Joint Venture

by Tey Holden

  “M’Addy! That waz when I was four! I’m five now! Other kidz don’t wear that ztuff! They only wear their helmetz.”

  “Okay, but you have to wear the helmet, there’s no negotiation there. I’ll see what I can do about the long sleeves and the long pants and the pads, okay?”

  Alex nodded. “Come on. Don’t cry anymore. Want a bubble bath?” A bubble bath proposal from Addy always seemed to take all sorrows away. Addy brought all her bathtub toys and sat on the bathroom floor to watch her daughter play with her toys.

  ***

  Later that night, after Alex went to sleep, the women were still downstairs and they spoke about the events of the day. “Addy, before you start, I don’t want to talk about the bicycle thing again. I’m still upset. I know we’ll end up doing whatever you decide, so do whatever you want. You always get your way, so let’s just save ourselves the talk.”

  Addy didn’t say a word for a long time. But she had not liked the way Karen talked about the matter. She understood that Karen was upset because she agreed to the bicycle deal, and now she saw that her terms were at risk of being tampered and felt trapped in a situation she wanted to avoid in the first place. However, she also didn’t like Karen’s new laissez-faire attitude. Addy just waited, knowing that Karen had to get it all out.

  Karen continued to talk. “I know I’m an idiot, but I can’t help it. I’m sorry.” She was heading for the bedroom, but Addy stopped her at the foot of the staircase.

  “You are not an idiot. You are a parent. You just have to understand that she has to have her scars, Ker, it’s part of growing up.” Karen pursed her lips and quietly looked at Addy. “I need to tell you about the power of a band-aid. Do you know that a band-aid can actually work a miracle? I think I need to explain that to you.”

  Karen half smiled at Addy’s attempt to lighten the mood. “Yeah, yeah! I’d much prefer if you just get to the miracle kisses. Alex apparently thinks your kisses perform miracles on me.”

  “Is there a problem with that?” Addy held her gaze.

  “No.” Karen responded on a dry tone.

  “I think the real miracle is that no matter how stubborn you are, I can’t help myself from kissing you.”

  “Ms. Addy, don’t give me the run around. You always manipulate me.”

  “I think I’m insulted.” Addy turned and started to climb up the stairs.

  Karen followed. “Why? I’m the one who should be insulted. I’m the one being manipulated.” They entered their room and Karen proceeded to remove the covers off the bed as if nothing was happening, but noticed that Addy sat quietly on the sofa in the sitting area of the bedroom. Karen came over and sat on the ottoman across from her. “Addy, what is it? I didn’t mean to insult you. I’m sorry, if I did. I don’t mind that you manipulate me. I don’t care.”

  Addy looked at her, but remained silent. Karen could never cope with Addy being mad at her and she was ready to throw herself on the floor and beg for forgiveness, if necessary.

  “Addy—.” Karen looked worried.

  Addy quickly realized that the situation was ridiculous and tried to make amends. “Ker, I’m not manipulating you. I’m just trying to mediate and find ways to deal with the little Viking who is as stubborn as you are and who appears to think she can control both of us.”

  “Thank you. That is just what she is doing. She’s playing us! And you are right about me. I’m over protective, and I have to learn to let her fall and lick her wounds, but it’s hard when you know that you are going to be the one hurting in the end.” Karen half smiled trying to get some sympathy.

  “Okay, this is how it’s going to play out.” Karen listened patiently as Addy laid down the rule. “She’s wearing the helmet, but nothing else. If she falls and hurts her knees or elbows, she’ll cry, we’ll kiss her, and patch her up. How’s that?”

  Karen rolled her eyes. “Agh! And when she starts dating, are you going to tell her to use a condom, or are you going to let her ride without protection also?”

  Addy smiled. “Neither. I’m going to sit down and tell her what could happen if she decides to have sex and not to use a condom. It will be up to her to decide what she is going to do.”

  “You seem to have all the answers, Ms. Addy.”

  “No, but I will try to have all the questions, so that she can provide the answers.”

  “What am I going to do with you?”

  Addy smiled. “I do have an answer for that one.”

  “Let me guess?”

  Before Addy fell asleep that night, spent in Karen’s arms, she had some final words.

