Maggie's Turn

by Deanna Lynn Sletten

  Marcia let out a long, heavy sigh. “Andrew, you know I’m very busy with my volunteer and committee work—and that I don’t have time to pick up Kaia, who’s old enough to take the bus and stay home alone.”

  Biting the inside of his cheek, Andrew held back the sharp retort that threatened to spill from his lips. Yes, he knew all about his mother being too busy to spend time with family. Because she had always been so involved with community activities, he’d spent most days after school—and even many weeknights—alone at home when he was growing up. His father had been a loan officer at a local bank for thirty years. He had also volunteered for many organizations and served as mayor for several years, which meant he had rarely been home, either. So, while the entire town looked up to the Harrisons for giving their time selflessly to the community, he’d sat home alone, eaten cold dinners, and gone to sleep many nights in a quiet, empty house.

  “Mother,” he said gently, trying to brush aside his resentment of his lonely childhood, “I realize it may be an inconvenience, but I would appreciate your help. I never ask you to help with the children, but I’m asking now.”

  “Children?” Marcia huffed. “I’d hardly call Kaia a child. What is she now, thirteen? Fourteen? Kaia is old enough to stay home alone for a couple of hours after school. You did it when you were much younger than that. I can’t ignore my responsibilities to babysit a grown girl. It’s ridiculous.”

  Andrew sat silent, not trusting himself to speak. He’d never spoken harshly to his mother in his life, and he didn’t have the energy to start now.

  Marcia harrumphed. “And another thing, Andrew. You really need to rein in that wife of yours. My goodness, she’s been flitting off to Seattle an awful lot the past couple of years, and here she is, gone again. That isn’t very responsible of her.”

  Andrew bristled. “Her father and sister were sick and died, Mother,” he said tightly, feeling the need to defend Maggie. “She wasn’t taking a vacation. She was helping them.”

  “Be that as it may, she has enough to do here at home. It’s late. I’m going to bed. Good night.” Marcia hung up before Andrew could say good-bye.

  Andrew sat, stunned, staring blankly at the opposite wall of the bedroom he and Maggie had shared. He hadn’t expected much from his mother. After all, she’d never been especially involved with Kyle and Kaia, even when they were younger. And he knew she’d never really approved of Maggie, either—his mother had always considered her an outsider. But would it have killed her to help out even a little? Apparently so.

  As Andrew sat there, his eyes focused on the framed family photos arranged on the bedroom wall. They were of all sizes, arranged in a circular pattern and displaying scenes from their life together. There was one of Maggie and him clowning around on a beach when they were younger. One each of Kyle and Kaia as babies, a family Christmas photo in front of the tree, and a group photo with all four of them, plus Maggie’s father and sister, taken when they’d visited Seattle years ago.

  Andrew zeroed in on that photo. He’d always liked Maggie’s dad. He had been a tough guy but fair, and there was never any doubt that he loved his two girls unconditionally. He’d also been good to Andrew, welcoming him into the family the very first time he’d visited when he and Maggie were in college. Maggie’s family was the warm, caring family he’d never had growing up—and it was comforting to spend time with them. The three of them openly hugged each other, teased, and joked. That openness and warmth was one of the many things that had drawn Andrew to Maggie in the first place. With her, he was comfortable enough to express his feelings and desires without any fear of being ridiculed. Maggie made him feel loved for the first time in his life, and it had changed him. Moving back to Woodroe, and near his parents again, had taken away the carefree feelings he’d had during those college years with Maggie and her family. His parents had always had high expectations for him, and once again, he’d been pressured into being the dutiful son who tried hard to excel at everything. But at what cost?

  Andrew stood and walked to the wall to get a closer look at the photos. He smiled slightly when he examined the one of him and Maggie in their early twenties. She had been pretty, carefree, and adventurous then. She’d taken him hiking along the trails of Mount Rainier, on ferry rides across Puget Sound, and as far away as Lake Tahoe—places where they could be together and she could take beautiful pictures. He hadn’t been any more spontaneous when he was young than he was now, but he’d been open to following Maggie anywhere.

