by L. Ann Marie
"My daughters have the same room. It was pretty easy to do." He smiles and walks out. I follow him back to the hallway. "Bathroom." He points in a door, I get a quick look but he doesn't stop. "Boys room." He walks in and I follow.
"Holy shit!" The room is huge. House boats are against the walls at the corners.
He walks to a big one. "This one has two twin beds for Jeremy and Jacob." I look in and cry. They're going to love them. Around the walls are plank walkways. He shuts the light off and the room glows. Flipping the switch he shows me the toy bins in the wall. "I'll tell you where one safe room is in here, it's for Jacob and Jeremy." Going back to their house boat he moves a piece of wood and a door opens at the bottom behind it. "It has a sensory chair and soft lighting. If they get scared this is where you can find them." I nod. He walks out to the hallway. I follow him down stairs. He turns toward my office. "Bathroom." He points. He stops at my office and I see a new desk and couch, chairs, file cabinets. Oh my word. The walls have boards with all my paperwork. He goes to a wall and turns a light. "Safe room." Closing the wall he points to a closet. "Office supplies. Mitch had a new computer uploaded with your information. There's a laptop for the other house on your desk." He walks out. Holy shit!
He opens a new door and walks in. "My wife helped me with this one. She is the director of the Women's Center. She thought you needed a place to unwind after tough days."
"It's beautiful." It's like the rest overwhelming and unbelievable. He keeps walking into my own bathroom. Holy shit I have my own bathroom with a whirlpool tub. I laugh and sob at the same time. With my hand on my mouth I look at him. "Thank you." He nods and walks out.
I follow him into the dining room; Tess and Sally are sitting on the beautiful seats looking out the brand friggin new bay windows. "It's a lot to take in I bet." Tess says. I nod still with my hand over my mouth. "The Club threw you protection. That means they'll be there for you when you need them. They won't let you fall. Sally and Cloud will help." Sally slaps her arm. "Ok, ok!"
"Is there anything CJ needs to know Tess?" Danny asks her, he's trying to hide his smile.
"Trouble is coming, Christian knows but won't say. He's having trouble understanding so he's not sharing it with you. The house will keep them safe. You have to trust Cloud and the Brothers." She's watching me. Just like Christian.
I nod. "That is more than he told me but basically the same thing."
She nods at me. "He belongs to you like you belong to him. He won't do anything to hurt you but he doesn't understand everything he sees. I can help him with Danny, Sally and Steve's help. We will guide him like they guide me." I look at Sally and Danny. They're both smiling.
"Tess is able to control what comes in; she's become strong because of that control. You can trust her to shield and teach Christian. She knew about him before we walked through your door and tore up your house." Danny says with a smile.
Tess giggles, it sounds musical. "You'll need a dog like Max. Sally can help with that."
I just look at her. A dog? Sally laughs. "Max is a service dog. He protects Tess and helps her stay calm during her visions."
"Will Christian need that too?" I never heard of such a thing.
"Oh yes. He already has strong. He's going to need it as he gets stronger. That's going to happen fast. Danny needs to tell you about security." She looks at him. I turn and look at him.
"Are you ok Tess?" Danny asks, he looks concerned.
She looks at me. "You're right about Rob. Don't let him stay." I nod not really understanding.
"Max is on her lap." Sally says softly. Danny nods walking over to her.
Tess: "Danny needs to tell you about security."
Danny: "What's happening Tess?"
Tess: "I don't know the man. He's here in the house. The kids know him. Christian says something's wrong. Different. He doesn't understand. It's for grownups."
Danny: "Where are the kids Tess?"
Tess: "They're in bed. It's nine. They're in bed but Christian doesn't understand. You need to tell her about the security. Cloud isn't going to make it if you don't tell her." She has tears falling down her face.
Danny: "Does she need the safe room?"
Tess: "She won't be able to make it to the safe room. She's not working. Nothing is working right." She sobs. I hold my breath. "You have to tell her so Cloud makes it."
Danny: "Do you know the day Tess? Can you see the calendar in the kitchen?"
Tess: She's sobbing as if she's hurt. "Tuesday. Help her! Nothing's working!"
