Mom was thrilled to hold Andrea and even to change her. She helped Jennie bathe Andrea in the kitchen sink. Andrea was safely and snugly in her bassinette with Lady on guard when Mom told us how her divorce was going. "He acts as though he was the innocent party even though I have depositions from four of his former students stating that he coerced them into sex with him. He has also been treated for STD's twice while I've always tested clean. Those are county health records. I used them to track down his lovers. My attorney says that he can subpoena them if necessary. It's not going as easily as I had hoped. That's why I want to be careful with Paul. There's no indication that he knows about us yet, but he's totally irrational. We had one meeting with our lawyers and his had to restrain him. I won't meet with him again and I'll continue to refuse counseling. Incidentally, I'll be getting another deposition from his current squeeze who described sex with him as 'sleeping with a grunting pig.'" Jennie howled with laughter then caught herself. "Don't worry. You'll learn soon enough that she'll sleep through a hurricane. That's what babies do." We said good night and headed off to bed.
Jennie and I were lying in bed, naked as usual when she whispered to me. "I miss making love with you. That's the only part of having a baby that I don't like. I can't wait for these stitches to come out and for Dr. Cullen to give her okay. I always feel so...complete...fulfilled with you inside me."
"I always feel so horny when I'm not. It's clear we were meant for each other. You make me feel like I'm the luckiest man in the world."
"That's because you are, silly." She leaned over to give me a kiss then settled in for...well, not the night, that's for sure...for as long as Andrea would permit.
We were up an hour later, warned once again by Lady who seemed to enjoy her new job. I changed Andrea while Jennie prepared herself, pushing the pillows against the headboard and getting a cloth diaper for her shoulder—for when she burped our daughter. Back in bed twenty minutes later, I congratulated Jennie on becoming a pro. "Me? All I did was sit there while she suckled. I think you did all the work...Dad!" She snuggled up against me and I pulled the blanket up to our chins.
All told, we were up three times that night so a nap was in order the following afternoon. I left at 5:30 for the drive to Myrtle Beach. Paul had a reservation at the Landmark and I saw him exit at exactly 6:12 with his suitcase. He was easy to identify because everyone else with a suitcase was going in the opposite direction—either checking in or going to their rooms.
I watched carefully as he entered the taxi, lying back because I knew where he was going—watching to see if anyone would follow. Myrtle Beach is usually pretty dead at this time of year. Even the snowbirds stay home for the holidays. There was no traffic even though I waited until they were almost a mile up the road before I put the car in gear. The cab pulled into the lot at Margaritas, an authentic Mexican restaurant. I picked it because the restaurant and the parking lot were small and I could get in from the back entrance, behind a jewelry store, but I doubted a private detective or my idiot father would know that.
Paul stood outside, calmly looking around as if waiting for someone to join him. I let him stand for about ten minutes before calling his cell. "I'm here...over on your left behind the jeweler. I'll pick you up in another minute. You can put your suitcase in the trunk. I'll have the passenger side door open for you." I started the car and turned on the lights. Ten seconds later I pulled in front of the restaurant, the trunk already up. Paul was ready for me. I left and was back on the highway in less than ten seconds.
Mom ran out to the garage as soon as I pulled in. She hugged Paul then said, "Come meet my granddaughter. She's beautiful, just like her mother." Sounded just like my mom—bragging about everyone except me. There were a lot of reasons why I left Long Island. The weather, cheaper housing and living (like I had to worry), getting away from my father, and maintaining a comfortable distance from my mother; I was sure that she loved me, but she was never too expressive of her love. I'd learned not to take it to heart a long, long time ago.
Lady greeted me once I was in the house and she was followed closely by Jennie. Mom was right about one thing. Andrea was beautiful, just like her mother. Jennie's beauty went far beyond her physical being. She was mostly a beautiful person.
We'd had no way of knowing what would happen tonight, so neither Jennie nor my mom had cooked and now it was kind of dark to grill so I suggested getting take-out pizza. Paul offered to come with me, but I thought it safer if he stayed here where we knew he wouldn't be seen. We still had no idea if dear old Dad knew about him and Mom or if he knew about Paul's trip near to where I lived. I had a listed phone so it would be child's play to find me. Then again neither Jennie nor I were hiding. We no longer had any reason to.
