Redemption Falls: Stillwater Rises

"Nope, I figured as much. I've done some home renovations before. You don't have an electrician listed." He waved her off. "We can discuss that later. The reason I called you in is because corporate office wants you to be there for the next quarterly meetings. We'll pay travel and hotel. You pay food and amenities. That gives you three months to get things settled and prepared."

"Why me...?" Amber asked.

"Every member of management has to go to these things every now and again. They'll want to do some overlap training. That way if I'm sick, things can get shuffled and everything stays covered." He smiled again. "If it was me, I schedule the bulk of the repairs on that week. It's better than trying to sleep in a construction zone."

***

In the brightly lit diner, Sherry blushed at the comments the tall sexy Brad was tossing her way. She knew she wasn't pretty like her house mates. Compared to them, she felt like the troll under the bridge.

She also knew she wasn't the brightest crayon in the box, and she knew she must look like a beached whale. Sherry was feeling good because Allen finally signed the divorce papers and in a couple of weeks she would be finally free of him.

"I'm serious; all the guys are talking about all the pretty girls in that house. I mean I couldn't date Amber anymore because of her brother, even the captain warned me off. But... you're not even related..." He leaned in as close as he thought was acceptable.

"Oh, please. I'm the black sheep of that bunch. I'm as big as a house. I'm also not completely divorced yet either." She blushed a deeper red. "Besides, someone young and attractive, like you, wouldn't want to be tied down to a readymade family." She rubbed her tummy as the baby kicked and AJ scattered his cereal all over the highchair. She loved the attention, but knew he had to be only funning with her.

"Why not, I've always wanted a big family. I've also always liked women who didn't think they had to be twig thin to look good..." He left the sentence dangle as his eyes wandered to the deep cleavage of her blouse.

"Brad, you quit hitting on Miss Sherry and get over here." One of the guys in the corner booth yelled.

"I'll see you later. Do you think Amber would mind if I come over to see you?" He asked hesitantly.

"I, umm, yeah... I mean no, I don't think she'd mind. She has someone and they're happy." Sherry stammered.

"Okay, maybe next Saturday then. I have it off and maybe we could go out and do something." He smiled making her feel warm to her toes and walked back to his friends.

"Well what do you think about that?" Mrs. Sheila asked as she handed AJ back to Sherry. "He's one handsome son of a trucker, I'll give him that. And if he's lookin for a good wife, he'd find none better." She laughed at the look on Sherry's face.

"Oh stop... Like he's really interested in someone like me, I'm sure he was just funning me." Sherry took her son and started putting him into his stroller.

"I wouldn't look a gift horse, sugar. You never know, some of them fellers are smart like that. They knows a good thing when they sees it. I'd take him up on that date if I was you. It could end up being the best thing since sliced bread." She nodded in agreement with herself.

"You're just as bad as him, teasing a big, fat, and pregnant woman; like that. I'm sure certain he has a lot better things to do, than lavish attention on me. I'm sure there's some pretty little thing that will catch his eye." She got up and tossed a couple of ones on the counter.

"Looks to me like there is one... It looks to me like he's still lookin at you, sugar britches." She laughed again at Sherry's blush. "Don't you go being a stranger again. I'm sure Miss Amber won't mind you coming over at least once a week, so us old biddies can spoil that AJ of yours, rotten. Give him some sweetening, likes his father never had, we will." She crossed her skinny arms and nodded again.

"Yes Ma'am. It's been a pure pleasure to be able to come and go as I please. You still have to give me your meatloaf recipe." She pushed AJ's stroller in front of her. "We'll see you later." She lugged her stuff, the diaper bag, and pushed AJ toward the door.

"See you... and no one gets my secret for meatloaf. Bye-bye, sugar; take good care of them babies. Tell Miss Mary I said hey." She turned and went back to serving her customers.

"Bye, bye now..." She headed to her van tell the gurgling AJ. "Don't forget to remind me, we need to stop at the store to get some greens for dinner. We got to keep Miss Mary healthy. Little Louse needs her vitamins."

"Gla..." AJ said and burped, making Sherry laugh as she ignored the twinge in her back. She's been ignoring them all day.

That night over dinner, she told them about her trip into town and asked about all their day. They all chatted happily, as everyone was brought up to date on what was going on and what was decided about the renovations. As dinner was winding down, Sherry asked about Brad, asking if he'd be accepted, if he came calling on Sherry. Amber looked at Tara and told Sherry.