  “You are a good guesser, Ms. Larsen, and you do have all the right answers, for me, at least.”

  Karen kissed on her forehead. “At least, I can make you happy!”

  Addy smiled. “Good night, baby.”

  “I love you, manipulator.”

  ***

  And so, it happened. Alex learned to ride her bike with the training wheels first, and then graduated to two wheels. In the many trials, she scraped her knees and elbows more than once. Karen always had a first aid kit with her. The routine was always the same. Alex cried, Addy gave comfort, and Karen ran for the first aid kit and patched her up. She’d apply the first aid among many lamentations. “We shouldn’t have taken this path,” or “we should have stopped sooner, you are too tired,” or “if you had worn the pads,” or “how many times have I said not to go so fast.” Addy would then attempt to put an end to the litany. “Ker!” Karen would then give Addy the look and continue to administer her first aid.

  Karen was always looking out for any possible thing or situation that could put Alex in danger in order to prevent, or avoid it. Every time they embarked on a bike ride, Karen would always call for God’s blessing and protection. “Here we go again. God help us!”

  Once Karen forgot about all her preoccupations, she actually began to enjoy herself. One day, on a beautiful fall afternoon, they were riding having a great time when all of a sudden, out of the woods jumped a deer chased by a couple of small dogs. When Karen saw the animals running she panicked because she thought they would cross Alex’s path and make her fall. So she began to yell out to Alex to look out for the deer and the dogs. In her worry about Alex, she failed to see the deer crossing right in front of her, and in trying to avoid it, she slid and fell. When Alex and Addy looked back at the screaming Karen, they turned around and jumped off their bikes to help her.

  “Mommy, Mommy!”

  “Oh my God! Babe, are you okay? Are you hurt?” Addy checked her all over and saw that she had blood on the palms of her hands, one elbow, and one knee. Addy ran and got her water bottle and the first aid kit. She put some water over the bloody skin to rinse the dirt off, but hardly knew what else to do. Karen grimaced in pain. “Sorry, baby.”

  “I’m okay. Just hurting like shit!”

  Alex opened her eyes huge upon hearing the expletive.

  “Oh! Sorry!” She managed to say in the midst of her pain. Karen was on her butt on the pavement.

  “Mommy you are bleeding!”

  “I’m fine. It’s just a little blood.” She was trying to regain her composure, but her pulse was still fast.

  Addy was trying to clean the scrapes but there were too many and the conditions were not optimal. The dirt and gravel from the road was encrusted in the bleeding flesh, and Addy didn’t think she would be able to clean the scrapes as things were.

  “Oh, baby! Can you get up?” Addy was kneeling on the ground holding her.

  “Yeah, just give me a minute. That darn deer scared me to death! Where did it come from?” Karen leaned against Addy’s chest for comfort and closed her eyes trying to calm down.

  Karen’s rhetorical question, nevertheless received an answer. “From the bushes, Mommy.”

  “I know sweetie. I guess I didn’t see it.” Karen grimaced.

  “Addy, help me up.”

  “No, let me call Marshall she can come and get us in the pick-up truck.�
�

  “Addy, I don’t want the whole town knowing about this! We are not far I can walk back.”

  Addy was already dialing. “Marshall—.”

  Karen leaned against Addy again and rolled her eyes. Alex spoke, “Mommy, you can’t walk like this. We have to call Ms. Marshall and take you to the doctor.”

  Karen looked at Alex and then to Addy in horror because she already knew the next move.

  “Dr. Naylor—?”

  Karen closed her eyes and gave up. These two appeared to be one and the same. She closed her eyes and decided to let them do their thing.

  Marshall was there in five minutes. She loaded the bikes to the bed of the truck as Addy helped Karen and Alex into the cab.

  “Marshall, please take us to Dr. Naylor’s. He’s waiting for us at the clinic.”

  In Marshall’s truck, Karen continued to complain. “I don’t need to go to Dr. Naylor. I’m fine.”

  “Hush woman! You took me when I fell from the horse. Why is this any different?”

  “You fell from a horze?” Alex asked in amazement.

  “Yes, Alex. It was a long time ago and Mommy Karen took me to Dr. Naylor and I was fine, and Mommy Karen will be fine now.”

