by Joyce Magnin
“Won’t that throw things off?”
Harriet shrugged. “A little, but they have the room. See, right here. Just bump out this wall a bit, and I was thinking I might want to have a bay window here instead of just a regular old sash type.”
“Oh dear, Harriet, I wouldn’t make too many changes.”
“Ah, they’re used to it. Builders don’t mind changes.”
Martha gave the plans one last look and said, “You know what we need while we’re waiting? Cheesecake.”
“Cheesecake?” Harriet said. “I don’t think we have any.”
“Ice cream then.”
They sat down at the kitchen table with two spoons and a container of Rocky Road between them.
“How long has it been?” Harriet asked, looking at the clock.
“Not even an hour.”
“Oh dear, it feels like forever.”
“She’s going to be fine,” Martha said. “Those pains can be from anything. Ligaments stretching. Anything.”
“I know, I know,” Harriet said. She picked a nut out of her ice cream. “But with her history … Why would God do this?”
Martha shook her head. “God isn’t doing anything. But please. Remember, he’s got this. He’s in control and even if the worst happens, it will be all right. Somehow it will be all right.”
Martha tapped her spoon against the ice cream container. “It sounds hollow. But I know God will help her through.”
“But don’t you ever ask yourself why? Why does this stuff happen? I’m seventy-two years old, and I can’t figure it out.”
“You never will. You can’t go there. You can’t ask those questions. Believe me, I tried. I looked for the reason when I watched them lead my son off to jail in handcuffs and wondered why and how this could possibly be worth it. Why did I raise a son to live a life of drugs and crime?”
Harriet swallowed the cold ice cream. “And what did you learn?”
“I learned that I can survive. Sometimes that has to be enough.”
“Did it make you feel God’s pleasure?”
“What? Watching them cart Wyatt away? Visiting him behind prison walls? No. But when I was finally able to release him into God’s arms, then yeah, I felt it.”
Harriet felt tears and swiped at them. “I am so stupid.”
“What?”
“Here I am chasing a gold mine, looking for nuggets in the dirt, when all along the real gold mine was right here.” She tapped her chest. “And right here.” She looked around the kitchen. “The only treasure I need is my family.”
“There you go,” Martha said. “You’re already rich.”
“And so are you.”
“Oh, I suppose. I have my art. I know Wyatt is relatively safe. He’s made his peace with what he did and is getting the help he needs, sort of. But rich? Not yet.”
Harriet closed the lid on the empty ice cream container. “Maybe you can get Lily somehow. Show her how much God loves her. Show her how to feel God’s pleasure.”
“Yeah, I was thinking that, before she, well, before she ends up where Wyatt is.”
Harriet took her friend’s hand. “I love you.”
“Yeah, I love you too.”
Humphrey said, “Woof.”
Two hours later, it was decided that Prudence was not having a miscarriage.
“Just some growing pains, hormonal changes,” the doctor said. “Nothing to worry about. But you might want to start taking it easy. Get off your feet more. You are carrying twins.”
Henry cried. “That’s all? Hormones? You’re sure. One hundred percent?”
“Yes,” the doctor said. “I would follow up with your OB tomorrow, but rest assured that you’re not losing your babies.”
Prudence laid her head back on the table. “Thank you, God.”
Henry wiped his eyes on his sleeve. “Thank you, doctor. Thank you so much.”
“You’re welcome,” the doctor said. “Now I’ll just go get your discharge papers, and you two can be on your way.”
“Thank you,” Prudence said. “But … but, doctor, what if this happens again? What should I do?”
“Call your doctor. Or just come back. We’ll always be here.”
“That’s right,” Henry said. “Better safe.”
“Yep,” the doctor said. “But the babies look fine, strong heartbeats, right where they’re supposed to be, and you are doing great, Prudence.”
The doctor left the small examination room.
Henry, who was feeling a little lightheaded, sat on the visitor’s chair as tears welled in his eyes. “I’m so happy, honey. I was really scared. I … I couldn’t have handled it if … you know.”
