Mended Fences: Will love and kindness be able to mend the fences broken by intolerance? (Mended Hearts Book 2)

by Sarah Markel

  “Sorry, those onions were stronger than I thought. Anyways, as the years passed, Kristen got worse. When she was twelve, she started hanging out with a group of trouble makers and started smoking weed. By the time she was fourteen she had graduated to heroin and had tried everything in between. On my twelfth birthday, she showed up to the party dressed in black leather and chains, her face white as a ghost with black eyeliner on so thick she looked like a raccoon. My parents forgot all about the fact that it was my birthday and spent the rest of the day arguing with her about her appearance. That night was the first time she ran away. She was gone for a few days before the police brought her home. Between then and the time she turned sixteen, she had run away at least thirty times. Shortly after her sixteenth birthday, she came home on her own after being gone for almost three months. When she came inside, she didn’t even say hi to me. She walked right past where I was working on my homework and went into the kitchen. She didn’t even greet them, she just announced ‘I’m pregnant’. My dad was livid, but my mom took her by the hand and assured her they would get through this mess together.” When she finished with the vegetables, Kelly put them all in a bowl and added the seasonings, tossing them so they were coated. Setting the bowl aside, she took the four corn cobs and began to shuck them.

  “My niece, Phoebe, was born around Halloween that year and because Kristen was on every drug she could find, Phoebe had a lot of health problems. She was born deaf and was possibly mentally disabled. Her kidneys were underdeveloped, and she was addicted to cocaine. After the doctors told us that the baby would have to stay in the hospital for a while, Kristen took off again. My parents and I went to the hospital every day to see Phoebe, and around Mother’s day the doctor’s said she could go home. After we brought her home, Kristen came by the house one time to see her. I don’t know what she expected to find, but when she saw that Phoebe was really small and all the baby did was stare or chew on her toys, Kristen left again. Before she went out the door, Kristen told my mom that Phoebe was better off dead and that she never wanted to see her again. That was the last I ever saw of her.” Kelly finished as the two women took the food out to the deck. While Alex lit the grill, she asked “What happened to Phoebe? Did your parents raise her?” Shaking her head as she leaned against the railing, Kelly said “No. My dad wanted to, but my mom said that they were too old to be raising another baby. About a month later, my mom went to court to get Kristen’s rights terminated and put the baby up for adoption. By the time school started a few months later, Phoebe had been adopted by a really nice couple from Tallahassee who both had experience with special needs kids. They changed her name to Grace and the last I heard, she has had a wonderful life. She went to a private school for the deaf, and when she graduated they gave her their guest house. Aside from having some problems with reading, it is my understanding that she is quite intelligent.” She finished, wiping away the tears that had escaped.

  Walking over and kissing her fiancée gently, Alex asked “When was the last time you saw her?” Sniffing, Kelly thought for a moment. With a smile, she replied “About five years ago. I went to a conference in Tallahassee on providing care for those with communication hurdles in assisted living environments. Her parents were there and we ended up being seated at the same table. We talked for a while and her parents said that they would stay in touch with me, but that they would not allow my parents to do so. Apparently, my mother had tried to get the court to allow her to see Grace, and when the judge said no, she hired a private investigator. It took them a long time but they finally got her to leave them alone. That was actually how I found out about my parents’ divorce. They got divorced about ten years ago, and my mom got remarried a short time later. Grace’s family stayed in touch with me through letters and email, but we lost contact about a year before I came out here.” Smiling as she held her lover, Alex thought to herself. Well now I know what to do for a wedding present.