  As he stared at the photo, his own reflection stared back at him from the glass. He looked tired; his brown eyes were dull, and there were creases around his eyes and mouth. Silver tipped his dark hair at the temples, and he saw strands of gray scattered among the black. The contrast between how he looked in the picture taken over twenty years ago and how he appeared now startled him. Until this minute, he’d thought of himself as only forty-five years old, but now he realized that even though he still thought of himself as young and vibrant, he really wasn’t.

  Andrew backed away from the photo so quickly, he hit the back of his knees on the bed and almost toppled over. He headed to the bathroom, quickly washed his face, and readied himself for bed, trying hard not to look too closely in the mirror.

  He’d never been a vain man, but in his youth, women had looked at him twice, smiled, and winked. Back then, he’d been too shy to do anything about it. Maggie had been the one to bring him out of his shell. But after years of responsibility earning a living for his family, he’d begun to feel tired and old. When a pretty coworker started flirting with him last year, he’d felt alive again. And he’d liked how that felt. But in the end, it had only made him feel good in the moment.

  How had he dared accuse Maggie of having a midlife crisis when he’d gone and had the most classic kind of all?

  Andrew pushed those thoughts away as he crawled into bed and turned out the lights. But sleep eluded him. He couldn’t help replaying the conversation with his mother in his head. It occurred to him that she had said almost the exact same words to him that he’d said to Maggie about her trips to Seattle over the past couple of years. He realized how terrible it must have sounded to Maggie when he accused her of taking vacations to Seattle while her father and sister were dying. I sounded just like my mother, he thought, horrified. In that instant, he understood how deeply painful his words must have felt to Maggie.

  CHAPTER TEN

  Maggie’s phone woke her up with a start. She grabbed it off the nightstand and fumbled to find the spot to swipe it in the dark hotel room. “Hello?” she said, glancing at the clock. It was only six in the morning.

  “Mom?” asked the tentative voice on the other end. Maggie recognized Kaia’s voice instantly and sat up in the bed.

  “Kaia, honey. I’m so happy to hear from you. It’s early. You must be getting ready for school. What’s going on?”

  “Mom, are you mad at me?”

  Maggie frowned. “Mad at you? Oh, you mean about what your dad and I talked about yesterday.”

  “Yes. Dad never said anything more to me after you both talked. I figured you must be really mad.”

  Maggie reached over and snapped on the bedside light. “No, sweetie, I’m not mad at you. I am disappointed in you, though, for skipping school. You’ve never done anything like that before, and it surprised me.”

  “I’m sorry, Mom,” Kaia said.

  Maggie heard the sincerity in Kaia’s voice. “Why did you do it? Did it have something to do with me leaving?”

  Last night, Maggie had thought over what Kaia had done, and she couldn’t help but feel she was to blame for her daughter’s actions. After all, Kaia had always had her mother to depend on—and then one day, her mom disappeared. Maggie loved her children and had given them her full attention their whole lives. When she’d driven away, she hadn’t meant to hurt them—but she was afraid that, unfortunately, she had.

>   “I don’t know,” Kaia said. “I was mad at you after you left, but I know now that what I did was stupid. It’s just, well, Dad was being all weird about you leaving—and he was yelling at us and making all these new rules, and I just felt like I couldn’t stand it.”

  “I’m sorry you were angry with me, Kaia. I didn’t mean to upset you. But I’m glad to hear that you understand you did the wrong thing. Your dad is having a rough time right now. He’s not used to having so much responsibility at home, and I’m sure it’s making him crazy. You just have to give him a break, okay? If something is upsetting you, talk to him instead of acting out. He will listen if you give him a chance.” Maggie could practically hear Kaia’s eye-roll over the distance, and that made her smile.

  “Okay, Mom,” Kaia finally answered. “I’ll try.” Then, in a quieter voice, she asked, “Mom, did you leave because of me? I wasn’t very nice to you that morning you left. I know that. I guess I haven’t been very nice to you for a while. I’m sorry if the way I acted made you want to leave. I promise I’ll be better if you come home.”

