Perfect Piece

by Rebeca Seitz

  Having never been a child with abandonment issues, he wondered if her doubt stemmed from the changes in Meg. “Of course I came back for you, Sweet Pea.” He kissed the top of her blonde curls. “I couldn’t leave my little ones to the wolves to raise, now could I?”

  “Who are you calling a wolf?” Clay came through the entryway of the kitchen. “We much prefer canine companions around here. Don’t we, missy?” He wiggled his eyebrows and Savannah squealed.

  “Daddy! Save me!” She reached for Jamison and he scooped her up, shielding her from her “evil” canine uncle.

  “I’ll save you, Princess!” With energy from eggs, biscuits, and sausage, he dashed into the living room. “Where is your court?”

  “Through there!” Savannah pointed to Tandy and Clay’s bedroom.

  Jamison followed her direction and galloped through the door as best he could with a five-year-old in his arms. He found James and Hannah lying on their stomachs on the bed, chins in hands, eyes fixed on Finding Nemo.

  “Daddy!” Hannah’s squeal registered about four notes higher than her sister’s. She scrambled off the bed and clasped her short arms around his knee.

  “Daddy’s saving me from the evil canine companion,” Savannah declared.

  Hannah only gave her a quizzical look. Jamison doubted “canine companion” registered in a two-year-old’s mind. He patted Savannah’s back and deposited her on the bed.

  “Okay, you three. Time for us to get out of Aunt Tandy and Uncle Clay’s hair and head home.”

  “But I don’t want to go home!” The vehemence that poured from James made Jamison step back.

  “Why not?”

  James kept his eyes on the screen. “It’s no fun there.”

  Well, he couldn’t argue with that. He also didn’t think an eight-, five-, and two-year-old would appreciate a lecture that home didn’t always serve as the happiest place in the world. But then, why shouldn’t home be the happiest place in the world? At least for children. Maybe happiness was less important than the security of continuity. Of having parents who wouldn’t change even if a kid decided to throw a tantrum or life dealt a serious blow. It ought to be a safe enough place to break down and know Mom or Dad would be there with a smile and the affirmation that everything would work out.

  But his children’s mother had broken down. And he was left to pick up her pieces and give them a safe place during the process.

  The eggs turned to lead in his stomach. Back to reality, which didn’t mean he couldn’t give the kids a few more minutes of escape.

  He stretched out on the bed alongside James. Savannah lay down on his other side, sandwiching him. Hannah crawled atop his back. Kid love surrounded him.

  “You know, guys, Mommy’s going to be okay. We’re all going to be okay.”

  James looked at him with eyes too knowing for an eight-year-old. The light of hope hadn’t been snuffed out yet, though. Jamison saw it wavering in the backs of those gold-flecked eyes that were mirror images of his dad’s. “You think?”

  “I know.”

  James nodded. “Okay.” He refocused on the movie.

  Jamison settled in. Marlin had almost arrived at 42 Wallaby Way in the search for Nemo. James needed to know he would go to the ends of the earth—just like Marlon did for Nemo—to keep the kids safe. So he’d lie here and watch with them. And, afterwards, he’d tell them again that Mom would be okay. That they would all be okay. And he’d make them believe it.

  Even if he didn’t believe it himself.

  Fifteen

  Come on, Tandy, it’s Friday night.” Clay scooped dinner dishes off their table and carried them to the sink. “Remember when we spent every Friday night at Heartland? We haven’t been there in, well, look at our son and count back the months to his birthday.”

  Tandy pulled the tray off of Clayton’s high chair and set it on the table. “Clay, look, I miss our nights out just as much as you do. But we can’t take Clayton to Heartland. The music is so loud, it would burst his little eardrums. I can’t believe you’d even suggest it.” She balanced the baby on her hip.

  “I didn’t. We could see if Joy can watch Clayton. Or Kendra. Kendra’s always telling us she wants to babysit.”

  “You know as well as I do that Kendra and Darin are probably at Heartland right now. They’re not going to give up their own fun so that we can go out. And Joy’s busy with Maddie. We certainly can’t leave Clayton with Meg. Who knows what kind of mood she’s in?”

