by H. P. Munro
***
Timothy McNeil was running late, he was sure that he would have missed the sign being handed over, but wanted to go and wish the young family well. He pulled open the door to the bar and was practically bundled over by Maddie as she barged out of ladies’ room and out of the building. “Doctor Marinelli, I was hoping you would be here. Mack mentioned that you wanted to speak to me?” his smile fading as he spotted the tears streaming from Maddie’s eyes. “You okay?” he asked full of concern.
“I’m fine,” Maddie replied monotone. “I wanted to let you know that my car is fixed and I’m leaving immediately. Could you thank Mack for me, she’s been wonderful,” she put her hand to her mouth to smother the sob that was bubbling in her throat and turned to run towards Peter’s Auto Shop.
Timothy watched her leave then, pursing his lips, he entered the bar. He greeted familiar faces and exchanged pleasantries as he made his way to the bar. “Ladies,” he greeted Lou, Teddy and Alex. “Can I buy you a drink?”
They gave him their order and he signaled the bartender across to pass it on. “So,” he said, turning his attention back to the three women. “Such a shame our doc is leaving us.”
Teddy immediately looked to Alex, concerned at her reaction.
“You never know, maybe she’s found something worth staying for,” Lou said, looking over at Alex, who was studying her feet.
“I wish that were true, but she seemed pretty determined when she left here a moment ago,” Timothy shrugged, handing money over to Joe in exchange for their drinks.
“What?” Alex’s head shot up. “What do you mean?”
“I just saw her, damn near knocked me on my ass she came out the restroom so fast,” he replied, taking a sip of his soda.
Teddy and Lou flashed each other a horrified look.
“Oh my God,” Teddy gasped. “Alex we’re sorry, she must have heard us.”
“Heard you?” Alex narrowed her eyes. “Heard you say what exactly?”
Lou started to flap her hands nervously. “We were talking about me and Sully. So not important at this moment,” she added seeing Alex’s temper flash in her eyes. “And how Sam and Peter lied about having her car parts so there would be a doctor here for Ruth.”
Alex’s eyes widened as she heard this for the first time, “What?”
Teddy placed a hand on Alex’s arm. “She also would have heard us talk about the bet I made with Ruth. I’m sorry,” she apologized; her eyes full of remorse as she saw her friend visibly shrink with this piece of information.
“I’ve got to go speak to her,” Alex pushed past them. “Look after Jessica,” she called as she weaved her way through the bar-goers towards the door.
***
Maddie zipped up her hold-all; she had rushed around the house, opening drawers and lifting their contents wholesale into the bag. Clothes had been ripped from hangers, rolled up in a ball, and thrust into the bag. She had swept her toiletries with one hand off the shelf and into the waiting wash-bag. She swung the hold-all over her shoulder and picked up the last of her boxes that had been sitting in the hallway for the past week and headed down towards her car. She slammed the trunk closed and made her way towards the driver’s door. She had just opened it as she heard her name being called from behind her.
“Madeleine…wait.”
She turned as Alex ran towards her.
“Please wait, don’t go…not like this.”
Shaking her head Maddie slammed the door closed. “Really, how would you like me to go. Is there some bet on about when I’ll leave? Or is there something else that I’m needed for in this town that you’ve been sent to lure me back for?” she spat.
“I didn’t know,” Alex pleaded, tears starting to well in her eyes. “I didn’t know about the car, honestly.”
“In the town with no secrets you expect me to believe that you didn’t know that!” Maddie said sarcastically, shaking her head angrily. “Credit me with some intelligence Alex.”
Alex grabbed her wrist, “I didn’t, I promise.”
“What about the bet between Teddy and Ruth?” Maddie asked, hesitating, wanting to believe Alex with every ounce of her being. She saw shame flash across Alex’s face as she lowered her eyes, “Thought so.” Maddie shook her head and shrugged off Alex’s hand.
