by Sadie Grubor
Once they took her to x-ray, I had to wait for her return. With the wave of emotions starting to calm, I began to feel exhausted. I walked to the closest coffee vending machine for some liquid lucidity. On the way back I halted at her room door and looked upon a familiar face.
"Well, hello there," Dominic stood against the side of the door.
"Dominic," I nodded and tried to walk through the doorway. He grabbed my arm.
"Hey, is that anyway to greet a friend?"
"I'm sorry, but I'm really tired and stressed right now. Victoria is hurt and I have to wait for her to come –" Suddenly his lips were plastered to my mouth.
At first I was frozen in shock, but then anger flooded me. What the hell was he doing?
With my one good hand I shoved him away from him. He smirked over my shoulder and I glanced quickly, seeing Collin charging us.
"I can't believe you –" he grabbed my head and kissed me again.
That was it. I dumped the hot coffee over his head. He screamed and while he was pulled back from me, I kneed him in the balls. He curled inward on himself and made sick gargling noises.
"Don't ever use me to hurt the people I love," I growled at him. Then he threw up at my feet.
Nurses rushed to help him. Arms wrapped around my waist and pulled me back from the mess.
I spun quickly in his arms. "I didn't –" he pressed his lips to mine. These lips I welcomed.
"I know," he whispered when he pulled away. "Remind me not to anger you." He grinned and then looked over as Dominic was escorted to a chair.
Relief flooded me that he knew it was Dominic who had done the kissing and not me. Then Victoria flashed in my head again.
"Oh god, Victoria. Collin the horse –"
"In here," he pulled me with him into her room. "Now tell me what happened."
We sat in her room and I told him the whole horrid scene with the horse. Victoria returned to her room about two hours later. She was still fast asleep with a cast on her left arm and that was it.
According to her doctor, she was shaken up, but the largest injury was the broken arm. He gave me instructions for pain management and how to take care of her cast, etc. Collin reviewed her chart thoroughly and questioned the ER doctor before he was finally satisfied with the results of the tests done. We took her home that evening and I spoiled her with ice cream sundaes for dinner.
Chapter Twenty Six
"My arm hurts," Victoria whined and hugged her cast to her chest.
"Do you need more pain medicine?" I glanced down at her quickly before returning my eyes to the road. It was Victoria's first day back to school since her accident, she missed three days.
"I think so," she whined more.
We pulled up to the curb in front of her school and I pulled her medicine from her backpack. She took the dose I offered and then we climbed from the car, heading toward the entrance.
Once inside Victoria led me to the main office so I could turn in her medical excuse as well as register her medicine with the school nurse. It took about fifteen minutes to complete the tasks. With a quick kiss to my cheek she was walking out of the office door and down the hall.
"See you after school," I called out to her.
"Bye mom," she shouted back before rounding a corner that I no longer to see her.
Pulling into the driveway I took a deep breath and exhaled. I was feeling really tired lately, which I blamed Collin for. Victoria's arm had really given her a hard time, so sleeping didn't come easy for her. I would read to her until she would finally pass out from exhaustion. Typically by the time I climbed into bed it was midnight or later. Apparently Collin felt sex after midnight was a necessity. Seriously, I don't know what had gotten into him, but every night for the past four nights he would wake me around twelve thirty in the morning tugging away my clothes. I was tempted to just sleep naked tonight. It would avoid the late night strip search and maybe I could just sleep through it.
Mentally laughing at myself, I walked toward the front door when the sound of a car engine grabbed my attention. Turning, I was met by a gold Cadillac. My stomach clenched and my breathing stopped. Ilene Bishop had just pulled into the driveway.
Quickly I glanced around the large driveway. Relief washed over me, Allison's car was not here and the boys were at school. With that particular confrontation avoided, I exhaled the breath I'd been holding captive.
"Sophia," Ilene purred, approaching me.
I furrowed my brow and took a step back. What the hell had gotten into this woman?