  *****

  Once the family had finished their dinner, Alex and Zane sat down to play chess, while Kelly and Dej played Candyland. “Yes! Checkmate!” Zane yelled when he finally managed to beat his mother for the first time ever. Kelly and Dej both shook their heads and laughed as the boy jumped up and did a little shimmy-shake. After tucking the kids into bed a few hours later, the adults went outside to sit in the hammock swing. “Babe, I know that for my side, we’re inviting my whole family, Judy and Lauren, Chelsea and Billy, Will and Tanya, Alan and Terry, and Eric and Fiona to the wedding, but who all are you inviting for your side?” Alex asked as she absently stroked her fingers over Kelly’s stomach. Shrugging, Kelly answered “Well, I’ve invited Jack and Kyle, my friends Joyce and Lisa from back home, Quinn Fairchild, and my grandmother Ellen. I don’t really have anyone else to invite.” Saddened by the resigned tone of Kelly’s voice, Alex frowned. “I’m sorry, baby. If you want, you can have James and Melissa.” She said with a chuckle. Slapping Alex’s thigh, Kelly said with mock outrage “Unless you want to sleep on the couch until the wedding, you had better be joking.” Laughing, Alex pulled Kelly up and tipped the woman’s head to kiss her.

  CHAPTER 3

  Over the next several weeks, life progressed as usual. School started, work went smoothly, and Angie and Steve’s weekend barbeques had come to an end for the year. The first Friday in October, Alex and Kelly were approached by the kids with a problem. Sitting down on the couch while the children stood in front of them, the women listened intently. Fidgeting with his hands while his sister stood with her arms crossed over her tiny chest, Zane kept looking back and forth from Dej to his mothers. “Well, what’s the problem?” Alex asked after several moments of silence. Huffing out a breath and running his hand through his hair, the boy explained.

  “You see. The thing is, Career Day is coming up next Friday, and I wanted you guys to come speak in my class. My teacher said I could only bring in one parent, but I can’t decide which of you to ask.” he said, looking at both women. “It’s my Career Day too.” Dej chimed in. Giving the boy a moment to complete his thought, Alex smiled at the kids. “Okay, so one of us can go to Dej’s class, and the other can go to Zane’s.” she said gently. Nodding, Zane interjected “But I don’t know which of you I want at my class.” Rolling her eyes at her brother, Dej spoke up “I don’t care which of you comes to my class, I’m proud of both of you.” Looking to her son, Kelly assured the boy. “Son, whoever you chose to come to your class is fine. My feelings won’t be hurt if you choose your mom.” she added with a smile. Nodding, Alex supplied “Take the weekend to think about it, and let us know on Monday. Just remember, Mom is a Doctor and I am just a business owner. You just need to figure out which of those professions you think your classmates will enjoy hearing about more.” Smiling for the first time, Zane nodded in agreement.

  *****

  When the women dropped the kids off at school on Monday, Zane gave them his decision. “I think I want Kelly to come to my class for Career Day.” he said, giving Alex an apologetic smile. “Alright son, that’s fine. I will go to Dej’s class and speak, then no one is left out.” the woman replied, fist bumping her son as he got out of the car. While the pair drove to work, Kelly asked hesitantly, “Honey, what do I talk about to a group of twelve year olds?” Patting her fiancée’s knee, Alex smiled “Don’t worry, Babe. You just go in, Zane will introduce you, and you tell the kids about what you do. Then the kids and the teacher will ask you some questions, and you just answer them honestly.” Nodding, Kelly smiled and let out a breath. “That sounds easy enough.” She said.

  “Jack, could you possibly get me the charts for Mrs. Blaine and Mrs. Chaffey?” Kelly asked when she and Alex got to work. Nodding, the man made a note of the names and headed off to the file room. Kelly let herself into her office and plopped down in her chair. Rubbing at the ache in her head, she made a few notations on her desk blotter. “Here you go, Dr. Taylor.” Jack said, setting the files on her desk. “Are you alright?” he asked. Kelly lifted her head an
d smiled. “I’m fine, Jack. Just a headache. I think I might go home a bit early today, if everything stays quiet.” Looking at his boss with mild concern, Jack nodded and closed the door behind him as he left. Kelly stared at the files on her desk for several moments while she rubbed her head. Blowing out a frustrated breath, the woman opened Mrs. Chaffey’s file and got to work.