"I don't care. We only went out on a couple of dates. As long as he doesn't cause a fuss about who lives in my house. If you want to date him, that's your business." She smiled wickedly.

"I'd wait until after you deliver and heal up, before you go out dating again. But if you did happen to go into labor, it couldn't hurt to have a big strong fireman handy." Tara said in a teasing voice.

"Tara, that's mean. Not everyone can be so happy; sunshine's beaming out their ass." Mary said, bouncing Louse on her lap.

"What...? I'm serious. She's due like any second now. I wouldn't know what to do when the balloon pops. You might; Miss, I've got the cutest baby girl on the planet, but I'm new to all this baby stuff." She smiled sweetly at Mary. "Between the two of you, I might never get a good night sleep again."

"Oh, just wait until they decide to get frisky. We'll have Mrs. Johnson running over again to see whose getting killed. That's always fun." Sherry teased back.

"What do you mean?" Mary asked as Louse burped and wanted the nipple again.

"They get a bit loud..." Sherry started to say.

"How do you keep that child fed? I mean, you're not flat by any means, but not as full as Miss Gallons of milk over there either." Tara interrupted, red faced. "We're fixing that." She scolded Sherry, who laughed and fed AJ some more Cheerio's.

"We get by. I've ballooned up to a C cup and she seems to know when I'm getting full and wants a refill. God, that first day was murder. I never thought she'd empty me enough to make them stop hurting." She shivered at the memory.

"Darn it... don't talk like that... you're making me leak and I didn't bring any pads down." Sherry said exasperated.

"Sorry..." She smiled at Tara and Amber. "Just wait until you two have kids. They joy of being a milk station for a nonstop appetite." She buttoned her blouse and rubbed a sleepy Louse until she belched and fell asleep.

"How are the plans going?" Sherry asked, trying to ignore the throbbing of her full breasts. She knew it would be days before her new child needed the milk. She also knew she was getting close.

"We need to get an electrician to do an inspection and we can finalize everything. Oh Sherry, just use the pump. AJ is falling asleep at the table and you're making a mess." Amber said as the wet spots grew on her friend's blouse.

"I'm not supposed to... Ohh...." She paused and blushed. "Ummm, about making a mess... um, I need a towel."

"Why..." Mary looked down and saw the puddle on the floor. "Oh goodness... I'm sorry sweetie. Why didn't you tell us you've been having pains?" Mary said as soon as she figured out what the problem was.

"I thought they were just cramps. I did that a lot the last month with AJ." She blushed again. She felt like she had peed her pants.

"What's going on?" Amber asked catching the vibe between the two mothers.

"Tara, take Louse and put her in her crib. Amber you take AJ and lay him down. I'll get the towel. Whose car is parked closest to the street? Sherry's water just broke." Mary said, as she directed traffic.

"I'll call Mrs. Johnson; she's good with the kids. Do you have enough milk pumped in case it takes a while?" Amber jumped up and quickly took the sleepy AJ out of his highchair.

"Who... what... huh?" Tara said confused.

"Sweetheart, get a move on." Amber bumped her lover. "Sherry is going to have her baby on the floor if we don't get her to the hospital." She headed up the stairs with her arms full of a sleeping AJ.

"Oh, Shit...! Really...? I was... I was joking!" Tara jumped up almost tipping her chair over.

"Don't wake the baby, or you'll have to rock her back to sleep and drive yourself." Mary said, cautioning the woman as she handed her the sleeping Louse.

"You'll be hearing a lot of that..." Sherry huffed. "It's one of the most important rules. Never wake the baby. If they're asleep, you sleep, or you'll never get any sleep." Sherry said and groaned. "Oh, that was a good one... I think it's time to go." She puffed and leaned against the thinner Mary.

"I got the bag, and Mrs. Johnson is on her way over." Amber came running down the stairs. "Tara, remember to bring your keys. We might need to take both cars. Where is the new car-seat?" Amber asked and looked around excited.

"Calm down Amber... It will be okay. We don't need it yet." Mary smiled and then told Sherry. "Don't forget your breathing. Just relax and breathe." She looked at Tara and Amber as Tara came back down. "One of you will have to drive her. She isn't going to wait. The other can take me after Mrs. Johnson gets here. She's progressing pretty fast."

