Cascade

by Claudia Hall Christian

  The people became so quiet Jacob wasn’t sure what was going on. He had the sense there was a problem, but no one wanted to broach the topic.

  “What if we don’t do it?” A small woman near the back asked.

  “Nothing changes,” Jacob said. “You will still work here, collect your pay check. What you miss out on is helping to decide important issues and your part of the profits.”

  “Someone said you would maintain control of the company. That we’re just giving you money but not getting control. You get our money and keep all the control,” a fair skinned man said. “That doesn’t seem right.”

  “We’re selling the company slowly so people can adjust to the change,” Jacob said. “I will maintain majority ownership for the next couple of years. However, that doesn’t mean that I keep all the control. As soon as you buy into the company, you have a say about what goes on here.”

  “But you’ll still run it?” the man asked.

  “My father, sister and I will remain involved in the company,” Jacob said. “When the employees have completed the sale, the employees will have the option of choosing whether or not we’re involved. We’ll become more like salaried employees.”

  “And Aden?” Bambi asked. “What about him?”

  “Our hope is that Aden will remain as the CEO,” Jacob said. “He knows the company from the ground up. He’ll have at least three years of experience running the company by then.”

  “I like Aden,” Bambi said. “I think we all feel like this is going to work because Aden’s our boss. Or at least I do.”

  The other employees nodded their head.

  “He always seems like he’s on our side,” the fair skinned man said.

  “Aden’s a great guy. We’re lucky to have him,” Jacob said. “Any other questions?”

  The employees looked at each other then back at Jacob.

  “Great! See you this Saturday if not before.”

  Jacob led people from the conference room. Leaning against the door, he watched the end of the day routine at Lipson construction. With a sigh, he went into his office.

