Southern Spirits (The Southern Series Book 3)

by Shelley Stringer

  “I suspect the placenta is torn again, but the babies seem fine, for now. You have some slight bleeding. I’m a little concerned, Chandler. A tear this late in the pregnancy might lead to an early labor. You are just going to have to stay down for a while. Nothing strenuous, no climbing the stairs. With these twins getting big, we don’t want to put much stress on that tear.”

  I nodded at him as the tears slipped from my eyes.

  “Doc, since Chandler does the fast healing thing since the transformation, why does she have trouble with these tears,” Constance asked.

  “Well, it’s not quite that simple. Her body is actually fighting being pregnant. The tears are due to her body trying to reject the babies, but she’s still human, so it’s kind of push and pull,” he tried to explain, and then shook his head.

  “The babies are okay for now. They have good, strong heartbeats, and good movement. I want you to take something to help you rest tonight. Call me if your pain comes back, or if you bleed any heavier than you are now.” He patted my leg. I nodded to him as Constance opened the door for him, and then shut it behind him.

  “Here, let’s get you settled back and the bed straightened,” Constance urged as she put the covers all back on the bed. After she had me back in place, she opened the door and let John and Claudia back in.

  “Doc says you are fine, we’ve just got to keep you down,” John smiled at me as he sat down on the edge of the bed. “Here, take two of these and drink some more of your tea,” he urged. He shook two of the pills out of the bottle which Dr. Lane had left on the nightstand.

  “Chandler, I’m going down to check on Ava and Everett and finish supper. I’ll be back up a little later. Call me if you need me,” Claudia called as she left the room.

  Constance’s cell rang, and she left to answer it.

  “Andie-girl, don’t worry. You are going to be fine,” John murmured, brushing a tear from my cheek.

  “I have to be. I have to carry these babies till Banton gets home,” I choked out as he leaned over and put his arms around me.

  “We’re going to take care of you till he does get home. And I know it can’t be too much longer now,” he said, his breath blowing into my hair. He laid me back into the pillows and smoothed my hair from my face. As he handed me my teacup my cell phone rang. He picked it up and handed it to me. Not recognizing the number, I answered it hesitantly.

  “Hello?”

  “Chandler Ann, are you all right?” Banton asked worriedly. “Constance got a call through to command, and they told me to call you.

  “Oh, Banton! I’m so glad you called,” I sobbed into the phone, emotional at hearing his voice.

  “Sweetheart, what happened?”

  “Another tear in the placenta. I’m bleeding, but not heavily. Dr. Lane put me back on bed rest for now,” I said as I heard him draw a deep breath.

  “Are you at the clinic?”

  “No, I’m at home. John carried me up to our room after I started having the pains. He called Dr. Lane, and he came here and examined me. He just left.”

  “John carried you?” There was an awkward pause, and then he continued. “Just do what Doc tells you and stay down. What about the babies?”

  “He said their heartbeats and movements are good. He just said we need to watch the tear, and not put too much stress on it this late in the pregnancy,” I explained. I wiped my eyes.

  “Oh baby, I wish I was there. I can’t stand being this far away when you need me.”

  “When are you coming home?” my voice quivered.

  “Not much longer, I hope. Then I’ll be there to carry you. That’s my job, you know.”

  I nodded as I smiled, like he could see my reaction.

  I have to go, Chandler…I’ll call back as soon as I can. Please take care of yourself…God; I love you so much,”

  “I love you too,” I managed to whisper. Then the connection clicked off.

  John had discretely left the room while I was talking to Banton. I could hear him talking to Constance in the hallway. I choked back a sob…this would only take Banton’s mind off his mission. Right now he needed to be focused. I almost wished Constance hadn’t called him. I took a deep cleansing breath and wiped my eyes. Being emotional would not help the babies.

  John stepped quietly back into the room. He sat down in the chair by the bed and reached out to lay his hand over mine.

  “Any better?” he asked hopefully.

  I smiled at him. “John, you don’t have to stay in here and babysit. I know you have better things to do…I’ll call you if I need something.”

