"How long before we get there? It's past San Francisco right?"
"Yeah," said Henry. "We're going to stop at the hotel at the end of town to change into something more comfortable before we go."
"Are we driving through the night?"
"Yes," said Charles from the driver seat. "I've been sleeping most of the day so I can last."
"Are you sure? Do you want me to drive part of the way?" asked Timber.
"Do you want to drive?"
"I don't mind," said Timber. "I'm a good driver. Though, I've never driven anything this long before."
"Well here."
Charles pulled over to the side of the road and he and Timber switched places. Timber looked behind her to see Henry giving his brother a doubtful look and Timber was determined to make it at least to the hotel. They only had two turns before they were on Highway 1. Timber pulled onto the road slowly. Her heart was in her throat and her palms were sweaty but she tried not to let her nerves get the better of her. Her first turn was rough. She misjudged the length and the tire went over the curb but she didn't make the mistake the second time. It was a smooth ride to the hotel. When she got out of the driver's seat she readily handed Charles back the keys.
"How did you like it?" asked Charles with a grin. Timber shook her head.
"No, Sir. Nope, nope, nope. Never again." Henry and Charles burst out laughing. "What?"
"Considering that was your first time driving something so long, you did pretty well," said Henry. "Your reaction is funny."
"I'm so glad my stress is a source of amusement to you," said Timber sarcastically. She couldn't help but grin when the brothers started laughing again.
They pulled into Charles' driveway a few moments after one thirty in the morning. Timber's nose was beginning to go crazy. There were far too many new scents to discover but Timber ignored her urge to go sniffing around. Henry and Timber grabbed their suitcases from the trunk and they entered Charles home. The first thing Timber noticed was the smell of baby formula and lavender. Lavender must have been a calming agent in the Santelli house, reasoned Timber. Then she noticed a light on upstairs. She realized Charles' wife must be feeding the girls. Charles said they were twins but one had red hair and the other was blonde so it would be easy to tell them apart.
Timber and Henry waited silently in the living room while Charles went to the garage and got an air mattress. He inflated it and gave Henry and Timber pillows and blankets and said good night. Timber crawled in beside Henry and fell asleep immediately.
Timber was awakened early the next morning with something wet on her head. At first, she thought she was dreaming because the bed didn't feel like hers. She heard a coo and then something bit her ear. She Turned and opened her eyes to see a tiny head of red hair and large brown eyes in front of her.
"Good morning, you," said Timber sleepily.
"Are you hungry?"
"There you are," said a brunette woman in a pale blue bathrobe. "Come here, Munches. It's time for your breakfast. Good morning," she added to Timber. "I'm sorry."
"Don't worry about it," said Timber as she sat up. "I'm usually an early riser anyway. Do you want some help? I can cook."
"You don't have to."
"I want to. You opened your home to a stranger. Let me repay you."
"Oh my goodness, thank you," said the woman. "I'm Angie. I'm Charlie's wife. This munch is Ariel. My other one is Aurora."
"I'm Timber."
Timber got up and followed Angie into the kitchen. Timber liked this kitchen. Everything was brand new and updated. Timber spent a few minutes finding everything she needed and began to make scrambled eggs with red and green peppers, mushrooms and cheese. Timber started putting wheat bread in the toaster when Henry came in.
"I figured you were the one cooking," said Henry. "I could smell the peppers. Good morning, Angie."
"Hello Henry," said Angie. "I'm glad I finally get to meet you. You look a lot like Charlie only a little taller."
"Can the girls eat table food?" asked Timber. "I don't know how old they are."
"They're almost two," said Angie. "The only thing they won't eat is turkey. Neither of them likes it but they'll eat anything else. They're still having trouble with self-feeding though. Most of it ends up on the floor."
"Sounds like the stories I've heard my aunt tell about my cousin Emily. Breakfast is ready."
Timber got the plates down and heard a pained yell upstairs. A minute later Charles came down with a tissue on his chin.
