by Kitty Parker
Chapter 8
"What was I thinking? Look at this house, it's beautiful! We shouldn't have come. I don't know why these people are being so nice to us. How could I say no when Lucas and Sadie were looking at me like that. And, I did say I wanted to meet their mother. It's all my fault." The house looked huge as she walked up to it, but in reality, it was no bigger than the home she and her family had once enjoyed. Memories of her mother stung in the back of her mind; oh how she missed her. Fortunately, her memories were cut short by the sight of Julia, who was waiting anxiously on the porch.
"I'm so excited you agreed to come. My mother is so excited to meet you all and Dillon and Ben are looking forward to having another playmate as well. Tessa, I'll take you straight upstairs for a bath, and Sadie can get in when you're finished." Julia seemed to have everything worked out, but Tessa was still extremely uncomfortable with the whole arrangement.
"Oh, it's really not necessary; I don't need any special treatment."
"Tessa, we're friends now, and you have to remember that you told me how uncomfortable you are when you are not clean and refreshed. I can also tell by the dark shadows under your eyes that you haven't relaxed in a very long time. So, you are going to go upstairs, relax in the tub, use my scented oils and soak for as long as you like, I won't take no for an answer." Julia Sullivan was not a woman who would be easily swayed.
Tessa sighed, feeling as though she couldn't say no, and deciding that she really didn't want to. After weeks of relentless humidity and heat, a bath sounded wonderful. It was amazing that in her three years in the shanty she hadn't gotten used to the feeling of grime covering her skin, but she hadn't. She still hated to feel dirty, sticky and unpresentable. Julia pushed the front door open and Tessa felt herself nearly panic stricken.
"Momma!" Julia called, leading them all into the house, "They're here."
A woman quickly came out of the parlor , a warm smile on her face. Her hair was just starting to grey at the temples, but she still looked remarkably young for having a twenty-six year old son. Her green eyes sparkled with delight and Tessa couldn't help but think her one of the most beautiful women she'd ever seen.
"You must be Tessa," she smiled, extending her hand. When Tessa offered her own hand to shake, she was surprised when the woman pulled her into a tight hug. It was the kind of hug her own mother used to give. Somehow, she didn't feel uncomfortable, or strange, but relished the feeling of the older woman's arms around her.
"Yes, it's very nice to meet you Mrs. Sullivan, your family has been so kind to us; I don't know how to begin to thank you." Tessa commented after being released.
"Well, coming for dinner is certainly a start. I've been looking forward to meeting all of you, Parker and Julia talk about you all so much I was feeling a bit left out. Not to mention I haven't had a little one in this house in too long!" Mrs. Sullivan's eyes grazed over the Evans children. She smiled at each one of them, making them all feel very welcome.
"Momma, why don't you take Emma into the parlor, I'll set Lucas up with the boys, and take Sadie to Lizzy's room."
"I would be happy to take Emma, if that's alright with you, Tessa."
"Of course, Mrs. Sullivan, thank you." Tessa turned her attention to her younger sister, who was gripping the edge of her skirt tightly. "Emma, would you like to sit with Mrs. Sullivan while I go upstairs?"
Emma bobbed her head, sending her curls bouncing enthusiastically. "Bye-bye Essa." Emma quickly gave her hand to Mrs. Sullivan, and almost pulled the older woman to the room off the entryway.
"Well aren't you a sweetheart," Mrs. Sullivan said, cheerfully.
Tessa watched as Julia's mother lead Emma away, it was obvious that she had a way with children. Emma warmed right up to her, much the same way she had with Parker. Tessa, Lucas and Sadie followed Julia up the grand staircase. Lucas was delivered first to the boys' room where two boys nearly attacked him with enthusiasm at his entrance. Lizzy wasn't quite as enthusiastic as Sadie entered her room; she seemed very shy, very different from the other members of her family. Tessa smiled as Sadie joined her on the bed, Sadie would not have responded well to exuberance, as she too was very shy around those she didn't know. Julia pushed Tessa toward the bathroom, which was already steaming with the heat of the bath.
