The Heart Knows It

by Julie Allan

  “Isn't it marvelous? We don't have to leave Mount Pleasant anymore to find a place like this. Plus, how fun is it to decant different wines with just a card,” M.A. said.

  “Don't rush those years of homework and parenting! I can't believe how fast they have gone—I actually miss them,” Amy advised. She nibbled on a cracker with cheese and took a sip of her wine. “I know Faith is still at home for one more year, but she is such a good student, I never have to check behind her. We just show up to her games and cheer her on,” Amy said. Amy's youngest—and her only girl—grew up with three brothers and had developed into quite the athlete trying to keep up with them.

  The three friends worked hard to get together on a regular basis despite the demands of family and careers. Their town had changed so much from when they were kids.

  “Can you believe they finally tore down the mini-golf on Coleman?” asked Amy.

  “But have you seen the fun park they built up on Highway 17 North? It has a pirate theme,” M.A. said.

  “That used to be nothing but woods and the K.O.A. campground up there,” Lizzie said absently twirling her glass in her hand. Through all these changes, they had managed to keep and cultivate their friendship into the unbreakable bond of a sisterhood.

  “I can't believe both my girls are out of the house. I will say, I enjoy having undivided time with Jim, although I find myself helping my parents and the in-laws, more and more. Thank goodness all the siblings so far are doing their fair share,” said M.A., taking a sip of wine.

  “Speaking of balancing life with the care of our elders, how are things going with the move into Aunt Dorothy's?” asked Amy.

  “We’ve made excellent progress,” Lizzie answered. “The household items have been sorted out on both sides, and upstairs the kids’ rooms are done, and they’re settled in. Bennett and I are in the guest room for now and sometime next week we should be able to move into the new master suite!”

  “What are you doing with the stuff from both houses that you’re not keeping?” asked M.A. “Are you willing to sell any? Elizabeth is getting ready to move into her own apartment. Girl, you know I love my child, but she would just as soon sleep on a futon and eat out of the pot she cooks in!”

  “I wish Faith was more like that. She thinks she’s going to go off to college next year decked out in Lilly Pulitzer everything!” said Amy.

  “My goddaughter can have her pick for free, once we sell the house. We are going to use things we’re not keeping to stage the house,” Lizzie patted M.A.’s hand. “We will make a proper southern decorator out of my namesake yet.”

  “I still can’t believe she’s old enough to be a teacher,” Amy said.

  “Tell me about it; I feel like I just dropped her off for her first day of school at Laurel Hill Primary, and now she is teaching there. Laurel Hill is still one of the top-rated schools in the state,” M.A. said. “Are you good with one more glass, before we head across the street?”

  “I think I’ll just finish this one,” Amy replied.

  “I’ll fill her up,” Lizzie said, raising her glass in a toast to her friends.

  M.A. and Amy moved over to the couch in the corner to lounge while Lizzie went off to make her last selection. She wandered around the wine wall for a moment, carefully reviewing her options. Finally, she selected a Chardonnay and put her glass under the nozzle and swiped her card in the slot. Nothing happened. She tried again, making her selection but, again, no wine. Third time is the charm, Lizzie thought as she went through the steps again.

  The nozzle blew off the wall with such force that it ricocheted across to the bar causing a chorus of “OWs” and attracting the attention of all of the bar patrons. M.A. and Amy turned to see Lizzie, standing like a deer caught in headlights, getting showered with a blast of white wine. Several of the bar employees were scrambling to turn the system off. Another came over with a handful of bar towels, trying to help Lizzie dry off.

  M.A. and Amy came over, “Oh, Lizzie!” Amy exclaimed.

  “Why does this kind of stuff only happen to me?” Lizzie lamented.

  Between giggles, M.A. said, “Because, someone has to make us laugh. Just be thankful you didn't go for a red.”

  To the relief of the manager, the three women dissolved into laughter. If comic relief was a cure for your worries, then Lizzie had the potential to heal others and herself in spades. After a brisk dry-off, a full refund and gift cards for future use, the three made their way to the Thai restaurant across the street.

