Jenny braced herself as she got out of the sports car. Out of habit, she shouldered her backpack. She never went anywhere without it.
She took slow, deep, breaths as she approached Charlie's door. Number 121. Instead of a mansion, Charlie lived in a very practical, all-bills-paid apartment complex. She figured he paid less for housing than she did!
Of course, she thought idly, as she located the key, he did send support checks. Those had come as a shock, arriving a few months after she'd moved out. He must have hired an investigator, who found her in that hellhole apartment.
She'd been able to use the money to rent her home until she'd saved enough for a down payment. So, in a sense, Charlie had helped buy her house. She took another deep breath as she put a key in the lock. She could hear crying, in the apartment.
As she swung open the door, a black fur ball launched at her ankles. "Yow! Yow! Yow!" What?
She leaned down to examine the kitten. The poor thing only had one eye, but the other one, bright green like Princess', gazed at her eagerly. The cat turned around, rubbing her ankles. It was female.
"Hello, sweetie" Jenny absently stroked the kitten as she searched the apartment. Two bedrooms. One, an office, with a treadmill perched in the corner. Plain white walls and beige carpeting. She searched the other bedroom. A navy blue bedspread, clearly purchased at a discount store, light blue pillows and sheets, cheap laminate dresser. The dresser looked awfully familiar. She opened a drawer, spotting the sports team sticker.
It was the first piece of furniture they'd bought, at a thrift store, after their wedding. She wondered why he'd kept it. She'd left it in the storage unit when she'd taken her things, and figured it was destined for the dump.
She turned again, surveying the room. No baby. Where was the baby? Meow!
Wait a minute... Jenny looked at the cat again, rubbing against her feet. The cat wore a hot pink collar with tags. Jenny picked her up.
Baby Girl
Charlie's "Baby Girl", was a cat!
"Come on, Baby Girl" Jenny cooed "Let's get you some din din."
Saturday, June 23, 2012
Chapter 5
Charlie had a what? Jenny gaped at her brother in law as he repeated his statement. "Paul asked me to go check on his baby girl." Oh, heavens. Charlie had cheated.
Jenny sat down, abruptly. "I had no idea". She focused on taking slow, deep, breaths. "How old is she?"
"I don't know" Jeff ran his hand through his close-cropped hair in frustration. "I gave him the shot, and as he was falling asleep he asked you to help his baby girl. She's at his place. Then he went out." He looked at her, his dark eyes full of apology. "I'm so sorry."
Jenny hissed through her teeth. "How could he leave a baby alone? That's inhuman!" She thought back to the neglect she'd suffered, before her biological mother had lost custody. "I don't care what he did, I need to go see her." She looked around her home, frantic. "My house isn't baby-proof. What am I going to do with her?"
Paul shrugged. "I guess you could call Child Services. Our Mom is out of town, or she'd do it. This is a shock to me, too." He gestured vaguely. "If she's little enough, I guess you could leave her in a crib."
Crib. Diapers. Formula. Oh, dear, God. Deep breaths. Lord, I need your help, she pleaded.
"Let's go."
Jenny sat down, abruptly. "I had no idea". She focused on taking slow, deep, breaths. "How old is she?"
"I don't know" Jeff ran his hand through his close-cropped hair in frustration. "I gave him the shot, and as he was falling asleep he asked you to help his baby girl. She's at his place. Then he went out." He looked at her, his dark eyes full of apology. "I'm so sorry."
Jenny hissed through her teeth. "How could he leave a baby alone? That's inhuman!" She thought back to the neglect she'd suffered, before her biological mother had lost custody. "I don't care what he did, I need to go see her." She looked around her home, frantic. "My house isn't baby-proof. What am I going to do with her?"
Paul shrugged. "I guess you could call Child Services. Our Mom is out of town, or she'd do it. This is a shock to me, too." He gestured vaguely. "If she's little enough, I guess you could leave her in a crib."
Crib. Diapers. Formula. Oh, dear, God. Deep breaths. Lord, I need your help, she pleaded.
"Let's go."
Chapter 4
Jenny strode down the road, wondering what she'd find at home. She'd gone to work and worked a good shift.
The nice thing about a stocking job, she mused, she never had to worry about getting her workout. They had loaded everything today, in record time.
She turned the corner by the oak tree and paused, as she spotted yet another vehicle in her driveway. She didn't recognize this one, a sporty red compact. She pulled at her sweaty t-shirt, wondering what they'd think of her in "work mode", wearing her company polo and slacks, sweaty, with disheveled hair.
Of course they hadn't minded at work, she thought, shifting her re-usable tote bags on her shoulder. She'd picked up a few things on the way home. Charlie needed some hydration drinks, when he was up for it, and she was out of cottage cheese.