"Now, I've laid out a robe for you and a clean dress. Everything you should need is on the counter beside the tub. Take your time. In fact, I'd love it if you decided to take a nap when you're finished. The guest room is the door to the right of this one, there are clean sheets on the bed and the windows are open, though I don't know if that will help with the heat. If you need anything at all, don't hesitate to call."
Tessa nodded then ducked into the bathroom, closed the door, and turned the large key that was waiting in the lock. She slipped out of her blue sweater and looked in the mirror. The bruises on her arms were terrible, and despite the heat outside, she knew she would have to wear her sweater all day. She peeled her dress off and slipped easily into the tub. The water was the perfect temperature and she could very easily stay here all afternoon. "Maybe I will stay here all afternoon,"she thought. "After all, I've not had time away from the kids since Mother died."She relaxed and let out a sigh. For once, she was going to take her time and not worry about anything else.
Soon Tessa found the heat of the bathroom too overwhelming, the open window doing nothing to release the steam from the bath, she had washed her hair and lathered her body in the thick scented soap left out by Julia. When she got out of the tub, she carefully dried her hair with the towel, then tried to twist her curls back into it. She wrapped the robe around her and tied it tightly before sneaking into the room next door. The room was plush and the bed looked amazingly comfortable. She pulled back the covers, leaving on the sheet, and climbed into the bed, resting her head on the plump pillow. She fell asleep quickly, keeping the worries that haunted her daily at bay for a few more hours.
* * *
Parker pushed the door to his parents' home open at three in the afternoon. He knew that Julia had instructed him to stay at his house until dinner time, but he couldn't find anything to keep him occupied. Most of his thoughts were filled with Tessa, and even now, he was hoping to find her inside. As soon as he opened the door, he knew that Tessa had accepted the invitation. He could hear Emma's laughter in the parlor.
"Park!" his mother said with a laugh, watching as he entered. "This little one is so precious. I know I promised never to pester you about marriage like my family did, but I find myself wanting a grandchild of my own very much."
"Momma, Ben is only ten, he's not exactly grown up," Parker laughed.
"I know, but he doesn't even let me cuddle him anymore! You would curl up and rest your head on my shoulder until you were nearly fifteen years old. That boy is too grown up for his own good. This one fits just perfectly on my lap!"
"She is a sweetheart, isn't she?"
"Dr.!" Emma squealed, realizing that Mrs. Sullivan was talking to someone else. She stood carefully, adjusting her dress as she did, then wrapped her arms around his leg. He lifted her easily into his arms and accepted a kiss on the cheek.
"And how do you like my mother?"
"She nice," Emma answered, "and fun! I like her laugh."
"Well I like yours too," Mrs. Sullivan said, coming to her feet.
"Where is Tessa?" he asked, swinging Emma back down to the floor.
"Hopefully she's asleep, they arrived around one o'clock and she went up for her bath. I haven't seen her since, which is a good thing. She's beautiful to be sure, but it's evident that she's been carrying a very heavy weight on her shoulders."
"She certainly has, I know she hasn't had much time to think about what's been given to her. Her mother died unexpectedly, after that they lost their home, and not long after, her father died as well, leaving her with the children and no money."
"Do you think she would let us help her more significantly?" Mrs. Sullivan asked in a whisper, as Eli put Emma down
.
"I don't know, she doesn't like to be a bother, I think she would have to feel very desperate to accept any more help than we've already given her." Parker sighed, taking a seat while Emma played on the floor at his feet.
"Well perhaps she'll feel more comfortable after having dinner with us. I planned on inviting them to stay the night."
"Yes please," Emma interrupted, "I like beds."
Mrs. Sullivan lowered her voice again, "They don't have a bed in their shanty?"
"They don't have much of anything, Momma; as far as I know, they all sleep on the floor."
