Opening the door, she saw Karen and Roger, and her heart did a little flip. Smiling, she took the dog and stood aside for her sister.
“What happened to your date?” Kelly asked.
“It’s late,” Karen said. “It’s almost eleven. Remember, we had coffee at ten o’clock this morning.”
“Oh my God, that’s right! You must be exhausted!”
“Well, thank God she’s not a talker,” Karen said, laughing. “It was relaxing.”
“How’d it end?”
“She asked me if I wanted to get together tomorrow, and of course, I said yes. What do I have to lose? She’s very nice, she’s pretty, she can carry on a conversation that doesn’t revolve around her aches and pains like someone my age might. Plus I always wanted to be a cop.”
“Ha!” Kelly laughed out loud, slapping her knee. “You were always the cop on Halloween.”
“Oh, Lord, never tell her that, please,” Karen begged, laughing.
Then she looked around. “What the hell are you doing?”
“I can’t stand it anymore. I’m going to paint my house!”
“You have lost your mind,” Karen said, unhooking Roger’s leash. “What do you have to eat around here? I’m starving.”
Saturday night turned out to be not that different than it ever was; only the basement was empty.
Chapter 15
Closing up Baker’s house took longer than they thought, and the Boyd-Baker family didn’t get on the road until after six Tuesday night. Titan was running on raw adrenaline, barely getting through the funeral without having a meltdown, simply wanting it to be over. When they got back to his house, his focus was on getting the place ready to be sold.
The nursing agency would send someone over in the morning to get rid of the staircase elevator, the hospital bed - any sign that someone sick had lived there. The housekeeper would be there as well and promised to take care of the refrigerator. She’d also clean up any sickroom supplies.
“When I return, I want normal, like it was last summer,” he said, breaking down. “Before she got so sick. I have to go back to work next Monday.”
“Yes, sir,” she replied. “Don’t worry. It’ll be ready. Send me a text when you’re coming back and I’ll get food in.”
He was putting the house on the market right away. It didn’t make any sense to wait.
Over the weekend, right after Jean died on Saturday, his mother got into action. With his approval, she went through all of Jean’s clothes, offering anything good to her sisters. Jean’s jewelry and mementos Lee would take home until the reading of the will.
“You don’t leave stuff like this in a vacant house,” she said. “I get Stevie to find something, a box or a suitcase we put her treasures in. We pack up your art, too.”
“I don’t want any of it,” he said. “It’s all stuff we bought together.”
“Then Monday I call auction house. But you make sure to take what you want, Titan. Once it gone, it gone forever.”
If Titan was leaving Chicago, she sure as hell wasn’t keeping Baker’s house. “When you call the realtor again, tell him Baker’s house for sale, too.”
“Are you certain that’s what you want, Mom?”
“Yes. I live with Stevie. As soon as his divorce is final, we get married. We’re getting a house, too. You can live with me when I get one.”
“I’ll get my own,” he said, hugging her.
By Monday, Jean’s things were distributed to the family. “She not even in her grave yet,” Lee told Steve. “They like vultures.”
“Don’t they live in town?” Steve asked, confused. “It’s not like they had to be anywhere. What was the rush?”
“I think Titan want the stuff gone,” she whispered.
They didn’t hang around the restaurant after the funeral meal and didn’t invite anyone back to the house.
“They’ve been here for four days,” Titan complained. “I’ve had enough and I need a break. I want to get on the road.”
So at six, he pulled up to the front of Baker’s house and beeped.
“We’re about ready,” Steve called, coming from the house. “Do you want to go ahead?”
“I do, so Kelly’s not inconvenienced.”
“Every time I hear that name, my blood pressure goes up,” Lee hissed.
“Okay, son, text when you get there,” Steve said.
When a car pulled up behind him and beeped, Titan took off.
“Come here,” Steve said, pulling her over. “I love you. I don’t love Kelly. She’s doing Titan a favor letting him stay with her. You didn’t want him alone, so now he won’t be alone.
