by Miley Maine
Thankfully, Rita and Russ were nowhere to be seen.
“Howdy, little buddy.” The doctor cheerfully approached Billy.
“Are you the doctor?” He grimaced.
“Yep. What’s the matter now, Cowboy?”
“My arm hurts.”
“Oh,” he chuckled in sympathy, “lemme see.”
He began to examine him while Gigi slowly made her way toward me, automatically nestling between my arms as we watched closely.
“This hurt?” He moved his elbow.
He nodded without making a sound.
“Wow, you’re the bravest patient I ever had.”
He giggled. “Why?”
“You ain’t makin’ a fuss.”
“I’m four today!” he enthusiastically announced before wincing as the doctor moved his arm again.
“Oh, you’re a big man.”
“Yes. Like Daddy.”
The doctor chortled before turning to us. “Yeah, it’s a broken arm.”
“Oh my gosh,” Gigi whispered with a shudder.
“No, no.” He raised a hand while the other proceeded to open his bulky bag. “It’s pretty common in children his age, especially those with an active life.”
She took a step closer, touching Billy’s foot with her fingers. “Will it heal quickly?”
“Quickly, yes.” He pulled out a couple of smaller bags. “Properly? Needs a cast.”
She audibly sighed.
“Please come closer and help me.”
We both immediately launched forward. While Gigi settled next to Billy and held his hand from the opposite side, she whispered encouraging words into his ears.
I moved forth to the doctor’s side, holding Billy’s broken arm in place while the expert began to wrap it up.
Paying slight attention to what my wife said, I heard her mutter, “You’re so brave, I’m so proud of you. You’re just like Daddy.”
Her words seemed to be effective since he fixed his eyes on what the doctor was doing without flinching. Instead, he smiled proudly as he watched the delicate task in action.
Glancing in her direction, I took a deep breath and mentally counted my blessings. Her reassuring phrases weren’t only working on him, but much to my surprise, they lifted me up as well.
My wife said that our son was ‘just like me’ with a gratified smile on her face.
That had to count for something.
For as long as I had lived, I had never dreamed of having such a loving and supportive partner, and a child who looked up to me and wanted to imitate my behaviors.
The entire situation served as a delicious reminder of where I was in life, what I had, and what I needed to do to keep it.
“Can you move your fingers for me?” the doctor grinned.
Billy wiggled his fingers with ease and nodded.
“We’re all done.” He stood up, ruffling the boy’s hair with one hand. “See you in four weeks, Cowboy.”
Ushering him into the hallway, I left Gigi with Billy and closed the door as I stepped out of the room.
“Four weeks, huh?” I smiled politely.
“Y’know the drill, Danny. It’s not a complex fracture, so his arm should be as good as new after that period.”
“That’s great.”
“He does need to lay low for the rest of the day, though. Not a lotta movin’ around, let alone runnin’. Trips to the bathroom and changing his clothes are enough.”
“Gotcha.”
“He’ll be fine, Danny. You did a great job moving him without injury to the nerves.”
I sharply exhaled. “Yeah.”
He then pulled a little pad and pen from his pocket and jotted down something. “If the pain returns, and it most likely will, don’t panic. It’s normal. The kid’s bone is broken. Give him a pill o’ this with a glass o’ water after a light snack.”
He handed me the prescription.
In spite of my courteous smile, I knew that my face remained tense. He patted me on the shoulder.
“Relax, will yah?” He nodded with another grin before turning to make his way downstairs.
As I escorted him out, my eyes found Michael waiting in the living room, wringing his hand as he paced. His face, however, retained its usual calm.
“All good?” He looked up at us.
“Yes,” I turned to the doctor, “thanks again, Doc.”
“Let me take you back.” Michael took it from there, headed for the door. Before he closed it behind him, he peeked in. “Need anything on my way back?”
“Uh.” I looked around aimlessly before realizing that I still had the prescription in my hand. “Yeah, this.” I gave it to him. “And a couple o’ more six-packs?”
He chuckled. “You got it.”
Recognizing that I only had a few minutes before Hurricane Rita returned for more of the same, I let gravity pull my weight down as I slumped down on the couch.
I pushed my torso backward to relax for a minute, remembering what life was like when it was only Gigi and I in the house.
Sadly, I couldn’t recall a fully peaceful day with Billy, with Rita’s noxious presence hovering since he was born.
I liked Russ. As a matter of fact, I loved the man. It was his wife that made me want them both to leave us alone.
Her vicious remark came back to haunt me, “considering your filthy roots.”
Years had passed with her making those backbiting statements without offering explanations or clarifications of what she exactly meant.
What did she mean? And how would she know about my family?
Did Gigi tell her something? Had she let out the one secret I had confided?
No. It couldn’t be.
I shook my head, desperately trying to get the devastating thought out of my mind.
She couldn’t have possibly betrayed her husband’s most personal confidences like that. Gigi was a good woman, and she would never backstab me.
Then what was it?
Regardless of the reason, Rita needed to leave as soon as possible.