  “Don’t have anywhere I need to be, just now, Andie-girl. So if it’s just the same to you, I’ll camp out here and see to my best friend’s girl.”

  He drew my hand up and kissed my knuckles as he wiped my hair from across my forehead.

  “What did Banton say?” he asked softly.

  “Not much. I guess Constance called command and got a message to him. I almost wish she hadn’t. He doesn’t need the worry or distraction.”

  He shook his head. “You’re wrong. He can compartmentalize when he needs to, it’s part of the training. He’s better off knowing. He has the assurance you’ll call if you need to.”

  I relaxed a little at his words.

  “I know he’s dying to get home. I would be, if I was in his shoes. Let’s just keep those babies in there till he gets back.”

  I nodded and then glanced up just as Claudia came into the room with a tray.

  “Well, I’m glad I showed up to help take care of you, Sweetie. Here is your supper…and you have a visitor. I’ve invited him to eat with us, so we are going to have a little picnic up here in your room! Is that all right?”

  “Sure. Who is it?”

  She moved to set the tray on the nightstand as John helped her make a place for it.

  “Mr. Jackson came by with some things to give you, and he’s out on the front porch now, sprinkling some more of that dirt stuff around,” she said, rolling her eyes.

  “Brick dust. It’s brick dust, for protection. It’s an old Creole superstition,” I explained as she raised an eyebrow.

  “Whatever. I’m just going to go down and Everett is going to help me bring the rest of our dinner up here. We’ll be right back,” she called over her shoulder as she left the bedroom.

  “Now Mister Ev, I’s doin jes fine. Don’t you go a’frettin ‘bout me none,” Mr. Jackson’s voice came up the staircase. “I kin climb dem stairs jes like you young folk kin. I’s a bit spry fo my age,” he chuckled as he gained the top of the stairs, his cane under his arm. After he let go of the bannister, he walked into the room.

  “Miss Chandler, you done gone and done too much and put yoself back in dat bed now, hadn’t you, Missie?” he shook a withered finger at me.

  “Yes. I have to take it easy for a few days, but I’ll be fine. How are you?”

  “I’s doin jes fine and dandy, now dat de weather is set in on summer. My old bones like de summer!” he chuckled, settling down in the chair by the dresser. “I done brought you some mo gris-gris makins from my Auntie Chloe. And she done sent you somethin’ real special.” He leaned forward, handing a box to John for me. John sat it down in my lap. I removed the lid, finding three small drawstring bags wrapped in tissue. The lavender and sage smell drifted out of the box, cheering me up immediately.

  After I’d placed the bags out on the bed, I removed the tissue. Underneath, I found an ancient, worn leather Bible. I looked up at him questioningly, and then back down at the fragile book as I opened the cover. I flipped over a handful of pages to a place where a flower had been pressed. Several passages were marked with ink. As I scanned the pages, I found many more of the same.

  “Dis is one of many of dem Bibles dat Auntie Chloe has. She said dat dis one here is special, dat she wants you to study des here passages dat be marked wid de herbs and such. All of dese here has a meaning, and every passage done been marked wid a date. It might be da birthin�
�� of a new baby in my family histories, or a death. A war, a trial of some kind…it all be here. She said to study it, and it will help you through yo trials, chile. God don’t give us dat which we can’t deal wid…it makes us strong, makes us seek him. Dat be what she wanted me to tell you.”

  I looked up at him in wonder. A family Bible was a sacred thing, and I felt like she was bringing me into her family, spiritually, with the loan of the precious book. I hugged it to my chest.

  “Thank you, Mr. Jackson! Please thank her for me, and tell her I will take good care of it.”

  I placed it back in the box, and then handed it to John to place on the dresser. Claudia soon reappeared with the rest of our dinner and placed a quilt in the floor for her, Everett, Constance and Ava to spread out on.

  “Bebe, I’m so worried about you. I shouldn’t have kept you out so long today, Ma Petit. We have just got to take better care of you,” he fretted as he placed a kiss on my forehead.