"How are you this fine fall morning?"
"Oh-kay." I was still trying to wrap my head around her odd behavior. Maybe divorce had been good for her?
"Do you mind?" she motioned to the front door I stood in front of. I snapped from my frozen confusion.
"Oh, of course not," I opened the door and held it open for her. "Um, Col, um, Dr. Bishop is not home. He is work—"
"Of course he is at work dear, I know that." She spun around toward me once we were inside. "I've come to visit with you." Her large Cheshire smile was eerie. I licked my dry lips.
"Oh," I paused searching for what I should say. Nothing came, so I just blurted out most obvious question I had. "Why do you want to talk to me all of a sudden?"
She laughed lightly and walked toward the sitting room, tossing her coat on a nearby table.
"How is Victoria? I heard she took spill." She gracefully sat in the high back white chair and motioned for me to sit as well.
Cautiously I made my way over, removing my coat and laying it across my lap as I sat.
"She's okay, a broken arm, but it will heal." My odd gaze had to be obvious. "You didn't answer my question."
A deep puff of air left her lungs and she smiled. "I wanted to…apologize." She held her head high, keeping her perfect posture.
"Apologize for what?" I sat back in my seat. Is it wrong to want to extend the obvious discomfort she held with apologizing?
"For my rudeness to you over the past year, of course," the snobby bitch tone was still there. "I realize now that I have been quite appalling toward you and I'm very sorry."
"Okay, apology accepted." I couldn't keep the suspicion out of my voice or off my face. After a few moments of silence, the truth was finally revealed.
"So, I hear Collin has become engaged," she smiled stiffly.
"Ahhh," I gave one dramatic nod, "now I get why you are here." I sat up straight and focused my hardened eyes on her. "I assure you I'm not after his money, nor was this," I held up my left ring finger, "my idea."
"Oh, dear, I didn't mean to imply you were –"
"All of this has been Collin's decision, not mine. I love your son, but we will not be marrying any time soon. You can relax."
At first her face was full of insult, but then it morphed to sadness.
"I swear I hadn't come here to insinuate anything, Sophia." I saw a misting in her eyes. "It's just that Collin doesn't speak to me," a prim and proper snorting sound came from her, "none of the kids speak to me."
A silk handkerchief appeared in her hand and she patted at her misty eyes.
"How can the turn on their mother, but accept their father and his whore?" A large tear escaped her left eye.
I didn't know what to say or to do. Thankfully Ms. Baker interrupted the uncomfortable situation.
"Oh dear heavens, I'm sorry." She began to push the vacuum back out of the room
"No, no," I stood quickly, "Mrs. Baker, please continue. We will, um, head to the kitchen for some coffee." I turned toward Ilene. She smiled small, gracefully standing from the chair.
Ilene walked by me in the direction of the kitchen. I glanced to Mrs. Baker, whom had a look on her face that simply said 'what the hell is she doing here'. All I could do was shrug and follow Ilene. Once in the kitchen I set about making coffee.
"How is he?"
I turned. She was sitting at a stool on the other side of the breakfast bar.
"He's good." Retu
rning my attention back to the coffee pot, then I moved to get mugs from of the cabinet.
"I'm sure he is, if he's been able to finally put Grace behind him." She almost whispered.
It felt like being in slow motion as I turned to look at her. She was intently focused on me and in that moment I could see Collin looking back at me in her eyes. Her sadness, loneliness, and hopelessness were reflected in one look. She blinked it away. I internally groaned at what I was about to do.
~oOo~
Victoria halted her skipping about three feet from where I stood with Ilene at my side. Her eyes widened and she looked at me with confusion. I smiled small and nodded just slightly enough that I hoped Ilene wouldn't see my action.
"Oh darling," Ilene walked to her quickly and hugged her. "Your poor little arm."
"H-hi grandma," Victoria peeked at me over Ilene's shoulder, confusion still the largest emotion on her face.
