Jennie picked another flower. “I do wonder why they want to come see me again. Sarah’s husband, Kevin, talked to Alexis on Saturday night. We went to their house for dinner and Alexis went outside to help him grill steaks. He didn’t tell me everything she said, I don’t think, but he told me that she was really angry with me, angry at me for leaving her and angry at me for showing up after such a long time. So I don’t suppose she wanted to visit again.”
She heard an airplane, and she looked up. Overhead, the sky was clear and blue. To the west, though, dark clouds were beginning to pile up, signaling a storm later in the day.
“There is an equestrian center out on the Douglasville Road. Christa loves to ride horses and we drove out for her to see it. She seemed to be really excited, and she wants to ride there when they come back. I don’t think that’s the only reason they are coming though. I mean, she rides several times a week. How different could one stable be from another?” She stood and paced around the plot, counting her steps.
“My attorney suggested that Thomas told them that they had to visit. I suppose that could be true, so maybe they didn’t have a choice. Of course, Thomas could have telephoned to tell me. He didn’t have to turn his car around and send Alexis back to the house with the message.”
She shrugged. “Who knows? Dr. Wilson said that they are teenagers. There’s no telling why they do what they do.” She stopped walking. “I don’t think Alexis does things without a reason though.” She sat down and looked at the ground.
“I talked to Dr. Wilson today. She asked me whether I was trying to get my children back or whether I was trying to restore my family.” She sat quietly, frowning. “She was asking if I wanted Thomas to…to be my husband again. I told her no, but she laughed and said that I spoke too quickly.” A hawk swooped down from a nearby tree, landing on the head of the angel that stood guard over the Bateman plot.
“Grandmom, I’m not after Thomas. If I had not been sick, if I had taken meds back then, maybe if I had talked with you, I’m sure we would still be together. We were happy, Grandmom, and Thomas loved me.” Tears began to slide down her face. “And he’s just the same as he was. He’s good looking, his children love him to death, he has the same sense of humor.” She wiped her eyes. “He even told jokes in court, during the hearing.”
Jennie sighed. “But too much has happened. Too much time has passed. Thomas is engaged…No,” she spoke firmly as if trying to convince someone, “I’m not chasing Thomas Lindsay.”
The clouds in the west were moving rapidly, and Jennie heard a far off boom. “It’s about to storm, Grandmom, and I need to go. Alexis and Christa will be here week after next. I’ll let you know how it goes.” She bent over and touched the headstone. “I love you, Grandmom.”
***
“Did you talk to Jennie?” Askins Bateman pulled his chair to the table and set his cup down with a thump.
“She called last night after we got home.”
“The girls came to see her?”
“Of course they did.” Sheila tipped the stew pot to one side so that she could ladle its contents over the rice she had spread across the dinner plates. “The judge ordered them to visit, remember? They had to come. Didn’t sound to me as if they were very happy about it though.” She carried the plates to the table.
“Overall, though, she said things went pretty well. At least they talked to her, she said.”
“Why wouldn’t they talk to their mother?”
“Askins, she’s a stranger. We are too. Other than a couple of hours that night in Charleston, it’s as if they’ve never laid eyes on any of us before in their lives. And I know they didn’t find that dinner to be very encouraging.”
Askins looked down at his foot.
“I would have been terrified if I had been one of them. Anyway, it seems to have gone fairly well. Jennie said they seemed to enjoy dinner at Sarah’s house.”
Askins snorted. “I thought their father would try to pull a fast one. Come up with some last-minute excuse.”
“Askins, Thomas is not like that at all. He wasn’t at any rate. He was a very nice person and very good to Jennie. She was quite lucky to marry him, I always thought, and leaving him was one terrible decision.”
Askins stared out at the tress behind the house and did not respond.
“You never liked him because he had no interest in hunting, fishing, and drinking with you.”
“What kind of man wants to spend his days teaching English and writing two-bit novels?”