Just as I suspected, as Michael returned with a couple of shopping bags, he had an apologetic look on his face while he opened the door wider for Rita and Russ to follow.
“Where is he now?” she rhetorically asked without looking at either of us, directly marching toward the stairs. “Gigi? Billy?” she yelled out.
“I’m sorry.” Russ remorsefully approached me. “I could only keep her away for so long.”
“It’s okay, Russ.” I leaned forward, pinching the bridge of my nose. “She’s his grandmother, and she must be worried.”
“You’re such a good man, Danny.” He sat down beside me, his hand gently landing on my back in a genuine fatherly gesture. “Is there anything else I can do?”
I shook my head, gazing downward.
“Here’s the medication.” Michael handed me one bag. “I’m gonna put these in the fridge.”
“Oh, more beer,” Russ cheerfully gleamed. “We’re gonna need those,” he chortled.
Michael scoffed, tilting his head with a knowing expression on his face before walking away.
“We’d better go back up there before she eats Gigi’s ear off,” Russ joked as he slowly pushed himself up, visibly suffering from his bad knee.
I swiftly stood up to help him, and we both went upstairs.
As we approached the room, Rita’s scathing tone reached our ears.
“That’s not a proper cast,” she mocked. “What kind of doctor is he?”
“Okay, let’s get outta here.” Gigi pulled her out, and we saw them both leave the room. “He’s asleep now,” she reassured me before gently pushing her mother, by the shoulders, back downstairs.
“I wanna stay with him,” Rita objected.
“Well, you can’t. He needs to rest, and you get him all riled up.”
“Me?” she yelled.
“Lower your voice.”
“Now, you all listen to me.” She turned to us as she took a stance
in the middle of the living room. “That’s not an appropriate way to handle a broken arm. First, they need to do an X-ray, then—
“With all due respect, Ma’am.” I raised a hand since I had about enough of her nonsense. “You’re not a specialist on the matter.”
“Who are you calling Ma’am?”
“You.” I sternly pointed a finger. “I’ve known that doctor for over a decade now, and I trust his opinion more than anyone else. If you’re gonna stand there and run your mouth about shit you don’t understand, don’t be surprised when it’s met with mockery.”
“Oh, there it is,” she mocked with a sarcastic laugh. “How could anyone expect any better from someone like you?”
“I am not going to sit here and let you insult me in my own house!” I raised my voice.
“Danny,” Gigi begged, “Mom!”
“No. No, Honey, this is enough. Someone needs to teach her a little somethin’ about boundaries, which she’s clearly lacking.”
“Well, someone needed to teach you to respect your elders, but I guess your parents didn’t know any better, did they?”
“Rita, back to the house, now!” Russ yelled, his hand flailing to get a hold of her arm.
“What do you know of my parents, huh?” I took a step closer, leaning forward as I sensed the heat burn through my chest and rise to my cheeks.
“What I’m witnessing is just about enough, Mister! They didn’t know how to raise a man, just like you’re failing now with my little Billy.”
“Your Billy? Oh, I must’ve missed the part where you were here while she labored for hours after she begged you to come visit!”
“Don’t you dare—” She narrowed her eyes as she launched in my direction, barely caught by Russ’ arm.
Without hesitation, Gigi suddenly bolted toward the door, swinging it open as she screamed. “Get out! Go home, right now, and don’t come back!”
“You’re kicking me out?” Her eyebrows shot up as her index finger poked through her shirt in a dramatic theatrical gesture.
Gigi’s breathing was now audible while her eyes blasted enough glare to burn through her mother if she could.
Silently, Russ escorted Rita out into the garden before they walked off in the direction of the guest cottage.
Slamming the door, Gigi closed her eyes as her shoulders drooped.
God, how heartbroken she must have been.
I launched toward her, opening my arms and receiving her searing body as she silently wept onto my chest. Not knowing what to say, I quietly stroked her hair as I let her cry it out.
“I’m sorry,” she snuffled.
“No, I’m the one who’s sorry. I don’t understand why she treats me this way, and I hate putting you in this position.”
“This is ridiculous.” She looked up, wiping her tears with one hand. “We shouldn’t be apologizing to each other. She should be apologizing to us.”
Her red nose, bloodshot eyes, and matted eyelashes gave her a sweet, sad glow. I wished I could kiss all her pain and anger away, but I couldn’t. And she was right. Rita was the source of all that wretchedness, and neither of us was at fault.
Agreeing to take turns tending to Billy through the night, Gigi and I spent the following hours apart, yet somehow together.
Chapter Sixteen
Gigi
By the next morning, we had all calmed down and accepted Billy’s new unfortunate but necessary accessory. He was beginning to move around more freely, getting used to not moving his injured arm while he played.
We all had breakfast together, although Danny and Mom did not exchange a single word. Having braced myself for another squabble, I actually counted their silence as a small win.
After we were done eating, and instead of heading straight out like he always did, Danny leaned over as I lifted the plates off the table and whispered, “I need to talk to you.”