"That's terrible," Audra said, a troubled look passing over her still beautiful face.
"You always did have a tender heart, Momma." Parker pulled his mother into a hug.
"Of course you'd know about that better than anyone else," she smiled, kissing his forehead. "Now, how about you watch this sweet thing while I go wake Tessa; I want to get to know her too."
Parker smiled in agreement, knowing that if he went to go wake Tessa she would become anxious immediately. He knew she was grateful for all he had done for Lucas, and for her young family, but he also knew that she'd respond much better to his mother. Emma was occupying herself with some toys but when his mother left, she insisted that Parker take her for a ride on his back. He was happy to oblige and took off throughout the house with a squealing Emma on his back. Throughout their journey they came upon his father, who was working on some patient files. Emma took a spin in his desk chair, sending her back into a fit of giggles. It was easy to see that his father was equally taken with the small child.
"Mrs. Sullivan, can I help you with anything?" Tessa asked, feeling rather lazy sitting in the parlor.
"No my dear, dinner is our treat and you'll not lift a finger. Besides, we have Bridget and Jessie to take care of everything."
"I find it incredible that you are able to keep your cook and maid on. I suppose you and your husband were a bit smarter than my father with your finances."
"Oh, Tessa, we are struggling just as everyone else is. And, we can't pay them very much. They have a roof over their heads and all they can eat, but that is all we can offer them, fortunately, they have no other family to care for, so wages are not most important to them. We are lucky that Eli chose a profession that will always be needed, but people aren't as able to pay these days. I fear we would be in a great deal of trouble if our house hadn't been paid off before the collapse."
"I wish my father had set up such protections, perhaps my mother would still be alive if he had."
Mrs. Sullivan put a hand across Tessa's back, "I know this might sound inappropriate, because I hardly know you, but I've often found that it helps to talk about things. Would you like to tell me about your mother?"
Tessa found herself wanting to share for the first time in years, "My mother was the best of women, she was my best friend. She and my father were married when my mother had just turned twenty and my father was twenty three. They were very much in love and my grandfather thought it a beneficial match for the family. I was born soon after they were married, but then my mother struggled to get pregnant after that. She endured a great deal of miscarriages, it took twelve years before she found herself pregnant with Sadie.
"Lucas didn't take so long after that, and I thought our family complete. It was a surprise to find mother pregnant with her fourth. I can still remember helping her knit socks and sew clothes for the baby. One day she was convinced it was a girl the next she was sure it was a baby boy." That memory made Tessa smile. Her mother had been so exuberant with each prediction. Names would fly off her tongue, and she would imagine exactly how the little boy, or girl would look.
"The stock market crashed just two weeks before she went into labor. We had lost everything except for the house, and my father said we couldn't afford a doctor. I had to deliver my sister, and it didn't go well. My mother lost an incredible amount of blood, and there was nothing I could do." Tessa choked on the words, tears about to pour down her face.
Mrs. Sullivan pulled her close, forcing Tessa's head onto her shoulder. Tessa hadn't felt so safe in a long time. Mrs. Sullivan reminded her of her own mother; even the sweet smell that clung to her clothes brought back memories. She let herself cry against the woman whose kind voice and gentle manners made her miss her mother more acutely than she had in years. Somehow the harshness of life in the shanty, and her responsibilities as her siblings' replacement for a mother had left very little time to remember the woman who raised her.
"Tessa, I'd like very much for you and your family to stay the night. I don't want you to be overwhelmed, or uncomfortable, but I'd feel a great deal better with you all here. And, I hear that Emma likes beds."
Tessa laughed at her sisters' admission, almost hearing her speak the words, "That's very kind of you, we'd be happy to stay, but of course, we'll have to leave tomorrow morning."
"After breakfast," Mrs. Sullivan said insistently.
"Thank you, Mrs. Sullivan; I see where your children get their generosity."