“It wasn’t the way you think,” Alex cried.
Maddie yanked the car door open and tossed the keys to the Anderson house onto the sidewalk at Alex’s feet. She flung herself in and roared the car into life as she gunned the engine and drove off. She looked in her rear view mirror at the figure of Alex standing outside the gate of the Anderson house, her arms wound tightly around herself. Squeezing her eyes closed to rid herself of the sight, Maddie sped out of Grace Falls.
***
“We didn’t say anything to Alex ’cause she would have told her!” Sam argued, several pairs of eyes swung round towards him. “You know she would have,” he shrugged.
Teddy sighed. “It doesn’t matter now, you both need to apologize to the doc,” she instructed, pointing at Sam and Peter. Then, looking towards Ruth, she sighed, “And we need to as well.” The shame she felt coated her tone.
Ruth exhaled slowly. “Yeah, we do,” she replied sadly.
Their discussion was halted at the sound of an engine roaring through the town, they all looked up out of the window of the bar waiting for whatever was making the noise to pass. The sight of a blue T-Bird whirring past was greeted with a collective groan.
“Well that’s not good,” Teddy mused, they exchanged worried glances. Then with a quirk of her eyebrow, Teddy straightened herself up. “Jessica!” she yelled looking round for the young girl. “C’mon, Squirt. I’m taking you home.”
***
Alex watched, frozen to the spot, as Maddie’s car disappeared into the distance. She stood long after the car had left the town’s boundaries and was heading northwards towards the interstate. Eventually she let her head drop and closed her eyes as tears fell from them landing softly onto the sidewalk. Heaving in a deep breath she swallowed the lump in her throat and bent down to pick up the keys nestled between her feet. She inspected them in her open palm, before tightening her fist around them. Giving one last look towards the road, she turned and walked towards her home, her shoulders slumped and head bowed.
Chapter Ten
The rooms in Alex’s house were eerily silent as Teddy and Jessica entered.
“Where’s my mama?” Jessica asked, looking up at her aunt.
“I’m not sure, why don’t we go look for her. You look upstairs and while you’re there get your pjs on. I’ll look out this way,” Teddy smiled ushering Jessica up the stairs.
Teddy had a fairly good idea where Alex would be but still gave the living room and den a cursory glance. “Marco,” she yelled, smiling as she heard a weak ‘Polo’ shouted in response. She opened the kitchen door and pushed open the fly screen, her head flopped to the side and she exhaled slowly at the sight of her friend huddled under a comforter on the swing seat.
“Hey,” she said softly.
Alex looked up, her blue eyes rimmed with red. “She’s gone,” she said simply, her bottom lip quivering.
“I guessed,” Teddy sat down beside Alex. “I’m so sorry,” she placed a comforting hand on her friend’s knee.
Alex shook her head, “What were they thinking?”
“That Ruth was about to give birth and that it would be better to have a doctor in town when that happened. We all know how important that was when Jessica was born,” she pulled her friend into a hug. “I can tell you what wasn’t going through their minds. Nor for one minute would they have thought that you would end up getting hurt,” she kissed Alex’s head. “They couldn’t legislate for the fact that you Milne kids’ crap charisma and that you and she would, you know, or that you’d let yourself fall for someone after all this time.”
The fingers on Alex’s one free hand plucked aimlessly at the comforter. “I know,” she sni
ffed. “You and Ruth didn’t help,” she said accusingly.
“No we didn’t,” Teddy replied honestly. “And I’m sorry for that, but you know that we didn’t mean anything, anything, by it. We bet on everything, there’s a sweepstake about when they think I’ll have sex next on the go that I’m not meant to know about.”
Alex gave a small snort, then sighed, “She looked at me like she didn’t know me.” Her words came out cracked with a soft sob.
Teddy pushed her friend’s chin up so she could look in her eyes, “And if she thought you were complicit in any of this, then she doesn’t know you Sweetie.”
