Rachel gave a little cry and tears formed in Sissy’s eyes.
“I can’t do it,” Sissy said. “I’m not any kind of Mom. Look at my own Mom!”
“She just wants her Mom,” Delphie said. “We’ll never be a substitute for Sandy.”
“You can do it Sissy,” Jill said.
“Just relax,” Heather touched the back of Sissy’s head. “Don’t try so hard. She’s reacting to you trying too hard.”
“Millions of mothers, right at this moment, feel just like you do, Sissy,” Tanesha said. “You’re not alone.”
“Millions of mother’s don’t have a broken mother,” Sissy grumbled.
“I do,” Noelle said.
“I do,” Honey said as she rolled to the couch.
“I did,” Delphie said.
“My Mom is still a crack whore,” Tanesha said. “My gram raised me.”
“We’re not our mothers,” Jill said. “My Mom is awesome, but I’m not my Mom.”
“I could never be as awesome as my mom,” Valerie said.
“Try again, Sissy,” Delphie said. “Think positive thoughts and relax. Like we do when we’re looking at the bees.”
Sissy looked up at Delphie. Every Saturday afternoon, she and Noelle helped Delphie with her beehives. Delphie taught them that when you think angry thoughts, the bees get angry. When you think loving thoughts, they’re calm. They’d even tried it and it really worked.
Sissy nodded to Delphie. She closed her eyes for a moment to focus her kind thought and gave Rachel the bottle again. Rachel sighed and began to nurse. Sissy beamed with joy. Noelle clapped. If the women ate or chatted, Sissy had no idea. Her entire focus was on the tiny bundle in her arms. When Rachel finished her bottle, Delphie showed Sissy how to burp her. Rachel spit up only a tiny bit. Anjelika took her from Sissy to put her down.
“We waited to eat chocolate until you were done,” Noelle beamed. “You ready?”
“Go for it!” Sissy said. “But don’t eat too much!”
“Why?” Noelle asked.
“Because I’m your roommate,” Sissy laughed. “I don’t want to deal with you being sick.”
Laughing, Noelle picked up a plate and began picking one thing from every chocolate item. While the other women talked and laughed over the chocolate, Sissy got some lunch and settled in on the couch. Delphie fixed a plate of lunch for herself and sat next to Sissy.
“You know why it’s taking so long,” Delphie said in soft soothing tones.
“Mom doesn’t want us,” Sissy said with her mouth full.
“Sandy and Aden are fighting for you,” Delphie said. “I don’t think we should make Sandy tell you. Do you?”
“I already know,” Sissy said. “I was just hoping…”
“I was wondering what you really want,” Delphie said.
“I want Mom to love me. I want to live as a family,” Sissy said.
Sissy’s eyes were round and sad. Seeing Sissy’s pain, Noelle set down her precious chocolate plate and sat down next to Sissy. She put her arms around Sissy’s neck. Sissy took another bite of her salad.
“When you think about what you want…” Delphie’s voice was kind but firm. “Are you really thinking that you want your Mom to join your family with Sandy?”
Sissy turned to look at Delphie. She looked up to see Sandy’s girlfriends, Jill, Heather and Tanesha, watching her closely. She looked back at Delphie.
“I guess so,” Sissy said. “I want Mom to love me.”
“I know,” Delphie said. “And somewhere inside you know she can’t.”
“But Sandy paid for all this treatment,” Sissy said. “Treatment really helped me and Charlie! Why can’t it help her?”
She looked into Delphie’s kind face. Somehow, just looking at Delphie, Sissy understood.
“Mom can’t,” Sissy said. “She’s broken.”
“Yes dear,” Delphie said. “My mother allowed my father to use me to win at gambling. When he lost me to a monster, she never came for me. All I wanted was for my Mom to come rescue me.”
“That’s horrible,” Sissy said.
“I felt very bad about it for a long time,” Delphie said. “One day I was working at Herbs and Arts when my Mom came in for a free one-card reading. She didn’t recognize me and she didn’t really have any money. She told me she was dying. She wanted to know if she’d go to hell for the mistakes she’d made in her life.”
