Ignoring what she said, he continued. “We’ll help you take care of ‘em. We promise. And Daddy likes animals too. Couldn’t you get a job here?” Kaleb continued.
She hugged both Kaleb and Kevin. “Look, tell you what, I promise to come back real soon. Now come on you two, it’s time for bed. Get on your knees. It’s prayer time.”
In unison, they recited the Lord’s Prayer followed by each of the twins saying their own special prayers to God. She tucked them in the bed and kissed each of them on the forehead.
“I love you, Kevin. I love you, Kaleb. Sleep tight and don’t let the bed bugs bite,” she said, pinching them lightly as if a bug was biting them. They squealed out loud.
“Hey, what’s going on in there?” yelled Prodigal. “Bed bugs must be biting tonight.”
“Daddy, help us,” they screamed with laughter.
Prodigal rolled in on his scooter and wheeled right up beside Teary. He grabbed her around her waist and pulled her onto his lap and held her so Kevin and Kaleb could tickle her.
“Hey, I give up,” she yelled. “I’ve been outnumbered.” Prodigal and Teary hustled the boys into their beds.
“Goodnight, Teary. Goodnight, Daddy,” Kevin and Kaleb told them.
“Goodnight, sons. I love you. Now get some sleep. See you in the morning.”
“Yeah, see you guys in the morning,” said Teary, turning and blowing a kiss at each of them before closing the door.
“Hey, do you want a nightcap before we call it a day? There’s a pitcher of tea in the fridge and I believe there’s some left over linguini too. How ‘bout it?“ Prodigal asked.
“Sounds good to me. Let’s do it.”
They went into the kitchen and Prodigal pulled out the pitcher of raspberry tea. While he fixed each of them a glass, Teary shuffled through the refrigerator until she found the white Chinese box filled with linguini.
“Hey, don’t bother about warming it up,” he smiled. “There’s nothing better than cold linguini.”
She grabbed the box and hopped up to sit on the kitchen island. He moved close by her.
“Are you sure you have to go? The boys are going to have a tough time when you leave.”
“I wish that I didn’t have to leave, but you know I do. I do have a job, house, and pets,” she said.
“Stop. There’s no need to say more. I don’t know how I could be so selfish. Of course you have a life in Memphis. And me of all people should know better than to even think about asking you to stay. Forgive me?” He made a long face, stuck his lips out and held his head to the side.
“Boy, you’re so silly. Here, eat up.” She dangled a long piece of linguini in front of his open mouth. He tilted his head back to receive it. “Get it, get it,” she screamed in laughter. She wiggled it back and forth out of his reach.
“So you want to play hard ball, huh?” He pulled himself up from the chair and strained to catch the swaying strands of linguini.
Still laughing, Teary inched closer to the edge of the granite countertop island. Within a split second she found herself tottering. Unable to steady herself in time, she fell forward and headed straight for Prodigal. He reached up just in time to grab her by the waist. They were sheer inches from each other, face to face. He felt the warmness of her breath as she exhaled. He didn’t let her go and she didn’t try to move from his grasp. Their eyes locked and the chemistry between them permeated through the sounds of their beating hearts. This time he refused to give in to what he was afraid to admit. He was still attracted to her. But they weren’t teenagers anymore. They were two sensible and responsible adults. He gathered his thoughts quickly and eased her back up off of him, helping her to regain her footing.
Teary nervously moved away from his scooter and said, “No more feeding you.”
“Ha, ha, ha. Very funny. Give me that box and I’ll do it myself,” he said, reaching for the box.
She passed the box over to him and watched him gulp down the remaining strands of pasta. He slurped down the last strand and then wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.
“Ahhh, that was pretty good.”
“Come on, Mr. Greedy. Time for you to get to bed too.”
“Oh, do I have to,” he faked a child’s voice.
“Yes, we both do. It’s been a long day.”
Cutting the lights off in the kitchen, then hallway, they each headed to bed, telling each other goodnight along the way.