“You found her!” Jessica yelled, running towards her mother.
Alex forced a smile, “Hey, Squirt, you’re all ready for bed.”
Jessica pulled herself onto her mother’s lap, “Yup, can I have a story?”
Teddy caught Alex’s eye as she snuggled her face into her daughter’s hair.
“How about I get story duty tonight, your mama hogs you too much,” Teddy smiled, standing up and slipping her hands around Jessica’s sides to gently lift her. Jessica flung her arms around her aunt’s neck and nestled her head under Teddy’s chin. “You’re getting way too big for this Squirt,” Teddy groaned tightening her hold on the child. “And while we’re going up stairs you can tell me about how much time your Aunt Lou is spending at your daddy’s,” she said waggling her eyes towards Alex over Jessica’s shoulder.
Alex let out a half laugh as she watched her friend and daughter disappear into the house. She let out a sad sigh as she turned back and looked towards the empty Anderson house. She shuffled her shoulders slightly and jerked the hand that was tucked under the comforter until she freed it from its confines. She looked down at her open fist; deep red marks scored her palm from the tight grip she’d maintained on the keys that still sat in her hand.
“Madeleine,” she whispered sadly.
***
“Maddie-Lyn says she’s going to draw a skeleton with me and name all of the bones,” Jessica enthused after Teddy had read the obligatory story.
Teddy’s hand paused as she slipped the book back onto the bookshelf, she pushed it back in place then turned to face Jessica, who was now lying down under her duvet. “Sweetie, I’m really sorry but Maddie has had to go,” she said, sitting down on the edge of Jessica’s bed.
“Where? Why?” the young girl’s face crunched up in confusion. “She promised!”
“I know and I’m sure that she had every intention on keeping that promise,” Teddy smiled, brushing Jessica’s hair from her face. “But she was only ever here because she was on her way to San Francisco to work when her car broke down and now Sam and your Uncle Peter have fixed it she’s had to go.”
Jessica’s blue eyes looked up at her aunt, “But she liked Mama, she said so.” Jessica’s hand reached out and dragged a teddy under the duvet, “Enough to change six times.”
Teddy cupped Jessica’s cheek, “And I’m sure she still likes your mama, but she wasn’t ever going to stay.”
“I wanted her to. Mama laughed a lot around her and flicked her hair.”
Reaching down to place a kiss on Jessica’s forehead, Teddy sighed, “We all wanted her to stay Squirt, but sometimes people have to go.”
“Like Uncle Bear?” Jessica asked, referring to her uncle that she only knew from photographs and from stories her mom told her.
Teddy’s breath caught in her throat, “Yeah, just like Uncle Bear. You get some sleep and I’ll help you with your skeleton. I know the names of at least four bones since I’ve broken them.”
Jessica gave her a skeptical look, “Okay, but you can’t make stuff up if you don’t know. I’m not a baby anymore.”
Switching the light off Teddy laughed, “I know that Squirt and I promise I won’t make stuff up.” She closed the door and rested her back against it.
She hadn’t expected Jessica to bring up Bear in the conversation, most folk avoided speaking about him, particularly to her, as it dredged up too much emotion. When, after they graduated high school, Alan Milne had ended their relationship and announced that he had enlisted in the Marines, Teddy had been distraught; her dreams of settling down with him after college in Grace Falls had disappeared with that one conversation.
She, like Alex, left the town for college, returning only during holidays. She dated other boys while away and had that now infamous tryst with Sully on Peter’s mom’s lawn while drunk. But through it all she was in love with Bear. When she realized this, she’d taken a bus and stood outside his base to tell him; from that moment on their relationship rekindled. She had finished her education and became a supply teacher so she could have the freedom to move to wherever he was based and, for five years, their relationship continued. Throughout that time, she waited on him asking her to marry him, a question that she would never hear from his lips. She’d been there to wave him off when he left for Afghanistan and only two months later was standing next to Alex in a hanger as his body was lifted off of a plane.