  Alex looked at Karen. “Does it hurt, Mommy?” Alex looked worried and didn’t know what to do to comfort her mom.

  “A little bit, sweetie. Don’t worry, I’ll be fine.” She was actually holding back tears for Alex’s sake. She didn’t want to scare Alex more. But Karen was in pain and Addy knew it. When they got to the clinic, Dr. Naylor was waiting for them.

  “Alex, stay right here with Ms. Marshall,” Addy told her as they walked inside Dr. Naylor’s examining room. Dr. Naylor he scrubbed the debris from all the scrapes and took a few x-rays. Karen was in so much pain that she buried her face in Addy’s shoulder, so that the doctor wouldn’t see her painful face.

  “All is fine. Nothing’s broken, just scraped here and there and there will be some bruising. You are going to be hurting for a few days from the fall, and we are going to need to change the bandages and apply the antibiotic ointment on the scrapes for a couple of days. Go home and rest, and no more biking for now. I’ll give you a prescription for pain.” The minute Dr. Naylor left the room, Karen pouted and buried her anguished face into Addy’s shoulder.

  “Aw, baby!” Addy hugged her and stroked her back. Then she helped her out.

  When they came out of the examining room, Alex immediately jumped from her seat. Marshall had been reading a book to her. “Mommy, are you okay? Doz it hurt?”

  “I’m okay, baby, and I feel much better now. I just need to go home and take it easy.” She was in excruciating pain, but wanted to ease Alex’s worries.

  Marshall took them home. “Thanks Marshall. Can you do me another favor? Please, don’t tell anyone. You know how things are around here. I don’t want to spend the night on the phone talking to people asking about Karen. And you know Ms. Grouchy here is not going to be happy.”

  Marshall chuckled. “No problem, Addy. I’ll put the bikes away in the garage and lock the garage door. I won’t call, but if you need anything, please—.”

  “I will Marshall. Thanks, you have already been a great help.” Karen also thanked her.

  Once inside the house, Karen was going to sit on the sofa, but Addy didn’t let her. “Upstairs, Ms. Larsen. Straight to the bedroom.”

  “Are you in trouble Mommy?”

  Karen chuckled. “I don’t think so, Alex. Why do you ask that?”

  “M’Addy zaid to go to your room.”

  Karen chuckled again, still in pain. “I think Mommy Addy wants me to rest.”

  “Come on, come on! I have the ice pack right here.”

  Going up the stairs was a painful and the trip was slow. When Karen sat on the bed, she hurt all over. “Uuugh! I’m not going down those stairs for nothing!”

  “Good, because I want you in bed resting.”

  A worried Alex looked at Karen then at Addy. “M’Addy, I think she’z hurting, maybe we should take her to the hozpital.”

  Karen looked at her and tried to smile, then she looked to Addy for help. “No, Alex. There’s no need to go to the hospital. Dr. Naylor already checked Mommy. And yes, Mommy is hurting because she fell from her bike and that hurts, but she will be fine once she heals. We need to make sure she is comfortable and has everything she needs.”

  Alex seemed to relax with Addy’s explanation. “Mommy, do you want ize cream?”

  Karen smiled. “No sweetie. I just want to rest for a while now.”

  “Maybe you should wear knee pads next time we bike.”

  Addy bit her lip and turned her face to hide her grin. Karen looked at her lovely daughter and smiled. “Maybe I will, maybe we all should!”

  Alex was not too happy with that response. Addy had piled up a bunch of pillows on the bed and gave her the ice pack for her back and some ibuprofen. “Alex, let’s take Peanut Crunchy out to the patio, and I’ll make some dinner. We need to let Mommy Karen rest. Get the leash.” Alex jumped from the bed to do as she was told.

  “I’ll be back later. Rest now.” Karen nodded and they left. After taking the dog outside, they came back and Alex settled in the rec room with her toys while Addy prepared dinner. Addy took a moment to check on Karen and found her asleep.

  Addy and Alex ate downstairs, and then Addy helped her with her homework. When they went upstairs, Alex went to her room, and Addy checked on Karen again. She appeared to be asleep, but this time Addy came closer to make sure that she was okay. When Karen felt her presence, she opened her eyes., and Addy sat on the bed and combed Karen’s hair back. “How are you feeling?”