I'd taken an online subscription to the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier and I'd been rewarded with several articles on the former sheriff. The first told about how he was injured in a fight in the shower. I already knew about that. The second described another attack in the prison yard that had resulted in injuries so severe that he had been restricted to a wheelchair. There was conjecture as to whether he would ever be able to walk again. His attorney had appealed to the court to have his sentence reduced, but Judge Pepper steadfastly refused. I made a note to contribute to his reelection campaign. We needed more judges like him.
We had a wonderful visit with Paul. Jennie and I both liked him. Most of all we liked the way he treated my mother. "I don't often run into your father, Doug. He's in the school of science and I'm in humanities, but I have seen him often in the Faculty Senate. He has quite the reputation as a blowhard. We can always count on him to monopolize the meeting. He'll go on and on until the president has had enough then he sits down and pouts for the rest of the meeting. He thinks he's been discreet in his relationships with his students, but there have been rumors going around for years—almost as long as I've been trying to get Eleanor to divorce him."
"You know, Mom—I'll testify for you, if necessary. I have first-hand knowledge I can share. I'll bet having his only child testify will drive him crazy."
"I don't want you to get involved, Doug."
"Mom, I've been involved for the past twenty years. I'll only be bringing my annoyance to an end. I'll still hate him, though it could be worse. He could be Jennie's step-father who repeatedly raped her when she was a child."
About a week before Christmas Mom asked why we hadn't decorated for Christmas. I was ashamed to admit that I hadn't done anything last year when I was alone. We put some formula into a few baby bottles and Jennie and I took our first time off as parents to do some shopping, knowing that Andrea was in good hands with her grandmother. Our first stop was Home Depot where we bought several wreaths—a matching pair for the stone columns at the driveway and another for our front door. We even bought one for the rear gate. We bought a tree—one with the lights already wired onto the branches and dozens of ornaments. Then we went to Lowe's and we were almost there when I remembered the Christmas shop in Calabash.
The store was expensive, but had a huge selection of everything. We bought a nativity set and a big wreath for the large stone area over our fireplace. Most of all we had some ideas we would think about for next year. The good thing about this shop was that it was open all year around. The Christmas stuff at Home Depot, Lowe's, and even Walmart disappeared by January.
We had a lot of fun decorating with but one problem—Lady's tail. She must have knocked twenty decorations to the floor and twice almost knocked the tree to the floor, a problem I finally solved by placing a screw eye into the wall and connecting it to the tree with steel wire.
Jennie and I did all of our shopping online, and most of it at Harry Winston's. Jennie suggested pearl earrings and necklace for Mom. We bought similar sets of small diamond studs and pendants for Andrea and Allison. For Toni we went a bit overboard, buying what Jennie thought was an exquisite diamond and emerald pendant with matching earrings. For Paul sweaters and shirts were all we could come up with. Charlie was a fisherman and the girls had told us of a rod and reel combo that he just drooled over—a Shimano Stella reel and matching rod—exactly what I had on my boat. Jennie insisted that she didn't want anything so, naturally, I bought her an expensive gold and diamond watch by Movado. I had the best presents I could imagine in Jennie and Andrea.
Christmas day began like every other with Lady sticking her cold nose under my arm to tell me that Andrea was about to wake up. Fifteen minutes later Jennie carried her out to the living room. I placed a blanket on the floor as I'd done almost every day. She seemed to enjoy watching the lights and she always reached out for Lady who always lay right next to her, her dangerous claws facing away. Several times we'd seen Andrea reach over to touch Lady's fir and she'd laughed every time.
We exchanged gifts with Mom and Paul. Jennie loved her watch. She bought me a new watch, too—a solar powered Seiko. We spent a quiet day—as quiet as a day can be when there's a three-week old baby in the house. The Blasi's phoned around noon to wish us a merry Christmas and we discussed their visit.