When Alex called her to tell her the news of his death, she was devastated. A devastation that only deepened when she read the letter that Bear had left for her should he be killed; in which he told her that he wanted to marry her and have children with her, but not while he was in the Marines. He’d seen the impact of being a Marine’s wife first-hand; his father’s absence effectively leaving his mother to raise their children single-handedly. He had been saving money and wanted to return to Grace Falls with her and open a coffee shop. He had wanted something easy where he could forget that he’d been in the military and it was to be called Ruby’s after his grandma. However the September events in New York meant that he had to delay that plan in order to perform his duty. He apologized in his letter that he would never get the chance to dance at their wedding or kiss their children goodnight.
After losing Bear she’d returned to Grace Falls, taken a job in the local school and gave Alan’s money to Alex with instructions to open a coffee shop.
Teddy bit at her bottom lip, tamping down the familiar grief that made her chest ache, and headed downstairs to Alex. Her wounds were old and it would serve no purpose to pick at the scars. Tonight was about fresh wounds and there was no doubt in Teddy’s mind that Alex was hurting. Despite the brevity of her time with Maddie, the spark that had been missing in Alex for a long time had returned and Teddy had felt a warmth in her own chest at the thought that perhaps there could be a time of happiness. She picked up a bottle of Jim Beam as she walked through the house back towards the porch swing seat where she and her best friend had spent many an hour setting the world to rights.
“Thought I’d bring the only man in your life out,” Teddy smiled, holding up the bottle and two glasses.
Alex wiped the tears from her face and looked up managing a weak smile, “What do you call Matt?”
“He doesn’t count, he’s not a man, he’s still a kidult,” Teddy replied, sitting down on the swing and handing Alex a glass. She poured them both hearty measures, then put the bottle on the wooden porch and held up her glass. As Alex clinked hers against it, Teddy grinned, “‘tis better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all.”
Alex growled, “Tennyson was talking out of his ass when he wrote that and you need to stop quoting him at me.”
“Yup,” Teddy smiled against the rim of her glass. “He definitely was.”
***
Maddie pulled into the parking lot of a twenty-four hour motel, her eyes were sore and grainy from crying and her body ached from the five hours of continual driving since she had left Grace Falls. She checked in and wearily climbed the stairs to her allocated room with her hold-all and doctor’s bag in her hand. She stumbled into the room and flipped the light switch on. Tired eyes examined the anonymous room where she would spend the night; she gave a sigh and kicked the door closed behind her, dumping her bags onto the floor.
Walking past the mirror she avoided her reflection, knowing that if the gu
y’s reaction behind the desk at the motel was anything to go by, then the hours of sobbing as she’d driven had taken more than their toll. She switched the shower on and slowly peeled her clothes off until she stood naked. Numbly she climbed into the shower and let the hot water wash away the traces of the day; a fresh wave of tears starting as her mind thought back to the shower that she’d started the day with.
She dried herself on autopilot then wrapped the towel around her while she sourced something to sleep in from her bag. Dressed in her pajamas she listlessly switched on the TV, flipping through the channels willing something to appear that would stop her brain from thinking. Unable to focus, she switched off the TV and lay in the dark, suddenly becoming aware that the incessant beeping that she could hear was coming from her doctor’s bag.
The beeping became louder as she popped the latches and opened her bag. She rolled her eyes and sighed audibly as she located the source of the noise; the brick of a cell phone that Mack had given her was still in her bag and beeping to tell her that there was a message. She dialled the number of the answering service and put the phone to her ear, her heart rate increasing as she waited to hear whose voice had left her a message.
“You’ve stolen the damn bat phone,” Mack’s voice yelled. “I heard you’ve gone,” her voice softened, “and I wanted to say that I’m sorry, that you’ve gone ’cause I’ve enjoyed working with you.”