"I'm here... I'm here." Mrs. Johnson bound in the front door. "I know where everything's at, and Poppa can get me anything I might need." She said, closing her long house coat over her nightgown. "We were getting ready for bed... you girls get going. I've opened the door to the van, now scoot!"

***

Amber shuffled into work late. Tara had to leave early, so she had to wait until Mary was free to take her to work. She waved at her tellers and walked past Mr. James's open door heading to her office.

"What happened this time?" He asked as she passed.

"Sherry had her baby last night and I was coach." She yawned and took a big sip of her coffee.

"Never a dull moment at the Mouser house." He shook his head. "I need the preliminary reports by eleven and you need to get with the other departments to get their stuff to coordinate for your meeting next quarter. Have Rebecca go out and buy a new coffee pot. You're going to need it." He smiled and waved her off. "Oh, and don't forget to post all the particulars in the break room. It will be better than having to tell everyone one at a time."

"I will..." Amber grunted and shuffled into her office and supported her chin in her hands as she willed the caffeine into her system.

***

Mary was rocking Louse and feeding her as she was telling the bright eyed Mrs. Johnson. "Yes, a little girl this time. Six pounds eight ounces... eighteen inches long. It will give Louse someone to play with. Sherry's doing great. She got more sleep that the rest of us. Why is it that babies wait until the ungodly hours of the morning to be born? I don't envy Amber or Tara's work day. They were both beat."

"So has she named the little tyke yet?" Mrs. Johnson asked the nodding off mother.

"What... oh, not yet. She had boy names picked out. She never expected a girl. We've given her some suggestions but it will be up to her." She looked down at her own daughter and felt the love swelling. She'd love to have a little brother or sister for Louse, but not with the impending divorce.

"Well you know my number if you girls need anything." Susan Johnson said, interrupting her private thoughts. "I know things are going to get busy real soon, with the renovations and two little babies in the house. I have to take Poppa to the doctor more often now, he is having problems with his breathing, but I still get by."

"We can't thank you enough. How were they last night?" She wanted nothing more than to put Louse down for a nap and take one herself. But she knew AJ would be awake soon and asking for his mother. By processes of elimination, she caught the day shift.

"A couple of little angels... AJ is starting to say a few words I could actually make out. Trace came by and demanded to see you. I told him to call back today. He had a bunch of questions, but he'll get no answers from me and he knows it." She nodded her head and humphed.

"I expect it to get worse before it gets better. He'll be served with divorce papers next week." She said sadly.

"Divorce...?" She asked shocked. "You're not going to even try and work it out?" The older woman wondered why these young people were so quick to call it quits.

"I'm sorry, but he's lied to me, sold my jewelry, became the town drunk, refused to be honest and trust me, and when I told him no; he hit me. If there was a marriage there to save, I might try, but there isn't." She said firmly. "You've seen how he was at the wake... he's only gotten worse. It's like something has snapped and broke inside of him and it's changed him into a different person." Mary explained sadly.

"How have your parents taken the news?"

"As well as can be expected. I got the 'I told you so's' from my father, and my mother, like you, thinks we need to go through couples therapy." She shrugged.

"Have they seen your face?" She pointed to the fading black eye.

"NO.... I mean... sorry, but no. I don't want them to see me like this. Daddy would kill Trace. All I want is to be free of it. Hopefully one day he will see the error of his ways and be a good father to Louse, but I can't wait that long. I can't put Louse at risk of his temper. If he hurt my daughter, I'd have to kill him. Trust me, it is better this way. I didn't make this decision lightly. I never wanted my marriage to end, but he killed it." Mary said sadly.

"When will men ever learn? I guess I see what you mean. Most mommas' are like grizzly bears when it comes to their cubs. There isn't anything on the face of this earth to back them down if their cubs are at risk. Well, if you ever need anything, just holler. I've got to get going. Poppa needs to go and get a breathing treatment." She stood up and kissed Mary on the head. "You take care now."

"I will... thanks again." Mary said and continued to rock her baby, lost in thought.

Sherry:

At the hospital, in the maternity ward, Sherry was looking down into the clear blue eyes of her daughter. The nurse was there, making sure she knew how to breast feed, as the little girl noisily rooted around until her mouth was full of momma's nipple and she got her first drink.

"Well, it looks like you two know what you're doing." The nurse beamed at the new mother and child.