"Please stop her. Help her, the baby. This can't be good for her." I'm crying begging him.
"Come back to us Tess. You got us everything we need sweet girl." He puts his hand on her face and speaks softly.
She leans into him crying. I feel so bad. This can't be good. "I'm so sorry. I don't know what to say."
Sally takes my hand. "It's like this when someone she loves hurts. That's what Max is for. He calms her. You didn't do anything wrong. You need to remember her words. It's important that she didn't go through this for nothing. Safeguard yourself for tomorrow at nine. Danny will tell you about security." She looks at Danny.
"Let me get Tess comfortable and I'll go through that with you CJ." He lifts her up and carries her to the living room. Max follows, Sally follows Max. I don't know what to do, I'm shocked by what she just went through. I stay sitting thinking about everything she said.
Danny comes in and looks at the ceiling. "Digs email me that whole thing, copy CJ on it." I look up wondering who the hell he's talking to. "Security. You have cameras in your common rooms. Digs is the head of computer surveillance, while you have a threat against you, the surveillance team will keep watch. The bedrooms, bathrooms and your office are not on camera. If there is a threat, you need get to a common room and signal the camera. Yeah?"
"Yes. I'll remember. Is Tess going to be ok?" My tears stopped but my concern hasn't.
He smiles and his face softens. "She's going to be fine. Her sleep right after helps her. She hasn't met Christian yet but she loves him. Tess is special. She knows in a minute that she loves you. When she sees her friends or family, it affects her more. Max helps with that. Sally is a comfort as well."
"Can I do anything for her?"
"Digs will send the video. Play it back, remember what she says, find ways to keep yourself safe. Anything that strikes you as unusual is probably where the danger lies. Tess has saved almost every member of our family because we were aware of the danger. Don't disregard anything, Christian doesn't understand because it's too grown up she said. To me that means a sexual threat. Your danger is with a man. Because he doesn't understand, it must be someone you know that doesn't or wouldn't normally hurt you. Be vigilante with all men but especially anything that strikes you as odd. Yeah?" He's watching me closely. I swear his eye is seeing into my brain.
"Yeah. Thank you. I'll do everything I can to keep safe. Should I do something about the kids?" This is so bizarre but eerily comforting. I get a warning that something bad is going to happen and I can change that.
"She doesn't say anything about the kids. I'll show them their safe rooms and make sure they understand how to use them. I'd like to bring my boys with me later. They can help in ways adults don't understand."
"Thank you any help is good. Knowing they're safe will help me stay calm."
He nods and smiles with that soft look. "You're like the old ladies CJ. I'm happy to see it. You're special; we'll do everything we can to keep you safe. We can't outright interfere with a vision but we can be prepared. That's what this is about. We were going to wait until tomorrow to bring you home but Baxter's had cameras installed early this morning so you're covered. The Prospects cleared your rooms at the hotel and have everything here."
I take that all in and nod. Tess and Sally come back in. Max follows. Tess looks tired but she has a smile on her face. "Sally said we did good. All through the pregnancy I don't remember much. But I feel pretty good. Are
you ok?"
I can't help but smile at her. "You are too sweet. I'm good, thank you for all the information. I will be prepared and do my best to stay safe."
She smiles so big. She's beautiful. Sally laughs. "Let's get you home big mamma."
Danny laughs. "Thank you Tess and Sally." He bends to Max and pets his whole body. "Good boy Max." He pulls a treat from his vest and feeds it to the dog. Tess is smiling the whole time. She's so damn cute.
I give her and Sally a hug and pet Max. He helps calm her. He deserves a pet. "Thank you again Tess. I can't wait until you meet Christian. He's going to love you." She's beaming. I laugh. So friggin cute!
Sally pulls her to the door, "I love your house." She says as she's being pulled out the door.
Danny laughs. "She's so fuckin cute. My boys are lucky men."
"Boys?" As in more than one. Like Mitch?
He looks at me and smiles. "Yeah. She's married to both of them, one's biological the other adopted us. Me and the President of the MC are married to my wife. It's in the water or something."
I laugh. "I have enough trouble navigating with one man, I can't imagine two. I'd screw it up for sure."
