Lean on Me

by Pat Simmons

  Reaching for Tabitha’s hand, Marcus couldn’t help but grin like a schoolboy. “Good things, I hope.”

  “How much time do you have?” Ava Elise rolled her eyes and laughed.

  Marcus could never repay the kindness this woman had given his lady before he even knew all the circumstances. He was thankful that her trainer had been behind Tabitha since day one.

  Next, Tabitha introduced Kym and Rachel to Ava Elise. While the sisters chatted with the woman, Marcus mentioned his business to John in case he found himself in the need of a cleaning crew for his company. After a few minutes, John and Ava Elise said their goodbyes.

  “Rachel, you and I both need a Marcus in our lives,” he overheard Kym say. Smirking, he thanked God for their stamp of approval.

  Too bad Demetrius had backed out at the last minute. Maybe his big brother would drop that nonchalant exterior, like Marcus had done, and reveal his intentions concerning Rachel—whatever those might be. Marcus doubted Demetrius really knew himself.

  When the organizer blew the whistle, Marcus took Tabitha’s hand and began their trek. He wasn’t going to lose her in the crowd.

  It wasn’t long before Rachel complained about her aching back, despite reciting her exercise regimen. Clearly, walking was excluded. “What was I thinking?”

  “I’m glad I get my exercise walking across campus every day.” Kym gave a demonstration of her power-walk stance.

  “Sweet Pepper is getting me out walking in the neighborhood,” Tabitha announced.

  Marcus kept his amusement to himself. Walking the dog? A dog walking its owner burned up a couple hundred calories—tops.

  The Knicely sisters lagged behind the others on the team at the end of the two-mile walk. All three moaned for foot massages. The good news was, thanks to corporate sponsors, the Tweety Bird Team raised $4,000.

  Hours later, back in their Pasadena Hills neighborhood, Marcus and Tabitha sat in adjacent swings on the playground, holding hands.

  They were barely moving, then Tabitha planted her feet on the ground to halt all movement. Facing him, she placed her soft hand on his jaw. She gazed into his eyes, and he saw the evidence of their love. “Thank you for being part of my journey—mentally, physically, and spiritually.”

  “Thank you for letting me in.” When Marcus signed on to be Tabitha’s caregiver, he’d wanted to be her hero. Her thanks always humbled him. He leaned forward and rubbed his lips against hers, then whispered, “You have girlfriend benefits.” He grinned.

  Laughing, she playfully punched him in the arm, then pushed off the ground to climb higher. Like Marcus had done in the beginning, he chased after her, even if he was in a swing.

  * * *

  The last quarter of the year was a busy time for Whittington Janitorial Services, as Marcus and Demetrius started preparing their books in September for the auditors. They had been awarded three more major contracts over the previous year, so they were working long hours, crunching the numbers, assessing costs and profits.

  Marcus wasn’t happy about breaking dates with Tabitha, but his business paid the bills. The best he had been able to do was call and check up on her and Aunt Tweet, rather than visit as regularly throughout the week.

  Tabitha’s ringtone interrupted his review of their inventory against sales. “Hey, babe.” She was frantic. “Slow down, baby. What’s wrong?” Immediately, his senses went on alert.

  Crying, she sniffed and said, “Bermuda Place called an ambulance because Aunt Tweet passed out. I’m in Wentzville, but I’m canceling appointments to head to DePaul’s Hospital. I’m scared. I don’t want her to die.” She bawled some more.

  “It’s okay. Shh.” Marcus stood and grabbed his keys. “I’m on my way there.”

  “What’s going on?” Demetrius frowned in concern.

  “Aunt Tweet. They called an ambulance. Tabitha is in St. Charles County, so it’s going to take her a while to get back up north to the hospital. Since I’m the closest, I’ll head over there.”

  Demetrius held up both hands. “Don’t get me wrong, Bro, but that’s her emergency, not ours. We’re in a crucial time in our business. We both need to be at the top of our game for the audit. Can’t you go by the hospital later, after your meeting with Energizer?”

  “I can, but I’m not. If this were us with Mom or Dad, she would be there for me. Try loving someone and not making them your priority. You can’t.”