"Yes, I've done this before. She has a big brother." She touched the fine hair on her daughter's head as she suckled.

"Um, can I come in?" A voice asked from the doorway.

"Allen, what are you doing here?" Sherry asked shocked, as she covered herself and the baby in a protective move.

"I ah... I just wanted to see the baby." He stammered. Sherry almost didn't recognize her ex-husband. He was clean shaven and in nice, clean clothes. His hands were scrubbed clean and didn't have the usual grease and dirt covering them.

"I'll just leave you alone." The nurse said as she didn't want to intrude on the family. She knew if this was the father, he'd need some bonding time with their new daughter.

"No, please stay.... We're divorced and..." Sherry said, not wanting to be alone with Allen.

"Oh, Okay..." The nurse looked shocked.

"It's alright. I won't stay long. I heard that you had the baby and I just wanted to... I wanted to see the baby." He said quietly. "I won't cause no problems, I promise." He added shuffling his feet.

Sherry pulled up her top to cover her breast as she pulled her daughter out from under the blanket. She didn't know how to act. Allen had changed so much. She had seen him just a couple of weeks before, but still, the change startled her. She had never seen him like this since their wedding day.

"It's a girl this time." She said timidly. "I haven't named her yet. I was expecting another boy." She motioned him closer so he could see his daughter.

"She looks just like her mother... I'm sorry.... I um, was hoping that when you get out of the hospital, we could sit down and maybe talk. I know you gots reason to be mad at me and all... but I just want to explain some things." He refused to look her in the eye. He had reasons for the way he acted, but didn't know if Sherry would ever understand them.

"I don't know..." She sighed. If he acted like this sooner, their divorce might have gone smoother. She knew no matter what, after what she saw, she would have still divorced him, but still she hated all the yelling and fights as Allen fought against the inevitable.

"We could meet some place public, but private enough for me to have my say in peace. I promise I won't hurt you. Least ways, not hit you again. I just wanted to clear the air and maybe be able to see my kids from time to time without a big fuss." He reached out to touch the little baby, but stopped, not sure if he should.

"Here, do you want to hold your daughter?" the nurse came over and took the baby from Sherry and handed her to the father. "You can't take her out of this room, but you can hold her for a bit." She looked at Sherry to make sure she hadn't overstepped her bounds. All she saw was relief on the new mother's face.

"She sure is little. Allen Junior was never this tiny.... How's he doing?" He asked looking down at the little girl in awe.

"AJ is fine. Mrs. Johnson is watching him." She wanted to say more, but didn't know what to say.

"Momma Martin wanted me to ask if sometime she could see the babies." Allen asked and saw the look on Sherry's face and had one of his answers. "Yeah... um okay, I understand. That's like one of the things I need to explain. I wondered about that when you yelled at me." He stopped talking at the query on the face of the nurse. "I better go now... I'll talk to you later." Allen handed the baby back to the nurse and quietly left the room.

"What was that all about?" the nurse asked as she placed the infant into her bassinette.

"I really don't know. That was the most civil he has been to me since I got pregnant." Sherry said confused and tired.

"Well you should get some rest while the baby is sleeping. The doctor will be in to look at the baby in the morning." The nurse said putting the baby in the clear bassinette. "If you decide on a name, let us know and we can finish filling out the paperwork." She patted Sherry's arm and turned off the bright overhead light, as she closed the door, pushing the baby in front of her.

The next day, Savanna Rhea Tyner-Martin was put in her new car seat and strapped into her mother's van. "Remember if you or the baby has any problems, call us right away." The nurse told Sherry as she was helped out of the wheelchair.

"Yes Ma'am, I will." Sherry said as they closed her car door.

As Mary pulled away from the hospital, she told Sherry. "We got the cradle next to your bed, and AJ will sleep in the other room with Louse. You need to take it easy for the next couple of days, until the doctor checks you out. Don't worry about the chores or anything. We've got a schedule set up."

"I'll be okay... I'm just a bit tired, is all." Sherry said as she looked back at her new baby. "I don't know what we'll do while the house is being worked on. Did they ever finish the plans?"

"There's an electrician poking around today, so Amber and Tara should make up their minds soon." She looked at Sherry. "We sure make a house full, don't we?" She asked wondering how they were all going to live together until the additions were finished. Maybe she should just go to her parent house after all.