He looks like he's debating something. "Some people need protection and love in different ways, I'm going to guess Christian will be one of those. We have a whole Club that protects what's precious to us but some of our women and men are special like Tess. They need extra." He's watching me.
"My aunt taught me about the Indigo and Crystal people. I've never talked to anyone about it before and I've done it twice within the last twenty four hours. I understand about the warriors and seers. I never realized there were so many in our town." I can't help but smile.
"Your aunt must have been special too." He says as he walks to the door. "Your alarm code is your aunts old phone number. The last five digits. Everything I told you today is on your computer desktop, the file is called 'house'. I need to pick up the boys from school. I'll meet you back here in an hour." He walks out. Wow.
I look at my watch. I have a half an hour to get to the middle school. I walk through the first floor. Stopping at Joey's room I cry. She's going to love it. She deserves this. Christian will be so happy for her. I go out to my brand new van and find the keys in it. It's beautiful like everything else. We need to send thank you's to everyone.
I get to the school and park. The kids won't know the van so I walk to the pickup area and get them. We walk out to the van and Joey screams, Brantley and Taylor are jumping around. I laugh. "Come on my little people; let's go see our new house. You're going to love it." Joey gets the ramp down, then up in no time. She laughs the whole time. God I love her.
I pull into the garage and watch Joey get herself out of the van. Brantley and Taylor watch with big smiles. They are great kids. I make them use the front door. Joey cries all the way across the porch. Brantley hugs her, "They made it good just for you Joey." I hear him say softly. I have my own tears falling. He's a special boy. I can't believe how much I love my kids; it always hits me when they're lifting each other up.
I turn watching Danny pull in. The boys come running out. Three boys from soccer walk over to us smiling. I sign 'hello' and 'welcome' to Darren. He smiles signing back.
"We're always surprised how many people sign." Jessie says.
"It's important to make everyone feel special, even if it's just to talk. I had a deaf girl for a while. We all learned to sign so she could be an important part of our family. It matters." I tell them.
Little Ben nods, he's always very intense but today he seems more so. Darren thanks me for including him. Danny laughs. "Let's get them into the house so they don't die from anticipation." Jessie signs to Darren. He smiles nodding.
Christian comes over and hugs me then Joey. "Are you ready Joey? You'll finally have the room of your dreams. It's better than what you drew. It's going to make you stronger. Let's go see it." I look around at everyone. I can't believe he's talking to her like that with everyone around. Danny smiles and opens the door. He keys the alarm and walks right to Joey's room. The boys look around but follow her. At the door they stop. Jacob and Jeremy move closer to her. Jeremy holds her hand, Jacob gets her a tissue. I have my hand over my mouth, friggin tears falling again. Christian pushes her closer to her bed. "A room fit for a princess Joey. A room made for you, our princess." She leans forward and touches the bed. Danny shows her how to get in on the other side and how the controls work. Christian pushes her to the bathroom, she screams thank you. I laugh. I hear the boys laugh behind me, I move over so they can see.
Danny tells his boys to bring me and the boys upstairs to their room and he'll be up soon. Little Ben goes to Joey and holds her hand. "You're one of ours now Joey. We take care of our girls. When you need help you just need to call us. We're all here for you now." I cry. Jessie takes my hand and leads me up the stairs. Friggin kids.
The boys go wild. Jessie and Darren stand back and watch with smiles. Brantley runs to me and hugs me so tight. "I love you CJ." He runs back to his bed. I just now realize their houses are in their favorite colors. I laugh with tears falling down my face. I look in at Jacob and Jeremy. They're lying on the beds with arms stretched out holding each other's hand, their blankets are on them.
I move around the room. Christian is on his bed watching everyone. I kiss his cheek. "Fit for a prince my little man?"
He laughs. "It's the best gift we could have gotten CJ. If it weren't for you we wouldn't have this very moment. Thank you CJ."
I cry again. Damn friggin kids! "I love you Christian." I kiss his head and walk to Taylor's bed. He's so happy with his new bed and sheets I laugh. Brantley shows me the pictures in his boat. You can only see them if your laying down. He has a picture of all of us. Jessie and Darren walk in and point out the toy bins and dressers. Taylor opens a drawer and yells. We all laugh. He has pj's. He's so excited. Jeremy and Jacob are running over the planks from bed to bed. Then everyone but Christian is running.