“Henry, we would have gotten through it. You are so strong. God is stronger.”
“I don’t deserve you, you know.”
“Oh, I know that.” She smiled. “But listen, maybe you should go call your mother. She’s probably eaten right through that gallon of ice cream by now and paced a furrow in the carpet.”
Henry snapped his fingers. “Oh, right. I’ll go call.”
“It’s been two hours,” Harriet said. “Why hasn’t he called?”
“You know hospitals,” Martha said. “Getting a splinter removed takes four hours.”
“I know but … this is agony.”
Martha took her friend’s hand. “Come on, let’s wait in the living room. More comfortable.”
Harriet sat on the couch with Martha right next to her. “I can’t stand it. Maybe I should go to the hospital.”
“No. That’s not a great idea. Henry will call.”
“When?” She picked up the phone. “Ring,” she commanded.
The phone rang. Harriet looked at Martha. “Weird.
“Henry,” Harriet said. “What’s the news?”
“She’s fine, Mom. The babies are healthy. Just hormones. Growing pains. All normal.”
“Oh, thank you, Lord,” Harriet said.
She turned to Martha and gave her a thumbs-up. “Everyone is fine. All four of them.”
Martha smiled. “I knew she was okay. Thank goodness.”
“Except you sound a little wilted, Henry. Are you okay?”
“Oh yeah, just tired. It’s been a crazy day.”
“I’ll say. Now, look, you two come on home, but don’t hurry.”
“Okay, Mom. And, Mom, I was so scared.” Harriet could hear his tears. “I couldn’t have stood it—losing the babies. Not again.”
“I know, honey. Come home now. All is well.”
“But she’s fine, Mom. One hundred percent. The babies are right on schedule.”
“I’m so pleased, Henry. Now, you give Prudence a big hug and kiss from us, okay? And then get on home. And by the way, we polished off the Rocky Road.”
“Prudence said you would. That’s okay. We can always get more ice cream.”
Humphrey ambled by. Harriet leaned down and gave him a good scratch. “Did you hear that, boy? Everyone is fine and healthy.”
Humphrey said, “Woof.” He looked at Harriet under his wiry eyebrows.
“I love you too.”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
THE NEXT MORNING HARRIET WAS UP BRIGHT AND EARLY. She had spent a restless night as the events of the day before played in her mind like socks in a dryer, one tumbling over the other. She didn’t want to disturb Martha, who was still snoring away, so she and Humphrey walked softly out of the room.
“Come on,” Harriet whispered. “Let’s make coffee.”
But Henry had beaten her to it.
“Mom,” he said, startled. “It’s not even six o’clock. What are you doing up?”
“Same as you, I guess,” she said as she sat down at the kitchen table.
“Yeah, it was pretty exciting yesterday, wasn’t it?”
“Well, I don’t know if exciting is the right word, but you’re the writer.”
Henry smiled. “I’ll get you coffee.”
“Thank you, dear. I hope Prudence
is taking the day off.”
“She is.” Henry poured coffee into Harriet’s favorite mug, the one with the butterflies. “And we talked last night. She’s going to quit the council. Even if it means that wimpy Hannigan takes her spot.”
Harriet poured Half and Half into the mug. “Good idea. I am so glad to hear that.”
“Me too.” Henry sat and sipped his coffee. He had been scribbling on a legal pad.
“Were you working?”
“Oh, kind of. Sometimes I think there is a real novel I want to write. Not a Western. Something more … literary, as they say. I was just making notes.”
“Oh, that’s nice, dear.”
The two sipped coffee quietly for a couple of minutes. Humphrey sat between them.
“Henry, I’m sorry,” Harriet said.
“Sorry? For what?”
“You know, the whole gold mine fiasco. I’m just an old, stupid head.”
Henry scribbled on his paper. “Nah, you’re not a stupid head. People get caught up in things.”
“It sounded so good. And there really is gold in the mountains.”
“That’s why people like Crickets can take advantage of—”
“Silly old ladies like me.”