“Meaning you?” Sissy asked. Out of the corner of her eye, she felt the women in the room transfixed by Delphie’s story. Delphie usually said she ‘saw’ her mother once. She had never gone into this kind of detail.
“Meaning would she go to hell,” Delphie shrugged. “She was worried about her immortal soul, not me.”
“That’s terrible,” Sissy said.
“It’s terrible if you know someone like Celia or Sandy or any of the amazing loving women in this room,” Delphie said. “But for my mother? It was as close as she would ever come to assessing her life in any real way.”
“What did you do?” Sissy asked.
“I told her that I was giving free readings that day and God must have sent her in to see me,” Delphie smiled. “I did a full reading for her. You should have seen her, she was incredibly wane and thin as paper. She had deep wrinkles on her face, her eyes were clouded. Her hair was thin and gray. She was younger than I am now.”
“And? What did you say?” Honey blurted out.
Delphie looked up to see everyone looking at her. She blushed at their attention.
“It told her she would die the next day, which she did,” Delphie said. “I said her life of pain and sorrow, and I assure you she’d led a life of pain and sorrow, would pass. She would be safe and loved. Just before she left, I touched her hand and told her that her daughter loved her. She nodded as if she’d heard me but I think she was already gone.”
“Then what did you do?” Noelle asked.
“I called Celia and cried,” Delphie said. “She came right away and we ate an entire carton of chocolate ice cream. The next day, Sam found my mother. She’d died in a filthy rent by the day motel where she’d clearly lived for a long time. There was evidence that she paid for the room through selling her body. Sam paid her motel bill and buried her next to my father in Leadville. Sam and Celia… They are my amazing family.”
“Who’s your amazing family, Honey?” Delphie asked.
“MJ, of course, Sam, Jake and Val, now Jill and Heather and Tanesha, Sandy, and Bambi, and…” Honey flushed. “So many people. When I lived in one of those horrible motels, I never thought I’d have even one person to love or to love me.”
“I know,” Tanesha said. “I lived in those places out on East Colfax, Honey, before my gram came and got me. My amazing family started with Gram and Heather, then Jill and Sandy and now…”
Tanesha held her arms out to include the entire room.
“I had an amazing mom,” Valerie said. “But I would never have survived the years after she died without Delphie and being mad at Dad and Jake and Mike and…”
Her big hazel eyes filled with tears. She shook her head.
“It doesn’t mean that it doesn’t hurt,” Anjelika’s Russian accent sliced through the air. “It hurts a lot.”
“It’s hard to admit, but when it comes down to it,” Heather said. “You’re really better off.”
“I’ve been so worried,” Noelle said. “You keep talking about ‘moving home’ and… I don’t want to lose my sister. I have everything I want! A great Mom, a big sister, two big brothers, a nice boyfriend and my Dad. I don’t want you to leave. I don’t want Charlie to leave. Nash has been really upset about it. He won’t tell you but we’ve talked about it. A lot.”
“Would you give up being Noelle and Nash’s sister to have your Mom back?” Delphie asked.
“You don’t understand!” Sissy said.
“We do,” Delphie said. “That’s the problem. We feel the same longing you do. I love my mother. I stil
l do. But all I can do is love her.”
“I love my mother,” Honey said. “She really sucks at being a mother. But I love her anyway.”
“That’s all you have to do,” Tanesha said. “Love her.”
“Can you love your mother and let her be who she is?” Delphie asked.
Sissy closed her eyes to escape the women’s concerned faces. She gave a slight nod and Noelle cheered. Delphie kissed her cheek.
“Can I have some chocolate?” Sissy asked.
“Of course,” Valerie said. “Would you like me to make you a plate?”
“No, I’ll get it,” Sissy said.
She jumped up from the couch. She stretched her limbs and wiggled her shoulders. One at a time, the women hugged her. Noelle took her hand and showed her the chocolate cart. Sissy had just filled her plate when the boys came bursting into the room. While she watched, the chocolate cart was demolished by the locusts named Charlie, Teddy and Nash.
“Can I have some of yours?” Charlie held a fork out to her chocolate strawberry.
“No!” Sissy batted at his fork with hers. They got into an instant fork war. Noelle joined her defense.