I used both of my pointer fingers to push up the sides of my mouth into a big smile and then mouthed 'be nice' to her. Victoria hugged her tighter.
"Oh, it's so good to see you again dear." Ilene stood back up and walked back toward me.
"How was school today?" I asked and grabbed her backpack for her.
She shrugged.
"Well, how was your arm today?"
"It was okay. I had to go to the nurse after lunch to get some medicine though. It started to throb again." She pulled open the rear driver side door with her good arm and started to climb into the back seat.
The sound of the passenger door closing got my attention. Ilene had already gotten in. With the shut of Victoria's door I took a deep breath before climbing in the car to drive us back to the house.
"Grandma, when did you, um, come back?" Victoria questioned from the backseat.
"Well, I took a small vacation on the island, but just got back yesterday." She turned toward Victoria.
"Was it a good vacation?" I had to give the little girl credit. She was being extremely pleasant for being so confused by the current situation.
"Yes, it was absolutely lovely." She sighed.
"What's the matter grandma?"
"Well, I need to look for a place to live and it is just exhausting. I really need to find a realtor."
"I thought that you had moved into an apartment?" I blurted the question out.
"I did, but I'm afraid the lease was only for ninety days and then I would need to sign for two years."
"And you don't like the apartment?" Victoria asked.
"No, well, it's a nice apartment, but I really want a house again." She cleared her throat.
"Where are you going to stay until you get a house?" I heard the worry in Victoria's voice. God love her big heart.
"I'm not sure, but I've been staying at a suite –"
"You should stay with us. Shouldn't she mommy?"
I cringed a little when she called me mommy in front of Ilene. I could only imagine what type of reaction this woman was going to have. For a moment her back stiffened and it got uncomfortably silent.
"I'll be fine in the suite, honey," Ilene broke the silence.
Again, I was contemplating if I was a masochist, since I was about to do something insane one more time today.
When Collin arrived home that evening, he entered with purpose.
"Is that my mother –" The sight of his mother sitting at the small kitchen table with us eating stopped his sentence and footsteps.
"Collin," she spoke soft and unsure.
"Mother," his tone was emotionless and short.
"Are you hungry?" Standing quickly, I went to grab another plate.
"Grandma is staying with us daddy!" My body cringed up, yet again, but this time I awaited the appearance of antichrist.
"Oh really?" I could feel those damn icy orbs on me as I moved around the stove with his plate.
"Yes, mommy asked her to stay with us." Pride dripped from Victoria's words.
With a deep breath through my nose, I turned with his plate.
"Are you eating with us or –"
"Here?" Those damn eyes were blazing.
"Collin, if you would prefer I didn't stay, then I can go back to the hotel." Ilene pushed her plate back and looked into her lap.
"Hotel? I thought you had an apartment?" Confusion painted his face.
"I'm looking for a house," Ilene shifted uncomfortably.
"Mrs. Bishop, you are welcome to stay here." I don't know where all my compassion was coming from today, but it was just oozing from me.
"Dear, I told you to call me Ilene." Collin turned his head abruptly toward me.
"Yeah, uh, sorry, Ilene." I practically buried my head in my plate.
There was a harsh screech of a chair and I looked up. Victoria was finished.
"Can I be excused?" She froze a half hop from her chair.
"Yes," I answered her question and then excused myself from the table as well.
Collin's eyes lingered on me the entire time I cleaned the counters, stove, loaded the dishwasher and began to put away the leftovers. When William and the boys barged into the kitchen it broke up the quiet tension. I was relieved.
"Hey, there are plenty of leftovers," I raised the Tupperware containers.
"Thanks," William smiled and ushered the boys toward the stools at the bar.
"My, you two have grown so much." Ilene had approached the boys without William or I realizing it.
William's eyes grew large and looked to me. I shrugged.
"Grandma," the boys exclaimed.