  “Nonsense, Ev. It’s just one of those things. I’ll be all right,” I assured him.

  “Mister Ev, it sho be good to sees you. You haven’t been down to sees me in days. I done got a whole notha mess of dem greens to gives you outta my garden,” Mr. Jackson said.

  “Oh, good. I’ll be down there tomorrow and work that ground a little for you while we visit,” Everett replied as he leaned over and patted Mr. Jackson on the knee. He turned back to me, and I raised an eyebrow at him. I had no idea Ev had been going down to see Mr. Jackson by himself. He winked back at me in a silent reply.

  “Mommy, I get to eat on my bankie?” Ava Grace turned her big brown eyes back to Claudia.

  “Yes, Ava…we are going to have a picnic in Aunt Chandler’s room tonight. Isn’t that fun?”

  “Yay! Can I make Aba and Daddy Will’s pway tent?” she asked excitedly, clapping her hands together.

  “Well, maybe after we eat, if Aunt Chandler feels like it. Come here, now, and sit down and eat,” she urged her. Ava plopped down between Claudia and Constance and took her bowl in her hands.

  John helped me, placing the tray in my lap and then handing me my tea. I looked around the room and it hit me. One year ago I knew none of the people in this room, except for Constance. And as I looked at each one slowly…Everett, Mr. Jackson, Claudia, Ava Grace, John…I couldn’t imagine my life without any of them. God had certainly placed some special people in my life at a time when I’d needed them. Maw Maw Irene’s words rang in my head, “God doesn’t make mistakes.”

  “No, he doesn’t,” I murmured.

  “What was that, Bebe?” Everett asked.

  “Oh, nothing.” I smiled at him. “I was just thinking about what I needed to thank God for in my prayers tonight,” I replied as he smiled warmly at me.

  Chapter Three

  “I was mad at you at first, but I’m glad you called Banton,” I said to Constance.

  “Well, you’ll just have to get over it, sister…’cause I’m callin’ him whenever we need to. After the time you broke your arm, I’m never keeping anything from him. He was so pissed at me it kind of scared me,” Constance replied warily.

  “What? What do you mean?”

  “When he called me and grilled me that next day, he made me tell him what was really wrong with you. You know me, Andie…no guy is going to tell me what to do. But Banton…he’s different. I love him like a brother, but I wouldn’t want to cross him. And I won’t ever lie to him again, not even for you. He’s like a man possessed when it comes to your safety,” she said as she folded my covers back.

  She’d never told me that. As I thought about what she said, Claudia came in the room.

  “Do you feel like a bath? I’ll help you, and then you can lay right back down,” Claudia offered.

  “Y’all are making me feel guilty. You are doing so much for me,” I complained.

  “Yeah, yeah…wait till I get my chance. You’ll pay me back, someday,” Constance shot over her shoulder as she went to run my bath. After they had me soaking in the tub full of bubbles, Claudia stripped my bed and made it up with clean sheets. I could hear Ava Grace’s voice as she came up the stairs.

  “Hey, Doodle-Bug! What are you doing this morning?” Constance called out brightly.

  “I want to see my An Andler,” she demanded.

  “Well, come in here, Bug…she’s taking a bubble-bath. You can come in here and keep her company.”

  “Kay.”

  Ava tiptoed around the door and around beside the tub where I could see her.

  “An Andler, are my babies in the bubbles?” she asked.

  “Yes, Ava…see, here they are,” I replied as I wiped the bubbles away from my tummy.

  She leaned over the side of the tub, and traced the faint stretch marks forming under my belly button. “Does it hurwt?” she whispered, pointing to the marks.

  I smiled at her and tucked a curl behind her ear. “No, sweet girl, it doesn’t hurt. Those are just because my tummy is getting so big my skin is stretching over the babies.”

  “But my Mommy said you hurwt wif the babies wast night,” she answered, her eyes wide.

  “Well, yes I did, a little bit. But I’m better, now you and your Mommy are here to take care of me.”

  “I take carew of you, An Andler,” she said, patting my shoulder. She reached over and picked up the bar of soap, and then got a washrag off the counter. As I watched her in wonder, she dipped the rag into the water and squeezed it out, and then ran it over the soap. Placing the soap in the dish carefully, she then began to rub the soapy rag on my arm and shoulder. I watched her, totally captivated by my little niece as she played out her nurturing instincts.

  “Well, Ava…are we ready to get Aunt Chandler out and back in the bed?” Claudia asked.

  “Yes, Ma’am. I help An Andler take a bafth!” she replied happily as she slopped water on the bathroom floor.

  “I think she’s clean enough. Here, Chandler…easy, stand up slowly, and I’ll help you dry. I’ve got your robe here,” she offered, taking my arm when I pushed up to stand.

  “An Andler! You have big chi-chi’s wik my Mommy Cwadia!” Ava Grace squealed. I heard Constance bust out laughing in the bedroom.

  “She doesn’t miss a thing,” Claudia rolled her eyes as I shrugged into my robe.

  “Where on earth did she hear the term, ‘chi-chi’s?’” I asked.

  “Wewl, that’s what my Daddy Will calls dem,” Ava replied, matter-of-factly.

  “Out of the mouths of babes,” Claudia commented.

  “I’d love to hear what else Will has taught her,” I teased as Constance came to the door.

  “Well, if we have Chi-Chi Mamma all ready, I’ve got her bed ready.”

  “Ha, you are so funny,” I shot back. Ava skipped into the bedroom after us.

  “Chi-Chi Mamma,” Ava sang out as she giggled.

  Everett floated into the room. “What have you all taught this sweet child now?”

  “We are just havin’ a little ‘ole anatomy lesson, Uncle Everett,” Constance sang in her best southern belle drawl.

  “Well, I’m going to take Ava and do a little shopping. Ev, are you going to be here a while?” Claudia asked as she finished tidying up in the room. Everett’s eyes followed her every move…I watched him curiously. When he realized I was watching him, I could have sworn I saw him flush.

  “My plan is to be here with her all day,” he replied, taking the chair beside me.

  “I think I’ll come with you,” Constance told Claudia as they left the room together.

  “And what are you up to, today?” I asked, sensing Everett wanted to talk to me.

  He leaned over, looking out the door and then rose to close it. Pulling his cell from his pocket, he sat back down in the chair beside me.

  “Bebe, this is a secured cell. It’s for Gabriella only. Just hit “one,” and send. It’s her speed-dial. If you are up for it…she really needs to talk to you. Since you can’t go and see her today maybe you can help her by
phone.”

  “Why? Has something happened?” I asked, worried about her.

  “She just called me a little while ago, and she seemed emotional. I’m going to give you some privacy,” he replied. He rose and placed a kiss on my forehead before he left the room.

  I dialed her number and waited. She answered on the first ring.

  “Everett?” she said breathlessly.

  “No, it’s Chandler, Brie. What’s going on with you?”

  “Oh, Chandler! I’ve been so worried. Ev told me about last night,” she said, almost sobbing.

  “Brie, I’m fine. I just have to stay in bed, for now. What’s wrong? Why are you upset?”

  “Andie, can we talk…I mean, on the phone?”

  “Sure! Brie, what is it?”

  “I…I tried what you suggested…I tried it last night…”

  “Go on, Brie. You can tell me. You can tell me anything.”

  “Well, I looked at all John’s pictures. I miss him so much! And you know, after you are bitten how your feelings…how out of control everything is,” she said.

  “Um, yes, I understand what you are saying. Go on,” I urged her.

  “It wasn’t long before I was so…and looking at him, his body…remembering how he was, what he would do to me…I decided I could handle it. So I used what you brought me, you know…the battery thing,” she said, embarrassed.

  “It’s all right, Brie…go on.”

  “It was so intense. And…” she began sobbing so hard I couldn’t understand her.

  “Brie! It’s all right…calm down.”