I met them at the general aviation terminal and—wow—were they excited! They had several plastic bags with brightly colored boxes in addition to their suitcase. I drove into the garage not more than forty minutes later. After hugging Jennie and being introduced to Mom and Paul the girls ran upstairs to unpack. We had planned to exchange gifts at that time, but apparently Lady had other ideas. She took Andrea's wrist in her mouth and led her to our room, stopping right in front of the bassinette with our sleeping daughter. Andrea, Allison, and Toni stood there for a good twenty minutes
They took photos and commented on how beautiful and how tiny she was. When she woke up they commented on how loud she was. The girls asked if they could watch when Jennie nursed and we agreed. Then while Andrea was still awake they gave her their presents. Andrea had bought her a pink bear with the softest covering. It became her favorite. Allison bought her rattle with several colorful bands on a plastic ring and was thrilled when Andrea was able to hold it. Of course, she tried to put it into her mouth. We gave them their gifts then and they were understandably pleased—more than pleased, they were ecstatic. "You shouldn't have," was what Toni said, but the expressions on her and her daughters' faces said otherwise. I'd hear that expression several times over the next few months.
Charlie arrived as scheduled on the 30th and I met him in Myrtle Beach's main terminal. The first words out of his mouth when he saw the gift from Jennie and me were—you guessed it!—"You shouldn't have." Yes; his face said otherwise.
We would have normally taken everyone out for dinner several times, but neither Jennie nor I were ready to take our newborn daughter out into crowds of coughing and sneezing people with colds or flu, or worse. Instead, Mom and Toni handled the evening cooking, Mom making pot roast and baked ham and Toni doing both homemade lasagna and spaghetti with homemade meatballs and Italian sausage. I handled most lunches, grilling hot dogs, homemade burgers, kielbasa, and bratwurst. We all wanted Jennie to take things as easy as possible.
The girls chipped in with caring for Andrea who we decided to call "Andi" to separate her from Andrea, her namesake. They changed her diapers and helped with her bath. They loved to hold her and did so often.
We had a great time New Year's Eve, but when Lady ran out of the bedroom at 12:30 to get us we called it a night. All of our guests left two days later by limo. There were six of them and our largest car, Jennie's SUV, could hold them, but not their suitcases, too. There were hugs and kisses aplenty and even a few tears, even though we assured them that we'd see them soon—Spring Break at the latest.
Jennie and I took Andi to her first doctor's appointment about a week later. It was a well-care visit, one of many that would be scheduled over the next few years. She'd received her first shot and she wasn't happy. Poor Andrea cried and cried even after we had left the office and were on our way home. We needed some baby powder and some ointment so Jennie asked me to drop her at Walmart. She'd go in while I waited in the car with Andi. I found a parking spot and stood outside the car so she'd be able to see me. Luckily, she wasn't in the store too long. I waved, she saw me and we were back in the car less than ten minutes later.
I drove out toward the highway, paying keen attention to the traffic. Whoever designed this parking lot should be strung up by his balls. There are so many blind turns that anyone who does more than ten miles an hour is a fool. One of the exits requires a left-hand turn right into entering traffic. I was almost out when I felt Jennie's grip on my arm. "Doug!" I looked first at her then saw what she was looking at. Rather than driving to the highway I found a parking spot and walked up to the stop sign. Seated there with a homemade cardboard sign was a man—yes, it was a man this time—begging for help.
"What's your story, Mister," I asked as I approached.
"I lost my job...my career, actually. Then I lost my house. My family's been staying at the city shelter for the last week. It's dangerous there. I worry about my wife and my little girl every night. Even worse, if we don't get there on time we have to sleep in my truck. I don't even know if I have enough gas to get back to them."
"What did you do for a living?"
"I was a roofer. Then I fell and broke my hip. I got workers' comp and disability, but they're nothing compared to what I was making. Then they dried up...fucking government—all they ever do is screw you. Can you help me? Will you...please?"
"I can and I will. It was about a year ago that I met a young woman at this very stop sign. We're now married and we have a little girl of our own." I reached for my wallet and pulled out ten fifties. Handing them to the man I told him, "Get your family out of the shelter and into a motel. There's a gas station about two blocks down the highway. You might want to go there first." I took a business card from my wallet and wrote on the back—Blue Ribbon Cleaners—with their phone number. "I spoke to the owner just the other day. They clean our house every week and they're in dire need of people. You can tell them I told you to call. It's only $10 an hour, but they'll be happy to get you. Maybe your wife would like a job, too if you can find daycare for your daughter."