"Aren't you a little too old to cut yourself shaving?" joked Henry. Charles shot him a look and Henry chuckled.
"That smells fantastic," said Charles.
Timber put aside some plain eggs without peppers and mushrooms for Ariel and Aurora and told everyone to come make their plates. Timber took the eggs she set aside and put them on the baby trays. Both girls giggled with happiness as Timber took it upon herself to feed them. She made faces and funny noises to get them to open up so she could put eggs in their mouths. The three of them were having a fantastic time while Timber ate with them. Ariel was trying to copy Timber so she left her fork on the table and picked up some egg with her fingers and showed it to them. Then she put it in her mouth. To her surprise, Ariel copied and managed to get half of her egg in her mouth. Timber clapped her hands and grinned. Ariel and Aurora giggled and clapped too.
"Are you all done?" Timber asked the girls when they were out of eggs. "Do you want out?"
"I can do it," said Angie.
"I've got it," said Timber. "You enjoy your breakfast."
"Thank you. That's so sweet of you."
Timber unbuckled Ariel, lifted her out of her high chair and placed her on her hip while she freed Aurora. It was a little challenging with a squirmy baby so Timber looked at Ariel and told her to hold still or there would be no playtime. Ariel stopped wiggling immediately and Timber was able to get Aurora out of her chair. She took them upstairs and sniffed out their room which wasn't that hard to do. She set them down and they took off to their toys on the floor. Timber found clothes in the closet and picked out the cutest outfits she could find and set them out.
Then she smelled one of them soiling her diaper and the smell overwhelmed her sensitive nose. She cringed slightly. She found the diapers and proceeded to chase down Aurora for a diaper change. Timber had never changed a diaper before but she had seen Aunt Grace change the diapers of her friend's grandson on occasion. She had a little trouble at the beginning and accidentally tried to put the first diaper on backward but she figured it out and soon both girls were changed, clean and dressed in matching dresses and matching headbands. Timber even cleaned up their toys before grabbing them and bringing them downstairs.
"Oh my goodness, Timber you didn't have to do all of this!" cried Angie. She gave Timber a tight hug and smiled. "Thank you."
"You're a busy mom," said Timber. "You deserve a morning to relax every once in a while."
"Henry," said Charles, "you are one very lucky man."
"I know," said Henry. "Her aunt is a Southern Belle and a natural mother. Timber is a lot like her."
"So how did you two meet?" asked Charles. "Henry never told us."
"I was walking home from my best friend's house one evening. There was a perverted man that lived on the street. He grabbed me and Henry came to my rescue. We've been inseparable since. We'd spend every day sitting on my porch and Henry has dinner almost every night with us too. My aunt and uncle love him. So does my cousin."
"Timber has been my godsend," said Henry.
"Dadda! Dadda! Dadda!" Aurora was jumping up and down with her teddy bear in one hand and a letter block in the other.
"You're being summoned, Sweetheart," said Angie. Charles got up from his chair with a happy grin and went to play with his twins.
"You live with your aunt and uncle?" asked Angie.
"Yeah. My parents died a long time ago and they took me in."
"I'm sorry. I know how you feel. My da
d left my mom after I was born. When I was five she got sick and she died when I was seven. I was in foster care for two years before I was adopted. Charles, Henry, and Victoria were raised by a single mom after their dad died in a car accident. Charles was six."
"So what happened to my mother?" asked Henry. Angie's face fell and tears filled her eyes.
"She's still alive but she still never talks about you. When she's asked how many kids she has, she says two. As far as she is concerned, you don't exist."
Henry's face grew hard and his eyes filled with bitterness. Timber could see that he had expected this but the hurt was still clear.
"Where does she live now?" asked Timber.
"Two doors down," said Charles coming into the kitchen with both girls in his arms. "She followed us down here, though she stopped coming over when she heard me telling Angie that Henry called to tell me he was engaged."
Timber got up and marched out of the room. She left the house without her shoes. Henry followed her out and grabbed her arm.