  It never occurred to him that he would have to convince the employees to buy the company. Over and over again, he found himself faced with mistrust and paranoia. Their mistrust triggered an unfamiliar insecurity and a lack of faith in Jacob. Walking back to his office, he settled in for another few hours of work.

  ~~~~~~~~

  Tuesday evening – 5:40 P.M.

  Pulling up to their house, Heather passed a familiar car parked at the curb. Rather than ignore the gray Audi TT convertible again, she waddled over to the car. She tapped on the driver’s window and he rolled the window down.

  “If you’re going to stalk us, you may as well help me bring in the groceries,” Heather said.

  “Stalk you?” Enrique tried to sound insulted.

  “You’re funny. Get out of the car and help me!”

  Enrique did what he was told. He followed Heather to the back of Jill’s Lexus SUV.

  “I thought this was your friend’s car,” Enrique said.

  “I’m trying it out. Blane wants to buy a family car so I’m trying different people’s cars.”

  Heather opened the back and Enrique picked up three reusable bags worth of groceries for each hand. Heather took the last two bags.

  “You have a lot here,” Enrique said.

  “I just get what’s on the list,” Heather said.

  Enrique laughed. Heather set her bags down to unlock the door.

  “Before we go in, Blane is sick today,” Heather said. “He should be asleep so be quiet.”

  “Yes ma’am,” Enrique said.

  “Why did you laugh?” Heather said in a soft voice. “About the groceries?”

  “Blane loves to cook, hates to shop,” Enrique said. “I used to make him do it with me.”

  “I don’t mind shopping,” Heather said. “I’m not much of a cook.”

  They carried the groceries to the kitchen. She set them on the counter then read the note Blane left for her.

  “The kitchen is an add-on. He can’t hear us here,” Heather said. “Please make yourself at home. I need to check on him.”

  Looking back at Enrique, she saw him nod. She went upstairs to their bedroom. Blane had spiked a fever around noon. Jake called Heather around two o’clock. She picked him up after dropping Sandy at the hospital. He had been asleep all afternoon.

  She hated that he was so sick. They’d slept in the same bed for more than a month so she could keep an eye on him at night. His doctors said he was kicking the Hepatitis C virus but his AIDS was activated making him susceptible to every cold or flu. She hoped this was just a cold.

  He groaned when she touched him. He was still hot.

  “Blane?” she whispered

  “Heather, I’m sorry I’m sick again,” he said. “Feels like strep. Again.”

  “Don’t worry. Let me look at your throat,” she said. Looking down his throat, she saw the white blisters. “Looks like strep. I’ll call the doctor.”

  Blane almost wept with weariness and illness.

  “Hey,” Heather said. “We’re almost through this thing. Don’t give up!”

  He gave her a soft smile.

  “Enrique’s here,” Heather said. “He’s downstairs.”

  Blane attempted to get out of bed. Exhausted, he fell back against the pillows.

  “Just rest, Ok,” Heather said. “You need to rest. I’ll take care of Enrique and the doctor.”

  “I owe you my life,” Blane said. “I’d never have survived this without you.”

  She smiled. Opening her mouth to say something, she saw that he was asleep again. She crept out of the room. Going downstairs, she heard Enrique moving around the kitchen. He was standing with a cabinet door open when she arrived in the den next to the kitchen.

  “How is he?” Enrique asked.

  “Sick. What are you doing?”

  “Putting the groceries away,” Enrique said.

  “You must really stalk us if you know where everything goes,” Heather said.

  “He kept things in the same place when we lived together,” Enrique said. “Did he make that cake?”

  “Touch my chocolate cake and you will die!” Heather said.

  “They are good,” Enrique laughed.

  Heather made a stern face to Enrique then went to call the doctor. The doctor ordered the meds and Walgreens said it would be at least an hour. Going back into the kitchen, she saw Enrique had finished with the groceries. He was looking around the kitchen and den.

  “What are you doing?”

  “I’m just…” Enrique said. “This is really nice. Did you do this?”

  “Do what?” Heather asked. “Would you like some dinner? We have some left over meatloaf from last night. Then I have to get to Walgreens in an hour or so.”

  “Blane’s meatloaf? Yes, I would very much love that,” Enrique said.

  “He had strep. You might catch it,” Heather said.

  “For his meatloaf? I’ll risk it,” Enrique said. “This house is really a … home. It looks remodeled… I wondered if you did it.”

  “My friend Jill helped, and Jake, of course,” Heather said. “It’s turning out nice.”

  “Home,” Enrique said. “It feels like a real home.”

  “That’s what we wanted. A real home,” Heather smiled. “Meatloaf?”

  “Garlic mashed potatoes?”

  “Coming right up,” Heather said.

  Heather nudged Enrique out of the kitchen. In companionable silence, she made up two plates of left over meatloaf and mashed potatoes. Enrique was charming through dinner. He told her funny stories about his work and life. When they were through with dinner, they shared a piece of her chocolate cake. He cleaned up the dishes while she checked on Blane before she left. They were at the door when she asked:

  “Why do you sit outside?”

  “I don’t know, Heather,” Enrique said. “I get off work an
d my little car seems to drive here. I…”

  “Why don’t you come in next time?” Heather said. “There’s always some left-overs. I know Blane would like to see you.”

  “I don’t want to… create complication… with your… life,” Enrique said.

  “You won’t.” Heather looked deep into his eyes. “Ever. Blane and I are a family now. “

  “Blane is gay, Heather! He will never be able to be your straight husband.”

  Heather laughed.

  “Why do you laugh?”

  “Because you’re so traditional. What’s a family? Heather asked. “Is it a man and a woman who marries early, don’t really like each other, have ten kids, kick one out because he’s gay, marry someone else, have more kids, and force a couple others to live double lives?”

  “You know about that?” Enrique blushed.

  “I know a lot of things about you,” Heather said. “Families are groups of people who love each other, share common values and goals. That’s Blane and I. He supports me in what’s important to me. I support him in what’s important to him.”

  “But…”

  “Family is what you make it, where you make it, Enrique,” Heather said. “I know Blane said the same thing to you.”

  Enrique nodded.

  “Maybe you need to be a little more flexible.”

  “Flexible? Me?” Enrique laughed. “Not possible.”

  Heather smiled. They walked out to their cars. He waved as he pulled away. Heather waved back. She was surprised at how much she liked Enrique. He seemed to like her, too. Not one to worry or wonder about what anything meant, Heather shrugged and drove to Walgreens.