  Over dinner, the friends laughed over shared memories, eventually turning their conversation to their concerns for the future. It was heartwarming to know none of them were alone as they navigated the unknown territory of aging parents and maturing children. Luckily for Lizzie, Amy and M.A. had a few years’ head start on Lizzie with raising kids, so they were full of advice and reassurance that she was doing alright.

  “Now that we have given you some teenage daughter advice, how about filling us in on caregiving for our elders,” M.A. said with Amy nodding in agreement. Aunt Dorothy was the oldest of the elders, so Amy and M.A. were paying close attention to what was transpiring as Lizzie took on the role of caregiver.

  Lizzie smiled as she thought about Aunt Dorothy. “I have to admit, so far it’s been pretty easy. Aunt Dorothy is very flexible and practical about things. I have read a few articles about folks that have had a really rough go of it.” Polishing off the last bite of her Pad Thai, she added, “I suppose it is a bit like what you were saying about teenagers—you have to listen and watch for their non-verbal cues, really. You also have to keep the communication open and honest.”

  “I tell you one thing; I have a much better appreciation for my mother and how she balanced taking care of my brother and me, along with her parents,” Amy said.

  M.A. and Lizzie nodded in agreement. The older they got, the more they understood their parents and the choices they made. Yes, the three were blessed to have each other, and they knew they would never take that for granted. It was reassuring to know that besides celebrating the highs of life together, they could count on each other during the lows.

  Later that night, Lizzie recounted the events of the evening for Bennett, including her fiasco at the wine bar. “I don't know how you haven't ended up in an emergency room yet,” he said, shaking his head.

  “I know!" Well, at least I provide comic relief, as M.A. says,” Lizzie answered, snuggling into Bennett's shoulder. “I do love those girls. But if I had to name my best friend in this whole world, that would have to be you.”

  “Right back at you, babe,” Bennett said, kissing her on the top of her head. “We have a perfect life.”

  Lizzie sat up, pointing a finger at Bennett's chest. “Don't say that! We do have a great life, a happy life, even a blessed life, but the minute we try to classify it as perfect you know disaster will strike.”

  Bennett laughed, then seeing the expression on Lizzie's face said, “You worry too much. I just meant we couldn't ask for more than we have. We have our health, we are financially stable, and we have all the people we love.”

  Lizzie relaxed, “You're right, I do worry too much. I just don't want things ever to change.”

  “Change is the nature of life. As long as we face those changes together, we will be just fine,” Bennett said. He sat up coughing so severely, that Lizzie went to fetch him a glass of water.

  “Thanks, babe,” he said after taking some sips, his cough subsiding. “Are you okay?” Lizzie asked. “Yes, but I’m really getting annoyed with this cough.”

  “Allergy season has come and gone; they are calling for the first frost of the season at the end of the week.” She sat back down next to him. “I have never known your allergies to go up to Halloween, and that is next week. I think we have put off seeing Dr. Chalmers long enough.”

  “Okay, you call and make the appointment, and I promise to keep it. We better turn in, I have a heavy day at work tomorrow, and we need to get things label
ed for Saturday, by tomorrow night.” Bennett said, pulling her up off the sofa and leading her towards the stairs.

  Saturday started out smoothly. Lizzie and Bennett had gone through and tagged furniture in both houses so that Bennett, Scott, and Jim would know what to switch between the two houses. To the passersby and even the neighbors who knew what was transpiring, it was entertaining to see the men take items to one house, only to bring different things back to the house they just took things out of. To keep them distracted from the chaos of the move, Lizzie had wisely arranged a playdate for Sawyer and had allowed Dot to go downtown with her friends. Lizzie felt more confident in Dot’s ability to handle independence after arming her with a phone with a GPS locator linked directly to Lizzie and Bennett’s phones.

