Lean on Me

by Pat Simmons

  After a couple more minutes, he ended their call with “Love you, Mom.”

  He wouldn’t trade his parents for anything in the world. Marcus prayed that if he and Demetrius ever had to be caregivers, they would be able to work together as a team, like they did in their business. There was a knock on his door, and Latrice peeped inside. “Do you have a few minutes?”

  Marcus exhaled. He hoped she didn’t have another crisis again so soon. He motioned for her to have a seat in front of his desk.

  She did, then swallowed. “Mr. Whittington, why didn’t you tell me Victor paid you back his bail money?” she asked softly.

  He tapped a pen on his desk. “It wasn’t my place.” Gauging her reaction, he asked, “Are you okay?”

  Latrice sighed and bobbed her head. “I’ve been praying for Victor—not so much for us, but for his relationship with our sons. I just don’t know if I should trust his intentions with me.” She looked to him with expectancy in her eyes.

  I’m not a relationship counselor, Marcus thought. He did believe Victor was changing and trying to reach his potential to improve his life, so Marcus grappled for encouraging words. “Latrice, I would say keep praying and giving him the benefit of the doubt.”

  “I guess you’re right.” After a slight frown, she thanked him and walked out of his office.

  Relationships. Shaking his head, Marcus was about to move on to his next task when he thought about Tabitha. He admired and respected her for wanting to tough it out, but it was time for outside intervention. She was studious and knew more about her aunt’s illness than he did, but if he was going to continue to be Tabitha’s caregiver, he needed to know as much about Aunt Tweet’s illness as possible for himself. He logged on to alz.org.

  The site was information overload, so he called the hotline number. As a brief introduction, he said, “My girlfriend is crying out for help from her family, but she’s not getting what she needs from them. She needs some alone time,” he said, not liking to admit he wasn’t enough. “I noticed your website mentions home companions or nurse’s aides to assist with light chores and such. Can your agency recommend some places for me to contact?”

  “Of course. Plus, we have support groups and events to bring awareness about the disease, such as the Walk to End Alzheimer’s in September.”

  “Right now, we need someone to watch her aunt so she can get that alone time.”

  “Not a problem,” the representative said. “If you give me your email, I’ll get a list of some health professionals to you ASAP.”

  He was impressed by the woman’s caring attitude, and before they disconnected, the list came to his inbox. Marcus prayed for guidance and made some calls.

  Next, he called Tabitha. “Hey, baby. How’s it going?” He hoped the cheerfulness in his voice would bring her some cheer.

  “It’s going. Thanks for thinking of me.”

  “All day and every day.” He smiled. “Do you trust me?”

  “You know I do. More than my sisters right now.” The sadness in her voice was apparent.

  Marcus hoped her ache would subside with his plan. “The love you have for one another is greater than the circumstances. You have to believe that. Anyway, I spoke with someone at the Alzheimer’s help desk about respite care.” He paused. “I asked a home health aide to come to your house tomorrow, so we can interview her.”

  “Umm. I don’t know.”

  He imagined she was going to shoot down his idea before he could explain. “Listen, baby, if I could wash your hair and polish your nails, I would, but I can’t. I heard you when you said you need some me time. There’s this whole big organization that is ready to help right here in St. Louis. You can’t expect help from your sisters far away, even if they came every weekend.”

  “Does this mean you’re pulling away from me?” she asked softly.

  Wounded that she would think such a thing, he lowered his voice. “No, girlfriend. It means I’m stepping up even more because I love you.”

  “I love you too,” she whispered, then seemed to regroup. “I’ll go along with an interview, but you know my concerns about a stranger.”

  “Yes. I understand your concerns about someone you don’t know in your home alone and leaving Aunt Tweet in their care.” Because he anticipated her worry, Marcus planned to surprise her with a wireless security system like the one he had, so when she was out and she had doubts, she could monitor what was going on at home. He’d hold off telling her until they had chosen a candidate.

  “Thank you for taking my problem and making it yours.”

  “When I love someone, it’s what I do, and I love you very much.”

