"Yes... so very true."
"They um, they're having problems already."
"Who?"
"Shawn and his new wife, Sylvia... Angela told me she left him."
"You're kidding!? They just married!"
"I know... by the sounds of it, she finally got a taste of Shawn's temper."
"What do you mean? He - hit her?"
"Of course not! Whatever things he may be - whatever wrongs he can be guilty of, that's one thing he would never do. Well... not the kind of hitting to fear. He will slap her across the ass though." Deidre laughed thinking back.
"What do you mean?!"
"Oooh, one time we got into a big fight, and I hauled off and slapped him - hard! It happened so quick I scared myself because I thought for sure he was going to hit me back. And I was right, because he turned red in the face and grabbed my arm and yanked me down across his lap and slapped my ass raw. I never hit him again!" She laughed.
"Oh my goodness! And you're laughing!"
"I deserved it! I admit it - I was a bit of a brat! Often times unfair. I don't know what came over me, but I did it and that's how he responded. It was the one and only time he ever hit me, provoked because I hit him. That's the extent of his temper as far as physical stuff is concerned. He would kick doors, punch walls, break things, but he never hit me, all but that one time. Yet - I will say, that if you don't know that about him, he can be very scary when he loses it. She must have gotten a taste - because she's gone."
"Well... you don't think because she's gone that gives you-..."
"Oh no... I know better. He'll be after her, there's no doubt about that. He - he's in love with her - I can tell. I just can... I know there's nothing there for me, but at least we get along now, for that... I'm glad. For Angela's sake."
"Good... thank goodness for that, I'm glad its finally sunk in past your heart. And Mr. Franklin, what about him?"
"What about him?"
"What do you think, what about him!"
"He's after my parents. Not necessarily after me."
"What? Where's that coming from?"
"It's a fact. He admitted maneuvring our meeting. If we were to get seriously involved, nooo, it might end up being for all the wrong reasons. I'm not looking to set myself up for being used, not by any man - no way."
"What if he sought you out and was sincere?"
"Let's not go there... nothings happened so far."
"You know he's going to ask you to stay with him until you're fully recovered! He lives in an exclusive, well secured, high rise looking over the city - so what are you gonna say when he asks you?"
"You don't know if that's what he's going to ask!"
"Would you like to place a wager?"
"A wager... that's nonsense!"
"What if he does ask... what are you going to say?"
"No - of course!"
"What do you mean no! Are you nuts!? You need to be protected during this investigation - what if the person who sought to hurt you - kill you - is not your parents, but someone who wants to do you harm still!? Don't be ridiculous! If he offers... you better accept it! Its only for a short period of time... it's not going to kill you - but declining just might!"
Deidre leaned back and thought about it. "I'll cross that bridge when I get to it."
"Well its coming up - you better get ready for the crossing! 'nother thing... your parents. They've been here, and your dad is here now - when are you going to let them visit you?"
"I don't wanna see them. I don't... I have no desire at all to see them walking into my room... so please - let them know I wish not be bothered. I - I don't trust them - I just don't."
"Okay... things will remain as you wish. This... is another good reason why you should take Jeremiah up on his offer when the time comes... so they don't know where you are."
Deidre started slipping deeper into the bed, she was getting tired. The drip that was still connected to her released medicine and pain killers that made her drowsy after a while, they were starting to work. "Like I said... I'll cross that bridge... when I get to it."
Chicago...
Typing away at her laptop, building on the story she'd been writing. Sylvia had been up since the crack of dawn. She'd run out to McDonalds for juice and breakfast, and now she was back - typing away - getting things done and feeling better daily with her time of isolation. Her to do list lay aside with three things now crossed off. One of them she felt a bit guilty about considering Shawn's reaction once it was done. Too late to go back now, it was done and she was in now or never mode. She stopped a moment to think, picking up a hash brown and taking a bite out of it, leaning back in her chair. Her right hand went to her lower belly.