Henry smiled. “I was going to say people. People they think have money.”
“Will you do me a favor?”
“What’s that?”
“Never ask me exactly how much money I gave him.”
“That much?” He sipped.
“No. Yes. Maybe. But please. Don’t ask.”
“Now what will you do? Find a salt-and-pepper-shaker club, I hope. There has to be one around here, at least in Sacramento.”
“Yeah, I’ll probably do something safer with my money, like invest in shakers.”
“Glad to hear it.”
They talked for a little while longer until Martha found her way into the kitchen.
“You look like you could use coffee,” Harriet said.
Martha grunted. Harriet poured.
“I think I’ll leave you two alone,” Henry said. “I should get to work. Prudence is taking the day off so she’ll probably sleep for a while.”
“Oh, good,” Martha said.
Henry snagged a box of Little Debbies and headed toward the den.
“Good writing,” Martha called.
Henry waved.
By seven-thirty the builders were back with their machines and tools. Harriet was hoping a Daisy would drop by so she could discuss the changes. But she never got a chance to. Agent Willers called and asked her to drive into the FBI field office that morning.
“We just need you to make a statement,” Agent Willers said. “And that should be it. Unless Winslow changes his mind.”
“So he confessed to the whole thing?”
“Did she say anything about Lily?” Martha asked. But Harriet shooed her away.
“4500 Orange Grove, Sacramento,” Harriet said as she wrote the address on a paper towel. “Across from the Tower Market. Okay. Eleven o’clock. Roger Wilco.”
Agent Willers laughed. “Over and out.”
Harriet tapped off the phone. “We have to go to the FBI. How exciting.”
“We?” Martha said.
“I’m not going by myself.”
“Did she say anything about Lily?”
Harriet shook her head. “Sorry.”
“Maybe I can do something about getting Lily while we’re there.”
“Oh, I don’t know about that,” Harriet said. “That’s probably handled here, in Grass Valley.”
Harriet hugged Martha. “We’ll figure something out. I promise. You will get Lily. Now we should get dressed and leave by nine-thirty. I don’t want to be late for the FBI.”
Martha giggled. “The FBI. Who would have ever believed you’d be mixed up in a federal investigation? What a hoot.”
“I know,” Harriet said as she walked to the bedroom. “The FBI. Hey, I wonder if they’ll fingerprint me.”
“You’re the victim. I don’t think they fingerprint victims.” Martha followed her into the bedroom.
“Do you think there will be a lineup? They always looked so fun. Sitting behind the two-way glass. Picking out the perp.”
“Perp?”
“Perpetrator.”
“I know that. I just can’t believe you said it.”
Harriet and Martha changed into street clothes. Harriet chose a pretty, light blue dress with a white collar. She wore her high top Chucks.
“You’re really wearing those sneakers to the FBI?” Martha, who was wearing sensible brown pants but a wild and colorful, flouncy blouse, asked.
“Sure. See.” Harriet stood and modeled. “Red, white, and blue. Very patriotic.”
“You are a card, Harriet Beamer.”
“I better go tell Henry that I need to go to Sacramento.”
“What if he wants to go with you?”
“Nah, it’s just a statement. I doubt I’ll be there more than an hour. There’s no reason. And besides, he won’t want to leave Prudence.”
“He’s a good husband.”
Harriet took a breath. “Yeah. He really is a good husband. So much like my Max.”
Harriet and Martha found Henry outside looking at the construction.
“Hey, Mom,” Henry called. “Just checking. Manuel said the inspector came by yesterday and everything looks good.”
Harriet kept her distance. She didn’t want to get her outfit dirty. “That’s nice, dear. But I’ve been meaning to tell you. I want to make the bathroom bigger.”
Manuel dropped his hammer. “You can’t.” He turned to Henry. “She can’t do that. It’s all set.”
“Mom, you can’t. It’s fine the way it is.”
“But I want a bathtub.”
“No. Sorry,” Manuel said, shaking his head. “It’s too late for that. You should have said something sooner.”