Jenny correctly figured Charlie would vomit again at the smell of cooking pork chops, her original plan for dinner. She could steam the greens in the microwave, and eat them with the cottage cheese. She squinted at the sun. Although, she thought, her dinner was most people's "lunch".
She straightened her back and strode towards her house. It was her home, and if whoever it was became ugly or judgmental, they could just leave. In the meantime, she had a husband, for however long, to tend.
Jenny arrived at the gate as her brother-in-law exited the house. Jeff. She didn't know him well, he was much older than Charlie, and off serving in the military during most of her marriage.
"Hello" she greeted him cautiously. He gazed at her for a moment, his eyes dark. He grasped the handrail and came down the stairs, limping slightly. He must have been hurt.
He saw her eyes on him. "Car wreck" he stated. "It actually happened here in Houston, after I got out. It only acts up when it wants to rain." Jenny nodded.
"You're a good Christian" he continued. "A lot of women would have run him off if he showed up like that." He paused and took a breath. "He asked me to bring him some medication, and move his car up in the driveway. I hope you don't mind."
Jenny wave her hand, dismissively. "We're family. Sorry about the messy house." Jeff grinned. "No problem. If you don't mind I'd like to help with a few things. I find it very relaxing." Jenny probed him with her eyes, looking for signs of pity.
He held up his hands. "Really, it's fun. And, like you said, we're family." Jenny nodded slowly. "We can talk about it."
Jeff came out of the gate, thoughtfully latching it, before he saw her bags. He turned, reopened it, and reached out his hand for the tote bags. Jenny stared at him for a moment before she realized his intention, and handed them over.
"I've got eggs in the purple one" she murmured, as they went up the stairs together. Jeff peeked in the bag. "What's with the chicken feet? Are your finances that bad?" Jenny snickered.
"No, I like to use them for making chicken stock. About one pound per quart of water makes a delicious broth. I use the weird little ends of vegetables and all, cook it all up, and freeze or can it for later. I figure Charlie can use a little broth at some point, too." They went in the house together and she turned into the kitchen as Jeff put the bags on the counter. "Go ahead and sit down, I just need to put this up. You didn't just come to move the car, did you?"
The nice thing about a stocking job, she mused, she never had to worry about getting her workout. They had loaded everything today, in record time.
She turned the corner by the oak tree and paused, as she spotted yet another vehicle in her driveway. She didn't recognize this one, a sporty red compact. She pulled at her sweaty t-shirt, wondering what they'd think of her in "work mode", wearing her company polo and slacks, sweaty, with disheveled hair.
Of course they hadn't minded at work, she thought, shifting her re-usable tote bags on her shoulder. She'd picked up a few things on the way home. Charlie needed some hydration drinks, when he was up for it, and she was out of cottage cheese.
Jenny correctly figured Charlie would vomit again at the smell of cooking pork chops, her original plan for dinner. She could steam the greens in the microwave, and eat them with the cottage cheese. She squinted at the sun. Although, she thought, her dinner was most people's "lunch".
She straightened her back and strode towards her house. It was her home, and if whoever it was became ugly or judgmental, they could just leave. In the meantime, she had a husband, for however long, to tend.
Jenny arrived at the gate as her brother-in-law exited the house. Jeff. She didn't know him well, he was much older than Charlie, and off serving in the military during most of her marriage.
"Hello" she greeted him cautiously. He gazed at her for a moment, his eyes dark. He grasped the handrail and came down the stairs, limping slightly. He must have been hurt.
He saw her eyes on him. "Car wreck" he stated. "It actually happened here in Houston, after I got out. It only acts up when it wants to rain." Jenny nodded.
"You're a good Christian" he continued. "A lot of women would have run him off if he showed up like that." He paused and took a breath. "He asked me to bring him some medication, and move his car up in the driveway. I hope you don't mind."
Jenny wave her hand, dismissively. "We're family. Sorry about the messy house." Jeff grinned. "No problem. If you don't mind I'd like to help with a few things. I find it very relaxing." Jenny probed him with her eyes, looking for signs of pity.
He held up his hands. "Really, it's fun. And, like you said, we're family." Jenny nodded slowly. "We can talk about it."
Jeff came out of the gate, thoughtfully latching it, before he saw her bags. He turned, reopened it, and reached out his hand for the tote bags. Jenny stared at him for a moment before she realized his intention, and handed them over.
"I've got eggs in the purple one" she murmured, as they went up the stairs together. Jeff peeked in the bag. "What's with the chicken feet? Are your finances that bad?" Jenny snickered.
"No, I like to use them for making chicken stock. About one pound per quart of water makes a delicious broth. I use the weird little ends of vegetables and all, cook it all up, and freeze or can it for later. I figure Charlie can use a little broth at some point, too." They went in the house together and she turned into the kitchen as Jeff put the bags on the counter. "Go ahead and sit down, I just need to put this up. You didn't just come to move the car, did you?"
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)