  M.A., Jim, Amy, and Scott had all come over to lend a hand and were sitting around the kitchen table at Aunt Dorothy's eating pizza for lunch. “I don't think I have had all of you around this table at one time since you were teenagers,” Aunt Dorothy said, smiling at the memory.

  “I remember lots of good food and some mean card games,” Jim said. “I remember you losing at cards,” Scott said.

  “How much more needs to be moved?” asked M.A.

  “Not too much more. Why?” asked Lizzie.

  “Look out the window.” All heads turned to the window above the kitchen sink. Dark, ominous clouds had replaced the sun, and the Spanish moss whipping in the wind indicated a storm was imminent.

  “I thought the weatherman said it was only a forty percent chance,” said Amy.

  “I think that chance has gone up to a hundred percent,” Scott said as the first of the rain began to pellet the window. “Hopefully, it will blow over. It’s a good thing all the big pieces were swapped out before lunch.”

  The women left Aunt Dorothy to settle into her afternoon nap and sent the men back across the street to get all the boxed items for the charity pickup at least down to the first floor. They then headed into the living room to rearrange the furniture they were keeping and then upstairs to assemble the master suite. Bennett’s crew had finished in record time. Forty minutes later, they had done all they could with what they had. The wind had picked up enough to rattle the shutters, and the lights began to flicker.

  “I sure hope Dot and her friends were smart enough to seek shelter,” Lizzie said, jumping back from the window as a bolt of lightning seemed to come right at her.

  “I'm sure she has. Didn't you say her friend's mom was meeting them there and taking them to lunch?” Amy asked.

  “Oh, yes!” Lizzie's shoulders relaxed and relief washed over her face. The lights flickered again and then went out. Lizzie immediately began to tense up again. She was just about to give in to her urge to call Dot when her phone chirped. Dot instantly earned maturity points in Lizzie’s eyes. She had sent a text letting her know that they were with Chelsea’s mom and were going to stay at the restaurant until the storm had passed. She had even thought to ask how they were. She quickly sent her a text message back, letting her know all was fine and that she was thankful for her message.

  She then called to check on Sawyer. Once assured that each of her children was safe and sound, she walked over to join M.A. and Amy at the window. Hail began to pepper the ground, and the three stood looking out the window at the novelty of it. They could name less than a dozen times that hail had occurred in Mount Pleasant since their childhood. “That must be some front coming through. They did say to expect big changes this weekend,” she said. They could see the men standing out on the front porch of Bennett and Lizzie's house.

  “So typical, their need to get as close to the storm as possible,” M.A. shook her head.

  Amy's cell phone rang. Scott was calling to make sure all was well with them, and she assured him everything was fine. As soon as she said it, they heard a large crack coming from across the street. Lightning had struck the large sycamore tree at the side of Bennett and Lizzie's house, splitting it down the middle and toppling it over onto the porch. A transformer belted out groans in the distance, and sparks flew from the utility pole on the corner.

  The three rushed down the stairs, out the front door, and across the street, the rain and hail pelting them as they ran. They climbed over the rose bushes, not even feeling the thorns, and onto the end of the porch that was still clear and called out to the three men.

  “I'm fine,” said Jim as he clawed his way out from under the debris. “I’m a bit trapped, but okay,” hollered Scott. “I could use a little help,” they heard a muffled Bennett answer.

  Lizzie said a quick, silent prayer of thanks as they began to try to free Scott and Bennett from between the tree and the porch. Reaching Scott was easy enough with the lifting of some limbs, but they soon realized freeing Bennett would take more effort. Scott and Jim surveyed the position of the debris in relation to Bennett’s position and concluded they should get some professional help, as Amy got out her phone and dialed the local fire department.

  Lizzie’s stomach did flip flops, and her mouth was dry. She felt helpless and found it hard to resist the urge to try and cut away at the tree. “Are you sure we can’t just cut him free?” she asked Scott.

  “No, darlin’. The fire department will know how to do this safely. We do want Bennett out in one piece,” Scott said, gently placing a hand on her back.

  “Yes, I am all for getting out of here in one piece,” Bennett’s muffled voice said.