  Although Marcus was praying for comfort for Tabitha, he was still going. His hand was on the doorknob when he looked back at the bewildered disappointment etched on his brother’s face. “I know you think I’ve lost my mind over them, but I’ve surrendered my heart to Tabitha, so I’ll keep you updated on what’s going on.”

  “Yeah, do that,” Demetrius bit out as Marcus hurried out of the office, bumping into Chess accidentally on his way out.

  “Sorry,” he mumbled to his employee.

  The hospital was close. He heard the sirens behind him on I-270 as he exited on St. Charles Rock Road. He was about to turn into the parking lot when the flashing lights forced him to pull to the side.

  Minutes later, when he arrived at the emergency room entrance, Marcus watched as the paramedics lifted a gurney out of an ambulance. Straining his neck, he trotted as close as he could to the vehicle to catch a glimpse of the patient. The woman had silver-gray hair like Aunt’s Tweet, but an oxygen mask covered her nose and mouth, making a positive ID sketchy.

  He raced inside to the counter, then it dawned on him that he wasn’t related to Aunt Tweet, so the hospital personnel weren’t likely to give him any information or go wait with her. Now what? Pacing the area outside the double doors, he called Tabitha. She answered just as franticly as earlier.

  “Babe, it’s okay. I got here right behind an ambulance. I think I might have seen her being wheeled in. How far out are you?”

  “Just crossing over the Blanchette Bridge.”

  She had to be driving fifteen-plus miles over the limit to be one exit away so soon. “Slow down.”

  “Okay.” She took a deep breath. “I feel better that you’re there. I promise I’ll return to sanity and obey the speed limit. Uh-oh. I’ve got a cop behind me.”

  Great. Marcus slapped his forehead. The blood drained from his face. “Do you need me to come?”

  “No. Stay with Aunt Tweet.” She disconnected when he would have preferred she stay on the line.

  Police relations throughout St. Louis were still shaky after the Mike Brown shooting in Ferguson years ago. Depending on the officer’s mood and mind-set, Tabitha might not necessarily be in safe hands. Now, Marcus had two things to worry about as he took a series of deep breaths, then walked through the double doors. “Lord, in the name of Jesus, please protect my woman from any harm and let the interaction between her and the officer be respectful, and please be with Aunt Tweet. Give her body and mind strength to pull through with thanksgiving. In Jesus’s name, amen.”

  Stepping back inside, he walked to a row of chairs. He flopped down and continued to wait impatiently for Tabitha’s arrival, despite his petition for godly intervention. He eyed the paramedics who had exited the ambulance. Did anyone from the facility escort Aunt Tweet here? He hoped she wasn’t alone.

  He couldn’t sit still, so he stood and began to pace the floor until the path led him outside again. He said another prayer, then tried to switch his mind into work mode. Making some business calls would temporarily distract him. “Charles, Marcus Whittington here. I know we’re supposed to review our contract in about an hour—”

  “I’m glad you called,” the man cut in. “I have a bit of an emergency. I’m heading out to get my son. His school called to say he’s sick. Can we reschedule for early next week? Sorry to do this to you. I know you’re a busy man.”

  “You are too. I hope your son feels better, and I’ll be in touch.” Energizer was o
ne of Whittington’s biggest clients, employing the majority of their workers at three locations. Charles had recently referred Whittington Janitorial Services to a medium-sized company for business. Marcus was grateful for this turn of events. It seemed the more he strengthened his spiritual walk, the more God gave him favor in situations.

  Squinting toward the entrance, he saw Tabitha’s sedan speeding his way. He waved her toward him.

  “Please tell me you didn’t get a ticket.” He opened the driver’s door and hugged her as soon as she stepped out and collapsed against him. “I’ll park the car. You go in and see about Aunt Tweet.”

  “Okay,” she mumbled as if in a daze. “Thankfully, the officer didn’t give me a ticket but a warning. Didn’t matter. I would have paid it. When he saw my tears, he let me go and told me to slow down.”

  He nudged her toward the door, then slid behind the wheel of her car. Once Marcus adjusted the seat, he drove away in search of a parking space. When he returned to the waiting room, Tabitha wasn’t in sight, so he texted her. Is everything okay?

