The Timber Effect

by Jacklyn Reynolds

  "Is she alright?" asked Timber instantly alarmed by the news.

  "I think she'll be fine. We shouldn't have any trips to the hospital tonight. After I put her in my bed I went to check on you, and you were in such a deep sleep, curled up in a ball you didn't even wake up when the hall light reached your eyes."

  "That would explain why I'm not sleepy like I usually am in this weather," said Timber with a grin. "I actually got a good night's sleep. Oh, Henry is coming down."

  Less than a minute later, Henry was standing in the doorway between the kitchen and the dining room. He was looking happy and worried all at the same time as he looked at Timber and adjusted his black leather jacket.

  "Your uncle wants a word with you, Timber," said Henry. His face was expressionless so Timber couldn't read him.

  Timber looked at Grace who shrugged, and then back at Henry who nodded. Feeling very confused, Timber marched up the stairs and knocked on the office door. She was given permission to open the door and when she did, her jaw fell. There were papers all over the wall, and a whiteboard full of equations that Timber did not understand. Timber had never been allowed in the office before so she was amazed by everything in it. There were sealed viles full of unknown substances and odd dried flowers in containers on shelves. She had barely started looking around when her uncle spoke.

  "Close the door please, Timber," said Chad. He was sitting behind his desk looking somber. Timber closed the door and sat down in a chair across from Chad.

  "I know you know by now that I don't have very much longer to live," said Chad. Timber nodded though she kept trying to ignore how sick he actually looked even compared to Pumpkin Day. His hair loss was minimal at this point, but he had lost a significant amount of weight. "I spoke with Henry and we've come to an agreement as long as you're okay with it. When I'm gone, I want Henry to look after you. Not as a father but as someone far more important than that."

  "I don't understand," said Timber.

  "The first time I met you, you were two years old and as soon as I held you, you smiled at me and your little tail wagged. After you came to live with us, you smiled very little for a long time. When you finally did it made me happy again. When I saw you with Henry in August I knew that you were not my little girl anymore. Henry had stolen you from me and it took me a little while to accept that but when I did, the joy was overwhelming. I know you are young and the choice is ultimately yours but I would like to see you in a wedding gown before I'm gone."

  "You want me to get married?" asked Timber feeling completely overwhelmed.

  She didn't understand. It was as if her brain blue screened and needed to be rebooted. Around her, everything was in fast-forward while she was motionless in the middle of it all. He wanted her to get married? She was eighteen! Did he think she was pregnant? What was happening?

  "Not if you don't want to," said Chad quickly. "I told Henry the same thing. Even if I don't get to see you in a white gown, if I never get to walk you down the aisle and give you away, you and Henry have my blessing for whatever future you want to make for yourselves. I want you to be happy Timber."

  "What if I'm not ready? What if I'm never ready?"

  "The choice is up to you, Timber. I can't and I won't make you do anything you don't want to."

  Timber sunk back into the chair and thought hard. She did want to marry Henry one day but she wasn't sure if she was old enough to go through with it now. She had always thought that if she ever did get married, it would be after she graduated from college. However, the more she thought about it, the more she realized that she wouldn't be able to enjoy her wedding day properly if Chad wasn't there to give her away.

  "How long have doctors given you?" asked Timber.

  "Eight months," said Chad as though he was saying something uninteresting he had heard in the news.

  "So you have until August?" Timber thought quickly. "If Henry and I do get married, can we do it in June after I graduate?"

  "You can do it when you want. You should also know that you and Henry won't have to pay for anything unless you want something elaborate."

  "But -"

  "You and Emily both have a nine thousand dollar fund to pay for your weddings," said Chad. "Grace and I realized that you may not have wanted to go to college, but both of you would end up getting married one day so we put aside money for your weddings instead. Of course, you can use the money for college if you want or you can use it for a wedding. Besides, half of your college is already paid for by your parents."

  "Uncle Chad, I don't know what to say!"

  "You also have a dowery," said Chad.

  "I have - what? Moms?"