“Please, Mom,” Henry said. “It’s fine the way it is.”
Harriet nodded her head. “Okay, I understand.”
“Let it go,” Martha said. “Maybe you can still get the bay window.”
“Then I want a bay window in the front. The south side.”
“Now, that we can do,” Manuel said. “That we can do. But you must talk to the Daisies first.”
“I know. Look, Mom, I’ll talk to Daisy about the bay window. But it will cost more,” Henry said.
“What better place to put my money than into my home?”
“Ah, Mom,” Henry said, “now, that sounds like the perfect scheme.”
Harriet tried to get closer but there was just too much dirt. “Listen, Henry,” she called. “I have to go to the FBI.”
“FBI?” Manuel said.
Harriet glanced at Manuel. And then at the other workers. They stopped their hammers.
“Yes, the FBI,” Harriet said. “I have … business.”
“Ah, man, look,” Manuel said. “Maybe the bigger bathroom would be okay. I could just push this wall here back to there and, si, yes, it could be done.”
“You can?” Harriet said. “That’s just peachy.”
“Really?” Henry said to Manuel. “She is not going to the INS. Really. Her business has nothing to do with you guys.”
Manuel slapped his forehead. “No, really, man. Wow, you had me scared.”
“But I can still get my tub?”
“Sure, si,” Manuel said as he turned his back. “You can get your tub. Bañera estúpida. ¿Lo que viene un jacuzzi?”
Henry pulled Harriet aside. “That was terrible, Mom. You had those guys scared to death.”
“I know. Tell him I’m sorry. But you have to admit that the look on his face was priceless. Now I really do need to get to the FBI building.”
“Hold on, Mom,” Henry said. “What gives?”
“Agent Willers called. She said I need to make a statement. And answer some questions.”
“Maybe you should take Prudence. In case you need represent
ation.”
Harriet waved the thought away. “Nah. It’s just a statement. And I’d rather she rested. Martha will be with me.”
“You are like an old pro at this now.”
“Hey, watch that old talk.”
“Sorry, Mom.” Henry laughed.
Harriet and Martha walked on toward the car.
“We better get going,” Martha said.
“Call if you need to,” Henry called, now standing on the front steps. “You know what? Call me when you get there. So I know you’re okay. And, Mom, don’t do anything.”
“He’s such a worrywart,” Harriet said.
“Can you blame him?”
Henry found Prudence in the kitchen with Humphrey.
“Morning,” he said. “How are you feeling?”
“I feel terrific,” Prudence said. “I’m sorry about last night, but it felt just like … like before.”
Henry kissed her. “Never apologize for being cautious. And please, honey, if this happens again, don’t just assume it’s hormones. I’d rather rush you to the hospital a hundred times than have you worry.”
“I love you, Henry Beamer,” Prudence said.
Henry put his arms around Prudence. “We are going to have the best babies in the world.” Then he grabbed a box of cereal from the top of the refrigerator. “Honey Bunches. Want some?”
“Sure,” Prudence said. “But where are your mother and Martha? I sort of thought Harriet would be in here making breakfast.”
Henry joined Prudence at the table with two bowls and the milk. “The FBI.”
Prudence poured cereal into her bowl. “The FBI. You mean, in Sacramento?”
“Yes. Agent Willers called and asked her to come in to make a statement. Martha went with her.”
“Oh, okay, yeah, that’s pretty standard procedure. She’ll be fine.”
“I wanted her to take you along in case she needed representation or help or something.”
“Yeah, that might not have been a bad idea. It’s pretty intimidating, but your mom is strong and she has Martha with her, even though they won’t let Martha into the interrogation room with her.”
“Interrogation room?”
“It’s just a name. They just want your mother to tell her story. Then it should be over since Win and Crickets confessed to the whole thing.”
“Good.” Henry filled her cereal bowl and poured milk into it. “She’s a pip. And I guess she can handle herself. You should have seen the performance with the builders earlier.”