“You and I are getting married, and you don’t have to worry about Kelly. We’re going to live in the same town, so we’d all better get along.”
“I want her house,” Lee said.
“Well, if she wants to sell it to me, you can have it,” he said, laughing. “Come on. I don’t want to be that far behind Titan.”
A half hour later, they locked up Baker’s house with the best of the Vietnamese souvenirs packed safely in the trunk, and headed toward their new home.
Kelly had called work on Monday about coming back. They were happy she wasn’t going to retire, but they did tell her she should take the rest of the week off. She’d focus on getting the house ready for Titan.
Everyone came for dinner on Sunday with the understanding they were going to paint the living room. They did it too, in one day. On Monday, she went to the store and bought new drapes and a painting for above the couch where the portraits of the kids used to hang. There was nothing she could do about the furniture, but it wasn’t that bad. A few new throw pillows jazzed things up.
The next decision she had to make was where Titan would sleep. The only room they’d redone since the kids left home was Augie’s old room. It was the original master with a tiny attached bath, perfect for a houseguest.
As she shopped, she talked excitedly to her sister about the new bedding she’d found at a home store, and the special dishes she’d cook for him. If he was up to it, she’d have the kids over for dinner.
“It’s weird you’re so excited about entertaining the son of your husband’s mistress,” Karen said, harboring misgivings she should hide from Kelly if she could only discipline herself, which wasn’t happening.
“I’m over it,” Kelly replied. “Having him here is something to look forward to. The kids are excited about meeting him. He seems like a really pleasant man.”
A brief pause in the conversation ensued.
“Why are you so contemptuous?” Kelly asked, nervously stepping out of her comfort zone.
“I’m still pissed off at Steve,” Karen said. “I’m sorry. I guess I don’t have what it takes to be so forgiving.”
“I never said I forgave Steve. I don’t have anything to forgive Titan for. Look, it’ll be fine. I’m looking forward to it. You have Anne now, so I can’t take advantage of you like I’m used to doing.”
“I know I’m being selfish,” Karen admitted. “That’s me! So when do I get to meet this guy?”
“I’ll let you know. Maybe you can come on Wednesday. I’ll just tell him my twin wants to meet him.”
“I’d better get back to work,” Karen said, losing patience.
Kelly wandered around the store, her zeal for a new start at home gone for now.
Once back at home, unloading everything out of the car, she didn’t hear her phone ringing.
In the nursing office, the director of nursing, the union representative, a lawyer, and someone from AA waited for Ken. As soon as his boss summoned him, he knew it was bad.
“It wasn’t just your blood alcohol that we’re here for, Ken,” the director said. “You had detectable cocaine, too.”
Not speaking, Ken thought back to the Saturday before. He’d stayed up late and was still woozy when they called him to come into work, so he did a line just to wake up. It barely gave him a buzz, and by the time he left for w
ork, he was fine.
“What are you going to do?” the representative asked on Ken’s behalf.
“Legally, we have to inform the State Board of Nursing,” the director said. “Ken, you’re an excellent nurse. No one is refuting that. But the complaint about beer breath, and now this, well, it has to be addressed. The usual protocol for someone with a trace amount is to give you vacation time off first. You can take the rest of the week.
“The reprimand includes documented AA meetings, and once you come back to work on Monday, weekly blood work and daily urine tests.
“You’ll have to adhere, or you’ll lose your license. The protocol is determined by the state. All I can do is what they say I’m allowed to do. At least you can still work.”
“Just not this week,” he said, blood boiling.
“Just not this week. Take a deep breath. It’s just the way we have to do it, Ken. It’s not personal by us. Okay? We’ll help you.”
Without acknowledging the others, Ken left the office quickly. Not storming, like he wanted to do, punching the door with his fist and sweeping everything off the desk with his arm.