"A compliment to a woman's children is the best kind," Mrs. Sullivan smiled, giving Tessa another tight squeeze. "Your mother would be proud of the way you turned out, dear. I could die in peace if I knew my daughter would do as well as you."
Tessa fought another bout of tears as she kept her head buried in Mrs. Sullivan's sweet smelling dress. After a while, Tessa felt herself calm down, and she recounted much of the last three years to Mrs. Sullivan. It was a relief to be able to share honestly with someone else. She kept so much hidden to protect herself, and her siblings. Letting go lifted a weight from her shoulders.
Chapter 9
Tessa woke early; it seemed that she was unable to sleep any longer. Her mornings usually began early, mostly because of the sounds that accompanied that time in the shanty town. Men woke to get in lines at the factories, and fires usually crackled. Today there was nothing to wake her, but as she sat up, she realized that she felt rested. A yawn escaped her lips as she stretched, careful not to wake Emma, who hadn't wanted to sleep alone. Curls fell across her younger sister's face, but she slept soundly. Tessa rolled out of bed and straightened Julia's nightgown that hung on her petite frame. Pulling on the robe that she had left on one of the room's chairs, she left the room and ventured to the bathroom.
Once finished in the bathroom, she lingered in the hallway. The smell of coffee drifted up from downstairs. Uncertainty filled her. The urge to go downstairs and ask for a cup overwhelmed her, but she couldn't shake the feeling that she was a visitor in this house. A battle ensued in her own mind, and eventually she came to a decision. Logically, Mrs. Sullivan was probably the one downstairs brewing the coffee. Her mother had always been the first one to rise in the morning, insisting that she be the one to make father's morning coffee. Sharing her past with Mrs. Sullivan yesterday made her feel comfortable with her. Yes, she would go down for a cup of coffee; no harm would come of it.
She began her descent down the stairs and heard a male voice, singing a song she had never heard before. Tessa slowed her pace, careful not to make a sound in the unfamiliar house. Part of her was ready to turn and race back up the steps to the security of the bedroom in which she had slept, realizing that she had been wrong about Mrs. Sullivan being the one to prepare the coffee. Her desire for the strong beverage however, forced her down the stairs. Clutching the robe tightly around herself, she found her way to the kitchen. Somehow, she wasn't surprised to see Parker working carefully on something on the counter. He began to move toward the sink with a pronounced limp as if he had injured himself badly. Tessa couldn't help but gasp and rush to his side. Parker turned, very surprised to find someone in the kitchen with him.
"Are you hurt? What did you do? Here, let me help you to the dining room table; I can finish whatever it is you've started," she said quickly, positioning herself under his arm. It seemed that all of her uncertainties fled at the possibility of him being hurt.
Parker laughed, "I'm n
ot hurt; I've had a limp all of my life."
Tessa remained under his arm, not believing him, and she insisted on moving him to the table. "I know that's not true, I've seen you walk before, and I've never noticed it."
"That's because you saw me wearing shoes," he grinned in complete understanding. She looked down at the floor and watched as he wiggled his bare toes. A smile appeared briefly on her face at the impropriety of it all. When she had lived in the house that rivaled this one for size and beauty, she would have never seen a grown man's bare feet. But, she couldn't fault him for the oversight. She was, after all, in his house, and it was early in the morning, and she had come downstairs uninvited.
Allowing only a moment to be amused, she refocused on what she had seen in the kitchen. She was still completely bewildered by his limp, "Why would shoes make any difference?"
"Because I was born with a birth defect. One of my legs is a good deal shorter than the other, which causes me to limp when I walk. My shoes are specially made; one has a heel to make up for the difference in length, so I don't limp."
Tessa's jaw dropped in surprise, she had never heard of such a thing, and looking at Parker she would have never guessed there to be something wrong with him. He had broad shoulders and his arms were lean, but she had seen the strength they possessed. His waist was long and trim, as were his legs. Every inch of him attested to his masculinity, how could there be anything wrong? Wouldn't there be some sign of it elsewhere?
