Teaching Ms. Riggs

by Stephanie Beck

  Kira plopped into her chair but stood quickly, giving Ben a hug before grabbing the ketchup from the refrigerator. How had she forgotten to add ketchup? They ate it on everything. Ben was still adjusting to watching them all eat their eggs with ketchup.

  “Hey, Ben.” Kira poured a huge dollop of red goop on her plate and grinned. “I got a perfect score on my spelling test again, so I get to move up to the advanced group.”

  “Good for you, kiddo. I knew you could do it.”

  Mark hung up the phone and sat, Thomas to his right, and Ben settled into her chair as well.

  “I just needed someone to practice with, and Thomas is always busy and the letters jump around for Uncle Mark,” Kira said. “There are only three of us, and we get to go to the enrichment room for an hour a week.”

  “That will be fun. How was your day, Thomas?”

  “Fine.” The teenager got the words out around a mouth full of potatoes.

  “Melody’s still sick,” Kira added. “Mononucleosis.”

  “I know, poor girl. It’s been a few weeks now, so hopefully she’ll be feeling better soon. Mono is no fun at all.”

  The meal was a hit, and there wasn’t even a single potato left in the bowl. Leftovers were rare at any meal, and even though Ben hadn’t eaten much, Thomas had taken care of any excess. The pie turned out perfectly, and after helping themselves to giant pieces, Thomas and Mark volunteered to do what was left of the dishes.

  After their own smaller desserts, Ben helped Kira with her spelling work. The girl’s mind was like Mark’s in her ability to memorize, but she was an auditory learner and did better hearing the words rather than reading them herself. Ben’s students were working on projects, so she didn’t have much for homework, which left her all evening to work with Kira as Mark spoke again with his seed provider.

  After helping Kira with her bedtime ritual, Ben tucked her in and wished she too could head for bed, but it was too early. Thomas was in his room doing homework, but he’d probably stop by the kitchen for a bedtime snack before ten. Then he’d sleep too.

  “Honey, I’m going out to check the calves. I’ll be right back.”

  Mark’s announcement drew Ben out of her envious bedtime thoughts.

  “Okay, be careful,” she called.

  When the back door closed, Ben looked around the living room. She could tidy up a little, maybe even get a jump on the weekend cleaning spree she had planned. Instead, she grabbed a fleece blanket from the back of the couch and settled in, propping her feet on one of the throw pillows. Going to bed was tempting, but spending the last few minutes of the night alone with Mark sounded better. She checked the clock and turned on the news. He’d be back in twenty minutes. She could last that long.

  * * * *

  “Ben.” Mark shook her foot when he found her asleep after the first weather forecast. “Honey, let’s go to bed.”

  She usually woke well, but lately, with her early class and helping around the farm she was exhausted by the time the kids were in bed. Spring always proved to be a busy time for him, and truth be told, he was ready for bed as well. He’d have liked that second round of sex he wasn’t going to get. When she just grunted and turned into the back cushions, bedtime was inevitable.

  “Bet she’s got mono.”

  Mark looked over and saw Thomas leaning against the wall with a huge sandwich in his hands. It was a triple-decker with peanut butter and bananas. At least that was what Mark could identify. These days, he was never sure what all Thomas put in his food. It made him shudder.

  “I really hope not. You don’t look like you have that problem.” Mark kept his voice hushed even though his delicate bride slept like a log. “You’re feeling okay, right?”

  Thomas gulped hard, and his whole throat worked to force the food down. “Yep. Melody’s mom said she’s doing a lot better too, so I get to see her tomorrow after school if it’s okay with you.”

  “That’s fine if she’s not contagious. It’ll be good when she feels better. We’ve missed her around here.” Mark liked Thomas’s girlfriend. He didn’t know if it would be one of those lasting high school romances, but for now Melody was a sweet girl who made Thomas smile and that was okay with him.

  “Not contagious,” he confirmed and took another huge bite, his jaw so extended Mark thought it cracked.

  “Want some milk?” he asked dryly.

  He watched as Thomas chewed half the sandwich in his mouth now. “We’re out of milk,” he muttered, skill keeping bread and bananas from flying.