He tried calling Kelly, but she wasn’t picking up. Terry was at work, but he didn’t want to go home to an empty apartment, having to pretend he was doing something constructive after being sent home from work like a little boy.
Driving through the neighborhood, the old neighborhood, Ken had the inner dialogue about how he knew he was in trouble, but what difference did it make in the scheme of things? He’d do what they wanted and take a week off, like being suspended after getting caught smoking in the high school locker room.
Kelly’s car was parked in the driveway. Pulling up next to it, a memory of coming home from school and having to jockey for a parking space brought a smile to his face. Augie was twelve years older than Ken. When Ken was a boy, watching his big brother pull up to the house in a nice car with all his friends made him proud. He couldn’t wait to be old enough to drive, but it turned out to be a big disappointment. Taking the car key from his father on the day he got his driver’s license, walking down the sidewalk to the car, Ken was so excited. He got in and adjusted everything, put the key in the ignition, and drove slowly off downtown.
However, once he got there, it was no big deal. “No one standing on the curb, waving at you?” Steve teased. “I felt the same way. Why aren’t they cheering for me?”
The conversation was one of the few in which Steve’s focus was completely on Ken. High school graduation was no biggie; after his three older siblings, Ken graduating was an anticlimax. Even college was no big deal.
“I can’t believe I have a son who’s a nurse,” Steve had said. “Especially one with a bachelor’s degree; what a waste of money.”
Remembering the mortified look on everyone’s faces when Steve made his comment, Ken shook his head. It must have hurt his feelings, but he didn’t remember reacting. No one reacted to Steve. It was then that Ken wondered if his father was stupid or possibly mentally ill. If his parents had forced him to go to college like Kelly forced all of them, maybe it would have been different for Steve. Everyone was always making excuses for him. Taking a deep breath - as his boss advised him to when he felt like punching something - he got out of the car to face his mother. They worked at the same hospital. She’d get an earfull the next time she talked to her co-workers.
Seeing his mother standing on a chair in the window doing something with the drapery, Ken waved to her, and she waved him in.
“I guess you’re serious about redecorating,” he said, walking in.
“Just freshening things up,” she said, looking at her watch. “Why are you home so early?”
Then she remembered the random urine and blood test on Saturday. “Oh no.”
“Yep. I didn’t get fired though,” he said. “Just the rest of the week off work, without pay, I might add, a daily pee test, and weekly documented AA meetings. I’ll probably have to see a therapist, too. They didn’t tell me that, but I know of someone else who went through this.
“And I’m sure I’ll get a warning from the State Board,” he added.
“At least you didn’t lose your job,” Kelly said, getting down from the chair. “I’m ready for a break. Do you want lunch?”
“I guess. Terry is not going to be happy,” he said. “Can I move back temporarily if she kicks me out?”
It didn’t occur to him that just as Kelly had enabled Steve, she enabled Ken, and he expected her to do so.
“Ken, really?” Kelly asked. “I don’t see Terry doing that.”
“She’s had it, Mom,” he said. “I’ve been getting away with it for a while now. Getting caught was just a matter of time.”
He followed her into the kitchen. Watching her fill the coffee maker, moving back and forth between the refrigerator and the counter, he could see her weighing something in her head, familiar with the way she approached a crisis.
Lunch was ready, and like he was still a little boy, she brought him a sandwich on a small plate, an orange slice and a strawberry fanned out as a garnish. He always ate the garnish his mother prepared for him. Smiling, he picked up the orange and peeled the rind away.
“The only time I eat a fresh orange is at your house,” he said, biting into it.
Covering his teeth with the peel, he looked up at her with orange teeth.
“Ha!” she said, laughing. “Now you’ll have orange in your teeth.”
“Can I stay in my old room?”
“Of course. I’ll have to clean all the Christmas stuff off the bed. I started to sort through what I have. You know it’s just around the corner.”
“I wish we could bypass it this year,” he replied.