He shook my hand as he thanked me repeatedly until I suggested his wife and child needed him. He grinned, probably for the first time in weeks then jogged across the exit to an old pickup truck. I returned to my wife, realizing for perhaps the millionth time how lucky we actually were. I was barely in the car when Jennie leaned across the console, planting a huge kiss onto my lips. "You're such a wonderful man. How much did you give him?"
"Five hundred and the phone number of Blue Ribbon."
"Oh...good idea; no wonder I love you so much. And to think it's our anniversary. Yes, darling—it's exactly one year since I met you here...the very best year of my life." She kissed me again and I drove down the highway to our home and our future.
EPILOG
Jennie had offered me sex—her hand and her mouth-as soon as we left the hospital with Andi. I had looked at her with the total love she deserved, but turned her down flat. "Sex...excuse me, making love is about giving as much as it is taking. I can't do anything for you now so I plan to abstain until I can-besides you need to rest. God, I never realized what an ordeal giving birth can be. I was wasted afterwards and all I did was watch." Jennie laughed hysterically then took my hand. I knew that she'd find a way to tell me when she was ready-the very first second after she had her doctor's okay. That day came in late January and it was well worth waiting for. We were back to a minimum of once a day from that day forward.
Andrea phoned us as soon as she heard—she had been accepted at Villanova and was given a full scholarship. We did our best to act surprised. We told her that we were extremely pleased for her. Later, we received a phone call from Charlie. "I know you had something to do with it. They told me at Rutgers that my income meant she'd get a partial scholarship at best." I denied knowledge and responsibility repeatedly until Charlie rang off, saying, "Thanks. I really mean that—thanks so much."
As promised we did see them at Easter when Andrea asked if we would come to her graduation. She explained that in good weather the rite would be conducted at the football field with unlimited seating. If it rained, only Mom and Dad could actually attend due to restricted seating. We assured her that we'd be there for her big day and we were. The weather was glorious—mid-eighties with a light breeze coming off the Hudson tidal estuary and the Atlantic. Jennie sat to my right, Andi on my lap looking as cute as a button in her little brimmed cap, and my service dog to my left. Charlie, Toni, and Allison were on the bleachers just in front of us. Charlie thanked me again after the ceremony, but I pleaded total ignorance. Andrea went on to med school, again earning a full scholarship. Allison wasn't quite the student her sister was, but she also earned a full scholarship to Penn State where she studied Elementary Education.
We remained friends with Charlie and Toni long after their children became productive adults with families of their own. It was on one of our fishing trips that Charlie asked me for help one more time. I promised him that Toni would never lack for anything should he pass on. His thoughts that day seemed prophetic two months later when he suffered a fatal heart attack while at work. Our family spent a full week in Hoboken in support of Toni and his two wonderful daughters. I had mixed emotions when Toni asked if I would speak at the funeral.
"It's funny how people meet," I began. "I brought my wife to New York to buy her engagement and wedding rings and one night we went to see the musical 'Hamilton.' I had my service dog with me and a woman took exception to sitting next to her even though I had purchased a seat for my dog. Charlie and I struck up a conversation during intermission about that woman's terrible behavior and I asked if he and Toni would like to join us for a drink after the show. They agreed and thus began the best friendship we've ever known. Charlie, Toni, and their daughters are a part of our extended family. Neither Jennie nor I have much of a relationship with our parents for reasons that aren't important today.
"Charlie and I shared a love of fishing and good food. We also shared a love of our families. Charlie was an excellent role model for me and for his sons-in-law. He loved Toni with all his heart. He loved his daughters and grandchildren every bit as much and he was a man who believed strongly in his God. Good-bye, my friend. I'll miss you more than I could ever say." I returned to the pew and broke down, crying unashamedly while Jennie comforted me. We met at that tiny Italian restaurant later where we celebrated Charlie's life. Only when everyone had left did I share with Toni the solemn promise I'd made to Charlie. I gave her fifteen million dollars. After taxes she'd have roughly half. That was invested in a tax-free mutual fund that would pay more than three percent—more than $200,000 tax free annually. The money would go to her daughters and their families when she passed.
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