  ~~~~~~~~

  Tuesday night — 8:25 P.M.

  Noticing Aden’s number on her caller ID, Sandy picked up her phone before it rang.

  “Hi,” Sandy whispered.

  She closed the door to the room Nash was asleep in.

  “Hi gorgeous,” Aden said. “How is he?”

  “Asleep,” she said. “I gave him his meds and he went right to sleep. It’s been an awful day.”

  “And Buster?”

  “Oh Buster,” Sandy laughed. “He’s asleep on the bed with Nash.”

  “And Miss Cleo?” Aden asked.

  Sandy smiled. It was so like Aden to remember her long suffering cat.

  “She’s doing fine. She gave Buster a snarl when he came in. He wasn’t impressed with her.”

  “Sounds like a truce.”

  “A guarded truce, yes,” Sandy said. “I clipped his long hair to match the shorter hair. We gave Buster a bath. He’s really pretty cute. He has a dark patch over his dark eye.”

  “Just like us, he needed Sandy’s help to reach his full potential.”

  Sandy laughed.

  “How’s your head?” Aden asked.

  “It hurts,” Sandy said. “How is Noelle?”

  Aden sighed.

  “She was up for an hour or so,” Aden said. “Poor baby. She’s in so much pain. I… It rips the core out of me.”

  “Poor Noelle,” Sandy said. She plopped down on her living room couch. Cleo came out from under the couch to sit on her lap.

  “You should have seen her, Sandy,” Aden said. “She was such a trooper. Tears streaming down her face, trying not to cry, she was chatting away about how excited she is to meet Buster. Even the doctor was completely charmed by her.”

  “She’s a wonderful girl,” Sandy smiled.

  “Who talks a lot,” Aden laughed. “I feel awful Sandy. I knew Nuala didn’t like Noelle. I knew it. She could never even remember Noelle’s name. I just… God, I feel like I’m your Mom.”

  “My Mom?” Surprised, Sandy laughed.

  “I knew Nuala was dangerous. I knew she didn’t like Noelle. And God knows Noelle talks a lot. I should have protected her!”

  “Oh Aden… Oh honey,” Sandy said. “It’s not your fault. No one could have expected Nuala to behave like this – not you, not anyone.”

  “It is my fault, Sandy,” Aden sighed. “I love these kids so much but I’m always a step behind in what they need. Celia would have scolded me about today.”

  “Celia was a psychic,” Sandy said. “You’re not.”

  “Just a man,” Aden said. “I know I’ve asked you but why didn’t they give you pain killers for your head?”

  “They didn’t think I needed them,” Sandy said.

  “You looked like you were in pain when I saw you…”

  “That kid had something hard in his backpack.” Sandy rubbed her bandaged head.

  “A few stitches worth! Maybe I should call…?”

  “I have been taking Tylenol. I’ll be all right, Aden. Don’t add me to your worry list.”

  “I feel like everyone I love is on the injured reserve.”

  Sandy laughed.

  “Thanks for getting Buster and taking care of Nash, especially when you’re not feeling well,” Aden said. “Noelle will be out tomorrow. I know she’d like to see you.”

  “Nash and I will be there,” Sandy said. “We’ll bring Buster.”

  “Want to have phone sex?”

  “You’re in a children’s hospital!” Sandy laughed.

  “It’s nice to hear you laugh,” Aden said. “Sleep well. I’m going to snuggle in to this cot and wish I was with you.”

  “I’ll miss you too,” Sandy said.

  “Good night.” They said together then hung up the phone.

  Wandering through her condo apartment, Sandy settled into bed. Cleo curled up next to her. And finally this long day was over. They were both asleep in moments.

  CHAPTER SEVENTY-ONE

  He just left

  The next day

  Wednesday early morning – 4:30 A.M.