  No response, so he took a seat. About ten minutes later, Tabitha called, whispering, “She’s alert. They’re running tests to rule out a stroke, a silent heart attack; they’re also checking her blood sugar.” She paused, clearly frazzled. “Thank you, Marcus, for coming and standing in the gap for me, but you can go. I know you’re busy and—”

  “I’m not going anywhere.” Leaning back to rest his head against the wall, Marcus closed his eyes. Aunt Tweet was alive.

  Chapter 34

  Tabitha couldn’t remember the last time she was so scared. While Aunt Tweet rested, she released silent tears. Her great-aunt could have died while she was locked up for driving almost eighty miles an hour in a company car.

  She had to compose herself before calling her sisters. When she did, they became as frantic as she had been.

  “I’ll fly in tomorrow morning,” Kym said in a subdued tone.

  “Oh no. Poor Aunt Tweet. I’ll hit the road in the morning and be there in the afternoon,” Rachel said. “I guess I might as well bring back some of her things with me. I’m so scared I’ll have these episodes with her.”

  “I’ll be praying you don’t. If we can keep her healthy…” Tabitha paused. Good health didn’t mean a long life. Their aunt’s life was in God’s hands. “Ah, is your mind good enough to drive?”

  “Yeah. Nashville is four and a half hours from St. Louis. Less if I speed.”

  “Please don’t,” Tabitha said, explaining her ordeal from earlier.

  When a doctor opened the curtain before stepping into the examination room, a female resident trailed him. Tabitha paused and tapped speaker on her phone, so her sisters could hear.

  “Miss Knicely, you indicated your aunt was a borderline diabetic.” Tabitha nodded. “That is no longer the case. Her blood sugar level dropped dangerously low. We’re going to give her insulin, but she will need to follow up with her primary care doctor right away.”

  Tabitha ignored Kym’s squeak as she questioned the doctor. “Won’t most of those medicines interact with her Alzheimer’s medicine?”

  The doctor shook his head. “Research shows that many patients who suffer with Alzheimer’s have some form of diabetes or disturbed glucose metabolism.”

  “Our aunt isn’t a fan of needles.” Rachel voiced what Tabitha already knew. It was going to be a battle giving Aunt Tweet her injections at home.

  After thanking the doctor, she let her sisters speak to their aunt, then Tabitha helped her get dressed. “Sorry to be so much trouble,” Aunt Tweet said solemnly.

  “No trouble.” Tabitha’s eyes blurred. Her lips trembled as fear lingered. “You scared me.” She wrapped her arms around her aunt’s shoulders and held her tight. “I love you. I’m glad you’re okay. Let’s go home.”

  Out in the waiting room, Tabitha smiled at the sight of Marcus asleep and slumped in a chair. His long legs were stretched out, arms folded, and head resting against the wall. Walking closer, Tabitha admired his features. The lines that wrinkled his forehead were an indication he wasn’t at peace either. She loved this man so much.

  Leaning over him, she rubbed his jaw. “Hey,” she said softly. She watched as his long lashes fluttered. He opened his eyes and strained to focus on her face. Immediately, he straightened up and gave her his attention.

  “Is everything…” His voice trailed off when he saw Aunt Tweet. Leaping to his feet, he wrapped his arms around her aunt, then dragged Tabitha into a group hug. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”

  “Me too, mister.”

  * * *

  Since the health scare, Tabitha had become clingy, not wanting to let her aunt out of her sight. It was good Rachel had asked to push back Aunt Tweet leaving until the weekend after Thanksgiving. The extra weeks would give Tabitha more time to spend with her.

  Everything worked out for the best. Since Marcus was busy with contract negotiations, they agreed to put a date night during the week on hold. The only thing that didn’t slow down was the demands of her job.

  She had to rely on Miss Betty more as she sequestered herself in her bedroom to work on a project. In addition to reviewing doctors’ profiles before setting up visits, she had to find a specialist outside of her territory who had successfully prescribed Porital to his patients. Dr. Rush from Cincinnati was perfect. She exchanged numerous emails with him until he agreed to give a presentation at a fee. After confirming a date, she secured a location and made his travel accommodations.