  "Not your mother's. Your great grandmother's from the 1930s. Your grandmother wore it too. It was found seven years ago the house your mother was born in. Your aunt had it cleaned and mended as soon as you and Henry began dating. We've been keeping it safe. We also have your grandmother's veil, shoes, and other trinkets including photos," said Chad. "It's all for you."

  Timber was crying tears of joy and sadness. He was going to be able to walk her down the aisle but he was going to miss Emily's wedding. There would be no one to give her away. The thought of Emily crying on her wedding day because her father couldn't be there broke Timber's heart.

  "I'm soup will be ready soon," said Chad not noticing the sad look in Timber's eyes. He got up and sauntered around his desk. He knelt in front of Timber and looked up at her. "I know you love Henry and I know he loves you. I also know that you've attempted to keep the fact that you were kissing a month before your birthday a secret from me." Timber could hear the humor in his voice and she grinned. "I honestly could not have asked for a better man for you, Timber. I trust him and he knows this. A little word of advice that your aunt's grandmother gave me before our wedding; 'The man is the head of the home. His job is to lead the home and make sure that everything is done properly. The woman's job is to subtly help guide him through making the decisions and to go through and fix things that the man screwed up the first time by his inability to read the directions.'"

  Timber laughed loudly. "I like that," she said.

  "The point is that you need to work together in everything. I forgot about that when I was diagnosed. Instead of accepting the strength of my wife, I relied on my strength and I became a recluse. If there is a time Henry cannot be strong, you have to step up to the plate. I expect him to do the same thing for you. Can you do that, Timber?" Timber nodded. "Good girl. Let's get going down stairs. I'm hungry."

  "Should I wake up Emily?" asked Timber.

  "Yes, you should. I'll be downstairs."

  Timber left the office after Chad and went to the master bedroom where Emily was laying spread-eagle across the bed. Timber laughed softly at how such a tiny body could take up so much room.

  "Em," said Timber, lightly poking her cousin on the nose. "Emily, Honey, wake up. Dinner is ready." Emily opened up one eye and looked wearily at Timber.

  "What is it?" she croaked.

  "Potato cheddar soup. Do you think you can hold it down?"

  "I think so."

  Emily crawled out of bed and tried to stand but fell. She got up and supported herself with the bed. Timber went over to her feeling worried. Emily rarely got sick and when she did, it was usually pretty bad. Timber touched her forehead and was alarmed by how warm she was. She Turned and let Emily lay down on her back and grip the silver fur on her sides. Emily was only four feet and ten inches tall and less than one hundred pounds so carrying her was not very difficult. Timber stepped down each step as carefully as she could tail end first. When she got downstairs, Grace came over and picked up Emily off of Timber's back.

  "Timber, get me the thermometer," she said. Timber ran up the stairs on all fours and Turned when she got to the hall closet. She dug through the first aid kit for the thermometer and ran downstairs with it in her hand.

  "Emily is too warm for my comfort." She took the thermometer and put it under Emily's tongue. When it beep
ed, Grace sighed in relief. "One hundred and three point one. Not high enough to take you to the hospital. Still, it's the highest fever you've ever had. Come on, Honey. I want you to try to eat some soup."

  Timber sat down beside Emily and then caught Henry's eye. She blushed and smiled. Emily just slurped her soup with her head resting on her hand. Timber helped her scoop out the bacon chunks. Emily was so tired and weak from not eating all day that Timber was helping her feed herself. Three-quarters of the way through her bowl, Emily turned green. Timber grabbed her blonde hair as Emily retched all over the floor.

  "Oh dear," said Grace. "Timber, please help her back to my bed. It looks like she was able to hold down some of it. That's better than nothin'. Henry, I'm so sorry."

  "Don't worry about it Grace. Do you want help cleaning up?"

  "Thank you, Henry. That's sweet of you but I've got it. I do think Timber will need help gettin' Emily back into my bed. Take a pitcher of grape juice and bring down the apple juice from my bedside table."