  Clay sighed and squirted dishwashing liquid into the sink. “I feel like all we ever do is feed the baby, change the baby, buy stuff for the baby, play with the baby, sit with the baby, and plan our lives around the baby.”

  “What did you think it would be like? That we’d park him in a corner whenever we wanted to go out?”

  He hated it when she got that tone. “No! Don’t talk down to me, Tandy.”

  “Well, how do you want me to talk to you?”

  “I am not a child. There’s no cause to speak to me as if you’re my parent.”

  “Unless I’m the only one in this place acting like a parent.”

  “You think I’m not acting like a parent? What other thirty-year-old man do you know who is at home on a Friday night washing dishes and arguing with his wife?”

  “That’s parenthood?” She slapped her thigh. “How about you come whip off your shirt and offer Clayton your breast for dinner? Or stick a pump to your chest and let it suck milk out while you read a magazine and pretend nothing is trying to disconnect you from a particularly sensitive part of your body?”

  “So you’re a better parent because you breastfeed? I can’t do that, Tandy. I’m not exactly equipped for the situation.”

  “How utterly convenient for you.”

  He dumped dishes in the sink and began scrubbing. He didn’t want to fight with her, he wanted to go out and have a little fun. Like they used to. Before Clayton and all the responsibility of raising a child. He didn’t regret having the little guy, not for a second. But they had to find a balance that allowed for fun and parenthood.

  “Look, I only wanted to see if we could plan for a night out for ourselves.”

  Tandy closed her eyes. She looked older now. Like an adult. Less like the girl he’d married two years ago. He figured babies did that to people. He knew he’d found wrinkles and gray hair in the mirror lately.

  “A night out for ourselves would be good.” She planted a quick peck on Clayton’s cheek. “I’m not saying I don’t want us to spend time together.”

  “Good.” He didn’t know what else to say. With all the worry over Meg and all the work over Clayton, he felt like they’d gone from age thirty to fifty in two-point-five seconds. Where did the fun of being married go?

  Out the window, along with the joy of sleeping through the night.

  Tandy walked out of the room, no doubt to get comfortable in the nursery rocker and feed Clayton the rest of his dinner.

  Clay rinsed the clean dishes and set them in the drain board to dry. He knew he’d put them away in the morning, as he’d done every day since Clayton’s birth. Having a C-section had taken a lot out of Tandy. It only seemed right to pick up the slack while she recovered and took on the duties like breastfeeding. He couldn’t do that, so he did what he could—kept the house clean and the laundry done. He didn’t do as good a job as she did, but his military background served them well.

  But seven months had gone by. Seven months of dishes and dirty clothes and vacuuming and dusting every waking moment—at least, the moments he didn’t spend cooking and cleaning and serving Stars Hill in the diner. And now they packed in taking care of Meg’s kids so she and Jamison could have some time together or so she could have some quiet time.

  He didn’t think he’d asked too much to simply find some time for themselves. Zelda and Jack would have no problem watching Clayton. They only had to halfway hint and Jack would jump at the chance to babysit his youngest grandson.

  Instead, here
he sat with dishwater hands, while Zelda and Jack probably lived it up down at Heartland. He missed the country dance place he and Tandy had frequented in their dating days. The feel of Tandy in his arms, twirling around a dance floor, had faded almost completely and he wanted that back. Wanted to see her with that copper-colored hair all loose and wild, fire in her eyes and a bounce in her step. Her ready smile didn’t come so readily these last few months—worn away, no doubt, from night after night of sleep interrupted by a hungry or fitful newborn.

  He felt he’d prepared before Clayton arrived. Read all the books and heeded the warnings. Now he knew—no preparation on earth was adequate for parenthood. It was trial by fire, and if you didn’t keep up, the whole thing would burn to the ground.

  He put the last dish in the drain board and wrung out the dishrag. He moved to the table, wiped off crumbs, tossed the rag into the sink. Another day’s chores done. The moon rose high in the sky outside their living room window.