  M.A. bent down and asked Bennett some questions to help assess his condition. Sometimes it was helpful to have a nurse for a best friend.

  M.A. came over and hugged on Lizzie. “Relax, woman, he will have nothing but a few minor scratches when we get this beast of a tree off him,” she said.

  “Thank you.” Lizzie tried cracking a smile and fighting back tears at the same time. It seemed like time crawled while they waited for help to arrive. In reality, it was only seven minutes from the time Amy called until the fire truck pulled up and the EMS crew quickly got to work. Lizzie could not stay still, and paced back and forth on the lawn. Aunt Dorothy, who had awoken at the sound of the sirens, had come across to offer her support. She took hold of Lizzie’s hand and her quiet strength blanketed Lizzie in calm. Bennett was the only other person who could do that for her. It was another hour until Bennett was free, with nothing more visible than a few scratches and bruises. The EMS crew was insistent that Bennett should get checked out at the ER, and he only acquiesced at the pleading of Lizzie for her piece of mind. "But I am not riding in an ambulance," he declared. So Amy drove Lizzie and Bennett to the hospital, while M.A. stayed to keep Aunt Dorothy company.

  “Well, that is one crisis over,” Lizzie said leaning over Bennett’s shoulder from the back seat and placing her hand on his shoulder.

  “We’ll be back home and laughing about this in no time,” Bennett said reaching his hand up and placing it on Lizzie’s.

  “Yes, this will be a story to go in the family lore.” Amy laughed as she pulled into the hospital parking lot. “Careful Bennett, it seems you have been married to Lizzie long enough you are picking up her accident-prone habits!”

  Chapter 5

  Amy and Lizzie sat in the waiting room sipping on some diet cokes and chatting about Thanksgiving plans when a nurse came out to fetch Lizzie. She left Amy to flip through a magazine and followed the nurse back to the small room Bennett was in.

  “Things look pretty good, but they want to do a chest X-ray and a scan of my noggin before they will let me leave,” Bennett said.

  “They just want a peek at that heart of gold you have in there.” Lizzie perched on the edge of the bed, pressing her hand against his chest and giving him a peck on the lips. “So much for finishing things up this weekend.”

  “We at least got the big things over, and the smaller stuff we can do tomorrow, plus we can sleep in our new room tonight. I can easily get a crew on the porch this week, if the insurance company gives the okay, so I don't think it will delay listing the house for m
ore than a week or two, tops.”

  “That gives me more time to finish the staging.” She loved how Bennett always found the bright side of things.

  A tech came in to collect Bennett to go up to X-ray, so Lizzie went back to update Amy and call to make sure Sawyer and Dot were still okay to stay where they were. She arranged for both Dot and Sawyer to be dropped off at Aunt Dorothy's, and M.A. said she would stay and get something together for supper. Scott and Jim had already started on debris cleanup back at the house, so it would be easier to assess the damage, and Scott had thought to take pictures before for the adjuster. “Minor crisis, overcome. Amy, don’t you think these tests they are doing with Bennett are taking too long?” Lizzie asked, fighting against the knot that was forming in her stomach.

  “I know it’s worthless to say this to you, but try not to worry. You know how these places can be. Don’t you remember sitting with me when Charlie broke his leg?” Amy reached out, offering Lizzie some of the cheese crackers she had gotten from the vending machine.

  “I do remember. We were here for hours! Thank goodness Bennett didn’t break anything.” Lizzie waved the crackers away. She felt nauseated and clammy. She paced over to the window and back to the chair. At least having a chest X-ray will save a step at Bennett’s appointment with Dr. Chalmers next week.

  The nurse returned, beckoning Lizzie to come back to Bennett’s room.

  Lizzie perched back on the edge of Bennett's bed just as the doctor entered the room, a small entourage in his wake. The Medical University was a teaching hospital, so that came as no surprise to them.

  “So Doc, can I go home now?” Bennett asked. He was not a man to be kept down for long.