Joint Venture

by Tey Holden

  Karen pouted. “Tomorrow I’ll wake up stiff as a broom from sleeping on this sofa.” Addy knew that Karen’s real reason for protesting was that she hated not being able to cuddle in bed with her. Karen always said that it was the best moment of her day.

  Addy came forward and kissed her. “Don’t worry about your back, baby. I’ll give you a massage tomorrow.”

  “Mom you are a wimp.”

  “Grrrr!” Karen growled and Alex laughed.

  They had just finished dinner when the power went off. “M’Addy! Mom!” Alex yelled frightened. The generator automatically kicked in and the emergency lights immediately came on, but still the sudden change in lighting was frightening.

  Karen tapped Alex on the head. “It’s okay Little Bit. It’s just a power outage. We knew this could happen.”

  “Since the electricity is out, why don’t we just turn in for the night? We can read a story on your tablet and go to sleep after.” Addy suggested.

  “Okay, M’Addy.”

  “Come on, get your tablet, let’s pick a story. Ker, get over here and cuddle with us.” Karen smiled, realizing that Addy was aware of the reason of her discontent. “Come here, big baby, get close to me.” Karen immediately did as told, but remained quiet. Alex read her story out loud. Addy was listening to Alex, but looking at Karen.

  The wind continued to howl, and the sleet and freezing rain battered the cottage. The three of them were comfortably reclined and bundled up on the sofa in front of the fireplace. Addy sat in the middle, as usual. Karen and Alex always had to have body contact with her. When Alex fell asleep on her lap, they moved her to the reclined seat at the end of the sofa, and tucked her in. Alex immediately curled up to her stuffed toys.

  Peanut Crunchy lifted his head at the sign of movement. He lay comfortably, covered by a tiny blanket, on his dog bed on the floor near Alex. He was not allowed on the sofa. Addy smiled at the dog. She liked the fact that he was always looking out for Alex. Over time, he and Addy had come to an understanding. He knew very well that as long as he followed the rules, he would be fine with her.

  After settling Alex, Addy again reclined against Karen. Seeking her own comfort, she placed her hand under Karen’s sweatshirt, caressing Karen’s toned abdomen. Karen smiled when she felt the warm, soft hand brushing her skin. She immediately reacted slouching down, accommodating her legs to provide access in case Addy was headed in the direction where she was always welcomed. Karen also reached under Addy’s sweatshirt and caressed her back and rear. “Umm!” Addy moaned.

  “Is it my turn to be looked after?” Karen asked smiling and kissing the top of her head while bringing her closer, and squeezing her tighter.

  When Addy chuckled. Karen grinned. “What’s so funny?”

  “I was just thinking that it took blizzard for you to wear jammies to bed, Ms. Larsen.”

  “Nope. It took an eight-year old lying at the other end of the sofa. And by the way, Ms. Marcos, since we have some physical limitations here, you better be careful where you put that hand because we may find ourselves in a very delicate situation.” Karen’s comment made Addy chuckle. “Miss our bed now?”

  “Terribly,” Addy said pouting. Still, she brushed Karen’s stomach with the tip of her fingers and cuddled closer to kiss her.

  With her hand under Addy’s T-shirt, Karen caressed her back gently and kissed the top of her head. “Good night, baby.”

  “Good night.”

  ***

  Alex was the first one up in the morning. “Mom! M’Addy! Come and take a look at all the snow out there! I don’t think we’ll ever be able to get out of the house!”

  Both women mumbled in their sleep. Addy was still lying on Karen.

  “I’m too comfy here. I don’t want to see any snow,” Karen mumbled.

  “Me neither. But we are going to have to get up. The Little Bit wants us to go check it out.” Addy patted Karen’s leg as she was getting up.

  “We’ve been snowed in before. I don’t want to see any snow.” Karen turned to her side and continued to sleep.

  “Ker! I know you don’t and neither do I, but Alex does. Come on, get up!” Addy was already up.

  Karen was mumbling and not too happy about having to get up. Her hair was a mess.

  Addy looked out the window. “Oh Lord! Karen look at this!”

  When Alex saw her mom, she laughed. “Mom, your pants are crooked and you need to comb your hair.”