  “Okay, I’ll pick some up tomorrow. Damn, boy, don’t talk with your mouth so full, you’ll choke.”

  Thomas finished chewing, opened his mouth to show it was empty and then grinned. “Sorry. Yeah, out of milk, bread, and cereal–I had to eat mine tonight with water.”

  “All right. Let’s hope the hens feel like laying some eggs in the morning or we’ll be eating hotdogs for breakfast. Goodnight.”

  Thomas headed up the stairs, waving as he went, and Mark turned his attention back to Ben, who was still sleeping soundly. He turned off the TV and hustled to the back door when he realized he’d forgotten to set the alarm. Things were quiet, but he wasn’t going to be lulled into forgetting something like that.

  “Okay, baby, come on.” He leaned down and lifted her high to his chest.

  She weighed less than two hay bales and felt a hell of a lot softer. He was a fan of having a wife, someone who smelled good and always had a smile for him. Even when she was mad, he knew it wouldn’t be long before she was smiling and teasing him again. It was damn nice to be loved. Sure the kids loved him, his mom too, but Ben displayed a whole different set of feelings.

  He was just himself, warts and all, and she loved him every day. That was a pretty heady feeling. He tucked her in their bed and headed for the shower once more because he’d had to free a calf from a sticky patch of muck. He needed to clean the stalls in the morning after chores. Ben was going to bitch on the way to work about how bad he smelled, and that thought made him grin.

  * * * *

  “Mark, for the love of God and all His angels, if you ever clean stalls before driving me in again, I’m not going to be held responsible for my actions.”

  He grinned as Ben hand cranked her window down, and he lowered his as well. Kira sat in the backseat, and Thomas too until his carburetor was fixed. Both had their shirts above their noses.

  “Oh, come on, guys, it’s not that bad.”

  “Adult cow poop is one thing, but calf poop is horrid,” Ben assured him, keeping her face turned to the window. “Ick!”

  “I’m a farmer, sweetheart,” he reminded her, biting his cheek to keep from laughing. “To us folks living off the land, manure is the smell of money. Aren’t you glad business is so…strong?”

  “That is so gross in so many ways.” She pulled her shirt sleeve to cover her face.

  He just laughed and kept driving. The ride was about twenty minutes and mostly on gravel, which was why he never bothered washing his car or buying a new one. The dirt and rock would just eat a new finish. His old ruster with a good engine and tires would drive until it became so corroded it wasn’t safe. So far at year thirteen he had high hopes for it to see twenty.

  “Oh God, stop, stop,” Ben groaned, and he looked over to find his wife deathly pale and gagging.

  He pulled over and hit the brakes just in time for Ben to open the door and lose her breakfast. Kira yelled at him for stinking so badly he made Ben puke, and poor Thomas, who didn’t do well around illness, reached for his own door.

  “Ben, are you okay?” He was such an ass. It wouldn’t have killed him to take off his shit kickers or throw on some fresh clothes for the ride to town.

  “That was horrible. Oh no, Thomas, are you okay?” Ben asked, accepting the napkin Mark offered. “Sorry, buddy, I think I just got car sick.”

  “Uh uh, I bet it’s mono,” Kira predicted. “Melody thought she just had a tummy ache but bam, mono, and she was a
t our house.”

  “Oh, hell.” Ben groaned and held her stomach a long moment. Mark walked around the car and helped Thomas back in the car, pale but okay. “Just what we need, huh, Thomas? A nice double case of mono at the house.”

  “I’ll call and make an appointment for you for after school,” Mark told Ben, handing her his coffee to rinse her mouth. “Are you sure you should go to school?”

  “I’m fine. I’m sure I will be. What about Thomas?”

  “He’s a sympathy puker.” Kira patted her brother on the shoulder. “That’s one of the reasons he really can’t visit Melody. Then her mom would have two pukers instead of one.”

  “Okay, Kira, that’s enough ‘puke’ talk.” Mark added a little smile to ease the rebuke. “Are you two okay for school, or should I just drop off Kira and tuck you both back in for the day?”

  “I’m fine,” Ben said.

  He didn’t like how shaky her smile was but he nodded.

  “Me too, just don’t throw up again.” Thomas pulled out his iPod and tilted his head to the headrest with his eyes closed.