"What are you doing?"
"I'm going to see your mother and find out what the hell her problem is and don't you dare try to stop me."
Timber's eyes were blazing with fire and Henry backed down in defeat. He sighed.
"Fine. I should warn you if she's anything like the way she was when I was young, she's as stubborn as hell and she can get very loud."
"I'm a wolf," said Timber. "I can handle your mother."
Timber kissed his cheek and set off to the house that smelled like lavender. She knocked on the front door and heard someone fumble around for a moment. Then the door opened and Timber recognized the woman in front of her as Henry's mother by the picture of her he had on his mantle at home. She was aged and graying but her eyes were bright and feisty. Behind her, her living room was decorated like a Victorian cottage. Henry had been right about his mother's obsession with that period in time. Timber fought to keep her face straight.
"Can I help you?" she asked.
"I'm looking for Mrs. Santelli," said Timber politely.
"I have information regarding her son."
"I only have one son and he lives a few houses down," said Mrs. Santelli.
"You have two sons and one daughter; Charles, Ferdinand, and Victoria."
"I don't know where you're getting your information but it's wrong," said Mrs. Santelli.
"Oh it's very accurate," said Timber. She stepped forward and into the doorway so Mrs. Santelli couldn't shut the door in her face. "You see, while you were busy pretending your youngest son was dead, he graduated from school at the top of his class. He became a successful history teacher, and he is going to be married in two months."
"You have no evidence of this," insisted Mrs. Santelli, though she looked unnerved.
"Yes, I do," said Timber with narrowed eyes. "You see, I'm engaged to him. This ring on my finger is one that your son Henry gave me."
"Where did you get information that I birthed a second son? Did you look up my hospital records? Are you looking to extort me for something?"
"None of the above," said Timber. "I'm here to tell you that your son Henry is very much alive and he's getting married."
"Even if he is alive, what makes you think he needs an ugly thing like you? Santelli men only go for beautiful women and you don't fall into that category."
Timber's temper grew thin.
"You think it's you he needs? He doesn't need a pathetic excuse of a mother who cares more about appearances than the well-being of her son."
"I worked my ass off for him!" yelled Mrs. Santelli.
"You abandoned him when he needed you to love him the most. You were worried about what people would say about you. You were never worried about Henry. You told the whole family he was dead even though you knew he wasn't. You're a selfish pig."
"You think I want a monster for a son?"
"Henry is not a monster!"
"Do you even know what he is?"
"Yes, I do. And I have loved him. Which is more than you've ever done for him."
"He's a monster! He's a murdering piece of garbage. He should have never been born at all!"
Timber was fed up. She decided to use the scare tactic and she Turned. Mrs. Santelli screamed and Timber's two hundred pound frame advanced until Henry's mother was backed against the wall. Then she Turned back.
"Henry is not a monster. Henry is loving, loyal, intelligent and kind. He's the best man I have ever met in my life and I love him."
Without another word, Timber left the house and went back to Charles and Angie's to find Henry waiting on the porch. He got to his feet when she reached him. Timber shook her head and sighed.
"She's afraid of you," said Timber. "I got her to acknowledge that you're alive but she thinks you're a monster. I'm so very sorry."
"At least I know why she abandoned me now," said Henry. "I always suspected."
"You're not a monster, Henry," said Timber. "You're an amazing man and I love you."
Henry kissed her right on his brother's front porch and held her tightly. Timber could feel his emotions swirl like water going down a drain so she did the only thing she knew to do. She held him tighter in her arms and buried her face in the crook of his neck. Timber had no idea how long they stood there but Charles broke the silence.
"I'm sorry, but Angie wants to know if you wanted to go out to lunch," he said. Henry looked at his brother and nodded. "Are you alright, Henry?"
"I'll be alright," said Henry. "When did you guys want to leave?"
"When everyone's ready," said Charles. "We're not going anywhere fancy. We're going to Applebee's in McCarthy Ranch."