  Karen made a disgruntled face, and Addy and Alex laughed. “Mean kid. Be good to your mother!” She straightened her pants, combed her hair with her hands and looked out the window. “Wow!”

  Although the snow was already high, it continued to fall. There were blizzard conditions outside. It was impossible to see beyond the fence of the cottage. Even the three-foot fence was hard to see because the snow almost covered it already

  “Okay, I’ve seen it. Since we can’t get out, I’m going back to sleep on my bed. I’m stiff from that sofa.” Karen went to the rec room and returned with her comforter and pillow between her arms and went upstairs.

  “Mom, you sound like an old lady with back problems.”

  Karen growled again. “Come on Alex, let’s make some breakfast. Maybe when the Grinch smells the coffee she’ll come back to us.”

  “M’Addy, can we go out on the snow later?”

  “No one is leaving this house!” Karen hollered from upstairs. “It’s too dangerous out there.”

  Alex was not happy. “How could she hear from upstairs?”

  Addy chuckled. “I don’t know, but you heard her. Orders are orders, and it’s true, sweetie. It’s dangerous outside. Let’s make something to eat. How about scrambled eggs, Canadian bacon and French toast?”

  “I love French Toast. Yum!”

  “Do you want to scramble the eggs, while I make the coffee?”

  “Sure. Are we making breakfast for Mommy also?”

  “Yes, I’ll take it to her upstairs, maybe that will tame her.” Addy spoke loud enough to be heard upstairs.

  They heard another growl and laughed. “She’s impossible sometimes,” Addy commented.

  “She likes her bed, and she likes to sleep with you. She kisses you sometimes when you are sleeping. I’ve seen her.”

  Addy was caught off guard by the innocent comment. “She does, huh?”

  “Yes, all the time.”

  “She also kisses you when you sleep, you know?” Alex smiled.

  After they had their breakfast, Alex went to her room, and Addy made Karen’s breakfast and took it to her upstairs. “Room service,” she said as she walked into the bedroom. “I know you are not sleeping, so don’t pretend.”

  Karen showed her face from under the comforter. “I was remembering that blizzard in the Alps. Do you remember?”

  Addy grinned. “How could I forget? We spent the whole week in bed.”

  Karen grinned. “Those were the good old days.”

  Addy grinned. Yes, she remembered that week. How could she not? She placed the breakfast tray on the bed and Karen sat up to eat. “All days are good, old and new. We now have time to appreciate other things as well.”

  “I don’t think there was any part of you that I didn’t appreciate that week.” Karen grinned.

  “Nor I of you, for that matter.”

  “Touché, Ms. Addy! Do you think we can come back to our bed tonight, so that I can provide a full, thorough appreciation?” Karen asked excitedly.

  Addy grinned. “My pleasure will be your pleasure. I’ll try, but can’t promise. It will depend on the storm and on Alex being frightened again. I’ll do my best.”

  “Hope is a good thing. Thanks for breakfast, baby.” Karen kissed her on the lips.

  Addy licked her own lips after the kiss. “Umm! I love syrup on your lips.”

  “Come here and let me give you another tasting.” Karen replied grinning.

  “Save it for later Ms. Larsen, now I have to remind you of your parental obligations. W
e are going to have to, at least, open the door and put a foot outside. Alex needs to feel the snow and Peanut Crunchy needs to go take care of his business outside. I don’t think that green thing you guys bought for him to pee indoors has convinced him. He may develop a bladder infection if he—.”

  “Okay. I’ll get up and deal with our pets.”

  ***

  Karen got up and dressed warm. When she came downstairs, Alex was lying on the floor and Peanut Crunchy was next to her. “You two, gear up. We are going to open the door and do some shoveling.”

  “Oh boy!” Alex jumped immediately. “I’m going to put on my boots. I don’t want my feet to get cold.”

  “And your snow suit and scarf, gloves and hood,” Addy added.

  “But when I wear all that I can barely move, M’Addy.”

  “I know. That’s why I don’t like snow. I like to stay warm inside. I’ll leave the snow for the two of you. You need to stay warm. I don’t want you getting sick.”