  The loud, juicy kiss Tabitha sent over the phone was deafening and amusing. He laughed the rest of the day, even though he suffered a slight hearing loss for about an hour.

  * * *

  “Finally, you’re getting the help you need,” Ava Elise said following a morning meeting with the sales reps after Tabitha told her what Marcus had done.

  “I said I was willing to interview for the position.” Tabitha still wasn’t sold on the idea; neither had she discussed that option with her sisters, although she trusted Marcus.

  “By the way, I heard your numbers were good last month.” Ava Elise grinned. “Doctors are writing prescriptions in your territory.” She lifted her hand for a high five. Tabitha obliged, then left for her first physician’s office.

  The day zoomed by until, finally, it was time to get Aunt Tweet from Bermuda Place. She thought about what her sisters would say about leaving an unsupervised stranger in charge of their aunt’s well-being. Almost immediately, she missed their bond. It hurt that they’d hinted she wasn’t doing a good job. Maybe they were right. Maybe she wasn’t cut out to be a good caregiver. Kym never had any complaints while it was her turn.

  Parking the car, Tabitha walked inside, and surprisingly, Aunt Tweet was waiting in the lobby with her purse in her lap, ready to go. That was a first. Usually, her aunt had to be coaxed away from a craft or the snack table. She seemed tired as she stood to greet Tabitha. “Where have you been?” she asked in a scolding tone.

  Whoa. After signing Aunt Tweet out and waving at some of the staff, Tabitha explained on the way to the car. “I’m sorry. I was working. Did something happen that you want to tell me?” She silently prayed that her aunt hadn’t been subject to any incidents of abuse.

  “I want to go with you,” Aunt Tweet demanded as Tabitha drove off. Her aunt glanced out the window at their passing surroundings, then looked back at her. “This is a new car, ain’t it?”

  Tabitha hid a chuckle. Her aunt had cautioned them about using improper grammar when they were growing up. It was odd to hear it spill from her lips. “Yes, this is a company car. I turned the rental in a while back.”

  She arrived at her house to see Marcus sitting on her steps with a food bag. Yes! All the stress and tension from the day eased away.

  Getting to his feet, he grinned, then switched the package to the other arm as he swaggered toward them. He opened her car door. “Hey, girlfriend.” He kissed her lips, then walked around and helped Aunt Tweet.

  “Why are you so wonderful?” Tabitha asked as he escorted them to the door.

  “Because I have a wonderful woman,” he answered and pressed a kiss onto her hair. Within minutes, the two had washed their hands as Aunt Tweet attempted to set the table with four plates and three forks.

  Not long after they finished dinner, the doorbell rang. Tabitha opened the door, reminding herself not to make any judgment calls until after she could get a reading on the woman’s personality.

  An older, plump white lady with cherry-red hair smiled and introduced herself as Betty. Marcus came and stood by her side. They both welcomed the woman in. After offering some refreshments, they began the task of interviewing her.

  “Miss Betty, what ty
pe of background do you have, and how would you handle a combative situation?” Marcus took the lead.

  “My job is to provide companionship, activities, bathing, light cleaning, or simply to watch television with the client.”

  “What about combative behavior?”

  She was so proud Marcus had noticed too that Miss Betty hadn’t answered the questions.

  “I’ve been a CNA for more than a decade. I’m trained to defuse the situation with a distraction. I allow the client to calm down, then I try to find out the source of the aggravation. Depending on the scenario, it may be best to move the person to a safe environment. If the behavior is a health risk, I am instructed to call 911, then the caregiver.”

  “As you can imagine,” Tabitha began, “I’m struggling to admit that I need your services, and so to be truthful…I have trust issues with a stranger in my house, sometimes unsupervised, since I’m thinking I might need care one or two evenings a week.” She shrugged.

  “Definitely a Saturday evening,” Marcus added with a smirk.

  “I understand your concerns. As you are aware, we have to pass a background check, and we are insured and bonded. To be honest, I’m always prayerful that I’m going into a safe environment for myself.”