  Timber Turned into a wolf again and Emily climbed back onto her back. She carried her cousin up the stairs with Henry walking beside them, holding the pitcher of juice. Emily was asleep again when they got back to the master bedroom so Henry picked her up and put her in bed. Timber became human again and tucked Emily in and kissed her warm forehead. She took Emily's plastic cup, tossed it out, and grabbed a new one to replace it from the drawer. They exited the room and Timber left the door cracked open. When she looked at Henry in the hallway, he was teary-eyed.

  "What's wrong?" asked Timber.

  "Seeing you like this with Emily, it makes me sad that I will never be able to give you children. You would make a wonderful mother."

  "Oh, Henry." Timber took him by the hand and lovingly wiped away his tears. "It's fine. Really it is. To be honest I was still debating whether I actually wanted to have kids. Knowing that I can't doesn't bother me. Besides, we'll still get to play with lots of babies later on down the road."

  "Whose?"

  "Xianna's, Ashley's, Kendra's and Gina's. They all want lots and lots of kids so not having our own won't make any difference."

  "You know this is one of the reasons why I love you," said Henry. "You have a way of turning a bad thing into a beautiful thing. So she's going to be okay?" he added gesturing to the bedroom.

  "Yeah. She's hypoglycemic. It means that her blood sugar is naturally too low so she needs to keep it up. If she doesn't supply enough glucose to the brain, it can result in impairment of function. That's why I had to help her eat. She was too tired. She'll be better tomorrow. The fruit juice keeps her sugar above dangerous levels and she is able to keep it down."

  "So this happens a lot with Emily?" asked Henry sounding concerned.

  "Only when she gets a stomach bug and has a hard time keeping food down," said Timber.

  "When Emily's like this, Aunt Grace will make something high in starch or anything that will turn into sugar so Emily doesn't go into shock. That's only happened once, though. Aunt Grace is always prepared now. There are plastic disposable cups in all of our bedrooms and a vomit bucket under every bed. There's also one in the end table beside the family room couch. Emily carries powered pink lemonade packets with her everywhere and she has some beside her bed. It does nothing if it hits her suddenly but she's pretty good at managing it herself."

  A few days later Emily was back to her bouncy energetic self and just in time for Christmas. She jumped on Timber at six in the morning shouting happily that it was Christmas and that she needed to hurry up and get out of bed. When Timber sat up, Emily ran into the master bedroom to wake up her parents. Timber was amazed that Emily could still see the world like a small child even though she was almost fourteen. Timber glanced at the foot of her bed looking for her traditional fuzzy socks but then she remembered the tradition stopped now that she was eighteen. She made her way downstairs in her gray hooded sweater and yellow plaid pajama pants. She could smell eggs already cooking and she thought it was Grace. When she got into the kitchen, she was surprised to see Henry in an old t-shirt and dark blue sweatpants, having a quiet argument with the pan.

  "Merry Christmas, Henry," she said. She gave him a kiss on the cheek. "I thought you didn't cook."

  "Merry Christmas to you, too. Plain eggs is as good as it gets I'm afraid," said Henry. "I hope scrambled is okay. I tried to make them over easy but I failed."

  "Scrambled happens to my preference," said Timber.

  "Merry Christmas you two," said Grace, coming into the kitchen. "How did you sleep last night, Henry? Was the pull out bed comfortable enough?"

  "It was very comfortable thank you," said Henry. "I'm afraid I didn't sleep well, though. I was too nervous. It's been a long time since I've celebrated Christmas with anyone. It's a big day for me."

  "I can understand that," said Grace. "And thank you for makin' breakfast. This is a very welcomed surprise."

  "Well, I tried."

  "When I started cookin' I could burn rice," laughed Grace. "I wasn't gifted like Timber and Emily. They picked it up easily. I had to work for years to get where I am now. Keep practicin'."

  "Mama, where's Daddy?" asked Emily.

  "He's comin'. He wanted to shave first," said Grace. "He said he didn't want to look like a baldin' monkey in the pictures."

  "That's right! I almost forgot!" cried Timber, smashing her palm onto her forehead. "I'll be right back."

