How Did I Get Here 01: The Pain

I introduce Meredith to many people, telling her not to worry about names for now. She is staying here with us but Ronnie has asked her mom and dad if Char can stay with her. Aim says it's up to you, but I assure you they are great parents.

It is most likely that Mary and Sandi will sleep here tonight, so Judy will share their sleeping area. Our home is huge for the three of us, Jaim, Rose, and I, and we also have two Guest Bedroom Suites (GBR), one of which is set aside for your family. I know it's a bit overwhelming at the moment, but don't worry, all this crazy activity will settle down by tonight.

Meredith answers, "Char adores Ronnie, and will be thrilled staying with her during our visit. Ronnie is so smart, always teaching Char how to count and talk clearly, which is a good learning experience for her. So please tell Rollin and Aim, I am so happy for their loving arms welcoming Char to Ronnie's home."

I look to the door as three others arrive, "Come with me Meredith to meet Rose's dad Felix and her new mom Carmen. I do not know the young lady with them, so maybe you two can wander around together as newbies after we meet.

I introduce Felix and Carmen to Meredith, explaining they recently married, on the same day as Jaimee/Rose; Rollin/Aimee; and Lillie/Jenny who are Sandi's moms. I know hearing all this information at once is confusing so just try to relax for now.

Carmen introduces her niece Chancery Evette Mercer from France who does not seem at all happy being here. I feel for her since our home is sort of a revolving madhouse right now.

Meredith instantly reacts taking Chancery's hand, "Hi Chance, I am Meredith but you can call me Mere if you like. In the USA sometimes good friends shorten or use nicknames for each other; so is it okay for me to call you Chance?"

Chancery smiles for the first time, "Yes Mere, I like Chance and want to learn all about your American ways."

I am amazed at how smoothly and quickly Meredith lifts Chancery's frost, then she surprises me again, "Come with me Chance and let's explore together since this is also my first time in mom Onna May's home. You need to call her mom Onna May, or be scolded by five cute little girls."

Off the two young ladies stroll, so we are switching to:

***

MEREDITH'S POV.

I have been so flustered at mom Onna May's home since there are so many people drifting thru here, mostly family and close friends. Everyone is very nice, but there are too many new names and faces for me to possibly remember. Judy and Char quickly desert mom-Meredith without a second look, happily waltzing away with Sandi, Ronnie, and Mary.

It's a good feeling being here, but with such a huge group of people, I need a little peace or alone time. Then more new people arrive, with mom Onna May dragging me over to meet them. Again, Rose's dad Felix and mom Carmen are nice, but I need a break. The moment I realize Chancery is also new to almost everyone and is also ill at ease, I jump on it slipping into my old cheerleader take no prisoners mode.

We are now Mere and Chance, walking around together learning more about each other.

I open, "Chance, I have two daughters, Judy-4 and Char-2, who are running all over the place with Sandi, Mary, and Ronnie, all near age 7. After saying hello to the girls, let's find a quiet spot and learn more about each other. I will go first and please stop me whenever you have questions."

Chance answers, "Thanks for going first Mere, I am kind of shy, but feel good talking with you. I am so bottled up now and badly need some type of release from my ongoing sadness and depression."

I softly hug Chance, "You got it babe, a glass of PepsiMax and then true confession time between new friends."

We hear a loud commotion coming from what I now see as a playroom. Char is crawling all over Ronnie who is giggling like crazy. Sandi, Mary, and Judy are egging them on. Chance gasps in surprise seeing Mary partially hanging out of her wheelchair.

I yell, "Settle down you five nincompoops, and meet a new friend. Everybody, down on the floor right now."

I pull Chance down on the floor with me. "To our left is Ronnie, who is quashing my baby girl, Char."

Ronnie tilts her head towards us faintly sniffing. "She pulls Char with her up close to Chance, "Char and I like you Chance because of your sweetness. Can we touch your face?"

My nearly three-year-old Char puts her two cents in, "Yea, touch Chance," still crawling all over Ronnie.

Chance is confused so I explain, "Ronnie is sightless since birth, so sees by touch smell, sensation, and instinct. The moment we arrive today, Ronnie steals my baby girl, Char making me cry.

Ronnie turns from Chance, "Please don't cry Miss Meredith, I love teaching Char."

I pull Ronnie in for a warm hug, "Okay Ronnie, I won't cry, but teach Char good stuff."

She then grabs Char and they both crawl onto Chance's lap, touching and kissing her face. "We like you, Miss Chance, are you going stay here for a long time?"

Chance is smiling ear to ear from Ronnie and Char's attention, but I interrupt to introduce the other three.

"Chance, these three troublemakers are Sandi, Mary, and my daughter Judy-4. I think I mentioned Sandi, Mary, and Ronnie are all nearly 7 years old. It seems like Sandi and Mary have captured Judy leaving me all alone," I fake a whimper.

"The five girls met two weeks ago in Nunnelly, where I am living for another one or two months, then moving close to this area in Nashville. Nunnelly is an hour west of Nashville out in the sticks (rural/farming), similar to the grape(s) harvesting area in France's wine country region.