"That's fine," said Henry. "Did you want to change Timber?"
Timber looked down and realized that she was still in her sweatpants so she nodded and went into the house feeling embarrassed that she walked outside in such a state. She grabbed her favorite outfit and her sandals out of the suitcase and went to the half bath on the first floor to change. When she was dressed she put her night-clothes into a separate bag for dirty clothes and grabbed her hairbrush. Surprisingly, her hair was still straight and not very knotted so brushing her hair was less painful than usual in the morning. She smiled when she found the small bag of jewelry that Emily had packed. Timber felt more put together if she had earrings. She left the bathroom after applying a coat of mascara and her lipstick. Then Angie came down with the girls and smiled at Timber.
"I like your outfit," she said. "It's cute."
"Thanks. Yours too."
"Do you want help loading up the girls?" asked Timber with a kind smile.
"Please," said Angie. She handed Aurora to Timber and readjusted Ariel on her hip and grabbed the diaper bag.
"So where did you run off to?"
"I went to have a few words with your mother in law," said Timber with a mild tone though the aggravation showed clearly on her face. "Ouch! Please don't pull my hair, Honey, it hurts," she added to Aurora.
Timber and Angie loaded the twins in the van. Timber watched Angie load up Ariel and tried her best to fasten Aurora. In the end, Angie needed to adjust the straps but thanked Timber for her help. Timber looked over at Henry who was still on the porch with Charles. He was looking at her with the same expression of sorrow he had after she took care of Emily when she was sick in December. Timber knew Henry wanted kids, but he couldn't because of Haven law. She walked up to him and kissed his cheek.
"I know," said Timber. "We'll just have to come down here and visit your brother more often."
"I love you," said Henry.
Timber blushed and curled her toes. It didn't seem to take very long to get to the restaurant since Henry had everyone laughing with his wild stories from his childhood in Heiligdom. During the car ride, Timber was trying to teach the twins how to say her name but only Aurora made the effort and started calling Timber "Timby".
When they got to the restaurant, Henry and Timber tag-teamed with Aurora who had become very attached to T
imber. They sat her on Timber's lap at the table and took turns coloring with her while they looked at the menu.
"You two would make wonderful parents," said Angie while she bounced Ariel on her lap.
"Thank you," said Henry.
"Timby," said Aurora.
"What is it, Aurora?" Timber asked her.
Aurora held the blue crayon up. Getting the hint, Timber took it and wrote Aurora's name on her menu.
"That's your name. Au-ror-a."
"A-ra-ra!" squealed Ariel.
"Pickle!" replied Aurora.
Henry and Timber laughed.
The waitress took their orders, their menus and left. Timber and Angie began discussing the wedding plans and the wedding location Timber had booked while Henry and Charles were talking about politics. Before long their food arrived and Timber ended up sharing her food with Aurora, who wanted to also share with the floor. Timber, of course, thought the whole thing was hilarious but she still managed to get Aurora to put food in her mouth too.
By the end of lunch, Timber had shared more of her food with the toddler than she managed to eat so Henry gave her some of his food to compensate. When everyone finished eating, and the bill and tip were paid for, they loaded Ariel and Aurora into their double stroller and walked around the shopping center. Timber got excited about Michael's craft store and everyone followed her in. Timber immediately went to the floral department and started arranging flowers.
"What are you doing?" asked Henry, who was watching her with interest.
"Putting my bridal bouquet together," said Timber. "I figured this would be a cheaper option. Also, they won't die."
"Makes sense. They don't seem to have a large selection of yellow flowers, though," observed Henry.
Timber scanned the aisle and her face fell a little.
"What's wrong?" Henry asked.
"Well, the girls are wearing yellow dresses so they are going to have red flowers. I was hoping for a yellow bouquet." Timber looked a little discouraged.
"There's still two months before the wedding," said Henry. "You'll find what you want. I want my bride happy on our wedding day."
The Timber Effect Page 28