"How you doin' this morning? Hm? You okay? I'll be glad when I can feel you moving. Are you moving around now? Are you missing your daddy's voice? I miss his voice. Some times I think that I should just go home. I'm starting to feel a bit selfish. But - once you come - there's no more time for this. No time to be... selfish." Sylvia sighed munching on her hash brown and thinking about Shawn.
"You know I love your daddy. With all my heart I do... you know that. When I get home, some how... I'm going to have to make this up to him. Oooh lil'man... he's something, your father is." Sylvia chuckled suddenly. "Oh if I'd only known that day at the post office when we first met, what a rush and force he would be in my life. He is a force you know, a mighty one. Yet... there are times, when I hear... a little boy there? One that I can only wonder about?" She lapsed off into silence once again and thinking, rubbing where she knew their child lay, hopefully safe and secure. "I wonder what he's doing right now? I'd love to call him, but... hearing him is really tough. Lil'man how can I make him understand that my staying away for a while has not so much to do with him, but myself? You know, I'm 38 years old - when you're 20, I'll be 58! Your dad will be 62! Oh my goodness! But... I look at his father, Bart - he's aged pretty well... so... as long as we're together... we'll be okay. I just have to get through this. I just have to stick to my guns and give myself - just - this time. That's all I ask Lil'man... just for this time... and then, well... I'll go home, and be a wife to your father. A mother to you... and should we happen to have another, to that one as well. He really wants you bad... do you know that? And another one as well, maybe two more." Sylvia stood finishing up her hash brown, picking up the bags, wrappers and drink cup, cleaning up her mess, walking to the waste basket by the long wardrobe.
She walked into the bathroom fussing with her hair. Fluffing her top, arranging the bangs and looking at the short tapered back above her neck. It was quite a change from her normal look. It was the first time in a very long time that she'd cut her hair so short. She caught the reflection of her rings in the mirror and looked at the wedding set on her finger, the glittering diamonds, touching it, she exhaled. "Please Shawn... just give me a little more time - do this for me, just a bit more."
She looked down at her supplements. She'd been to the health food store, bought herself some much needed food supplements. Omega's, extra iron and Dr. Schulz's Superfood. She'd been on it before and had lapsed in taking it. Now, she bought enough for herself and Crystal as well. She looked at the box on the floor for her daughter. She especially needed it. Making her wonder if she was nutritionally off balance? It hadn't been long since she had Darren and perhaps her system was off and making her anxious and angry. She would get the supplements to her right away, which would help to sooth and calm her once her body's demanding needs were met.
Sylvia went through the routine of taking her own supplements now that she'd eaten and wiped up heading back to her table and laptop to get more writing done. It was 10:30am and she would write for another hour. Sitting down to do just that her mobile phone rang. She grabbed it knowing that it was Crystal or Sheila.
"Hello?"
"Mama..." Her daughters voice came troubled and broken.
"Crystal? What's wrong baby?"
"Can I - see you today... please?!"<
br />
"Aaah, what's wrong baby?"
"I need to see you mama... I need to talk to you. Can I?"
Sylvia could hear that she was crying. "Of course you can! Um, let me think... it's 10:30 here now, I can set off for there and be there at least by 2:30."
"Okay... I have a few more classes to go to, my last class today is at 1:45. I have Shawn's truck because Mundo needed the SUV to pick them up from the airport, they're returning today. So... I was thinking, I need to take that truck back to the house, Shawn may need it. Could you pick me up at the station by the Super 8? I could walk there to meet you if you came."
The thought of that made Sylvia nervous, that was mighty close to home, what if Shawn happened by to see her. She shook it off, didn't matter, her daughter needed her, that meant more to her than being discovered by Shawn.
"What about the boys? Are you bringing them as well?"
"Yeah... I'll have to, I don't know if Mundo will be back from the airport by then, you don't mind do you?"
"Crystal! Of course not! What's going on with your car? Why don't you have it back from the shop yet?"