You notice Mary's wheelchair and realize she cannot walk. Mary often feels like her wheelchair is a prison or jail, so the girls play together on the floor a lot of time.

"Hello, Miss Chance, we hope you are staying for a long visit to Nashville. Then you can come with us triplet sisters when we visit Judy and Char." chimes three cute voices in unison."

I ask the girls if they are okay, and they happily say yes. Ronnie and Char Crawl back onto Chance's lap giving her another round of sweet kisses on the cheek. Then Sandi, Mary, and Judy also crawl over to Chance sharing more lovely kisses.

Chance and I leave the girls and walk toward what looks like a small den when mom Onna May and Rose join us.

Rose says, "We are not spying on you two, but that was a great interaction with the girls. We could feel the love and happiness oozing from their hearts and souls as they talk to both of you. We hope you two enjoy your visit to our home; please close the door, and then you can speak freely.

"Mom will keep watch on the girls, so no worries about them. Juice, soda, and water are in the mini-frig, so help yourselves while beginning a new friendship."

I am slightly tearing up as we enter the den, so Chance asks, "What's wrong Mere, why are you crying?"

I tell her that my girls have not been this happy in nearly six months, if ever. Then, laying my head on Chance's shoulder, the sordid details of the past three years of my life come pouring out like hitting a gusher drilling for oil. I give Chance detailed specifics of Judy, Char, and my life in Milwaukee, especially our night of terror, which I have never fully shared with anyone.

Chance hugs me, "Wow Mere and I thought my life at home in France was bitter."

She asks that I keep her secret for now, "I am so miserable at home, that most of the time I feel unloved and wanted. My mom recently married again, and her husband has two daughters similar to my age. Since my mom started dating him three years ago, I cannot do anything right while his girls are perfect. I feel so miserable and never want to go back there."

"I know that Aunt Carmen loves me and I wish she was my mom. I just needed to get away so I become such a terror at home in France destroying anything in my path. This forces my mom to ask Aunt Carmen to take me for a month, but Aunt Carmen and I have not had time to talk since my arrival. My stomach is churning badly because I overheard mom telling Aunt Carmen, I have become a real bitch just like my father!" with Chance starting to sniffle.

Now, I am trying to console Chance, who is shaking and trembling with deep emotions. I tell Chance I will keep her secret, but she must be honest with her Aunt Carmen and Uncle Felix at some point. She knows I am right, but is in such a torn state, wanting to mellow a bit first.

I suggest we go forward honestly. "For the next two days, Chance, the five girls, and I will be perfect little ladies for everyone to see. I heard you are supposed to go with Carmen and Felix to see a cousin in Los Angeles and then back to Alexandria, VA for three weeks.

Chance hotly, "Mere, I do not know this person in LA, and he/she is not my mom's relative. This person is connected in some way with my mom's new husband. I do not trust them and do not want to go to LA."

Looking intently at Chance, "Your dread of going to LA, makes our next step so much more urgent. I will corral your Aunt and Uncle, telling them how much we've enjoyed becoming friends. I am moving from Nunnelly to West Nashville, near mom Onna May in a month. So it will be great if they delay the LA trip until the end of your USA visit."

I add, "My girls already love you, Chance, so you can help me care for Judy and Char while we pack for the move here. I do not have a lot to pack, so you and I can refine our plot at the B&B when the girls are napping. Hopefully, we can convince your aunt and uncle to ditch the entire LA trip and let you stay in Nashville for a year.

Chance jumps into my arms screaming yes-yes, as the door bolts open, mom Onna May standing there with a quizzical look on her face. So I boldly invite mom Onna May in, soliciting her support.

We are fairly truthful in saying how sharing our problems of the past several months has given us a fresh air of hope in our lives. So, we feel pausing Chance's LA trip will give us space to fully uplift our spirits, which have been in the dumps for a long time.

Mom Onna May asks, "Is this truly what you want to do Chancery because you cannot turn something like this on and off on a whim?"

Chance answers, "I already love all five girls' mom Onna May and today is the happiest I have been in nearly two years. I promised Mere I will be on perfect behavior while in Nashville and eventually share with mom, um I mean Aunt Carmen my need to stay with her.

"I know every detail of Meredith's night and months of terror, so I trusted her with my ongoing terror of rejection and constant degrading by my biological mom. I am routinely put down as being weak and not as talented as her husband's girls. Honestly mom Onna May, before talking with Mere, I was deflated to the point of losing my will to live."

Looking steadily into mom Onna May's eyes, "Chancery states emphatically, I want to live and be happy, not thinking about taking my life. But I cannot do it alone and today has brought unbreakable trust between me and Meredith, but we desperately need your help."

I agree 100%, "We both can sew mom Onna May and I am certain we will help ROSES LLC succeed working as a team. For various reasons, both Chance and I have been through hell for the past one or two years and are near our breaking point. We are begging you to help us and will not fail you?"