  Maggie gasped as Kaia’s words tumbled across the distance between them. Her eyes filled with tears. She’d never hurt her children intentionally, and the fact that Kaia thought it was her fault broke her heart. “Oh, sweetie, no. I didn’t leave because of you. I love you. You didn’t do anything wrong.”

  “Then why, Mom? Was it Dad? Was it Kyle? Why did you leave?”

  “I just needed some time away,” Maggie said honestly. “Honey, I know it’s hard to understand, but so much has happened over the past couple of years that it all just crept up on me. I know running away isn’t the right thing to do, but I really needed some time to myself. Can you understand that?”

  “Because of Grandpa and Aunt Amy dying?” Kaia asked.

  “Yes, that has a lot to do with it, honey.”

  “I know how sad you were when they both died,” Kaia said. “I guess I can understand why you’d want to go away for a while. But it really scared us when we didn’t know where you were. I was afraid something bad had happened to you and I’d never get to tell you how sorry I was for being such a brat.”

  “Oh, honey,” Maggie said, wiping away tears. “I’m so sorry. It was thoughtless of me not to call right away. I never meant to scare any of you.”

  “Mom, you will be coming home, won’t you?” Kaia asked, sounding like a little girl again.

  “Yes, dear. I will be coming home. I could never leave you and Kyle,” Maggie said with certainty. She knew how devastating it had felt when her mother walked away from her and Amy. She knew she would never do that to her own kids.

  “Can I call you whenever I want?” Kaia asked, sounding relieved.

  “Anytime you want,” Maggie assured her.

  “Okay.”

  “And Kaia? Will you help your dad out around the house? I think he’s going to need your help more than ever while I’m gone.”

  “Sure,” Kaia answered. “We’re going grocery shopping after school, and then we’re cooking dinner. Dinner hasn’t been very good since you left.”

  Maggie laughed and that made Kaia giggle.

  “Oh, Mom?”

  “Yes, hon.”

  “About the piercing. Is it okay if I keep it?”

  Maggie chuckled. A week ago, she would have said absolutely not, but a lot had changed since then. “Why don’t you keep it for now, and we’ll see how you feel about it when I get back, okay?”

  “Thanks, Mom,” Kaia squealed.

  After they hung up, Maggie felt as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders.

  Since Maggie was already awake, she decided to get dressed and head off in search of breakfast. She hadn’t ventured out the night before, opting instead to go to bed early. Her conversation with Andrew had dampened her spirits, and she knew she wouldn’t enjoy herself if she’d gone out. But today was different. It was a beautiful day, and she wasn’t going to waste it. She planned to drive outside of town to take photos of Reno, with the Sierra Nevada mountains as a backdrop. And then she would head for Lake Tahoe to take pictures of the lake and lush scenery.

  Maggie took the elevator down to the casino and went in search of a restaurant that served breakfast. The casino was busy, even this early in the morning. Chandeliers twinkled overhead and slot machines jingled all around. Casinos were built for never-ending pleasure, with no clocks or windows. It was a make-believe world, and even though it was fun to visit, Maggie knew she wouldn’t be staying long.

  Maggie found a breakfast buffet and waited in a long line behind other hungry hotel guests. The hostess seated her at one of the many small tables that lined one side of the restaurant, each with a booth seat on one side and a chair on the other. As soon as the waitress took her order for a glass of milk, she pulled her purse and camera bag over her shoulder and headed over to serve herself from the buffet.

  Maggie sat back down at her table with a full plate. There had been such a variety to choose from that she had taken a little of everything that looked delicious. She knew she was going to be out walking all day, so she didn’t feel guilty about all the food she’d piled onto her plate.

  Maggie was just biting into a crispy piece of bacon when she was startled by a shadow that fell over her. Looking up, she saw a woman with thick, curly brown hair and elaborate eye shadow staring down at her.