"It's fixed, they called this morning. I don't have the money, it came to over six hundred some odd dollars parts and labor."
"I suppose Victor can't pay that?"
"He doesn't know yet, they called me on my mobile just this morning."
"Look, let's not worry about that now. I'll be there at the Super 8 station by 2:30... you be there to meet me - okay?"
"Okay mama... I love you mama."
"I love you too my daughter... you know mama will always be here for you... so, I'll be there."
"Thank you mama... see you later."
"Okay baby."
Sylvia clicked the phone off and stood taking her clothes off to jump in the shower. She passed the mirror on the way and looked at her waist. It was getting thicker for certain. Her skin was still smooth and scar free. She'd carried Crystal and Mundo, and neither of them had caused her stretch marks. But they'd been small babies, carried deep and close to her back. Her labor had been horrendous with both of them, but she'd come out of it stretch mark free. She stared at her waste wondering would the same be true this time. She wondered how big Shawn had been at birth? How big Angela? Rubbing her stomach once again, there was no need to worry right then, lil'man was slowly beginning to make his presence known. She carried on with her shower. In record time, she was dressed, grabbing her purse and the box of supplements she purchased for Crystal and was out the door, driving for the interstate to hit the highway. She popped in an oldies music mix CD she purchased from the music store. Pressing the skip button to her favorite song of late, to listen to it again playing it over and over. The song Shawn had Mundo play that they danced to first at their wedding, Wildflower, by Skylark. After listening to it for the third time, she switched to something else, popping in Regina Bell, listening and singing along with her to, 'Baby Come To Me.' knowing each and every word, nuance, pitch and tune, she drove down the highway. After hitting all the familiar toll ways, she was in Wisconsin in no time, her mind on all that she was putting in place to do next. With her favorite songs playing and her thoughts on her current situation, on her husband, wondering about her daughter, miles and hours sped by like the speed of light and she was pulling into the station of the same lot as the Super 8.
She filled up her gas tank, went in to pay for her gas, got something to drink, purchased treats and drinks for the boys and came out seeing Crystal walking up with Darren on her hip and Isaac walking and talking beside her. He looked towards her and his eyes got big.
"GRANDMA!! Where you been grandma?!" He ran unrestrained to her. Sylvia felt her eyes fill with tears as she went to her knees to hug him as he wrapped his arms around her neck.
"Oh... grandma's been driving around looking at stuff. Thinking about stuff, doing different stuff." She hugged, grinning at him as she leaned away to look at him. He was growing like a weed. His blonde hair glistening in the sun, he needed a hair cut. Sylvia looked up from him to her daughter and stood.
"Hey baby... what's wrong?"
"Can we go for a drive?"
"Oh we are going for a drive... I can't stay here. Come on." Sylvia lead them to her car and Crystal's eyes got huge. "MAMA! Oh my goodness! What is that!?"
"That... is one of the things on my to do list I told you about." Sylvia grinned as she walked to the brand new, red, mustang convertible.
"Oh my goodness mama... it is the bomb! So you just been hot rodin' and speeding up and down the highway! I know you been speedin' mama! How you gone drive something like this not speed!?"
Sylvia grinned and winked at her daughter as they put the boys in the back seat and buckled them in. "It hasn't been easy not to... I have been tempted. When I was a young girl, I always liked the mustangs. Said I'd have one, one day... but I could never get up off the money to go for it. Besides, could never afford one before now." She said as they both sat in the front seat, closing their doors and Sylvia started it up. "But now... I thought, I've never ever ever - blown any money... as you know. So - blowing a large amount of money, carelessly just because - was on the list. Along with driving a really fast red car! It was either this or the Mercedes."
"What?!"
"Yes... I came soooo close... I just couldn't do it though! Even used it was more than I could bare to part with... so I thought, what the heck... I said I would have a sporty new mustang one day... and here it is!"
"Oh my goodness mama, wouldn't a mini-van been more practical?"