“A rich man, I’d say. Jennie had us drive by his house, remember?”
“Bah.” Askins waved her away.
She tried a spoonful of stew. “Goodness, this is good.”
Askins had not yet looked at his plate. “Jennie should have brought those girls to us when she left him.” He took a spoonful of stew. “This certainly is good.”
“Thank you.”
“It isn’t right for a single man to raise two girls, you know. He can’t guide them as they should be. He can’t answer the questions they ask. Those girls ought to have been here, with us, all of this time…At least she’s finally going to get them back. Then all three of them can move in here.”
“Askins, we’ve been all though this. Jennie has no intention of making those girls live with her. She just wants to be able to visit with them, to get to know them. Even if she were trying to get them, there’s no reason to suppose that Thomas has not been a good father.”
“It’s not right.”
“And he’s getting married again.”
“And a strange woman will be the mother of our grandchildren. I won’t let that happen. Those children are mine.”
“Askins, there is nothing you can do about it. Now drop it.” She looked him in the eye. “Hear me?”
“I hear you, woman. I hear you.” He took another spoon of stew. “When will they be coming back?”
“Week after next, Jennie said.”
“Invite them to dinner. They need to know their grandparents.”
Sheila smiled. “That’s a wonderful idea. I’d love to see them. I’ll call Jennie tonight.”
***
Jennie was rolling dough for biscuits when the bell rang. Wiping her hands on a towel, she dashed to the door and threw it open. Thomas stood on the top step. Alexis and Christa were behind him, as they had been on their first visit, duffle bags over their shoulders, blank expressions on their faces.
“Twelve thirty on Sunday?” Thomas asked.
“I’d appreciate that. Thank you.”
Thomas had already turned as she tried to continue. He hugged both girls. “Behave yourselves. See you Sunday.”
The three of them watched as he walked back to the car. He waved as he pulled away.
“Come on in, girls. Dinner is almost ready. I just have to cut the biscuits and stick them in the oven. About twenty minutes.” Jennie sighed as they headed toward their bedroom. Starting over. Square one.
Dinner proceeded as it had three weeks earlier. Jennie asked questions, the girls gave short responses, and extended periods of silence separated each exchange.
As Jennie stood to begin clearing the table, they heard the rattle of a key attempting to unlock the front door. When the bolt failed to move, the door was shaken, and a hand pounded against it. A man’s voice called, “Jennie. Open the door. It’s Jeff.”
Jennie cracked the door. “Jeff…”
“My key wouldn’t open the door, Jennie.” His eyes were bloodshot and his breath smelled of whiskey. He pushed against the door, but Jennie held it firmly. “Why wouldn’t my key open the lock?”
“I’ve changed the locks, Jeff. You can’t—”
He slammed his arm against the door, forcing it to open wide enough for him to enter. “New lock? How come? Crime wave in Whitesburg?” He laughed. “You can give me a new key—Who is this?” His eyes dilated when he noticed Alexis and Christa.
“These are my daughters, Alexis and Christa. Girls, this
is Jeff Ingram. He’s…an old friend of mine.”
“Old friend?” Jeff smirked. “That’s one way to describe it.” He looked at the girls, his eyes moving from their heads to their feet and back. “My they’ve grown up.” He fixed his gaze on Alexis. “Grown up very nicely.”
Pushing past Jennie, he walked unsteadily across the room to where the girls still sat. He staggered as he reached the table and put out his hand to steady himself.
“Jeff, you’re drunk.”
“Yes.” He nodded, but he continued to look at Alexis. “Yes I am. It’s been a long time, Alexis. Come give your Uncajeff a hug and a kiss.” He chuckled. “That’s what you used to call me, Uncajeff, one word. Right, Jennie?”
“Jeff, you have to leave. You know I won’t have you here if you’re drunk.”
He ignored Jennie and held out his arms to Alexis. “Come here, honey dew. That’s what I used to call you when you were little.”
