Then there was Kristi, who beamed with delight at their presence and engaged in all the fun. She also had a guest, an engineer named Allen, with a receding hairline and a quiet demeanor. Not that many people could get a word in edgewise with the chaos all around.
Titus couldn’t keep up with the jobs they all held either. He was there to support Bethany.
Soon the gang was on a sand volleyball court, barefoot and playing a game as kids ran underfoot.
Titus joined in, stripping off his shirt as some of the men did to catch the sun.
Bethany was wearing shorts and a tank top.
Laughter rang out amongst the siblings and their spouses and finally they quit. Hot, sweaty, and full of sand they brushed themselves off to the best of their ability, donned their shirts, and sat down to eat.
He managed to sit to the right of Bethany.
Brats and burgers with potato salad and chips with huge slices of watermelon were the menu. And good ol’ Wisconsin brewed root beer that had been kept on ice. Conversation swirled around.
A tap on Titus’s right arm caused him to turn.
“Dude, I asked you a question,” Peter said.
“Sorry. I’m mostly deaf in my right ear.”
“Sit on her other side next time. A convenient excuse for when she asks to you do something for her.” Peter snickered. “Seriously, thanks for coming with Bethany Joelle. Having lost her ripped a hole in the fabric of our family. Sounds as if she had it rough for a while there.”
“Yeah. But that’s her story to tell, not mine.”
“You’re a mechanic like my dad was.”
“Yeah, but I understood he only tinkered on cars.”
“She didn’t tell you that he worked for a living maintaining jets? Silly girl. He was a mechanic of airplanes by day but taught us all the basic workings of a car. Because Bethany Joelle was keen on fixing them he planned to buy an old classic car to refurb together. I think us boys disappointed him in that, but he never let on. He said we all had our unique gifts and he cheered us on with those.”
“And what was your unique gift?” Titus strained to listen, keeping his head turned to catch Peter’s words.
“Art. Can you believe it? I channeled that into being a graphic artist and doing computer aided design. Turned out to be a good career field for me.”
“That’s great.”
Bethany stood up next to him and took her plate away. She dumped it in the garbage can and headed to a shady spot away from the noise and chaos.
Cooper followed her faithfully.
“I think I’ll go see how she’s doing.”
“Take care of our gal, OK? You don’t want us hunting you down.” Peter grinned and laughed. “Yeah, like any of us could ever be violent. But seriously, we want to see her happy.”
“I can’t make guarantees, but I want her happy too, if that helps.”
Peter nodded. “Go to her.”
Ty dumped his paper plate in the garbage and wandered to where Bethany sat.
~*~
She figured he’d come. Cooper snuggled at her side. Today had been everything she’d hoped it would be. A family. But she had a steep learning curve to understand all the people who were there. She needed to get away from the noise and all the questions.
Titus put an arm around her, drawing her to his side. He planted a kiss on her hair.
They sat in silence as some geese floated by in the water. Fall was coming. Too soon anniversaries would be hitting along with holidays. Would this year be different? Adele had always traveled to be with family so Bethany was usually alone. Generally, she worked since the store was open twenty-four hours.
Bethany Joelle always struggled with the date she became an orphan. It was within weeks of the date she’d been pulled from this delightful family. This year she might not be alone. Would that make it easier to bear? Would the grief and sadness that beset her lessen in time?
And here was Titus. She leaned into him. “Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For being here.” She ran a finger down his chest now covered by a t-shirt. “By the way, I liked what I saw.”
Ty chuckled deep in his chest and she relished the sound.
“How do I leave?”
“What do you mean?”
“I don’t know the right way to do this.”
“You mean to say good-bye?”
“Yeah. It scares me. So many people and I can barely remember their names.”
“How about we say good-bye to Kristi, give a general wave to everyone else and head to the car.”
“It’s that easy?”
“Why not?”
She sighed. “I’ll stop at the bathroom first and then we’ll do this.”
“Gotcha.” He stood and gave her a hand to help her to her feet.
Cooper circled around them, fluffy tail wagging with excitement.
~*~
Titus stood by and made his own farewells as Bethany received lots of hugs. Kristi came to hug him too.
“Take good care of our girl.”
“I’ll do the best I can.”
“She can be a handful. I understand that. Thank you for bringing her.”
“My pleasure. Thanks for welcoming me.”
Kristi planted a kiss on his cheek. “You’re good for her and I’m grateful God brought you into her life when He did. Safe travels home.”
Titus grabbed Bethany’s hand to drag her away from all the people wanting to talk to her longer. “We need to hit the road. Bethany Joelle has to work early in the morning.”
They went to the car with a chorus of farewells behind them.
Cooper trotted happily alongside.
Titus gave the dog a lift into the cab of the truck before he gave Bethany a hand as well. He shut the door and got inside. “You ready?” he asked.
“Yeah. Thank you.” She leaned her head back and as he wove his way through the Madison traffic.
Her eyes closed.
“Tired?”
“Umm hmmm. Didn’t sleep well last night,” she mumbled.