Without another word, he headed for the stairs and proceeded upward. I immediately put the plates back down and followed him, my heart getting restless.
As I joined him in the bedroom, he closed the door behind me.
“Babe, I hate to do this to you—” He remorsefully shook his head as he sat down on the edge of the bed. “But they gotta go.”
My heart sank, but deep down, I knew he was right.
“I—I have to talk to them. They’d be heartbroken if we keep them away from Billy, a—”
“I know all that.” He calmly nodded. “But you can’t tell me you ain’t seein’ what I see here, Babe.”
A sigh forced itself out of my mouth since I knew full well what he was going through.
I parted my lips as I made my way over to sit down next to him, shoulder to shoulder as I whispered, “Of course I do, Danny.” My back hunched, and I wrung my hands, struggling to find the words. “I’m fully aware of how horrid she’s being to you. And I’ve recognized, years ago, all of her efforts to poison me against you—”
“Has it worked?” His dark brown eyes pierced through me.
I couldn’t believe he was even asking me that.
“Of course not!” I stressed, squeezing his hand with my fingers. “No one ever could.”
A bitter smile bent the side of his lips upward.
“You’ve done nothing to deserve this,” I reassured him. “If anything, she’s the one who should be over the moon with how much you love me and the kind of life you’re giving me here.”
I could see that my words were granting him the boost he needed since his eyes began to light up and his face started to relax.
Pensively shaking his head, his eyes wandered around the room. “I just don’t understand why…” he mused.
Oh, my wonderful Danny. I don’t want to do this to you. I thought.
But I knew, as much as I didn’t want to bring back vile memories of his parents, that I had to do it. I had to explain why my mother held so much animosity toward him before they even met.
“Anyway…” He suddenly got up and began to undress. “I don’t wanna be late for work. Mull it over for now. I’ll be back by lunchtime.”
“Yeah.”
For the hours that followed, I absent-mindedly played with Billy, enjoyed some tea with Dad out on the porch, and avoided Mom at all costs. I still didn’t have the slightest clue about what I was going to tell them, or how I was supposed to say it.
At lunchtime, Dad decided to take Mom and Billy out for a picnic by the lake in an attempt to lighten the mood. I explained to him that I’d rather stay behind and eat with my husband, given the circumstances. He considerately understood, giving me a kiss on the cheek before they went out.
When Danny came home, I had prepared a small surprise for him by setting up a little table in our room by the big window overlooking the garden.
“You didn’t have to do this.” He smiled in appreciation.
“I wanted to,” I confessed.
As we ate, I asked about his day and listened intently as he told me. It was reminiscent of our early times together. It felt like eons ago, before things became so complicated.
When we were done, I had finally summoned enough courage to open the subject and let it all off my chest once and for all. He deserved to know why he had no chance with my mother to begin with, simply because of an ancient rivalry that went far beyond either one of us.
“Babe, do you have a few more minutes?” My voice was already starting to break.
He was getting ready to get up, but he froze in place. “Yeah, what is it?”
I hesitated. “I didn’t wanna tell you any of this, but…” I reached out for his hand.
His expression immediately changed as he shifted his position, leaning forward. A concerned look filled his eyes. I knew that his mind was going to the worst-case scenarios in a millisecond, so I had to make it quick.
As I told the story, my lips worked with a seamless flow while my eyes fixated on his face, observing the subtle changes in emotion that he allowed his muscles to reflect.
“Oh my God,” he whispered half-heartedly. “I think I might remember that.” While I still held his hand, his eyes looked downward as his head moved slowly from side to side. “Jesus.”
I audibly exhaled.
“Well,” he shrugged, gazing outside the window and onto the bright vista, “even if they were terrible parents, they still had four little mouths to feed.”
“Four?” My eyebrows shot up. He had never spoken to me about his family in detail, and I never asked for fear of stirring up his pent-up anguish.
He sighed, finally regarding me with his eyes. As our gazes locked, it felt like a whole new aspect of bonding that we had never ventured before.
“Yeah.” The word came out with a deep exhale. “I have three brothers,” he apologetically declared, still locking eyes with mine. “When I inherited everything, it was even more than what I have now.”
My eyes widened in disbelief, but I wanted him to continue.
“The very next day, I called them up and told them that I was buying each of ‘em a ranch. All right here in Richmond, scattered ‘round.”
My sharp exhale merged with a smile as I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.
“And I did,” he reminisced. “I finalized the paperwork and mailed each of them his sealed folder with contracts and a set of keys. All in hopes that they had the good sense to escape the hellhole my folks had created.”
In awe, I stared at him with mouth agape.
After all those years, my husband still managed to surprise me with the kind of generous man he was.
For a moment, I couldn’t fathom why the universe would give me such a good soul.
What had I ever done to deserve him?
Recognizing my visible astonishment, he chuckled, shaking away his solemn expression as he tried to pull me back into the moment.
“Nobody has the perfect family, eh?” he chortled as his eyes twinkled.
“No.” I shook my head and reached for him, running my fingers over his defined features. “But there are plenty of good ones.”