  It was not her choice to go out, but somebody had to do it, and apparently she had been volunteered. Karen came back from the basement with the snow shovels in her hand. “I don’t think we are going to go very far. Peanut Crunchy is going to have to make it quick.”

  “What if he can’t pee because it’s too cold?” Alex was running everywhere gathering her stuff.

  “That’s his problem. Come on.”

  “Mommy! You can’t be mean to Peanut Crunchy.”

  They opened the door to the vestibule only to find the snow piled up to the outside door. The snow was about four feet high. Alex’s eyes were huge. “Wow! Look at all that snow!”

  The vestibule was a small, enclosed area, big enough for people entering the house to remove their jackets and rain, or snow boots. There was a small bench to the side where a person could sit to remove their shoes and put on slippers. There was also an umbrella bucket and a wooden rail to hang jackets from. On top there was a place for hats, gloves and scarfs.

  “Mom? How—.”

  Karen opened the front door and flinched when the cold air hit her face. She tapped the snow with the shovel and grimaced. “The snow is packed. This is going to take some time. Come on, Alex, let’s get started.”

  She slowly removed the upper layers first. Alex watched her mom and the minute the opening was big enough, she started doing the same thing with her smaller shovel. Karen smiled when she saw her and then she looked back because she knew Addy was watching. Addy had the sweetest smile watching mother and daughter work side by side.

  Karen was giving orders left and right, and Alex was not paying attention, and doing all the fun things she wanted to do. It was the usual, Karen trying to establish order and procedures, and Alex ignoring everything and doing her own thing. Karen could never understand how she had ended up with such free-spirited child. Alex was walking and jumping all over the small opening in front of them, and Peanut Crunchy was running around her feet.

  “Be careful, you might slip and fall.” Alex continued jumping around. “When you fall, don’t come crying to me!”

  Alex continued and even made snowballs and threw them at Karen. “You little devil!” Karen threw one back at her and accidently got her in the face. Alex’s face turned red, and she didn’t look too happy. Peanut Crunchy began to bark at Karen. He didn’t like it when anyone messed with Alex, even when it was one of her moms.

  “Hush, dog! Stop that barking if you want to eat tonight,” Karen shouted.

  “Mommy, and you are making Peanut Crunchy mad. He might bite you.”

  “He better not, if he knows what’s good for him. If he bites me, Mommy Addy will send him to Siberia in a second. Let’s go back inside. I think Peanut Crunchy already took care of his business. Come on, it’s too cold to be out here too long. We don’t want to get sick.”

  “Quiet Peanut Crunchy! Siberia is very cold, even colder than here, go inside, now!” Alex ordered, and Peanut Crunchy walked to the door with his tail between his legs, while Karen chuckled. Alex knew that in the Larsen-Marcos household it was best to be aligned with the Marcos side of the family, even for the dog. When she heard the comment, Addy wondered what the Siberia comment was about but didn’t ask. She was too concerned with getting Alex out of her wet clothes.

  Later that night, the snow turned to freezing rain. The wind was still howling and there was no way that Addy was able to convince Alex to sleep in her bedroom. Karen rolled her eyes knowing that this was a lost battle. She again brought the blankets and pillows from the bedroom without even a word from Addy. “Don’t say anything, Adriana, don’t bother.” Addy grinned. When Karen used her full name, it was either in the peak of passion or in hopeless moments of defeat, this time it was definitely the latter.

  ***

  In the morning, the weather was still bad. It seemed like a never-ending storm. It had been three days since it started, first the snow, then the ice and sleet, and now the rain and the wind. When Alex went to her room in the morning, she started to scream.

  “Mom, M’Addy! Come here!” Both women ran up the stairs.

  Karen got there first. “What’s wrong, baby?”

  “There’s water coming down from the wall.”

  “Oh my God! Where’s this water coming from?” Addy exclaimed.

  “The attic, let me go check.” Karen went out to the hall in front of the bedrooms and pulled the chord to bring down the attic ladder and climbed up. Addy followed her but stayed on the ladder.

  “I think there’s too much snow on the roof and the gutters are clogged. The water can’t run as it should. I heard in the news that this could happen. They were telling people to clear their roof of snow. Maybe I should get the ladder and go out there and try to clear some of it.”