  The Castle

  Bundled with a thick sweater over her pajamas, Jill waited for her brother Steve in the main Castle living room. Steve arrived around 4:30 in the morning to help Honey get ready for her day. Hearing a key in the lock, Jill stood to greet him.

  “Jill! Hi!” Steve hugged Jill then took off his jacket.

  “I wanted to check to see how you were doing, you know, about last night.”

  “Not so great,” Steve said. “I should get to Honey.”

  “MJ got home late last night,” Jill said. “She’s usually slow when he’s home.”

  “She’s very slow when MJ’s home.”

  “You’re not wearing Dad’s watch.”

  “I thought…” Steve’s face clouded.

  “What’s got you so upset, Steve? It’s not just Mama or Dad. You’ve been like this for weeks.”

  When Jill’s eyes searched her happy-go-lucky brother’s face, he looked away.

  “What is it?” Jill asked again.

  “I’m going to have a baby… in less than two months. Jill, I never would have gone through this if I’d known, really known, about… my father.” Steve spit out the last words. His face darkened with anger. “All those great memories I had of him? Turns out that was Perses.”

  “I wondered about that.”

  “I… I don’t know what it means to be a father or even a man. I’ve tried so hard and…”

  “You’re a wonderful man.” Jill hugged him. “You’ll be a fabulous father.”

  “I’m not! I could easily beat Leslie or the child! I don’t…”

  “You aren’t Dad,” Jill said.

  “I want to run away, Jill,” Steve said. “I do. After all the expense and trouble of the IVF, I want to run as far away as possible from Leslie, my child, my work… everything.”

  “I’ve felt like that,” Jill said.

  “Mostly, I want things to be what I thought they were. We had great parents. They died. And we made it through.”

  “We did have great parents. They were dead to us and we did make it through.”

  “You know what I mean,” Steve said.

  “I do,” Jill said. “He was our Dad, Steve. I loved him. No matter what - I loved him.”

 
; “I loved him, too.” Steve gave Jill a soft smile. “Thanks for that. I guess I feel weird for loving him.”

  Jill hugged him again.

  “Maybe Perses can help,” Jill said. “If your good memories are with him, why not talk to him? Mama said he would be here for a while.”

  “I’m supposed to see them today after work,” Steve said. “Mama’s worried about me.”

  “I’m worried about you,” Jill said. “You’ve always been the kindest, nicest person. Always. Why would being a father be any different?”

  “Ah Jill, I don’t know,” Steve said. “It seems more important than anything else.”

  Jill smiled.

  “Yeah, I know that smile,” Steve laughed. “I’m being a freak.”

  “Not a freak. No,” Jill said. “The fact you care so much means you’re already a great father.”

  Steve’s face flushed red. Unable to trust his words, he gave Jill a curt nod.

  “I should go.”

  “Love you, Steve.”

  “Love you, Jilly.”

  Jill watched Steve walk down the hall to Honey and MJ’s apartment. She smiled when she heard Honey laugh. With one last ‘I hope he’s all right’ look, Jill went back upstairs.

  ~~~~~~~~

  Wednesday mid-day – 12:20 P.M.

  The Castle

  Not quite awake, but not really asleep, Katy lay in the guest bedroom next to Jill’s office. She’d developed a fever overnight and had to stay home from the Marlowe school. And today, of all days, Uncle Mike had decided to finally paint the walls of her room.

  She was stuck in this plain boring room. Katy rolled onto her side. Scooter was taking up the whole bed! AND there were no fairies in this room. Katy flopped on her stomach.

  “Are you awake, Katy-baby?” Jill asked. She came in to sit next to Katy on the bed. “How are you feeling?”

  “Mommy, I can’t sleep without fairies!”

  “You’ve slept for a long time without fairies,” Jill laughed. “You can get up if you’re awake.”

  Katy shook her head at her mother. Scooter rolled over to put his head on Katy’s stomach.

  “All right. Just rest.” Jill leaned over to kiss Katy’s cheek. “I’ll check on you in a bit.”