ONNA MAY'S POV

I have just been handed a lit stick of dynamite, so I decide yes, I will help Meredith and Chancery because I believe in them. But I am stumped by the secrecy from Carmen and Felix, so I enlist the two people I trust more than anyone else in the world, Rose and Jaimee.

Rose and Jaimee agree with me after hearing my version of what I think these two young ladies have experienced. Meredith and Chancery are lost for whatever reasons and are trying to fight their way back. The two of them accept responsibility for their plan of action, and I think they will succeed because of being instinctive fighters.

If we walk away and fail them without trying, I will never sleep peacefully again. Tomorrow morning, we will sit with your dad and mom Carmen explaining the risk of losing both girls forever if we do not trust and support them now.

***

BACK TO MEREDITH POV

Meanwhile in the den, Chance and I are still talking about how best to approach pausing Chance's USA travel schedule. We both feel having mom Onna May's support is very important, but maybe Chance and I should strike first, letting mom Onna May close the deal if needed.

I run outside searching for mom Onna May, also stopping to tell the girls that Chance and I will talk to them in a few minutes. Eventually, I catch up with mom Onna May who is with Rose and Jaim, asking her to talk with Chance and me for a minute.

I explain to mom Onna May that her support is vital to us and our plan. But as adults, Chance and I should first speak with Mr. Martel and her Aunt Carmen. We will tell them about talking with you earlier regarding our terrible distress, and they can also speak with you, and get your thoughts on our problem(s).

Chance begs, "Mom Onna May, we need you on our side, but Mere is right that I need to talk first with Mr. Martel and my Aunt Carmen. So if okay with you, we will ask them for an hour alone somewhere and plead my case."

I am with Chance, "Will you please watch Judy and Char for me mom Onna May, while we spirit Mr. Martel and Chance's Aunt Carmen away somewhere quiet to talk? We will tell you everything when we finish."

Mom Onna May smiles brilliantly, "Now you two young ladies are on the right path and I am happy to help you. If okay, I will pack a few things for Char to spend the night with Ronnie at Rollin and Aim's place. Sandi, Mary, and Judy will sleep in my wing tonight, with me telling them a long bedtime story."

Mom Onna May adds, "Chancery, you should ask Felix and your Aunt Carmen if you and Meredith can have dinner with them somewhere quiet tonight to discuss an urgent change for your USA travel?"

Chance goes to speak with Felix and Carmen, while I talk with the girls. I explain that Chance and I want to talk with her aunt about not leaving us next week, and staying in Nashville for a long-long time. Mom Onna May is keeping Sandi, Mary, and Judy in her wing tonight, and Char is going home with Ronnie.

The girls are jumping up and down saying YES-YES-YES, thank you so much mom Mere.

Chance comes to collect me, and the girls are all over her.

Johnny on the spot Ronnie says, "We are all holding our pinky fingers because we will have so much fun if mom Chance stays with us. Mom Mere will also have a big girlfriend to have fun too."

***

Chance's Aunt Carmen agrees to our talking over dinner, suggesting ordering dinner in their hotel suite. She knows European teens often enjoy a glass of wine with their parents, but America's age for alcohol is 21.

We are now in the suite and I sip my first glass of wine in nearly two years since Travis's heavy drinking alcohol in St Croix and Milwaukee turned me off. I generally like white wines since they are lighter, and this Fume Blanc Chance selects from the wine list is amazing.

I know Chance is shy and scared so I speak up, "Chancery and I have become friends tonight and now are Chance and Mere to each other. Special nicknames for close friends are quite common among American youth, so I thought why not since Chance seemed a little dazed when you all arrived?

"I have experienced a very difficult and horrifying past few months, giving them a synopsis of my life's events since the move to Milwaukee. I explain that Chance is the first person to hear all the horrid details, although mom Onna May and her Nunnelly friend Mindy are a close second.

"I intently focus on running out of my home, with 2-year-old Char in my arms, while dragging 4-year-old Judy as fast as her chubby little legs could move. We are being chased by Travis, their father, and my drunken deranged husband calling us gutter names and threatening to kill us.

"I then fast-forward to my parents taking Travis's side in this hellish nightmare urging me to return to the house and let him make it right. They completely gloss over my being fearful for the girls and my life. So it's then I realize I am totally on my own, with even my mom deserting me.

"Finally, I explain my fear at the Nunnelly Crisis Center, with Wayne, Mindy, Guen, and mom Onna May rescuing us. Was it not for the four of them, my girls and I might be dead and buried in some Nunnelly cornfield?"

Tears streaming down my face, I lay my head on Chance's shoulder, "Ms. Carmen, I know you are Chance's real aunt, so can we both call you aunt Carmen and uncle Felix laying out our horrors to you?"

Before they respond I, "Oops Ms. Carmen, before Chance tells you her past year of living in destructive fear, humiliation, and terror, I want to share this tidbit.

"Chance has always seen you as her MOM; so keeping things simple and honest Chance and I indeed want to call you two Mom Carmen and Dad Felix?"

Felix's eyes widen noticeably as he starts to reply, "I _ _

To Be Continued

How Did I Get Here PT: 02 The Pause

Epilogue:

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