  Timber hurried up the stairs two at a time and ran into her room. After making sure she had a full roll of film, Timber grabbed her camera and darted downstairs as fast as she could without falling. Henry was emptying the eggs on to a plate when Timber snapped her first picture.

  "What the - ?" cried Henry in surprise. He almost dropped the spatula but he recovered quickly.

  "Sorry, I should have warned you," said Grace with an amused grin. "Timber likes to take pictures on Christmas Day."

  "She always takes one of Mama cooking breakfast," said Emily with a smile. "Usually, Timber will use up one roll a month."

  "Except for Christmas," said Timber. "I use a full roll. Though, I spread it out through the day. Last year, though, I used two rolls."

  "Last year we went to see my family in Louisiana like we do every other Christmas for a week," explained Grace seeing Henry's curious look. "It actually snowed last year which is a big deal there. It was the first time that the girls had a white Christmas together so Timber went for a walk before dinner with my cousin Cindy Calloway and Emily and took some beautiful pictures of the scenery."

  "Why not use a digital camera?" asked Henry. "You wouldn't have to keep buying film."

  "I have a digital camera," said Timber. "I use it when I go anywhere with water or for days that are normal. But this camera is special to me. I've had to have it fixed twice but this is something I refuse to get rid of."

  "Why?"

  "It belonged to her mother," said Chad coming down the stairs. He was moving a little slower than usual because the cancer was taking its toll on his body but he was still stable. "It was one of five things that she was able to save from her parents' house before she was taken away. One picture of her parents, her mother's camera, a small bottle of her father's cologne, the necklace she never takes off, that was her mother's and she saved her father's best suit jacket. That's what she wrapped herself in to keep warm while they brought her to us."

  "I want to make sure I keep my memories. I want to be able to visit them. I have to look at the picture to remember what my parents looked like because it's been so long. I want to always be able to revisit days like today."

  Henry smiled and took her in his arms. She made to kiss him when an excited noise made her jump back.

  "FOOD!" cried Emily happily.

  The kitchen filled with laughter as the family gathered around the breakfast nook. They joyously ate Henry's failed attempt at over easy eggs and frozen waffles that Grace toasted. When they finished eating and the dishes had been placed into the sink, they gat
hered around the beautifully decorated live pine tree in the front room by the window. The tree was adorned with neutral colors of silver and gold with a cream colored garland ribbon wrapped elegantly around the outside of the branches. Glittered ornaments and mercury glass balls lent a glimmering, glamorous feeling. Grace always chose to skip the tree skirt for a clean and simple look and to let the lower limbs of the tree brush the floor. The massive amount of colorful packages around the outside of the tree too, made it look larger.

  From the front room they could see the dining room that had been set with perfectly polished silver, fine China set on gold chargers, pressed red linen napkins, and crystal wine glasses for the wine and cider on top of a crisp white table cloth. In the center was a large bouquet of red poinsettias surrounded by tea candles in between serving trays and bowls. Timber loved the elegant look. Grace's cooking and decorating abilities were always on full display during the holidays. Christmas Day always held a huge, multiple coarse feast that took Grace three days to make.

  Emily turned on the radio and put on Christmas music in the background. Then she put on a headband with felt reindeer antlers and played Santa Clause as she passed out one present at a time to everyone in the room. It was no simple task as there were also gifts from Chad's parents and brothers, and Grace's parents and a few close cousins. Timber took a photo of Emily passing out gifts and a picture of Chad laughing with Henry about the Christmas Grace had made Timber and Emily hunt for their gifts and Timber had been unable to find hers because Grace had buried them in peppermint leaves. Grace had left to pour everyone a hot cup of peppermint tea which was a Christmas morning tradition in the Frunden household. When everyone had their tea, they all took a turn opening up their large piles.

  From her parents, Grace received a silver coffee serving set engraved with her monogram. She opened a new cable knit scarf from Emily and a gold bracelet from Chad, both of which she put on immediately. She also opened a cookie cutter set from Henry and a new apron from Timber which she also put on and proceeded to parade around the living room with a smile while Timber and Emily cheered and clapped.