The following morning everyone was quiet over breakfast. No one seemed to have much of an appetite.
“Come on, enough already with the long faces. Eat your pancakes and bacon,” Teary ordered the boys.
Prodigal tried to cheer things up. “Hey, maybe we’ll come to Memphis sometime to visit you and that fabulous zoo you say they have,” he laughed.
“That would be great. I’d love that. I’ll take you to Graceland too.”
“Graceland? Ugh,” Kevin said, making a twisted face. “I don’t want to go to Graceland. I just want to come to Memphis and see your cats and dog.”
“I want to go to Graceland, and I want to see your cats and dog, and I want to see where you live, and I want to see where you work and everything,” Kaleb babbled.
“Well, that would be fine too,” she said smiling. “I can’t wait. Come on now, eat up you two. It’s almost time for me to get to the airport. I don’t want to miss my flight.” After breakfast, the boys helped Teary load her luggage in the SUV. Soon it was time to leave. She checked the guest room where she had been sleeping to make sure she wasn’t leaving anything.
Teary and Prodigal made light conversation on the way to the airport. She felt a tug at her heart at the thought of leaving the twins. She wondered if this was how motherhood felt. Never wanting to be apart from your children, hurting when you have to leave them. She especially thought about having to leave Prodigal. She would miss him something fiercely.
“Kevin, Kaleb. I’m going to miss you so much. I want you to be good while I’m gone,” she cried, hugging them as tight as she could before heading through the security gate to go board her plane.
Then she turned to Prodigal who was sitting in his scooter quietly watching the tender love she displayed toward his sons. He felt something stir within his heart but he didn’t know what exactly how to define the feeling. He just knew he saw her through different eyes.
She walked over to him and slowly bent down and kissed him lightly on the lips.
“You better be a good boy too,” she said as the two of them embraced. “I love you, man.”
“Yeah, me too,” was his response.
“Call me, and I’ll do the same.”
“Sure, now go on and get on the plane before you’re stuck here.”
Chapter 36
Forever by Your Side
“Prodigal, I miss you and the boys. I hope you’ve been going to therapy. Things are pretty much back to normal here. Work is hectic as usual. Tell me what’s going on with you. Love ya, bye. Oh, yeah. Kiss the boys for me.
Prodigal quickly replied to Teary’s email. We miss you too, he wrote back. I’m being a good boy (lol). Going to therapy religiously twice a week (church too!). With each visit, I’m gaining more strength and stamina. You’ll be proud to hear that I’m starting to use my prosthesis more and relying less on my scooter. I can even do some of the things that I used to do. I’m standing for longer periods of time and I haven’t fallen when I get out of the bed lately either. I guess my mind is catching up with my body. The twins are great and talk about you all the time. I’ll call you later tonight. Got some news to tell you. Bye for now. He pushed the send button, shut off his computer and went to prepare dinner for Kevin and Kaleb.
♦
I wonder what he has to tell me, Teary thought after reading the email Prodigal had sent her. She couldn’t wait to get home later that evening and hear what he had to say. She peaked at the clock on her desk – 5:25 p.m. Another half hour or so and she was going to call it a day.
&n
bsp; At six o’clock, Teary exited her office and headed home, making it there around six-thirty. While she ran a hot bath, she let the cats and dog outside. What a day, she thought to herself. Meetings, meetings and more meetings. I feel like I spend half my life in meetings. She slowly stepped out of her designer shoes and slid off her pantyhose. She unzipped her teal blue straight laced skirt and allowed it to kiss the sea green ceramic bathroom tile. Next she unbuttoned the two pearl buttons on her jacket and hung it over the chair next to her vanity. After unhooking her bra and placing it on top of her jacket, she stepped into the warm, welcoming water, closed her eyes and relaxed.
♦
“Okay you guys, time for bed,” Prodigal told Kaleb and Kevin.
“But, Daddy,” they whined.
“No, but Daddy tonight. It’s bed time.”
“Can’t we stay up a little longer and watch Batman, puhleeze,” begged Kevin.