“On guard,” Nash said.
Within moments, the kids were laughing and playing a fork sword war. Charlie had Sissy’s plate of chocolate in one hand while keeping Sissy away with the other when Sandy and Aden came into the suite. Sandy and Aden were hugged and chatted with as they walked across the room. When Sandy went to get Rachel, Aden snatched the plate of chocolate from Charlie’s hand.
“I do love chocolate,” Aden said. He picked up a strawberry and ate it.
“That’s mine!” Sissy said.
“We passed three carts of food coming in this direction,” Aden said.
A knock at the door brought the food.
“Listen you guys,” Aden said to Sissy and Charlie. “Before Sandy gets over here, I thought maybe we could talk. Sandy’s so heart broken, I’d hate for her to have to tell you.”
“It’s Ok, Shi-dai,” Charlie said. “Jake told me.”
“Delphie told me. I don’t like it.”
“I hate it,” Charlie said. “But I can’t change it. I mean, I can give up everything I have now to try to be with her but… Jake told me to give him one reason why I’d do that. I thought for the whole horse ride back. I couldn’t come up with anything. We went to this cool cave where you’re supposed to let go of things. I let go of Mom there. It was hard but… Sam and Jake and Mike were… amazing.”
“I always wanted exactly what I have now,” Sissy said.
Aden hugged Sissy and Charlie.
“But I want some chocolate too,” Sissy said.
Aden gave her back her dessert plate. Before Charlie could steal it, Aden pointed him toward the other food carts where Teddy and Nash were swarming. Charlie jogged over.
“You’ll tell me if you want to talk more?” Aden asked.
Sissy nodded. She sat down on the couch with Noelle. Together, the girls had almost polished off her plate when Sandy came back with Rachel. Before Sandy could say anything, Sissy began updating her about her amazing day with a movie star. Noelle ran to change into her bathing suit and Sissy joined her.
“So that’s it?” Sandy asked.
“For now,” Aden said. “We’ll have to watch them. And the trial…”
“Let hope she doesn’t go to trial,” Sandy said.
“We’re going back to change,” Tanesha said. “Come to the pool with us, Sandy.”
“I have to study,” Charlie said. “Mrs. Anjelika and I can watch Rachel.”
“You’re sure?” Sandy asked.
“I’d like to,” Charlie gave an impish smile. “Rachel’s my family too.”
Sandy hugged him. She changed Rachel’s diaper and put on a tiny one week old short suit. It was a little big, but Rachel looked really cute. She rocked Rachel to sleep. When she came out, the kids and Aden were at the pool and Anjelika was quizzing Charlie on his vocabulary. Sandy kissed Rachel’s cheek and set her in the bassinette next to Charlie. Charlie put his hand out to rock Rachel’s bassinette but never looked up. Sandy waved good-bye but they kept their focus.
Shrugging, she made her way to the pool where Jill had saved her a seat next to her and Heather. Tanesha gave her a virgin strawberry daiquiri.
“Was it horrible?” Heather asked.
“Worse,” Sandy said. “We saw the police cars coming to get her on our way out.”
“I’ll drink to that,” Tanesha downed her beer. “You know I’m drinking for four.”
“What?” Sandy asked.
“I’m not drinking,” Jill said. “You and Heather are still breast feeding.”
“Have to keep the universal balance,” Tanesha said.
“What’s happening with Cam?” Sandy asked.
“Oh girl,” Tanesha said. “You do not want to know.”
“She’ll tell us when she’s drunk enough,” Heather said.
Sandy laughed.
~~~~~~~~
Saturday afternoon – 2:15 P.M.
City Park, Denver
“Zoo, zoo, zoo, zoo, zoo, zoo.” Paddie shivered from the cold water at the splash fountain. When his Mom, Julie, covered his mouth with the towel she was drying him off with Katy took up the call.
“Zoo, zoo, zoo, zoo, zoo, zoo.” Colin covered her mouth with a towel.
“What do you think, Jules?” Colin said. “Should we leave them like this?”
“Dad!” Paddie squirmed out of Julie’s grasp.
Running away from Julie and toward the zoo, he ran right into a man’s legs.