"Of course it would have been, considering I'm pregnant. But my list is not about being practical. I've done practical all my life... this... this is just for me! Not sure how long I'm gonna keep it... but oh well... I'll cross that bridge later. Now..." Sylvia stopped at the exit drive of the station. "Are they back yet?"
"No... when I left, no one was home."
"I'm gonna have to take a chance then and go by the house, because I am not getting on the highway without Isaac and Darren in a car seat... I just won't do it." Sylvia took a deep breath and went for it, as she drove, she instructed Crystal. "Soon as we pull in, you're out... get his seat and put it in and I'll do the other, and we're out of there... let's pray they don't drive up while we're sitting there."
"I'm sorry mama for putting you through this." Crystal apologized.
"Girl... you are my daughter... ain't nothing more important than you! If he pulls up... I'll just deal with it! But be quick."
It was a five minute drive from where they were to the house. No sign of the SUV. Sylvia pulled into the driveway at Shawn's house and neither of them hesitate as they made quick work of putting the boys in the front seat while they strapped in the car seats in the back, and then, the boys. With nervous laughter, Sylvia spurred her daughter faster, "Hurry girl... or this man gone catch me here... and you know I'll never get away if he do."
"I know mama I know... I'm hurrying!" Crystal added, laughing a bit as well.
"Do it right, don't rush it... grandma baby gotta be safe!" Sylvia said, kissing Darren's brow, then Isaac's, who was nodding, sleepy.
It took them ten minutes, all together and both were in, securely strapped and buckled in, they laughed and hurried putting the top up on the convertible as Sylvia reversed out of the driveway. "Mama you just out of control ain't you! Look at you, driving this thing to get out of here before he sees you!" Crystal grinned, feeling a bit sorry for Shawn regardless of the determined funny look of her mother handling the convertible.
"Grandma where we going now?!" Isaac asked as Sylvia made her way down the country road, her heart pounding as she prayed they didn't meet the SUV on the way.
"We're going to La Cross baby... get your mama's car for one thing!" She announced making it out to the main road, and then heading for the interstate.
"Oh mama thank you... I didn't know how I was gonna get that car back with that bill." Crystal admitted.
"I can't have you around here with no wheels!
Especially with me driving this!"
"Mama you deserve this! Gettin' my car out has nothing to do with it." Crystal returned.
"Well... still... no matter, you need that car. Now tell me, what's going on?" Sylvia asked now back on the interstate and heading for La Crosse.
Crystal took a deep breath, as her mother drove, trying to think of what to say. She didn't really want to say too much with Isaac listening, because he was all ears now, and would repeat, sometimes verbatim what he'd heard, so she decided to let her mother know what else was going on.
"When we get to La Crosse, can we go to a park so Isaac can play a bit... then... I can tell you why I called... is that okay?"
Sylvia nodded. "Yep... we can do that... I understand."
"Good, besides, there's something else that has happened."
"What?"
"Well... yesterday... or rather, last evening ummm, Jake left the house-..."
"Jake left the house!? What house?" Sylvia asked stunned.
"Your house... since he and Shawn made up, he's been helping Shawn get some things done - with Shawn having to go to California... he'd been working really hard on getting the house stripped and ready for that bed and breakfast."
"I see...hmmm?" Sylvia wasn't sure what she thought about that. Him in her house, working on it. Since she wasn't there, she figured there was no sense in worrying about it now, because she didn't have to see him. "How does he treat you and Mundo?" She asked instead.
"I like him mama... he's really a nice person. He treats Mundo good and me too. I know you don't like him because of what happened, but... I think you should just give him another chance and let that go. Especially after what he's going through now."
"What's he going through?" Sylvia asked.
"His ol'lady... her name's Doris right?"
"Yeah."
"Well... last night... she killed herself."
"WHAT?! No way! Oh my god!"
"Yep... so I can just imagine what he's going through."
"Yeah... well I can only wonder what he did to make her go to that extent. I know you think he's all nice - but I've seen the other side to him."
BOMAW 4-6 Page 28