  “How about a trial run this Friday for a few hours, so Tabitha can have a hair appointment?” Marcus pulled Tabitha closer, then handed her a gift certificate.

  Marcus’s gesture caused the potential home-care worker’s eyes to twinkle. “Sounds good to me. I never miss my hair appointment.”

  They all laughed, even Aunt Tweet, who later commented that the woman was wearing a bad wig.

  Chapter 28

  Friday evening, Tabitha invited Miss Betty to arrive early enough to join them for dinner. While the home companion tidied up afterward, Tabitha indulged in a hot bath—at least fifteen minutes—all the while keeping an eye on the activity in her kitchen area on a monitor. It was courtesy of the home security system Marcus had installed to ease her mind. He had even forfeited a night of hanging out with Demetrius to supervise the first visit between Aunt Tweet and Miss Betty.

  After her bath, Tabitha leisurely massaged lotion into her skin, then slipped on a sundress. She sighed as she wiggled her toes before sliding into sandals. Feeling carefree, she bounced down the stairs into the family room. Marcus stood and whistled. She giggled.

  She kissed her aunt, thanked Miss Betty, and gave Marcus the tightest hug she could before gazing into his eyes. “Thank you.”

  He brushed his lips against her forehead. “You’re welcome, baby. Enjoy your me time.” His eyes sparkled with mischief. “Without me.”

  Grabbing her bag, she raced out of the house and did a two-step. Inside her car, she screamed, “Thank You, Jesus!”

  Crowning Glory Salon II wasn’t far from downtown, and she enjoyed the twenty-minute cruise before she exited off I-70 at Tucker Boulevard.

  The owner, Constance, greeted her at the door with a smile. “Right on time. My instructions were to give you a deep shampoo.” She chuckled. “I think he meant a deep condition, but let’s get your facial out of the way first.”

  While waiting for phase one of the services, Tabitha checked the live home video on her phone.

  Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. All three were watching an old black-and-white movie. All of a sudden, Marcus held up a sign behind his back: Miss you! Why are you watching this? Love you. Take your time, beautiful.

  “No he didn’t.” Tabitha was amused. How did he know? She kept watching, then realized he was displaying the same message at different intervals. Tabitha loved that silly man. Slipping her phone back in her purse, she thought about her parents. They really would have liked—no, loved—Marcus. Aunt Tweet liked him too. Her sisters? She wasn’t sure. When Constance instructed her to close her eyes and relax for her facial, Tabitha dozed off.

  Tabitha felt rejuvenated when she returned home three hours later. The downtime had done wonders for her psyche. Aunt Tweet was already in bed. Miss Betty was watching television while Marcus dozed on the sofa. Some watchdog he was.

  After thanking and saying good night to the home companion, she nudged Marcus’s shoe. He sprung up immediately, as if he weren’t asleep, and his jaw dropped. His bold, appreciative scrutiny made her feel beautiful. “Wow, girlfriend.” Leaping to his feet, he surveyed her as if he had never seen her before, then engulfed her in a tender embrace.

  Pulling away, she rubbed her hand against the silky hairs on his jaw while she stared into his eyes. “Thank you so much for suggesting this.”

  “You’re glowing, baby.”

  She beamed. It was a toss-up which endearment made her blush more: girlfriend or baby. Feeling playful, she teased him. “Make sure you ask me to marry you.” Really? Did she just propose to Marcus?

  Marcus tugged on Tabitha’s hand to see him to the door. He guided her lips to his to kiss her good night, then said softly, “When I do, make sure you say yes.”

  * * *

  Tabitha was hyped about her and Marcus’s official first date. Why had she fought him so hard on it for so long? Was Aunt Tweet really an excuse, or was that the excuse she was using to keep her distance from any type of relationship?

  She couldn’t remember the last time she had been on a date. Her mind replayed their conversation about it. They were watching Aunt Tweet relax on a bench at the pond. Holding Sweet Pepper, he’d said, “Babe, you’ve been my girlfriend since the day I realized you couldn’t cook.”