  “Sorry to startle you,” the woman said. “I’ve been walking all over this place, trying to find my table, but for the life of me, I can’t find it. Honestly, I think someone else sat down at my table.”

  The woman had a large bag slung over her shoulder and was carrying a plate of food piled just as high as Maggie’s. Looking around, Maggie couldn’t see an empty table anywhere, either.

  “Would you mind if I sit with you?” the woman asked. “It’s just so crazy busy in here.”

  Maggie glanced at the woman before answering. She was of average height, just a little shorter than Maggie, and slightly on the plump side. Her dark hair was shoulder length, with lovely auburn highlights. Her makeup was applied thickly, and although her hot-pink T-shirt was a bit loud for Maggie’s taste, her black trousers toned it down a bit. All in all, she seemed harmless, so Maggie waved at the empty chair. “Of course. Please, sit down.”

  The woman let out a sigh of relief as she plopped down into the seat, setting her plate on the table and letting her big, heavy bag drop off her shoulder and onto the floor. “Thanks so much. I wasn’t sure what I was going to do, and that bag sure is heavy.” Her face broke into a friendly smile. Her lipstick matched her hot-pink shirt. “I’m Roberta, but my friends call me Bobbi.”

  Maggie stopped chewing her bacon for a second as she stared at the woman across from her. Bobbi. Another Bob? Was this a joke? With a grin she said, “I’m Maggie. Nice to meet you, Bobbi.”

  Bobbi broke off a piece of the large blueberry muffin on her plate and popped it into her mouth. “So are you here for the hairstylist convention, too?” she asked.

  “No, I’m just passing through. Is that why it’s so busy in town? Because of the hairstylist convention?”

  “Yep. I come to this one every year. The workshops help me keep up-to-date on the latest trends, and the casinos are just plain fun. Except this year, no one from the salon where I work came along, so I’m kind of on my own.”

  “Where do you live?” Maggie asked.

  “San Diego. Ever been there?”

  Maggie shook her head. “No, but we were stationed north of San Diego in San Pedro for a while when I was a kid, years ago before we moved back to Seattle, where my dad was from. I was a navy brat.”

  Bobbi grinned. “Navy brat, huh? Well, being from San Diego, I know a lot about navy brats, and you sure don’t fit the part. Do you still live in Seattle?”

  “No. I live in Minnesota now. A small town in the upper northwestern part of
the state.”

  A waitress came by then and brought Maggie a refill on her milk. Bobbi ordered a diet soda.

  “For breakfast?” Maggie asked.

  “You sound like a mom. Is your family here with you?”

  Maggie’s eyebrows rose.

  “I see your wedding ring. I’m just assuming you have a husband and family to go with it,” Bobbi said.

  “Oh, yeah, well, I do. But they’re not with me. I’m doing some traveling on my way to see relatives in Seattle.” Until she said this, Maggie hadn’t even considered going to Seattle, but now she realized that she’d been heading that way all along. Even though her sister and father were both gone, she had a cousin she was close to that she could stay with awhile. And the more she thought about it, the more she liked the idea of seeing Cassie and her husband, Matt, and their kids.

  Maggie and Bobbi ate their food and watched as people came and went. The restaurant was very busy, and now that Bobbi had mentioned the hairstylist convention, Maggie noticed large groups of women eating breakfast together. Most had beautiful hair, or extreme hairstyles, and many were dressed professionally, as if they were going off to work. Maggie assumed that most of them were there for the convention. Seeing so many women in one place made her feel less out of place than she had when she arrived.

  Some people were being seated at the next table, and Bobbi had to move her bag out of the way. She seemed to struggle under its weight, and Maggie was curious what was in it.

  “Mind if I ask why such a big bag?”

  Bobbi chuckled. “It’s full of free samples and some of my hairstyling equipment I’ll need for the next workshop. The workshops are very hands-on, and some have volunteers who let us try out new styles or techniques on them.” Bobbi studied Maggie a minute with her big brown eyes. “Hey, would you like to volunteer at my coloring workshop? It’s tomorrow morning, and I know they’re still looking for more people for us to work on.”