  “I’ll do my best,” Ben said dryly, and Mark felt worse.

  “And I won’t clean the barn before giving you a ride again, honey,” Mark promised and continued on, taking special care with the corners and stops to prevent either sore stomach from jerking around too much so soon after being sick.

  Nine hours later he was back at the school. Thomas had baseball practice and Kira was at her friend’s house to work on a project, so it was just him and Ben. Or it would be if she ever got her butt in the car. With their busy schedules sometimes the rides to and from school were the only times they really had to catch up. Spring planting was in high drive and Ben helped with that on the weekends and evenings, if she didn’t have her own work to do.

  “Hey, handsome.” Ben plopped into the car, slamming her door behind her. “I’m pooped. Did you have a good day?”

  He leaned across the seat. “I did.” He kissed her forehead when she shook her head instead of offering her lips. “Were you sick again?”

  “Just once right after I got in. Then I was fine all day, but I might have mono.” She winced. “Well, you’ll probably have it too, but why chance it?”

  “I had mono when I was a kid, so hopefully it’ll miss me this time. I made you an appointment at the clinic just in case you were still feeling rough. It’s in five minutes.” He pulled away from the curb and headed for the clinic as he filled her in. “I got you in with my doctor today and scheduled an appointment for Thomas on Saturday in case he needs it.”

  “That works. I like Doctor Harper.”

  * * * *

  Mark waited in the clinic lounge while Ben did her doctor thing. She didn’t like an audience during her visits, he’d found that out during the business with her leg.

  He looked over the folder he’d brought. It held permission slips for a camping trip for Kira. His baby would be gone three days with her class, and it made his heart hurt to have her growing up.

  He remembered when she was tiny and had spent hours trussed up to his chest or back as he did chores. While he wished Kira would stay his baby for a few more years, those days were numbered. Just like Thomas had taken the three day trip when he was his sister’s age, Kira would too, and there was no going backward.

  “Mr. Dougstat?”

  Mark looked up at his usual nurse. “Hey, Cindy. Everything all right?”

  “Could you come with me, please?” she asked, concern heavy in her expression, though she kept a smile on her face.

  “Of course.”

  He started sweating on his way through the narrow clinic halls. It had to be bad news; only bad news required backup. He entered the exam room where Ben sat, visibly upset. The doctor looked furious with a thick file opened between them.

  “Hi, honey. What’s going on?” He took the seat beside her and held her hand.

  “I’m–we’re–it’s not possible,” she stuttered.

  “Hi, Mark. What Ben is struggling with here is some misdiagnoses in the past,” Dr. Harper explained.

  The older man had been Mark’s doctor for as long as he could remember and was a man Mark respected and trusted. He wouldn’t have dreamed of sending Ben to anyone else.

  “Misdiagnosis?”

  “I’m pregnant. I can’t be pregnant,” Ben wailed. “I had tests. I had procedures. I was told I would not have children, that I could not have kids because… Well, damn it, it’s all in the file.”

  “Ben,” Dr. Harper said gently. “You obviously wanted to be pregnant.”

  “I did.” The harsh denials turned to tears, and Mark fished for his hanky while the doctor handed over a box of tissues. “So much, but I can’t be. Your test must be wrong.”

  “We did urine and blood tests,” Dr. Harper said. “You are pregnant, and we’ll do an ultrasound to confirm weeks. I have to tell you, that given these records, your age, and the timeline, your doctor ought to be beaten.”

  “Pregnant?” Mark looked between Ben and Dr. Harper, trying to decide who to believe.

  “Don’t get his hopes up,” Ben snapped, tears falling down her cheeks. “He’s such a good dad and should have a dozen kids, but this can’t be true.”

  “Okay. Cindy, is the room ready?” Dr. Harper ignored Ben for the moment, and Mark knew he probably looked like a moron as he looked back and forth between the two, but to be fair, it was a pretty big shock.

  “Yes, Doctor.”

  “Let’s go.” He scooped up the paperwork lying on the small desk between them. “Come on, Mark, drag her along if you have to. She’s not going to believe she’s pregnant until she sees the baby.”

