subject. He had no plans to add church to his Sunday schedule.

  “I haven’t decided, since my sisters leave late that night, we might get some takeout and bring it back to my house.”

  “Nonsense.” He reached out and squeezed her hand. “Come to my company’s barbecue.”

  “She’ll be there, and we’ll tag along,” Rachel said, clearly eavesdropping when he thought she and his brother were in a conversation.

  Whether Rachel enjoyed Saint Louis–style baby back ribs or had just picked up on Marcus’s vibes, he was glad she was on his side.

  Everyone waited on Demetrius to clean his chicken bones and wipe his mouth, then they discarded their trash. As the festival crowd swelled, Tabitha suddenly froze in her steps. “Aunt Tweet, where’s Sweet Pepper?”

  Her aunt shrugged. “He went for a walk.”

  “Walk?” Tabitha panicked. The four-pound Yorkie could be anywhere. “You can’t let go of the leash.”

  “Calm down,” Kym said. “Let’s split up and look for him.”

  Before she could work herself in a frenzy, Marcus placed his hand on her shoulders and softly squeezed.

  Weariness filled Tabitha’s eyes. “The dog has put an end to Aunt Tweet’s wandering, and now he escapes.”

  “Hey, we’ll find him.” Marcus hoped so, because he didn’t like the sound of hopelessness in her voice.

  Soon, neighbors joined in the search. Finally, Rachel sent a group text.

  Demetrius and I have found Sweet Pepper playing with some children. After Tabitha read the message, they started toward the location Rachel had given.

  Tension seemed to peel off of Tabitha when they saw the dog. “Thanks for playing with him,” she told the children, taking the leash, “but we need to give him back to my…” She looked around. “Where’s Aunt Tweet? I thought she was with you,” she said, frowning.

  “I thought she was with you,” Kym said defensively.

  “While you two argue, I’m going to look for her.” Rachel huffed and marched off.

  Splitting up again, they moved in different directions. Marcus and Tabitha weaved through the crowd and spotted her at a booth, devouring a double scoop of ice cream. The evidence was splattered on her face.

  “She sure has a sweet tooth.” He joked, but Tabitha didn’t laugh.

  Minutes later, her sisters joined them, fussing as they wiped at the spills on Aunt Tweet’s dress. Not knowing who and what Rachel, Tabitha, and Kym were really complaining about, he and Demetrius stayed on the sidelines and said nothing.

  Evidently satisfied with the outcome, Tabitha announced they were heading back home. Any other time, he wouldn’t have hesitated to escort them. Not today. The sisters’ body language shouted don’t butt in. With his hands jiggling the keys in his pocket, Marcus rocked on his heels and watched their retreat. None of them looked happy as Tabitha toted the puppy in her arms
and Rachel and Kym held on to their aunt’s hands like little children.

  “Whew,” Demetrius mumbled under his breath, then slapped Marcus in the chest with the back of his hand for fun. “I’ll give you credit that Tabitha is fine—all the sisters are—but that’s a lot of drama right there.” He pointed in their direction.

  “I’m not scared of a little drama…when it comes to her.”

  Demetrius rubbed his head. “That’s a busload of drama, and if I were you, I would get off at the next stop.”

  Shaking his head, he squinted until the group faded in the distance. “I bought a round-trip ticket. I’m not getting off until she gets off.” He returned his brother’s backhanded slap, his to Demetrius’s stomach, but of course, done in jest. Now they were even.

  Whew. Marcus had hoped with Tabitha’s sisters in town, there would be harmony. Unfortunately, Aunt Tweet’s antics this weekend might touch off a storm. From the brief finger-pointing he had just witnessed, Marcus might need to carry an umbrella.

  Chapter 17

  “That was an interesting outing,” Kym stated later that night after Aunt Tweet had retired to her room.

  It was a comical task, as everyone had a hand in their aunt’s nightly grooming. Kym helped bathe her, which was a first for her big sister. Rachel tidied up the bedroom and discovered snacks their aunt had hoarded behind closed doors. Tabitha used the time to wash clothes, especially towels for Aunt Tweet to fold, since she had become increasingly restless when she didn’t have anything to do.

  Finally, the sisters collapsed on the furniture in the family room, too tired to drag themselves upstairs to bed. “Now you see how things are with Aunt Tweet?” Tabitha asked.

  Kym patted her chest. “That was the second scariest moment of my life. The first was when she got lost behind the wheel in New Jersey. Today, she could have easily slipped away in that crowd. Is this what you’re dealing with on a regular basis?” The concern on her big sister’s face was evident.

  “Yes.” Tabitha nodded. “Looking at her, she appears to be in her right mind. If I didn’t know the severity of the dementia symptoms, I would say she’s playing a cat-and-mouse game. I see the frustration when she can’t recognize or remember things.” She shrugged. “I wonder if she has moments where she knows what’s going on around her, but helpless to react in the way she wants, because she’s trapped in a body she has lost control of.”