“Understandable. Rest. I’ll get you home.”
She didn’t speak again throughout the trip.
Titus tuned into a worship station and the dog napped with his head on Bethany’s lap.
That dog was blessed.
~*~
“Hey, beautiful. Time to wake up. You’re home.” Humid air entered the truck as Titus pulled the door open to help her out.
She rubbed her eyes and yawned. “Thanks for getting me home safe.”
“Not a problem. Looks like the day wore you out.” He walked by her side as they headed for the back door.
Cooper went running toward the garden.
“Cooper, don’t go messing with Adele’s garden,” Bethany yelled. She opened the screen door. “Adele, I’m back.”
Silence met her. A half empty cup of iced tea sat on the table in a puddle of condensation. “Adele?”
Barking from the dog drew them back outside.
“I think Cooper found something.” Titus took off with Bethany following.
“I need to get to sleep—”
Titus was kneeling beside Adele in between rows of bush beans. His hand was at her throat feeling for a pulse. “She’s still alive. Call for an ambulance.” He patted the old woman’s cheeks. “Adele. Can you hear me? Adele. Wake up.”
Bethany pulled out her phone and called 911. She handed the phone to Titus, so he could give them the answers they sought after she’d given them the address. She ran back inside the house to grab Adele’s emergency papers as the older woman had instructed her to do if such a thing happened. She emerged from the house and came back to the garden. Her heart raced. If something happened to Adele, where would that leave her? Homeless? Again? She swallowed hard as the sirens sounded in the distance.
The ambulance arrived and Adele had still not awakened. The paramedics loaded her up to take her to the hospital.
Titus cam
e to stand by her side.
Cooper was on his leash so as not to be in the way.
A police officer came to get information from them.
“Her name is Adele McElroy. She owns this property and I’m a renter here. We just came home and found her.”
The officer took notes and left.
“I should go to the hospital to be with her.”
“You need to get some sleep.”
Bethany shrugged and yawned. “Not sure I can do that now. Besides, I need to go provide them with the extra papers in this file. Power of attorney and stuff like that.”
“Does she have any family to call?”
“I suppose, but I’d rather call when I know something.”
“Unless they are needed to make decisions.”
“Yeah. Guess I’ll find that out when I read through these documents. But I don’t think I should. I’ll let the professionals deal with that.”
“Want me to come with you?”
“You need to work too, and you drove me home. You go get some rest. I’ll drive over to the hospital and if I’m not needed anymore I’ll come home.”
“Can we pray before I leave?” Titus walked her to the porch, pulled the folder out of her hands, and placed it on the table. He tied up Cooper and sat next to Bethany on a wicker love seat.
Bethany nodded and leaned into him, grateful she hadn’t been alone when Adele was discovered.
He held her hands in his. “Lord Jesus, we ask that You would be with Adele. You know the number of her days and we ask that You give her more. Please give the doctors wisdom and give Bethany Joelle Your peace as we wait to find out what happened. Give us grace to make it through the hours and days ahead. We love You and thank You for the beautiful day You gave us. If it is in Your will to heal Adele, we ask that You would do so for Your glory.”
“Amen,” Bethany whispered.
A kiss landed on her forehead. “Call me when you know anything.”
“But you might be sleeping.”
“I’m here for you. I want you to call me and let me know where you are, what’s going on, and if you’re coming home to rest. I care.”
“OK.”
He walked to his truck.
She locked up the house, grabbed the folder, and went to her own car. She followed his vehicle out of the driveway. Arriving at the hospital she went to the emergency room and went over the paperwork with a nurse on duty.
“You are the power of attorney for her medical care, Ms. Hansen.”
“Excuse me?”
“According to these papers she has put you in charge of making decisions in the event she is unable to do so. She also mentions no extreme measures and outlines what she wants or doesn’t want. You’re fortunate. Most people don’t have their wishes on paper this clearly.”
“But I’m only her tenant,” Bethany protested.
“Obviously, you are far more than that. Wait here. The doctor may need to talk to you after he examines her.”
Bethany sagged. “Fine.” She gathered up the papers and went to the waiting room.
The nurse called Bethany to follow her to the curtained off exam area where the doctor was.
“Ms. Hanson. Mrs. McElroy has suffered a stroke. She hasn’t awakened yet, so we‘ll admit her and do some tests. Any questions?”
“How long ago was the stroke?”
“We’re not sure yet, but her body temperature was warm. She’d been in the sun for some time. We have her hooked up to intravenous fluids and we’ll know more by morning.”
Bethany nodded. “Is there anything else you need from me?”
The doctor shook his head. “Just your contact information. Looks as though you could use some rest yourself. Get some, return in the morning, and hopefully, we’ll have a better idea of what’s going on.”
“OK. Thank you, doctor.” Bethany left. She fished for her phone as she entered the darkening parking lot. The sun was setting. What had been a beautiful day was now tinged in sadness. She dialed Titus.
“Hey, Bethany, how is she?”