“Paddie NO!” Katy screamed.
CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED and SIXTY
Care of you
Saturday afternoon – 2:15 P.M.
City Park, Denver
The man grabbed Paddie’s shoulders. Trapped in her towel and held in place by Paddie’s father, Katy couldn’t rescue her friend. Paddie spun in place and threw his best punch. He hit the man in the genitals.
“You little shit,” the man raised his hand to slap Paddie.
Katy squirmed to get away enough to help her friend.
“You have to let this unfold,” Colin said in her ear. “We can’t arrest them if they don’t do something.”
“But Paddie!” Katy whimpered. “He’s just Paddie. Without me, he’s…”
Another man stepped over to Paddie and his would-be captor. Before any of the parents could respond, the second man picked up Paddie and started to carry him off.
“That’s my old Daddy’s father,” Katy said. “Mommy thinks he can’t walk.”
“Don’t do anything,” Colin said in her ear.
Katy was too terrified to respond. They watched the man carrying Paddie meet another man. They looked over their shoulder and continued toward the Museum of Nature and Science parking lot.
“They don’t want Paddie,” Katy whispered. “They want me.”
“You and Paddie aren’t the only ones who can make secret plans,” Colin said.
“But I can hurt them really bad,” Katy looked into Colin’s face. Colin looked into Katy’s worried dark eyes.
“I thought you could,” Colin said. “I’ve seen your Daddy move all kinds of things when he thinks no one is watching. Let’s watch together.”
“Colin?” Julie, Paddie’s Mom, said. “They are getting pretty far.”
“Please wait. We’re going to get all of them,” Colin said.
“Col? That’s my baby,” Julie said. “If anything…”
With one man ahead, and two men behind, the man carrying Paddie moved up the grass hill toward the sidewalk.
“Can you make them slip?” Colin whispered in her ear.
“I need my hand,” Katy said.
Colin loosened the towel enough for Katy to get her hand free. Her fingers imitated legs walking fast. She made her finger legs slip and the man carrying Paddie fell. Sliding backward down the hill, the man holding Paddie knocked over the men foll
owing him. Floating on a cushion of air, Paddie giggled with glee.
“I bet that hurt,” Colin said.
The man walking ahead tried to grab Paddie. Katy made her finger legs fall over. The man fell on his face. He slid down the hill into the other men.
Paddie ran free. Paddie was running toward Katy and his parents when a woman rushed down the steps toward him.
“That’s my old Daddy’s Mommy,” Katy said. “Can I?”
“I think Paddie’s got this,” Colin said.
With the woman on his tail, Paddie ran straight into the splash fountain. The water cannons shot into the air in a random fashion around him. The woman dodged and weaved around the water.
“Go ahead,” Colin whispered in Katy’s ear.
The water cannons under the woman shot up at the same time. Squealing with laughter, Paddie danced into his mother Julie’s arms. She was so happy to have him back that she didn’t care that he was dripping wet. When Katy looked up, there were some familiar-looking men and women in dark blue suits and dark sunglasses picking up the bad men. Katy turned off the water at the splash fountain so that the really big man who was Teddy’s friend could grab Trevor’s mother. Paddie’s mother kissed and fussed over him. Paddie shot Katy a sly look. She smiled at him.
“But why did they take Paddie and not me?” Katy asked Colin. “They want me.”
“They can get money for Paddie and come for you next weekend,” Colin said.
“Like a movie?”
“Like a kidnapping ring. By taking Paddie, it wouldn’t be obvious they were trying to steal you from your Mommy and Daddy.”
“How did you know they wanted to steal me?” Katy asked.
“Your Daddy and Mommy said something to me,” Colin said. “You’re not the only one who’s been watching.”
“Oh.”
Katy had worked really hard to keep her Mommy and Daddy from knowing people wanted to steal her. She knew it would really, really, really make her Mommy sad. And that would make Katy really, really, really sad. It just never occurred to Katy that any grown up would deal with these awful people.
“You’ve been thinking about this for a long time,” Colin said.
Katy nodded. Colin hugged her.
Fairplay, Denver Cereal Volume 6 Page 4