  “Kelly?” Alex asked gently, a short time later. “Mmhmm?” Kelly answered, not looking up from her desk. Alex stepped inside the office and stood quietly, watching Kelly with her head on the desk. “If you need to nap, baby, there are more comfortable places.” Alex said, stepping over to stand next to her fiancée. “Headache.” Kelly mumbled, wincing when she tried to lift her head. Alex gazed down with concern and tilted Kelly’s chin up. Searching the woman’s eyes, Alex noticed the obvious pain that Kelly was dealing with. “Sweetheart, let me take you home.” she said, kneeling down so that the two were at eye level. “No, I took some Ibuprofen. I’m just waiting for it to kick in.” Kelly replied, her voice weak and whiny. Alex pulled the woman to her chest and stroked her hair gently. “Alright, but if you still have that headache after lunch, I’m taking you home. No objections.” Alex added when Kelly started to protest. In too much pain to object, Kelly nodded slightly and grumbled. “No fair using your boobs to comfort.” she said, attempting to make a joke. Alex laughed and stood. “They do come in handy on occasion.” Kelly gave her fiancée a genuine smile. “I’ll let you know if it doesn’t go away.” she promised.

  *****

  Later that evening, after the group had finished with school and work, Alex sat in her recliner watching the news while Kelly lay on the couch reading a book. The headache that had plagued her earlier in the day was gone, and Kelly had decided not to worry about the work she had brought home with her. When her phone rang, Kelly picked it up and frowned. “What’s the matter?” Alex asked, noticing the woman’s expression. Shaking her head, Kelly clicked ignore and set the phone down. “I didn’t recognize the number.” She said, going back to her book. When the phone beeped, Alex suggested that she check the voicemail and see who it was. Shrugging, Kelly picked up her phone and dialed her voicemail. “Hi, Kelly. This is your mother. I got your number from Grandma, and since I never got a response from you, I thought I would call. Please call me back when you have a moment. Goodbye.” Staring at Alex, Kelly punched the end button and dropped the phone on the table. “It was my mother.” She said flatly. Alex sat in surprise and watched as Kelly went upstairs, muttering under her breath.

  *****

  “Babe? Can I come in?” Alex asked from the bedroom doorway. Seeing her fiancée leave the room in anger had upset Alex and she had stayed downstairs for a bit cursing Kelly’s mother for angering her. Nodding, Kelly motioned her inside without looking at her. “Are you alright?” Alex asked, pointing to the envelope in Kelly’s hand. Handing the envelope to Alex, Kelly replied “Yeah, I’m fine. I haven’t read that yet, I was debating with myself about it. On the one hand, I am kind of curious to see what she has to say. On the other, I remember her exact words the last time I saw her, and they still hurt.” Hanging her head, Kelly heaved out a sigh. “What did she say to you that day, baby?” Alex asked, wrapping her arms around Kelly. With a sarcastic chuckle, Kelly shook her head. “You don’t want to know, honey. She has never been one to mince words, and that day was no exception.” Running her hand up and down Kelly’s back, Alex prodded “Tell me, babe. I don’t hide anything from you, and seeing you so upset by this woman is bothering me.” Hearing the truth in Alex’s words, Kelly told her.

  “She told me that I had found the one thing that would make her stop loving me. She said that she had always known that there was something wrong with me, she just didn’t realize what it was. Then instead of wishing me luck at school or anything else, she said she wasn’t about to admit to having a dirty dyke for a daughter, and slammed the door in my face." Alex stopped rubbing Kelly's back and stared at the woman in shock. "Oh my God. Are you serious? She actually said that?" Alex asked, dumbfounded. She had never dealt with that kind of homophobia in her own family, and it shook her to the core to know that Kelly had been a victim of it. Nodding, Kelly sighed again. “Baby, I don’t know what to say. You don’t need that kind of negativity in your life. I completely understand why the thought of her upsets you.” Alex resumed stroking Kelly’s hair, and tried to come up with something to ease the woman’s mind. “I love you.” she said softly as she leaned down to kiss the top of her lover’s hair. Kelly let out a chuckle and lifted up to press her lips against Alex’s. “I love you too, goofball.”