Alexis folded her arms across her chest and did not move.
“Jeff, leave my house,” Jennie ordered.
“Yes, ma’am.” He saluted, but instead of leaving, he plopped into the chair in which Jennie had been sitting.
“So, you’re all grown up. Your mom, you know, was always telling you not to do that, to stay small for your entire life, but, you know, kids never listen to their parents. Do they, Jennie?”
Jennie walked to the table and stood beside Jeff. “Get up. You need to leave.”
“Leave? I need a place to crash tonight.” He belched.
“You cannot stay here. I have company. I don’t have a bed for you.”
Jeff looked at Alexis. “I don’t take up too much room, and I don’t mind sharing a bed. You understand what I mean?”
“When fish crawl on land,” Alexis mumbled. She stood quickly, blocking Jeff’s path to Christa and pushed her chair between her and Jeff.
“Come on, Jeff.” Jennie pulled on his arm, but he shrugged her off. She grabbed his other arm and pulled him around to face her. “You’re not welcome in my house.”
He twisted his body back toward Alexis. “You were the most inquisitive child. Always into things. Your favorite word was why. Why does the sun shine? Why is it hot? Why is it yellow? When your mom would answer, you’d ask why.” He shook his head.
“Jennie, remember how she always liked to look into things? Cabinets, under beds, in my old backpack?” He turned back to Alexis. “Once your mom and I were sitting around, drinking some of the good stuff, Beam or Daniels, and you were rummaging in my pack and you suddenly said what is this and you pulled out a package of…”
“Jeff, let’s go.”
“Remember how she would bang on the door when you and I were making whoop—”
“Jeffery,” Jennie interrupted. “Stop talking and look at me.” He slowly turned his head. “Stand up and go. If you don’t, I’ll call the sheriff. I’ve done that before, remember?”
He opened his mouth to object, but Jennie kept talking. “Deputy Wills lives two doors down. He doesn’t like you anyway and he would be quite willing to arrest you.”
“Arrest me? I’ve done nothing wrong. Just reminiscing with an old friend.”
“Public drunkenness and trespassing. Now out. Ms. Morris can probably let you stay at her house.”
“Trespassing? I—”
“You forced your way into my house.”
“But, Jennie, I have no money and…” He winced like a little boy talking with his mother.
“Of course you do. You just don’t want to spend it…Last chance.” She picked up her cell phone.
“Okay. Okay. I’m going.” He pulled himself to his feet and staggered across the room. “I don’t feel so well, Jennie.”
“Ms. Morris can call a doctor. Good-bye, Jeff.” Jennie guided him through the door. “Don’t come back.” She closed it firmly and turned the bolt. Then she slipped to the window and watched him totter toward his truck and slowly drive away.
“He shouldn’t be driving,” she said softly.
“You should call the police.”
Christa’s voice startled her. For a moment, she had forgotten that the girls were there.
Jennie hesitated. “I hate to do that, but you’re right.” She reached for the telephone.
***
The next afternoon, they drove to the equestrian center. Jennie still had difficulty imagining something so grand on the Douglasville Road, so she thought of it as Mr. Smyth’s stable.
Christa ran into the stable, leaving Jennie and Alexis sitting silently in the car. She returned a few minutes later for her riding clothes. “He has the most beautiful horse for me to ride. Go out to the ring and watch. I’ll just be a few minutes…Oh, and there is a trail ride at three o’clock. Would the two of you enjoy that?”
Alexis cast her eyes at Jennie. “I’d love to ride. It’s been ages since I’ve been in a saddle.”
Jennie did not want her daughters to know that she was last on a horse when one of her childhood friends had pony rides at his birthday party. She looked at those trotting around the ring, thinking how her head would likely barely reach their backs. She saw a man standing by the barn, counting a wad of bills. “How much will the ride cost, anyway?” Jennie felt both sets of eyes on her.