“They believe she experienced a stroke. I found out I’m in charge of making her medical decisions. I didn’t ask for that.”
“Obviously, Adele trusts you, Bethany. Where are you now?”
“I’m leaving the hospital now. I’ll drive home and get some sleep. I’ll go into work for a few hours and see if I can leave early to get back here to see what they’ve learned.”
“I’m sorry this happened.”
Bethany opened the car door, slid inside. She rolled down the windows and started the engine. “Yeah, well, I’m not so naïve to think she would live forever, but she was so vibrant and busy. I guess I was lulled into thinking she was immortal.”
Titus laughed. “None of us are that.”
“I know. But I’ve looked for a place to belong for so long and now I’m afraid I’ve again lost a place where I fit.”
“She’s not dead yet. Don’t give up hope. And you have friends at church, at the garage, and now Kristi and her family.” He sighed. “And you have me.”
“Thank you, Titus.”
“For what?”
“For reminding me of all God has done. Sometimes I slip back into the mindset of that scared sixteen-year-old venturing out into the scary world to live the life of an adult without any support. I’m not that alone anymore and I still struggle to embrace the reality of that.”
“I’ll be praying. Get some sleep. My phone’s beeping. I have a call.”
“Be safe out there.”
“I’ll do my best. Sleep well, Bethany Joelle.”
Bethany entered the dark and empty house and locked up. The space taunted her. She collapsed into bed. Morning would come way too soon. She drifted to sleep with a prayer on her heart. Lord, please save Adele. I never had a grandmother before and she’s been so special to me.
18
What we have enjoyed we can never lose.
All that we love most deeply becomes a part of us.
Helen Keller
Bethany groaned as the alarm went off. She dragged out of bed, dressed for work, packing extra clothes to change into when she was done. She made some instant coffee, found bread and toasted it. It wasn’t much but it would sustain her for a little while.
The darkness of the house cast scary shadows she never experienced before when Adele slept in the other room. Was that why Adele liked having her here too? To keep the monsters at bay? She wondered at Adele’s past and why her family was distant. The woman had so much love to give, but people move away, and the cost of travel could be prohibitive. She didn’t complain. The dear woman poured her love into Bethany and her friends.
Bethany might have to call Adele’s friends later. She grabbed Adele’s phone book, paged through and recognized some of the names. She could make calls later when she knew more. Adele deserved to have friends visiting and praying for her as she recovered.
The store was quiet. The brightness of the lights was a shock to her system. She shoved her stuff in her locker and headed to the bakery.
Jack was putting his latex gloves on.
“Good morning, Bethany.”
Bethany nodded. “Jack, I found my landlady, Adele, unconscious when I got home yesterday. She’s in the hospital. She had a stroke. If I can get enough work done could I leave early? I’m her medical power of attorney and need to find out how she’s doing.”
Jack frowned and nodded. “Absolutely. How are you?”
“I’m tired. I met with Kristi and her extended family yesterday in Madison. It was a wonderful day. They want to adopt me.”
“You’re an adult.”
“With no family.”
“Wow. Cool.”
“Yeah, but Adele has been like family to me for so long. I’m afraid I’ll lose her. This is the longest I’ve ever lived in one place.”
“I’ll be praying for you and for her.”
“It’s selfish for me to even worry about losing my home
now. Adele is who is important.”
“You’re important too, Bethany Joelle. Don’t ever forget that. Let’s get to work.”
“Aye, aye, sir!” She gave have him a mock salute and he grinned as they each turned to the tasks ahead of them.
~*~
Arriving at the hospital, Bethany went to Adele’s room. The window curtains were closed and only an emergency light was on. Adele always opened all her curtains in the morning. Bethany opened the curtains and glanced at the heart monitor. The steady heart rate comforted her. She gently held Adele’s hand. “Adele? It’s Bethany Joelle. Can you hear me? I’m sorry it took me so long to find you yesterday.”
Watery hazel eyes flickered open and focused on Bethany.
“You’re awake. I’m so glad.”
Adele tried to speak but mumbled sounds emerged. A tear trickled down the older woman’s wrinkled cheek.
“You had a stroke. I haven’t talked to the doctor yet about how bad it is or what can be done. I wanted to see you first. I had to work this morning.” The hand she held remained limp. Bethany struggled to keep herself from crying too. “I’m sorry this happened. Once I know what’s going on, I’ll call your family.”
The woman’s head shook and a throaty, “No” came from her.
“You don’t want me to call your family?”
“No.” The heart rate increased.
“OK. I won’t do that. But your friends. I should call them, right?”
Once again, the woman shook her head and another tear trickled down.
“You don’t want them to see you like this?”
Adele’s nod was ever so slight.
“Got it. I guess you’re stuck with me then.”
One corner of the woman’s mouth lifted ever so slightly.
Bethany grinned. “I’d better go hunt down that doctor and find out what’s happening. Rest. I’ll return.”
~*~
Bethany sat out in the sunshine to call Titus. It should be his lunch break if he didn’t have a towing job.
Donuts and Detours Page 17