“Not tonight. You have school tomorrow and you know it, so don’t even think about it. Now off to bed. Let’s go.” Prodigal’s voice was stern. “And remember to say your prayers too.”
“Yes sir,” Kevin pouted.
“Yes, sir,” Kaleb replied next.
Prodigal kissed the boys good night and tucked them in. He ambled into his bedroom, plopped down on the bed, and unbuckled the straps on his prosthesis. He tapped the button on his scooter and pushed the handle to guide it closer to him. Without so much as a grunt, he used his arms to lift himself over into his motorized chair and proceeded to the oversized master bath. With ease, he maneuvered his masculine body on to the shower bench like he’d been taught in therapy. The warm jet stream of water refreshed his tired body.
He lingered in the shower until the soothing jet streams turned cold. After drying off and rubbing his body down in lotion, he climbed between the satin sheets, allowing the smooth fabric to gently massage his naked skin. I can’t imagine why anyone wants to sleep in pajamas, he thought. From the time he was a little boy he hated the feel of clothing once he got into bed. Often his mother would come into the room to check on him, and there she’d find him lying in bed stark naked. He smiled at the thought. Some things never change.
♦
“You sound a little tired,” Prodigal said into the phone receiver.
“Yeah, I am. I had one meeting after another today,” Teary sighed. “How was your day?”
“Non-eventful. I went to therapy, which is always a half day ordeal, came back here and tidied up a little bit and put on a green bean casserole for dinner.”
“You cooked? Boy I don’t believe it. How did it turn out? It must have been one of Faith’s recipes.”
“Yeah, for sure. It turned out pretty good. The boys didn’t complain not one bit.”
“I wish I was there; I’d love to sink my teeth into a good casserole. All I had for dinner was a tuna salad sub and some chips.
“That’s not such a bad idea you know?”
“What? Eating a tuna salad sub?”
“No, coming back to Bonsai Bay. Why don’t you come back and this time plan on staying for more than a few weeks.”
The invitation took her by surprise. Even though she had to admit that she did miss them. Since she would never have any of her own, she gloried in the time she was able to spend with them.
“There’s nothing more than I would love, but I just can’t up and leave everything I’ve worked hard for.”
“Teary, the pets are welcome, and as far as your job, wasn’t it you who told me one time before that you could transfer just about anywhere you wanted to? Even if you couldn’t, I have enough money to take care of you, me and the boys three or four times over. And there’s definitely plenty of room here; you know that. Plus the boys need you and they miss you.”
“Is this what you had to tell me, or should I say ask me?” she corrected herself.
“It’s been on my mind for a while.”
“I tell you what. I’ll think about it. Let me research the job market out there and find out some other things. I’ll let you know.”
“I’m going to hold you to your word too. Tell me, how’s your love life?”
“What love life? All I do is work like a hound dog. I haven’t had a real date in ages. I probably wouldn’t know how to act if a guy asked me out.”
“Girl, what’s wrong with the cats in Memphis? Don’t they know a good woman when they see one?” He couldn’t understand why Teary’s social life was practically nonexistent. She was pretty, intelligent, a good conversationalist and an all around super girl.
“I guess they don’t want a good woman. They want a hoochie mamma or something like the ones in the videos shaking their booties.” said Teary.
“Well, start shaking that booty of yours and bring ‘em on in,” Prodigal joked.
“You got me messed up,” she grinned.
“I tell you what, when you come to Bonsai Bay, I’ll introduce you to some of my partners at the fire station.”
She released a yawn. “Don’t worry about it. Things will work out in due time.”
“Sounds like you’re ready to call it a night.”
“I think so. Like I told you, I’m exhausted.”
“Well, I’ll let you go. Sweet dreams,” he whispered and hung up the phone. Pulling the covers up around his neck, he soon drifted off into a pleasant, dreamless sleep.
Chapter 37
Second Chances
“Lord God, these are your people. I commit them back into your hands. Guide them, protect them and keep them in your care as they leave this place. Amen.”