“I…I’m not sure that I have enough cash…”
“They take Visa. Besides, Dad gave me money for riding. I have plenty.”
Jennie hesitated. “Okay…I guess. I’m game.”
“Great.” Christa ran back to the stable.
Jennie and Alexis sat in silence for several minutes, watching riders maneuvering their horses around the ring.
“It’s not really hard to ride,” Alexis said, not looking at Jennie. “A trail ride shouldn’t be more than a fast walk—unless someone frightens your horse.” She gave a wicked smile, watching from the corner of her eye. “How long?”
“How long what?”
“Since you’ve been on a horse.”
Jennie hesitated. “Thirty years. Maybe more. And it was a pony.”
Alexis laughed so hard that Jennie had to join in.
“So you took Kevin’s advice to heart.”
Jennie frowned, puzzled. “What advice?”
“About impressing—Look. There she is.”
Christa rode into the ring. After a short walk, she urged the horse into a trot.
“Why don’t we stand by the fence? We can see better there. It will be cooler too.”
“Okay.” What advice?
They stood in silence, watching as Christa circled the ring.
“Isn’t she going awfully fast?” Jennie looked up in alarm as the horse began to canter, whizzing past the other riders.
“She hasn’t even begun.”
Christa’s smile told Jennie that she was in heaven. She glanced at Alexis
“Go, girl, go,” Jennie heard her whispering.
“Alexis, can I ask you something?”
She turned her head slowly. “Sure.”
“Kevin didn’t give me any advice, but he did say you were very angry at me. I’ve felt it, too. Why do you dislike me so much?”
Alexis stared into her eyes for what seemed like an hour. When she did begin to speak, she did so slowly and her voice was flat, showing no emotion. “I dislike you because you’re a self-centered witch who cares only for your own happiness. You do exactly what you want to do and the devil take anyone who gets in your way.”
Jennie’s mouth dropped open. “How dare—that’s not true. I…I…” She recalled Thomas’s words when Alice had asked to interview the girls. Be careful what you ask for…my daughters have strong opinions and are very verbal.
“Of course it is.” Her voice had a tinge of anger now, and she seemed to grow angrier as she spoke. “You seduced Dad into marrying you…”
“I did nothing…”
“Please. You must have. He’s desperately in love with Emma, and you and Emma are as different as black and white, hard and soft, heav
y and light. You wanted him and you went after him.”
Jennie tried to object, but Alexis ploughed ahead.
“After two babies, you wanted out, so,” she spread her hands apart as if freeing a captive pigeon, “you left…Did you once give a flip about how you hurt Dad? Or us?”
Did I give a flip? Surely, surely, she hadn’t heard Kimi Carson’s paraphrase of Thomas’s journal.
“You know, I remember the day you left.” Alexis’s voice became quiet, and she seemed to stare vacantly at the horses circling the track.
“You couldn’t.” Jennie’s body was beginning to shake.
“You and Dad had an argument. Then you barreled onto the porch where we were playing. You screamed at me. You hit me, really hard.” She sounded as if she were describing a video as she watched it play.
“I’m so sorry,” Jennie whispered.
“Dad stopped you. You screamed at him, words I didn’t understand. You stomped out of the room…” She turned to look into Jennie’s eyes. “The next time I saw you was in court.”
Jennie was crying. “I’m sorry.”
“I screamed for two hours I think.”
“Did I hurt you that badly?” The tears rolled down her cheeks.
“I was terrified…that’s all I know. I don’t remember anyone ever hitting me before. No adult has hit me since.” She glanced at Christa, who had the horse at full gallop, then she turned back to Jennie.
“Now, years later, for some reason, you’ve decided you want a family again. You think that will make you happy, so, regardless of who gets hurt, you’re going to have one.”
“I don’t want to hurt anyone. I only…”
Alexis turned away and crossed her arms. “Robbie is taking Linda Butler to the spring formal tonight. He asked me, but you wanted me here, with you.”
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