  “I hurt all over. Stay with me.”

  “Let me put Alex to bed, and I’ll be right back.”

  A little while later, Addy was back in their bedroom with Alex who wanted to say goodnight. “Are you going to be okay? Do you want me to zleep with you, Mommy, and take care of you?”

  “Thank you, baby. I will be fine. I’ll let you know if I need anything. Give me a kiss and go on to bed.”

  She did and left for her room followed by Addy. Addy tucked her in, and kissed her good night. “Yum! You are so soft and smell so good!” Alex smiled, pleased with the compliment. Alex always thought that smelling good was very important in their house. “Good night, baby girl. I love you.”

  “Good night, M’Addy, I love you thiz big.” She opened her arms as wide as she could.

  “Aaw!” Addy hugged her again.

  “Iz Mommy Karen going to be okay tomorrow?”

  “Alex, I think she’s going to be hurting for a while. She hit the ground pretty hard.” Addy opened her eyes huge making Alex smile. “Hey, don’t mention the knee pads anymore, okay? We don’t want to be wearing them next time we bike, do we?”

  Alex was horrified with the possibility. “No, Pleeease!” She chuckled when Addy tickled her.

  “Good night, baby girl.” She kissed her daughter again, and as she was getting ready to leave Alex spoke again, “I’ll put lotz of pillowz around her tomorrow zo she can be comfortable.”

  “Alright! We’ll do just that. We are going to take good care of her tomorrow. To sleep now, okay?”

  “Okay.”

  Back in their room, Addy helped Karen out of her clothes, gave her more pain pills and another ice pack. “Can you turn around a little bit so that I can accommodate the ice pack?”

  “Hardly, I’m still hurting, Addy. I don’t know how I did not see the fucking deer sooner. It was so stupid!”

  Addy chuckled at the use of the expletive, which now was rarely used due to Alex’s presence. “You were worried about Alex and not paying attention. Here, let me hold the ice pack.”

  “Is it bruised?” She was referring to her right hip and buttock, where she had actually landed.

  “Let me see.” Addy lifted her T-shirt on the side. “Remember my purple butt?”

  “Oh no! Don’t tell me it’s like that?”
<
br />   “Okay, I won’t tell you. Do you remember what you did?”

  Karen smiled. “Yes, I kissed your booboo.”

  Addy smiled and placed gentle kisses on her hip and buttock, then she lay beside her still holding the ice pack while placing gentle kisses on Karen’s back.

  “I hurt all over, Addy.”

  “I know, baby, I know.”

  “I’m glad you are always there to pick up all my pieces.”

  “Always, Ker, always.”

  Part 3

  When Addy picked up Alejandro from the breeder’s farm, she also brought the mare over to their stables. The little one had to be kept with his mom for a while. However, when the mare was no longer needed, it was time to return her to the breeder. Even though the mare had a name, she was referred to as ‘Alejandro’s mommy.’

  Saturday was the day when they were going to return the mare to the breeder’s farm, but on Friday night, while Addy and Karen were downstairs reading, Alex came down from her room in tears. She had already been put to bed and was wearing her pajamas.

  “Baby, what’s wrong?” Addy immediately called for her and Alex ran and crashed in her arms. Karen was looking at the pair very concerned.

  “M’Addy, you can’t return her, pleaze, you can’t!”

  The women looked at each other. They knew what the tears were about because they had been having conversations on the subject in preparation for when the moment came.

  “Pleaze, M’Addy! He iz a little baby horse, and he lovez hiz mommy, and hiz mommy lovez him. I’ve zeen how she getz close to him and kizzez him like you kizz me, and he getz close to her and rubz himzelf to her because he likes it, like I like you because you are warm and soft. He iz going to die of sadnezz when she’z gone. And she will cry every night too. Can’t we keep her? Can’t you buy her like you bought Alejandro?” Alex pleaded with a painful face. “He wantz hiz mommy, I know!” She pouted.

  “Alex, those horses are very expensive. They cost a lot of money.” Addy responded trying to explain.