Danny comes in laughing. "This is just how I thought they'd react."
Little Ben laughs, he signs while he talks. "It's just what we did Uncle Danny." Jessie and Darren nod.
"Yep. CJ you have to leave now. We have important top secret stuff to deal with." He says looking so serious I laugh.
I go down to see Joey. She's in her closet, the racks are like a dry cleaners. They move and lower at the front. I notice the clothes aren't any I recognize, they bought her clothes. I laugh. Unfrigginbelievable! "I can do everything myself CJ! He even put my meds and machine in my bathroom." She's so happy.
"This is going to be so good for you Joey. I'm so excited for you." I hug her and kiss her cheek.
I leave her to discover all the little surprises in her room and go into the kitchen to look for the snacks the kids will be looking for shortly. There are HA counters for Joey. One has a small sink. As I'm hunting I discover all the little surprises they hid in here. I finally find the food. They moved the pantry and made it behind cabinet doors. All the food is on shelving that's two foot wide. I love it. Nothing will get missed on the back of a shelf. They stocked the whole damn thing. I'm laughing when Mo comes in.
"Looks like I got back just in time. What the heck happened here? The whole house got a makeover?" He hugs me. He went home for his parent’s anniversary so he has no idea about what happened.
"It's a long story, I'll tell you over dinner if you’re here or later when you get back." I go back to my search. He's not working until tomorrow so he's not obligated to stay. I find granola bars on a shelf of a ton of boxes in the next cabinet. I laugh and pull out everyone's favorites. I put extras in the middle of the table and hunt for some fruit. I have two refrigerators!
Mo tells me about his parent’s party. I listen and make noise but I'm distracted. "I'm sorry Mo this is the first time that I'm seeing this. I'm so distracted and I really want to hear about your parents but I can't focus right now. You have to see the kids’ rooms; you'll understand when you do."
I get a bowl and put some fruit from the massive amount I find in the second fridge then put it in the center of the counter. Mo waves and walks out. I smile. He's going to freak.
I look around trying to decide on dinner. Danny comes in. "Sam is sending over a special dinner. Your first night should be special." I nod. "Once a week Sam expects to see you, it can be for any meal but it needs to be once a week. It's his way of checking in with you. The MC will cover the bill. If we don't get the bill from your meal, Jess will hunt you down and demand answers." He's smiling but his eye isn't. "No one messes with Jess' receipts. She's already got a spreadsheet waiting for you. If she doesn't get to use it you're in trouble." I laugh.
"He's not kidding." My head snaps to Rob. "Mo let me in." He says.
I don't know why he's here. "Ok. Hi Rob." I'm not sure what to do. I don't really want him here.
"Did you need something Rob?" Danny says, he doesn't sound happy.
"Just came to see the house and how the boys were doing." He doesn't look happy now. What the heck?
"The boys are extremely happy. The safe rooms and new rooms will do wonders for them." I tell him. Thinking now he can leave.
He looks from Danny to me. "I'll go up and see how the room came out." He turns and walks out.
I look at Danny and ask, "Are all the men going to stop by?"
He looks pissed and dangerous. "No. They won't come by unless you get a call from someone in the office. The MC will call you and let you know just like with the maintenance people. We've found that it makes it easy to keep it all the same way. I'll talk to Rob on my way out. I need to see if Joey figured out how to get into bed yet." He smiles.
I spend time opening more cabinets and laughing at all they did. This is too friggin much. They did everything. The doorbell rings, making my way there I'm shaking my head. I wish my aunt could see this. Prospects come in with boxes. They tell me it's dinner and they'll set it up. I just nod a little nervous with them in the house but happy they're taking care of dinner. In my room I'm checking out all the little things they added to make it special. It's like a room at a spa or something, it's so beautiful. Navy blue is splashed throughout the room. I wonder how they knew it's my favorite color. The bathroom is the same, light marble with navy accents and towels. I hear a noise behind me and spin around. The kids don't come in my room so I'm instantly on edge.