She hugged both of them tightly. William's witness of her affectionate behavior had him stunned to silence. I began to put food out on plates for them, since Will seemed to be too shocked to move. Setting the third plate out, the next sequence of events took place.
"How have you boys been? Have you been good for your mother?"
"Yes," "Yep," they answered in unison.
"That's wonderful." She smiled down at them. "What have you been up to?"
"We got to go back to Whidbey and stay with Grandma Juliette," Michael spouted in excitement.
I groaned audibly, heard Collin's fork fall to the table, and William fell into a coughing fit.
"Uncle Collin has been letting us stay here with him until mommy finds us a new house," Gregory announced as they both climbed up to start eating.
Ilene didn't move and didn't speak.
"Mother?" Collin was next to her side. "Mother?" his voice rose a little and her tears started to flow. He wrapped an arm around her and walked her from the room.
"Oh," she hiccupped, "Collin," her cry got louder.
"Is grandma okay?" The boys looked up to William.
"Um, yes, she was just so happy to see you two that she has happy tears." William dropped his face to his food and began to shovel it in.
The twins looked at William like he was crazy, but then after looking at each other they shrugged and began eating. I finished clean-up of the kitchen and went to check on Victoria.
I'd been helping Victoria with her math homework for about a half hour when Will knocked on the open door.
"Hey, what's up?"
"I just wanted to thank you for helping with dinner tonight." He smiled.
"It is no problem and you don't need to thank me." I smiled at him. He hesitated in the doorway. "Will?"
"Um, have you heard from Allison?"
My brow furrowed.
"Uh, no." I fought a snort. Like that woman would call me. Will's face seemed severe. "Is something wrong?"
He shrugged. "I don't know. I mean, she met with Jonathan a few days back and didn't come home that night, but she showed up the next afternoon." He leaned against Victoria's door. I approached to talk more privately with him.
"She's gone again?"
Keeping the hushed tone he answered me.
"She left yesterday afternoon and I haven't heard from her."
"Maybe you should tell Collin about it." He seemed to hesitate at my suggestion and the
n just shook his head.
"No, I'll wait. I don't want to piss her off."
"But –"
"If I haven't heard from her by tomorrow evening then I'll talk to Dr. Bishop."
"Okay. If you think that's best, then okay." I patted his upper arm.
"Thanks," he leaned over to the side. "Good night Miss Victoria."
Her head whipped around and she smiled largely.
"Night, William!"
The remainder of the night was quiet. Victoria finished her homework, so we went through her closet to get her uniform laid out. After she took an awkward shower with me helping her from outside of the tub, we got her dressed for bed and sat down with our latest classic book. We decided on 'Mary Poppins' by P.L. Travers.
A little over a fourth way through the book Victoria was fast asleep. I tucked her into bed, said goodnight, and exited her room.
Once in the bedroom, I headed for the shower. The hot water felt good and the smell of my body wash was unusually comforting. Stepping from the shower, I dried, brushed and dressed for bed. I was settling in under the covers when Collin entered the room. He was rubbing the back of his head with a look of exhaustion.
"Is she okay?"
His head came up quickly. He smiled and approached me.
"Yes, she's fine." He climbed onto the bed next to me, still in his suit. "Thank you." His arm came over me and pulled him closer to me.
"For what?" I looked down at the top of his head. He looked up at me.
"You didn't have to be nice to my mother and you definitely didn't have to offer for to stay here."
I pulled his face to mine, leaning down and kissing his forehead. His swift movements brought him up, straddling my blanket covered body. He pressed his lips to mine. It wasn't a deep or long kiss, but it was perfect. Pulling back, he looked down at me.
"I love you," his words were soft but passionate.
That's when my words from earlier this afternoon dawned on me. I told Ilene I loved her son. My face must've been reflecting every emotion flowing through my body, because his face filled with panic.
"What's wrong?"
I shook my head. "Nothing," a smile crept over my mouth. "Say it again."