  His declaration made her heart dance. She knew he was referring to the evening she had burned the spaghetti and set off the fire alarm while searching for Aunt Tweet.

  That remark had earned him a soft punch in the arm, and he had feigned injury. “Ouch. Seriously, we’ve been dating since the day you stole that scarf off my front porch.”

  “Stole?” she challenged him. “I was simply retrieving personal belongings.” Their playful banter continued until Tabitha sobered. “It hasn’t been very exciting though. I signed up to be a caregiver. You didn’t.”

  Marcus didn’t have a clever comeback. What was he thinking? “Nothing happens by chance. I don’t care how I met you, Tabitha Faye Knicely.” He gathered her hands in his and brought them to his lips. “You showed up on my doorstep. How was I to know you would turn out to be the best gift I’ve ever opened? Now I can’t let you walk away.”

  Coming out of her reverie, Tabitha concentrated on raiding her closet for the perfect outfit. The intensity of Marcus’s sweet words had gotten her through a rough workweek where two doctors she had hoped would be excited about her company’s new drug for the treatment of sinusitis weren’t convinced enough by the drug’s track record to accept samples and monitor patients.

  Though clearly unaware of it, Aunt Tweet had, upon her arrival, set the course for Tabitha’s unexpected love. Her aunt had given Tabitha so much over the years. Even now, when Aunt Tweet’s memory was failing, she had brought Marcus into their lives, who had then become their friend as well as Tabitha’s confidant and caregiver aide. Now—she sighed thinking about it—he’d become a special man in her life.

  Tabitha yearned to text her sisters about her first date. However, she was certain they wouldn’t take too kindly to their aunt’s care being left in the hands of someone they didn’t know, even though Miss Betty had earned Tabitha’s trust.

  She refocused and decided on a flirty dress that still had the price tag on it. The lightweight multicolored knit dress with its long fringes at the hem was perfect for a summer evening. Next, she slid her feet into a pair of very high heels that left her toes peeping out. The front was faux leather and the rest was a multicolored fabric that matched her dress.

  After her makeup, she tackled her mass of curls. Because of the night’s heat, she brushed her hair up into a ball. To top off her look, she chose drop earrings that brushed against her shoulders.
Her doorbell rang as she surveyed her appearance.

  Pulling herself away from the floor-length mirror, Tabitha grabbed her purse and shawl. Marcus’s deep voice echoed from the foyer and sent shivers down her arms. She descended the staircase in a gliding manner, as she and her sisters had done many times as children, pretending to be princesses or beauty pageant winners.

  The way his eyes followed her every movement made her silly, childish fairy tale come true. Aunt Tweet and Betty were also staring. Tabitha sucked in her breath as Marcus met her at the landing with a dazed expression.

  Without breaking eye contact, he lifted her hand to his lips. Her heart raced. “You’re more beautiful every day.” Next, he kissed her cheek. “And I am a very blessed man,” he whispered, before brushing his lips against hers in the briefest of moments because of their audience. Finally, he twirled her under his arm as if she was his dance partner.

  “You look beautiful,” Miss Betty said in awe.

  “Thank you.” She faced her aunt for approval.

  “You need a crown like I wore years ago on that stage.” Her eyes twinkled.

  Tabitha had yet to confirm the story about the beauty pageant. There was nothing mentioned in the newspaper archives or old photos among Aunt Tweet’s belongings. Her accolade was a reminder that her aunt was there with her physically but becoming a familiar stranger.

  “Thank you,” she said, then turned to Miss Betty. “You have my contact number—and Marcus’s. Call me…” She was nervous, but not about the first date. Tabitha was having second thoughts. Would Aunt Tweet be okay? Was Miss Betty really, really trustworthy? The doubts continued until Miss Betty seemed to address her unspoken musings.

  “Enjoy your night, Miss Knicely. Your aunt and I will be fine.”

  Tabitha nodded and quietly prayed, Lord, I’m trusting You to please watch over my aunt.

  Marcus opened the door, and Tabitha almost stumbled at the sight of a black limousine parked at the curb. Her jaw dropped, but no words came out.