  He moved to the window. What happened to those magical nights of staring at those stars? Of his love- and wonder-filled life with Tandy?

  “Hey there, stranger. What are you staring at?”

  His arm slipped around Tandy, who appeared at his side, with ease. “Just staring. Where’s Clayton?”

  Her arm snaked around his waist and her head rested in the crook of his arm. “Lying on his activity mat, staring up at all kinds of shiny, brightly-colored objects. He’s good for at least ten minutes.”

  Clay chuckled, planted a kiss on the top of her head. “I’m sorry I got so upset.”

  “No, I understand where you’re coming from. I’m a little tired of only being a mom, too.”

  “You are?”

  “Yeah. It’s not that I don’t love the little guy to pieces. I do.”

  “Me, too.”

  “But I’ve been missing you, too.”

  He squeezed her shoulders, so grateful to have her that he couldn’t come up with words.

  “We can call Daddy tomorrow. I’m sure he’s out at Heartland tonight with Zelda, so tonight is out. But maybe he could take Clayton next Thursday and we can go out to Joe’s. See what new jazz singer he’s got these days.”

  Clay swallowed. “Great idea.”

  “Yeah, I try to have one at least once a month.”

  “You’re paid up, then, for the next thirty days.” He looked down at those beautiful green eyes of hers. The same eyes Clayton looked at him with, though his hadn’t turned quite Tandy’s shade yet. He slid a finger beneath her chin and pulled her lips to his. “I love you.”

  “I love you, too,” she whispered, meeting his lips.

  They didn’t kiss like this anymore. Not since Clayton. Not a whole lot since making Clayton because her sex drive had taken a vacation for most of those nine months. He reveled in the feel of her lips against his. His hand moved behind her neck, holding her to him so he could deepen the kiss.

  She matched his intensity, and he knew she’d missed this as well. She broke the kiss and leaned back slightly. “You know, we could ask Daddy to watch Clayton and just stay home.” Her voice was thick with meaning. “I hear there’s great entertainment around here.”

  He chuckled. “Not a chance. I haven’t gotten to show you off in months and I want to take you out like you deserve. Let somebody else cook dinner, clean up after us, and provide entertainment.”

  “I don’t know.” Her other arm encircled his waist as well and he pulled her into a full embrace while she smiled. “I’m really pretty happy with the entertainment here.”

  He kissed her again. Their conversation took a backseat as sensation traveled through his body with her touch. They’d wasted years apart while he chased his dreams and she chased hers. He didn’t want to lose one moment with this woman now that they were together.

  Several minutes later he pulled away. “I agree with you about the entertainment here. Maybe we’ll just have dinner somewhere else and come on home.”

  “Now you’re talking.” She started to kiss him again, but stopped at the sound of the phone.

  He groaned. “Let’s ignore it.”

  “Yeah, because I’m definitely a woman who ignores a ringing phone.” She swatted at his chest and backed out of his embrace. “We haven’t drifted that far apart have we? That you’ve forgotten who you married?”

  “Never.” He watched her hips while she walked across the living room and snatched the phone up from its cradle. “Tell whoever it is we’re not interested and come back over here. We’ve got at least five more minutes before Clayton realizes he’s figured everything out on that toy.”

  She giggled and pressed the phone’s Talk button. “Hello.”

  “Tomorrow?” She arched an eyebrow his way. “I guess I can, sure. I’ll have to bring Clayton, though. Clay’s got to run the diner.”

  She waited.

  “Okay, see you then.”

  She put the phone back on the handset and came back to him. He folded his arms around her, loving the way she fit perfectly. “So, where are you going tomorrow and which sister needs you?”

  “All of them. We’re scrapping at Daddy’s tomorrow.”

  “With Zelda?” The sisters hadn’t quite come around to welcoming Zelda with open arms yet.

  Tandy shrugged. “I guess she’ll be there, yeah.”

  “You know, she’s your stepmother now. You girls should start thinking about befriending her at some point.”

  Tandy sighed and leaned her head against his chest. Her words came muffled. “We know. It’s hard, though. She’s so strange. None of us can figure out what Daddy sees in her. She’s about the farthest thing from Momma he could have found.”