“Yeah, me too. But Augie’s kids are so into it, I’m going to focus on them. It’ll be fun, you’ll see.”
“Mother, you always say that and it’s rarely fun,” Ken said, biting into the sandwich.
“Oh well, you can’t deny I’m always trying to think positively. What I think about this happening to you is that it’s a good thing. It’s a wakeup call. Instead of a mandatory thirty-day sentence for a DUI, you can keep working and just follow a few rules.”
“I’m a drunk, you know that, right?”
“I know you have a problem, but I’m not calling you a drunk.”
Getting up to pour the coffee, Kelly fought a sense of failure unlike anything she’d experienced so far. Her son was admitting he was an alcoholic, and she was denying it.
Turning back, she went right to him. “Ken, I’m sorry. Yes, I know you’re an alcoholic. I’ll try to join you on this journey. God knows, I need it as badly as you.”
Ken was right; Terry kicked him out.
“Go back to your mother’s for a while,” she said. “Being there while you’re getting help will be better than hanging out here. I can’t supervise you.”
“I don’t need supervision, Terry,” he said. “That sucks.”
“And I can’t keep dealing with your defensiveness.”
“Well, that I am. I’ll go pack,” he said, leaving for their room.
“I don’t want to break up,” she said, following him. “I mean, I still love you. I still want you. Maybe we can date. I just can’t deal with your substance abuse any longer.”
“I understand,” Ken said. “I’m glad we’re not married, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health…”
“Ken -”
“Save it, Terry. You made your point, I’m leaving. Let me pack in private. I’ll talk to you later.”
Standing in the hallway, she could hear him opening the closet door for the suitcase, heard the zipper, drawers opening and closing. She stood aside as he came out, dragging the bag behind him.
“I’m sorry, Ken,” she said, feeling guilty.
“Why are you sorry? You didn’t fuck up. I did.” He leaned over to kiss her. “I’ll call you later.”
“Are you going to your mom’s?”
“Yes. And the fav
ored son will be there tomorrow,” he said.
“Oh, jeez, I forgot about him coming,” Terry said. “Do you want…?”
“No, Terry, I don’t want anything. I’ll leave,” he said, struggling to get out the door with his suitcase. “Goodbye.”
Tuesday night right before eleven, Titan pulled up to Kelly’s house. Sending a text to Lee to inform her of his arrival, he felt odd about the situation now that he was able to think rationally. Why had he allowed Lee to talk him into staying with Kelly? It would have been better for him to stay in a hotel.
The light over the porch was on and there were lights on inside. He didn’t know what the routine of the house was, but this wasn’t the first time he showed up on their doorstep after dark.
Shutting the car off, he sat quietly, contemplating. The drive from Chicago had renewed his sense of humanity. He could still enjoy loud rock music, in spite of having a broken heart. Half-way to Dearborn, he stopped for fast-food: chili dogs and fries and a chocolate milkshake, the antithesis of the clean diet he and Jean followed religiously. It hadn’t helped her. If anything, those last days of her life were struggles with guilt over eating yogurt and ice cream, the only things she could keep down.
Looking up at the house, he saw an attractive woman in the window. His lollygagging was probably keeping her up past her bedtime. He reached over the seat for his valise and gathered his computer case and dinner trash.
Watching him getting ready to come in, Kelly had empathy for Titan. He probably felt silly coming to stay with her at the insistence of Steve and his mother.
“He’s tall,” Ken said, standing behind her, pushing the door open. “Titan, do you need any help?”
“No, I’ve got it. Sorry I’m late, and sorry about the inconvenience.”
“You never have to say that again,” Kelly said, looking him in the eye. “I’m so sorry about Jean.”
“Me too. I’m Ken, by the way, fourth in line to the throne.”
It was inappropriate and not that funny, but maybe because of exhaustion after having just driven almost five hours, Titan thought it was hilarious.
The Jade Emperor Page 20