  *****

  On Friday morning, Alex and Kelly dropped the kids off as usual and promised to return at one o'clock for their presentations. When they arrived at work, Jack stopped them both before they could fully enter the lobby. Stepping back outside, Alex asked the man "What's going on, Jack. Why won't you let us in?" Looking nervously from Alex to Kelly, Jack let out a frustrated sigh. "There is a woman inside demanding to speak to Dr. Taylor. She claims to be your mother, but when I told her you were not due in today she started demanding that I call you. I remember what happened last year, so I tried to call you Ms. Walker, but your phone went straight to voicemail." He finished, looking anxious. Turning to Kelly, Alex instructed "Go wait in the SUV. I will see to it that she leaves, and when she does I will text you." Nodding, Kelly kissed her on the cheek and did as she was told. "Alright Jack, I want you to go back in there and continue to placate her. When I walk in, I want you to pretend to be scared of me but call me over and introduce me to her. I'll take it from there." She told the man, readying herself to give the woman a piece of her mind.

  "Um, Ms. Walker? Could I borrow you for a moment please?" Jack said in his best scared-to-death tone, as Alex blew into the building. Glaring at the man, she walked over to his desk and stood to her full height next to a woman who bore a striking resemblance to Kelly. Crossing her arms, Alex demanded "What is it, Jack? I have a lot of work to do." Wincing and doing his best to look as scared as possible, the man stammered "Um… this woman… well… she wants to talk to Dr. Taylor. I know she's not here today… but… this lady is adamant." Silently applauding the man's acting ability, Alex scolded him, completely ignoring the woman who was staring at her. "What is the company policy on giving out personal information for our staff?" Before Jack could answer, Alex finished for him. "That's right. We do not give out our staff's personal information, including address or phone number, to anyone not listed on that staff member's emergency contact card." Looking properly chastised, Jack hung his head and apologized. Saying nothing more, Alex spun on her heel and headed for her office with a smile on her face. I need to give that man a raise. She thought to herself.

  "Ms. Walker, may I speak to you for a moment?" the woman called, grabbing Alex’s arm firmly. "And you are?" Alex demanded with hostility. Taken aback by Alex's tone, the woman gathered herself and stood to her own full height, which put her roughly around eye level with Alex's breasts. "My name is Karen Willis, and I am Kelly Taylor's mother. I've been trying to get ahold of her for weeks now, and have been unsuccessful. I am asking politely that you put me in touch with my daughter." the woman said, her tone reminiscent of a woman used to getting her own way. Crossing her arms over her chest, Alex glared down at the woman. "Ms. Willis, I am quite sure you heard every word I said to Dr. Taylor's assistant. Seeing as I have not changed my company policy in the last thirty seconds, I suggest you schedule an appointment with Mr. Farris to see Dr. Taylor. Under no circumstances will you be given Dr. Taylor's contact information by any of my staff. I am a busy woman, Ms. Willis, so I must bid you good day." She said, turning again toward her office. "Now you wait just a moment!" The woman said angrily. Whipping herself around to face the woman, Alex stared at her with barely suppressed rage. "I demand to see my daughter. If you don't get her in here right now, I will call the owner of this facility and file a complaint. He's my future son-in-law, and I am fairly certai
n you don't want to lose your job over this." The woman said indignantly. Slightly confused, Alex was momentarily speechless. When it dawned on her that this woman thought Kelly was marrying a man named Alex Walker, she had an idea.

  Turning to Jack, Alex said "Jack, would you mind coming over here for a moment?" With a confused look, the man complied. "Yes ma'am?" He said, stopping in front of Tina's desk. "Jack, did you know Dr. Taylor is marrying Mr. Walker?" More confused than before, Jack just stared at her. After a moment, he finally clued in to what Alex was doing. Shaking his head, Jack stated "No, ma'am. I hadn't heard that." With a conspiratorial nod, Alex instructed "Well Jack, why don't you look and see when Mr. Walker is available, and schedule Ms. Willis to see him. She has just threatened my job for complying with company policy, so we will just see what he has to say about that." Walking back over to his desk, Jack made a show of checking his calendar. "Mr. Walker has an opening next Monday at two o'clock." He said, returning with his appointment book. After noting down the appointment time, Jack handed the woman one of Alex's business cards. "This has Mr. Walker's direct line on it. But I will warn you, he rarely answers the phone himself unless he is expecting the call." Jack explained. With a smug smile, Karen Willis took the card and headed out to the parking lot.