  “Maybe that’s the attraction.”

  “Hmm. Maybe.”

  “Either way, they’re married. Why doesn’t matter so much as the fact that they are married. And if I know Zelda, she really wants to have a relationship with the sisters.”

  Tandy snuggled further into him. “Let’s see how it goes and go from there, okay?”

  He smiled and tightened his arms around her. “Okay.”

  He had enough to worry about with adjusting to parenthood and helping Jamison out with Meg. Taking on the Zelda issue—well, he just didn’t have that kind of room in his life right now.

  Sixteen

  Saturday morning sunshine streamed through the bedroom window, lighting the backs of Tandy’s eyelids to a burnt orange. She cracked one eye open.

  Ugh. Morning comes too early.

  She laid her arms across her eyes, but the sunlight only poured itself around the cracks of her makeshift barrier. Turning her head, she noted the time on the alarm clock: 5:58. No doubt Clay had already made his way downstairs to the diner and, even now, stood at the stove scrambling eggs and flipping sausages for Stars Hill’s hungry citizens.

  She pushed the covers aside and swung her legs over the bed. Might as well get started with the day. If Clayton stayed true to form, she had a good half hour before his morning feeding. Maybe a long, hot shower would give her muscles some energy.

  She’d been standing in the water for five minutes before she remembered—scrapping day. The sisters would be at Daddy’s in an hour and she stood wasting time with a list of things to accomplish before she could leave.

  Rinsing off faster than Danica Patrick drove the Indy 500, Tandy jumped out of the shower and snagged a towel. Clayton always took at least half an hour to eat breakfast. If she tried to cut him off before he finished, all she’d get for her trouble would be an irritable baby an hour later. She pulled on a nursing gown and walked down the short hallway to Clayton’s room.

  He slept in peaceful escape beneath the wildly colored mobile, one fist curled up by a tiny ear, the other at his mouth. Love blossomed in her heart, rolling across her as it did nearly every morning that she came to him. He might have turned their entire lives upside down, but he made the adventure worthwhile. She gently scooped him up and nestled him close.

  “Good mornin
g, sweet prince.”

  Clayton cracked one eye open, much as she’d done earlier. A chuckle escaped her lips. “I know. Mornings aren’t exactly my thing right now, either.” Her feet sank into the carpet as she walked the few steps to a giant mahogany rocker. This and the crib were their big baby splurges. Everything else she’d either made herself or begged one of the sisters to help her make.

  Kendra’s mural of a circus big top, complete with elephants, lions, tigers, bears, monkeys, and clowns spilling out of a Volkswagen bug, filled one wall. Tandy and Meg had sewn fabric balloon cutouts in red, blue, yellow, and green. Cotton valances of matching colored polka dots hung from the tops of the windows. White café rods split the panes horizontally in the center with striped fabric hanging from them to block out some of the morning light. The white background didn’t do a great job of acting as a shade, but Tandy hadn’t wanted to create a dungeon. Clayton needed to see the sunshine.

  She settled into the rocker and got Clayton in the right position for breakfast. He cooed a bit before latching on. “Oh, you sweet boy. I love you, too.” Resting her head against the back of the rocker, Tandy planned her day.

  Scrapping this morning with the sisters. And Zelda. Couldn’t forget that Zelda would be there. Tandy’s shoulders tensed and she forced them back down. She really had no reason to dislike Zelda and couldn’t quite put her finger on the problem. Maybe Zelda didn’t seem real, even though she and Daddy were married now and Zelda lived in the house Momma had shared with Daddy for decades. Or perhaps Zelda had such a different personality than Momma that Tandy couldn’t find room in her life for it.

  Tandy sighed and looked at Clayton. If anything ever happened to her and Clay remarried, would she want Clayton to accept the new woman into his life? Oh, she’d want him to be kind and considerate, of course. The sisters were kind and considerate to Zelda. Momma would have nothing to correct them on regarding that front. But Tandy couldn’t quite bring herself to believe she’d want Clayton having a close relationship with another Mom figure.