Prodigal talked with some of the other church members as they made their way through the crowd.
“That was a great service wasn’t it?” One of the members said to Prodigal.
“Sure was. Pastor makes his messages so plain and clear.”
“That’s one of the main reasons I like Unity Church.”
“I’ll second that. Well, it was nice talking to you. Have a great week,” Prodigal told the gentleman before going in the direction of children’s church to pick up the boys.
Arriving home, the boys rushed inside.
“Daddy, I’m hungry,” Kaleb whined as they entered the house.
“Go look in the fridge and grab a fruit. We’re going to Captain James Landing for dinner a little later.”
“Yes sir,” he answered before racing into the kitchen.
Several months had passed. The conversation about Teary moving to Bonsai Bay hadn’t been mentioned between Prodigal and Teary. It wasn’t that he had forgotten, he just didn’t want her to think he was pushing her to make such a big move. Events, however, turned out so that the decision was made for the both of them.
For the past several weeks, Prodigal had been having problems with his amputation. Excruciating, pain, swelling and redness ran from the point of amputation up to his hip for no apparent reason. His prosthetist was afraid infection had settled in his good tissue because the skin around his hip area was discolored and it was difficult for him to wear his prosthesis. Because of this, Prodigal was told to see an orthopedic doctor. Until then he was advised to spend more time in his scooter. He would much rather do that than drop the heavy dose of painkillers that were always at his disposal.
When the pain and swelling became unbearable, Dr. Walker, an orthopedist, decided to put him in the hospital and run some tests. When he made it home from the doctor’s office, he sent Teary an e-mail and informed her about his situation.
Instead of e-mailing him back, she picked up the phone and called him instead.
“Hey, what’s going on?" she asked concerned. “You alright?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. I just need to have some tests done,” he explained.
“What kind of tests? Why didn’t you tell me you were having problems with your leg?” she yelled.
“Whoa, wait a minute, woman. One question at a time. I’m not going to tell you every time I have an ache or pain. I’m a big boy who’s fully capable of taking
care of himself. My doctor just wants to rule out some things, that’s all. I don’t think it’s anything serious. I’ll only be in the hospital a couple of days.”
“The hospital? Who’s going to take care of the boys?”
“The Richards, so don’t go worrying about us.”
“Mr. and Mrs. Richards are too old to be trying to take care of two rambunctious boys and you know it. When are they planning on doing the tests?” She shot off.
His reply was sarcastic mixed with a hint of laughter and amusement. “Let me see. How do I answer these third degree questions? Well, they want me to have the tests done right away. But I told Dr. Walker, there’s no way I can do it right now. I have too much to get done. I just can’t up and check into the hospital at the drop of a dime. I have my sons to think about. After all, I don’t know what the tests are going to reveal, so I have to get things in order on the home front first. So to make a long story short, I told him I’d do it in a couple of weeks. Why do you want to know all of this stuff, my nosy little friend?”
“Because I’ll be there. I’ll work things out with my job. This time I guess I’ll probably have to bring my four-legged babies along if you don’t mind.”
“I don’t want you to do this. I’ll be fine.”
“It’s not you that I’m worried about. It’s the boys,” Teary told him.
“I guess we’ll see you in a couple of weeks then huh? And since you’ve made up your mind to come, take my credit card information and book the flight for you and your mini-zoo.”
“I’ll talk to you later. I have plans to make,” she said, excitedly.
The next day Teary went into her boss’s office. This time she requested an extended leave of absence. Her boss hated the idea because he had a strange feeling that she might not come back this time. Nevertheless, he approved a three-month leave of absence and gave her some connections at a couple of newspaper offices in Bonsai Bay in case she wanted to do some freelance work. Teary made arrangements for her pets to travel, and informed her friend Patricia of her plans. She went to the post office and had her mail forwarded to a post office box. Patricia agreed to check the box once a week for Teary. Everything was working out just fine.
Into Each Life Page 28