Synchronicity for Six Pt. 06

= = =

Tom and Julie's return trip from Middleburg was subdued. Julie was completely wrapped up in her thoughts to the exclusion of Tom's polite entreaty for her to choose the music. After a few miles of nothing but the hum of tires on the highway, Tom got his phone playing his default Spotify playlist, one he named "Harrisons and Lawsons". It began with the Turtles' "Happy Together" and included many songs that they both enjoyed.

About halfway to their destination, Julie asked Tom to stop at the next gas station. Once there, she dashed inside for the restroom. Tom took advantage of the stop to refill the gas tank, then went inside as Julie had not returned yet. He picked up a couple of bottles of soft drinks and returned to the Jeep. After another ten minutes of waiting and still no Julie, he went back inside. He listened at the bathroom door and heard muffled sobs. Knocking on the door, he called out to her.

"Jules? Is everything okay, sweets?"

"No, not really, but I'll be out in a minute," came her reply.

Ninety seconds later, Julie got in Tom's Jeep and accepted the proffered beverage. She took a big swallow, then dabbed at her eyes with some tissue in her hands.

"Please drive on, Tom, and I'll try to explain," she requested. It took another minute for her to regain her composure and begin.

"Let me try to get this out, please, before you say or do anything, Tom. Please." He nodded his agreement. "This weekend has been horrendous for me. I've screwed up eight ways to Sunday, left and right, and I'm afraid." She paused, taking another drink. "I'm afraid you'll turn your back on me and walk away because I deserve it." Watching for his rebuttal, she placed her fingers on his lips. "I don't deserve you, as much as I never want to let you go. Yeah, I get it now. Everything I do wrong is indeed my fault."

Tom puckered his lips to kiss her fingertips. Once she pulled them away, he started his little diatribe.

"Jules, my jewel, my princess, my love. I'm not going anywhere without you by my side. You don't get to say that you don't deserve me. Yes, we've had some problems recently, but with a few small changes, I know we will come through this stronger than ever. I'm sorry for your tears. I can't say they're undeserved, but I would never wish that kind of sorrow for you. Here, hold my hand and we'll talk more once we get back to our place."

= = =

"Katie, would you like to stay for supper? Alan's ordering Luigi and Sons' pizza for us," Rose asked. She had stuck her head in the media room once she heard Maggie ending the video call with her friends. It seemed to have been a very good catch‑up session for Maggie, and Katie had a smile on her face as well. Katie looked at Maggie, who cocked her head and raised her eyebrows in question.

"Sure, I'd love to! I need to let my folks know, though."

"Good answer, my dear. Is there anything you don't like on pizza?"

"Meats and veggies are fine. No anchovies, please, though."

"We'll get a large 'works' pizza, then. About 45 minutes and we'll eat at the table." Getting assurances from the girls, Rose closed the door and got Alan to place the order for delivery. A gentle tapping on her shoulder caused her to turn and face Katie. "What is it, dear?"

"My mom would like to talk with you, please."

Rose accepted the offered phone.

"Hello, Mrs. O'Shea? This is Rose Lawson, Maggie's mother... Yes, from church... Oh, thank you... Yes, I did invite her to have supper with us. Is that okay?... I understand. We'll get her heading home before it gets very late... Oh, no, she's an excellent guest... Thank you, Michelle. Goodbye."

Rose handed the phone back to Katie and fixed the young lady with her eyes.

"Katie, I'm so pleased that you and Maggie seem to be becoming very good friends. She has needed one here in Middleburg so badly. She has shared with me that your home life is probably not what it should be. I want you to hear me clearly, Katie. You are welcome here at any time. You will not be ignored in my home. If the door's unlocked, you do not need to knock or ring the doorbell. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

"Ye- yes, Mrs. Lawson," Katie stammered, tears beginning to pool in her eyes at the sanctuary being offered.

"Okay, then. Go wipe your face in the bathroom. Alan's calling the order in right now. Scoot!" Once Katie had closed the door to the bathroom, Rose signed deeply. She and Maggie needed to talk about Katie's home life, at least as much as Maggie knew about. It would probably have to wait until morning, though.

= = =

Tom pulled up in front of their apartment and gently shook Julie's shoulder. She had fallen asleep about a half-hour before but had not relinquished her grasp on his right hand. He gently eased his hand from her grasp, shifted the Jeep into Park, then woke her up.

Julie gave a complete body jolt as she woke, and looked around. "We're home?"

"Yep. Let's get our bags inside and see what damage Dawn and John left for us," he said, teasingly. All the lights were off, so he expected that the refugees had departed.

Julie looked around, rather surprised. The little bit of mess they had left on Friday had been tidied up, and everything looked ship-shape. Checking the kitchen, all the dishes were washed and put away. She saw a Post-It note on the refrigerator.

"Jules, words cannot truly express my gratitude for your place of sanctuary. Call me ASAP. -D"

Julie opened the refrigerator to find it completely stocked with vegetables, dairy, and meat. The one bottle of wine they had was missing, however. She was not surprised at the absent wine, although the rest of the refrigerator's contents was unexpected. Closing the refrigerator door, she looked up to see Tom standing in the doorway. He crooked his finger, beckoning her to follow him to their bedroom. Everything was perfect there as well.

Tom pulled her into his embrace and just held her close for a few minutes. Breaking the embrace, he pulled back, looked deeply into her eyes, and admitted, "I was wrong to get upset, Jules. You did exactly the right thing in giving Dawn a key."

"But I was wrong, too. I should have asked you before doing it. 'All's well that ends well' is a nice sentiment, but it's not always practical. I'm sorry, too." Julie burrowed her head into his chest, squeezing him tightly.

"I'm going to need your help, