Momma smiled. “I remember when that store used to be y’all’s favorite.”
“Still is.” Katie snickered. “We both got new outfits. And shoes too.”
“Sounds like y’all had fun,” Momma said.
Katie nodded. “Especially since I had a tiny bottle of Grey Goose in my purse.”
I nearly choked on my tomato juice. “You mean we were drinking in the mall?”
“Well… You, mostly. I only had about three sips because you’re selfish.”
I took a bite of toast. “No wonder I don’t remember anything. I never drink vodka.”
“Do you remember the guy in the food court who was giving away samples of bourbon chicken?”
I stared down at my plate, chewing my food. I couldn’t respond. All I wanted to do was go back to bed and sleep the rest of the day.
Katie chuckled. “Do you even remember eating?”
I lifted my chin. “No, but I’m guessing I had some bourbon chicken.”
“You guessed right. You ate so much, you got a stomach ache and attempted to lie on the floor.”
My eyes flared with complete horror. “Tell me I didn’t,” I whimpered.
“I’m afraid you did. You told me you were having terrible gas pains. Then you took off running toward the restroom, yelling you’d just shit yourself.”
Momma bounced in her seat, crying with laughter. I was dying from shame.
“After a few minutes, you came out, mad as hell. Livid because you had to throw away your favorite pair of underwear.”
“Oh, Lord!” Momma guffawed at the remark. “I know you were absolutely dying, Katie!”
“It was hilarious, Mrs. Sharp. My sides were killing me.”
I shook my head. “Sure, Mom. Laugh it up. Don’t mind my stomach issues.”
“Oh, hush.” Katie waved her hand at me. “You were fine. After you got over being mad about your panties, you said you wanted to party.”
“Party?” I lifted an eyebrow. “After I’d shit myself?”
“Yep. You said you wanted to go to Nightown, so you stripped down naked, grabbed your new dress out of the bag, and put it on.”
I gasped. “In the middle of the mall?”
“No, silly.” Katie giggled. “In the front seat of my car.”
“Super. A night club for college kids. That’s just what I needed.”
Momma was completely red-faced. “I can’t take much more!” she cried, wiping the tears off her cheeks. “Did y’all go to Nightown?”
Katie nodded. “The place was packed. We went to the bar and ordered two cocktails, then made our way to the dance floor. The music was loud, the crowd was full of energy, and we were having a great time. But then this super drunk girl danced too close to us and accidentally kicked the heel of Rebecca’s shoe, making her lose her balance. The next thing I knew, Rebecca was grasping for anything to keep from falling, and ended up throwing her drink on the drunk girl’s bare shoulder.”
“No way!” I was mortified. “I swear, I don’t remember any of this.”
“Honey, you were tore up from the floor up.” Katie chuckled. “Lucky for you, this really tall dude caught you just before you hit the ground. You thanked him and told him he smelled like your grandpa.”
“I bet he appreciated that.” Momma giggled.
Katie rolled her eyes. “Then Rebecca pointed at my skirt and started laughing uncontrollably. Somehow it had twisted around sideways, and my front buttons were all the way around on my hip. She thought it was the funniest thing in the world. She doubled over from laughing so hard. That’s when I think it hit her how drunk she was because she told me she’d partied enough and was ready to go.”
“Was she sick?” Momma asked.
“No, but as soon as we walked through the front door, I barely had time to pull off my shoes before she’d gotten completely naked again, right there in the foyer.”
“Oh, my Lord,” Momma cried.
“I know, Mrs. Sharp.” Katie twisted her mouth and shook her head at me. “That awful image is now burned into my brain.”
I grunted. “Y’all can just bite me.”
“Oh, hush it, you little nudist,” Katie teased.
“Yeah. Hush.” Momma grinned. “Drink your tomato juice, and let Katie finish her story.”
“Rebecca ran to the bathroom and shut the door, so I grabbed her clothes and took everything to her bedroom. After I showered real quick and changed into my PJs, I went to check on our party girl and found her sitting slumped over in the tub with her hair hanging in her face, looking like a hot mess. When she heard me come in, she announced that she had thrown up in the kitchen sink.”
Momma wrinkled her nose and frowned at me. I buried my face in my hands. The story was getting worse by the minute.
“I turned on the shower and let the water get warm before aiming it in her direction. Then I went to get her a glass of water and check on the condition of the kitchen.”
“Oh, Katie… I hate to hear this.”
“The floor was wet, and there were several paper towels crammed in the trash can, but the sink was actually clean.”
Momma gave a sigh of relief.
“I took Rebecca some crackers and water and asked her about the paper towels.” Katie pressed her lips together and lowered her gaze.
“Oh, no,” Momma groaned. “What did she do?”
“Evidently, while she was throwing up, she strained so hard, she accidentally shit herself again.”
Momma let out a shriek that would shatter glass, and I threw my head back and cried.
“I swear to God, Katie, if you ever breathe a word of this to anyone—”
“Don’t worry, girl scout. I hope to erase it from my memory altogether.”
“No wonder you look like death this morning, baby.” Momma grinned, stroking the back of my head. “It’s a good thing the reunion’s not till tomorrow night. Y’all got time to recuperate.”
“Ugh! The reunion.” I rested my head in my hands. “I’m not going. I’d rather die.”
“You’re not gonna die.” Katie chuckled. “And you are going to the reunion.”
“I wish I never started drinking,” I moaned.
“I wish you’d never gone to Jackson’s in the first place,” Momma muttered.
“What?” I straightened in my chair and studied her face, feeling slightly offended. “How come?”
She gazed at me over the rim of her coffee cup. “A lot has changed since you’ve been gone, Rebecca. It’s just in everyone’s best interest you don’t stir things up. If Jackson said he doesn’t want to see you, you have no business going back over there.”
I felt my jaw tighten and noticed Katie’s eyebrows furrow. She appeared as confused as I was.
“You and Katie go to the reunion like you planned. Have a few laughs, hug a few necks, and then come home. You can spend the rest of your time with each other. Go to the beach, catch a movie, have dinner, do whatever, just enjoy yourselves and make the most of your time together while you’re here.”
I felt my throat growing dry. “What would I stir up, Mom?”
She twisted her mouth and stared at me for a few moments before answering. “Rebecca, Jackson’s suffered a great deal of heartache over the past few years. His life’s quite different now. You don’t need to get involved.”
I glared at my mom, fighting the frustration that wanted to course through my body. “Get involved in what?”
She exhaled and rubbed her forehead. “Just trust me. Some things are better left alone.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Mrs. Ruby
Friday, June 2, 2000 ~ There’s My Baby
I hadn’t seen Rebecca in years, and here she was, standing at my front door. Lord have mercy. It’s a miracle, I thought. God’s finally answered my prayers.
“Hi, Mrs. Ruby,” she said with that big ol’ smile of hers. “It’s Rebecca. Remember me?”
“Course I remember you, shug. Get on in here and h
ug my neck.”
Rebecca laughed, then kissed me on the cheek and hugged me like there was no tomorrow.
“You don’t know what a blessing it is to see you.”
I squeezed her tight, then took a step back to give her a once over. She wore a pale-pink, sleeveless, cotton blouse tucked into a short, flared, white summer skirt. Her tan belt matched her sandals, and her toenails were painted bright pink.
“Lord, child. You done grown up on me.”
She laughed bashfully. “Well, you haven’t changed a bit, Mrs. Ruby.”
“Tell me where ya been and why you been gone so long. Forget where ya lived?”
“Heavens no. This will always be my home.” Her eyes twinkled when she smiled. “I went away for college, and now I’m working all the time. Trying to save some money so I can come back and buy a nice little house on the beach one day.”
“Sounds like a plan.” I winked at her and took her by the arm. “Come on, let’s go sit down. I’m anxious to see whatcha brought me.”
Rebecca giggled and followed me as I led her into the kitchen. She placed a plastic bag on the table and took a seat.
“I forgot how hot and muggy it gets here, Mrs. Ruby. I’m glad you’ve got a good air conditioner.”
“You know it, shug. It’s a scorcher today. So, what’s in the bag?”
“Some fresh peaches Momma and Daddy got in Georgia.”
“Peaches?” I threw my hands in the air and laughed out loud. “Rebecca, you don’t know how happy this makes me.” I sat down across from her and took one of the peaches out of the bag. “Goodness gracious alive. It’s as big as a grapefruit! I expect it wouldn’t take but two to make a cobbler.”
“They’re the sweetest, juiciest peaches you’ve ever eaten, Mrs. Ruby.”
“I imagine!” I nodded, returning the peach to the bag. “Tell me what’s been keeping ya busy.”
“Just working at the hospital. Taking care of babies.”
“Carol told me you was a nurse. I expect you like it?”
“Yes, ma’am, I sure do.” Rebecca’s ear-to-ear grin testified to that.
“That’s good, shug. And a children’s nurse? What a wonderful job!”
“I don’t even think of it as work. I love the children. All the babies… They’re just so precious. Most are premature, and some are terribly sick. It breaks my heart to pieces.”
“I don’t doubt it. Not one bit. You’ve always had the biggest heart.” I reached over and patted her hand. “I take it you ain’t married. I don’t see no ring.”
“No, ma’am.” Rebecca’s smile slowly faded as her eyes dropped to her bare finger.
“I see you ain’t cut that long hair, neither.”
She shook her head. “I’ve thought about it, but it’s so easy to pull back in a ponytail or put up in a bun for work. I’m usually so tired when I get home, I don’t feel like going to the beauty shop. And I don’t want to waste my days off running errands, either, even though I usually do. Seems like that’s the only time I can ever get anything done. Honestly, all my time off is spent cleaning the house, washing clothes, going to the grocery store or the post office, and cooking so I can meal prep my lunches.”
Watching her talk reminded me of how she and Jackson would sit here at the table, jabbering away, eating cookies. Little darlings, so innocent and sweet. They were both still sweet, just all grown up now, with more stuff to deal with. They were letting the world weigh ‘em down, and they were both looking for something to bring ‘em joy, trying to fill a void nothing but love was gonna fill. I saw it in Rebecca’s eyes. Green as emeralds but tormented and full of despair. It seemed like her voice was cracking the more she talked. Then she exhaled long and hard and started gnawing her bottom lip, staring at the tablecloth like she was seeing her life for what it really was. After a little bit, she lifted her heavy eyes and blinked.
“I do make it out to the library some, though. And the park, when it’s nice out.”
I smiled at her to let her know I was listening, but I knew none of that stuff even mattered to her anyway. What really mattered was what brought her to see me today. And that was Jackson. Not that she didn’t care about me, but I’m just an old woman. Only thing I had to offer her was my wisdom.
I squeezed her hand and looked deep into her eyes. “Jackson always loved your long hair. I expect he’d love to see you, shug.”
Her eyes dropped down to our hands, and she whispered, “I went to see him last night, Mrs. Ruby.” She paused and looked at me through watery eyes. Her face had grown pale. “He told me to go back home.”
My heart broke all to pieces. Why in the world would he tell her to do something like that? Lord knows they belong together. I been praying about it for over a decade. “I’m sorry to hear that.”
She tried to blink away the tears before they fell. “Why wouldn’t he talk to me?”
I let out a sigh. “Rebecca, I really don’t know. But I’ll tell ya this. Jackson’s had a rough time.”
“That’s what Momma said, but she wouldn’t say much more. Only that his life’s different now.”
“She’s right about that.” I nodded.
“All I wanted to do was talk to him. Find out what he’s been doing the last ten years. See how he’s been. But when I saw him, my heart completely ran away from me.” She paused and took a long, weary breath. “And then he kissed me… And every emotion I’d ever felt, all the feelings, they just came back. It was like I had a release inside my soul. I can’t even explain it. I just felt alive.” Her eyes lowered as she continued, “I feel dumb telling you all this, but I don’t know what to do.”
As I watched her bite the corner of her lip, trying to hide how it quivered, I couldn’t decide whether to be happy or mad, so I just felt both ways. My heart was racing at the thought of Jackson kissing her, but I was furious with him for running her off. At least I knew he still had feelings for her. Course, I already knew he did.
“I don’t know why he told you to leave, either, but I know he’s sad, and he’s lonely, and he’s angry.” I got up to pour us both a glass of water. I wasn’t sure about telling her the rest, so I said a silent prayer on my way back to my seat.
Rebecca wiped her hands across her cheeks and took the glass from me. “Thanks, Mrs. Ruby,” she said and took a long drink. Her smile was as weak as her eyes, bless her heart. At least her color was coming back, though she was likely to lose it again with all I was about to say.
“Now, as for what Jackson’s been doing the past ten years,” I blew out a long breath, “after the accident, he stayed in the coma for the longest time. The doctors didn’t give him much hope, but you and I both know God’s a miracle worker and Jackson’s a fighter. He started responding to stimuli, and before we knew it, he was awake, and they were transferring him to Orlando for rehab. He had to relearn everything. How to walk and talk and feed himself. It took months. Then the doctors sent him to Jacksonville for more rehab.”
Rebecca finished off her water, sniffed, and wiped her eyes. Feeling my own eyes starting to sting, I cleared my throat. So much was going on during that time, much more than just with Jackson. My whole life seemed to be turning upside down, my entire family falling apart.
“For close to two years, it was like we were living an absolute nightmare, not knowing if Jackson would ever be able to function without assistance. The unknown haunted us day and night. But by the grace of God, after a while, he moved from daily therapy to only needing it twice a week. Then he finally improved enough to be able to come home right before his twenty-first birthday.”
Rebecca bit her bottom lip. “I wish I would’ve been there for him. I have so many regrets.”
I knew her heart was hurting, but it would’ve killed her to see Jackson then. I couldn’t help but wonder, though, if he would’ve improved any faster if she’d been around. But that wasn’t something I needed to dwell on. The past was the past, and I just thanked the Lord she was back.
“It was
a long, painful, frustrating journey for Jackson. He stayed here with me so I could look after him. Physically, he was doing much better. But it was his memory that challenged him the longest. We’d been told recovery from a brain injury lasts a lifetime, and I have to say I believe it. Even now, Jackson has issues with his memory. Anyway, after he about went stir crazy from being cooped up so long, Andrew took him to hunt a job. They found some construction work at the beach, and Jackson started right away. You know how much Jackson’s always loved the beach.”
Rebecca nodded as she listened intently. Her gaze much softer now, her smile more settled.
“He worked every day but Sundays for close to a year. Saved just about every nickel he made and got real good at building houses. His boss, Big Al, said he had an eye for architecture. He taught Jackson everything he could about the trade and told him he’d likely be running the business someday. Big Al was good for Jackson. Treated him like a son, got him back fishing again too. Then one evening Jackson came in and told me he was gonna build himself a house. I figured it would be something he could keep his mind on for a good bit, so I told him I thought that was a great idea. Well, he went and bought some land, and before I knew it, he had started building. After about eight months, his house was complete, and he moved in.”
Rebecca’s eyes twinkled. “Good grief, Mrs. Ruby. That’s amazing.”
“I was real proud of him.” I smiled and took a drink of water. “Not too long after that, though, Big Al’s wife was diagnosed with cancer, so he decided to retire and wanted Jackson to take over the company. Only, Jackson didn’t have no contractor’s license.”
Rebecca’s brows knitted in concern. “But I thought he knew everything about building.”
“He still needed to take a test to get his license. And studying with a brain injury ain’t a walk in the park, as you can imagine.”
“Poor Jackson.” Rebecca chewed her lip as she listened.
Worth the Risk Page 16