  Weeks later, when the date arrived for the event, Marcus apologized profusely that he couldn’t go with her because of a business engagement he had to attend with Demetrius.

  “Next time, baby. I promise.”

  “You don’t have to promise,” she assured him one morning while she was on the road for a doctor’s visit. “Consider us even. I had to turn down accompanying you to a fundraiser.”

  “We’re not going to do tit for tat, girlfriend. Our schedules are crazy for now, but we always have our weekends.”

  “We do.”

  That evening, at the last minute, the agency called to advise Tabitha that Betty wouldn’t be able to make it. Tabitha’s heart dropped. The presentation she had set up couldn’t be missed. “Do you have anyone else? I mean, they have to be trustworthy.”

  “No worries,” the man said. “As soon as Betty called in, we started to make calls. I do have another candidate who says she would very much like to fill in for Betty tonight. Her name is Latrice Allen, and she says she met you when she was employed at Whittington Janitorial. Would it be acceptable for the agency to send Latrice to you this evening?”

  In desperation mode, Tabitha didn’t have any options, so she consented. She thought she’d ask Latrice a few questions when she arrived, hoping that would give her some peace of mind.

  Fifteen minutes before she planned to leave, her doorbell rang. After fastening her earrings, she opened the door and greeted the nurse’s aide.

  “Hi, Miss Tabitha,” Latrice Allen said in a professional manner. “Thanks for trusting me to fill in.”

  Although Tabitha was glad to see a familiar face, she didn’t know if the young woman could handle her aunt, and she voiced her concerns.

  “I’m trained to expect the unexpected with clients. Every client is special. Knowing how much Mr. Whittington thinks of Miss Brownlee, your aunt is more than special to me.”

  Tabitha was touched by Latrice’s sincerity, but she had a few more questions to make her not second-guess leaving Aunt Tweet in Latrice’s care. Satisfied with the young woman’s answers, Tabitha gathered her things, then kissed and hugged Aunt Tweet goodbye. Once in her car, she touched the home security video app on her phone to see Latrice pulling a big jigsaw puzzle out of her bag and setting it up on the kitchen table. Aunt Tweet was watching the girl’s every move.

  “May
be she will work out.” She couldn’t wait to tell Marcus who had shown up at her house to care for Aunt Tweet, but he was at a function, and she had to concentrate on hers.

  She drove away, praying and trusting the Lord to keep her aunt safe. When Tabitha arrived at her venue, she checked her home security app again. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary as the two women played a card game. Satisfied, she regrouped for her event.

  The two-hour function went smoothly. Dr. Rush was an animated, engaging speaker, who, according to an informal survey from some of the other doctors, had won them over. Even Ava Elise complimented Tabitha on organizing a well-thought-out event. The accolades made her miss Marcus’s presence even more. She wanted him to witness the fruit of her labor. Immersed in ensuring her guests’ comfort, Tabitha only checked on Aunt Tweet one other time but followed up with a phone call. All was going well.

  When she returned home, Latrice had washed clothes and was folding them on the kitchen table with Sweet Pepper resting contentedly at her feet.

  She stood. “How did the event go?”

  “It was a success,” Tabitha said in relief and grinned. “How did everything go with my aunt?”

  “She’s a very smart woman. We talked about a clothing business she owned and that she had fashions from Paris…”

  Tabitha didn’t try to dispel the woman’s shero worship of her aunt. She had come to the conclusion that eighty-five years was a lifetime of fading memories and experiences. When her aunt told those stories, whether the events had really happened or not, Tabitha accepted them and stopped asking questions.

  “When I gave her a bath…”

  “My aunt let you bathe her?” Tabitha blinked. A modest woman, Aunt Tweet fussed about Tabitha helping her put on her underwear in the beginning. She protested when Kym and Rachel bathed her too, but Aunt Tweet would be horrified to know a stranger had bathed her.

  “Yes, ma’am, but only if I put a lot of bubbles in the water.” They both laughed as Latrice gathered her bags and Tabitha walked her to the door.