  Five minutes later Ben’s tears were back in earnest, because there was a baby on the screen. Two in fact. They were already taking recognizable, beautiful shapes, and Mark thought his hand was going to break under Ben’s grip.

  “There, pregnant.” There was no missing Dr. Harper’s satisfaction in the declaration. “Very pregnant, in fact, with two shy little ones. Let me get some measurements and I’ll be able to tell you how many weeks along you are, but I’m thinking you’re pushing four months.”

  “Wedding night babies,” Mark said as he watched his babies kick and squirm on screen. “Damn, they’re pretty.”

  “They’re amazing.” Ben’s fingers dug into his forearm but he didn’t care, too absorbed in seeing his kids. “Mark, I’m pregnant. Those are ours.”

  “They are.” He pressed a kiss to her mouth, and she let him this time. “Not mono, huh?”

  “Much better than mono.”

  An hour later they were on their way home with a copy of Ben’s file in her lap. Dr. Harper had been adamant about malpractice on the part of her former physician and recommended she call the Chicago doctor immediately. She was flying too high to even think about all of the ugliness, and Mark hoped she’d stay that way for a while.

  “I think I’m going to look through some boxes tonight,” Ben said as they pulled into the long driveway. “Some of Don’s papers I haven’t gotten to yet are in there. Some of them are medical records.”

  “I’ll help you,” he offered. “Are they the ones in the basement?”

  “Yeah, there are only two, so it shouldn’t take me long.”

  “I’ll pull out the grill and make some steaks since it’s not too cold tonight,” he replied. “I feel like celebrating.”

  “So do I. The papers can wait.”

  He could see she wanted to just let go and be excited, but he knew her better than that. “Nope, do it or it’ll be on your mind. It’ll take me an hour to get dinner together, so I’ll get the boxes before I start. The kids and I will make dinner, and hopefully, you’ll get a good chunk done before the food’s ready.”

  “That would be great. Thanks, Mark.”

  “Of course, sweetheart. That should give you time to make some headway at least.”

  “Definitely. I’m sure I’ll get a lot done.” Silence stretched
for a moment as he pulled up to the garage. “Then we can tell the kids about the babies.”

  “Tonight?” He smiled because the answer shined on her face when she turned to him.

  “Absolutely.”

  Chapter 17

  The damn boxes. In one box were forged tax receipts Ben would have to send to the detectives in Chicago since Don’s case was still ongoing. They probably already had copies, but she’d foolishly kept the originals when she’d clung to hope of the detectives being wrong. The papers were nothing but an ugly reminder of her past, and she wanted them gone. The second box held Don’s personal medical records.

  Ben remembered him always going on about how doctors and insurance companies were just out to screw the layman, so he’d always paid cash and had personal copies of all his papers. A surge of affection bubbled up. His paranoia had always been one of her favorite traits. She flipped through the papers.

  The old affection and humor died as she was reminded in black and white of all the lies he’d told. There was so much she hadn’t known, and so much she didn’t want to know. If he’d done half the things the police said, and she believed them, then her husband had been a very bad man. He’d hired killers, sold drugs to addicts and kids, and there was probably more the police had kept to themselves.

  She set aside another phony checkbook. After she’d turned over of the paperwork, the police had informed her that all of the accounts were bogus. Don Mulenec. Muldany. Maverick. Mulligan. So many names for the man she’d adored. At least he hadn’t used her name. Of all his sins, he’d stopped short from using her name and numbers. If it was a sort of honor she wasn’t sure, but it was one less thing she had to fix.

  With only one box to go, Ben didn’t have a lot of hope of finding anything helpful. He’d had a knee surgery a few years before they met, an old tennis injury, he’d told her when she asked about the scar. It was the only major injury he’d ever had.

  She’d been surprised when he’d been willing to see a specialist after years of trying to start a family. He’d always been so proud of being in good health that she thought his pride would get in the way, but he’d jumped right into the process of making a child. The doctor had done the fertility treatments at Don’s prompting. He’d been willing to do anything to give her a family. The thought made her smile. He’d had to have some redeeming qualities. So far in her digging, he’d erred on the side of making her happy when it came to their life together. The police had even commented on it, and called her a spoiled wife.