  “Are you crazy? I’m not going to let you go out there!” Addy immediately stated. “It’s cold and slippery and you can easily fall and break something. It would be crazy to do such a thing.”

  “Well, if I don’t, we might run the risk of greater water damage, or even have the roof collapse.”

  “I would rather take that risk than have you fall and hurt yourself. No way, Karen Larsen, forget it. You are not going out there to climb on the roof. Let’s just figure out what to do in here to collect the water.”

  “Don’t go, Mommy!”

  Karen looked at the little one. “Don’t worry, baby. Mommy Addy doesn’t want me going, so I won’t go.” Then she addressed Addy. “Just how many paper towel rolls do we have, or is Spam a good sealant?” Alex smiled when she heard her mom.

  “Very funny, I’ll bring old towels and some of my potting pots. Maybe the water will collect in the towels and then seep into the pots.”

  “Good, how about throwing some seeds into the pots too. Maybe we can grow some flowers. What do you think, Alex?” Karen joked trying to relax Alex.

  Addy place her hand on her hip, smiled and responded, “very funny, Ms. Larsen.” Seeing her mom’s tease each other, Alex chuckled.

  “Laugh, but it will work. You’ll see. I’m very creative.” Karen was about to open her mouth again, but didn’t when she found fiery brown eyes staring at her, and an index finger very close to her face. “We’ll do whatever we need to do, but you are not going outside to climb on any ladder. I don’t want to hear it! End of the story.”

  Alex and Karen looked at each other wide eyed. They knew the last word on the matter had been said, and began to position the pots and the towels in place. “I feel like we have just put a band aid on a crack in the Hoover dam!” Karen added making Alex smile. “This is not going to work. I’m going to the basement to see if I can find some waterproof sealant or something.” She came back from the basement with a caulking gun loaded with window caulk. “I’m going up there again. Bring more pots and your plants, if you want to. I’m going to try and seal it with this stuff.”

  “Wait! Put on some goggles.” Addy brought the goggles for her to wear. “I don’t want any of that stuff getting in your eyes.”

>   It was then that they heard the wind gust and a horrible ripping sound with wood banging against the house. Alex held on to Addy’s waist. “M’Addy!” Karen and Addy looked at each other. Karen looked at both of them.

  “Let me go check what happened.” Karen said and climbed up the ladder without giving Addy much opportunity to say anything. She knew what was coming, so she preempted. “I’ll be fine.” Karen went up with the caulking gun in hand. The minute she was half way up, she began to come down.

  “The wind ripped a few wood boards. There’s a hole on the side of the house and lots of water is coming in. I think there are some left over boards in the basement from when we laid the floor in the attic. I’m going to get them, put some plastic up, and nail them to the studs. It won’t stop all of the cold air and water from coming in, but at least it will stop most of it.

  “Ker, do you have to? Can’t it wait? Isn’t it dangerous?”

  “If I don’t, the water will continue to come in and will damage a lot more of the wood. If it all gets too wet, it could collapse. At least I don’t have to go outside for this, or up on the roof.”

  “Mommy Karen?”

  “It will be fine. Come on help me bring the stuff from the basement up here.” They all went to the basement to help Karen bring up the wood planks, the plastic, and the nail gun. Karen had all the right tools, she always did. She seldom used them, but she was always prepared for any project or emergency because she didn’t like to depend on others for help. Surprisingly, she was very handy and always knew what to do. It had become a joke that in a previous life she must have been a skilled laborer.

  Addy was at the foot of the ladder, not too happy. Alex was at ground level looking up the ladder ready to help, if needed, and hoping that her mom could fix the damage and not get hurt while doing it. “I’ll be fine. Do not worry my people!” Karen yelled from the attic.

  “Maybe I should come and help you hold the wood planks,” Addy suggested.

  “No, you stay there in case I need anything.” The last thing Karen wanted was something happening to Addy.

  Addy remained vigilant and watched as Karen battled the wind and the rain as she struggled to get the boards nailed to the side of the house and later nail the plastic over it. When Karen was done, she slowly made her way down. She was soaked from head to toe and trembling, half frozen.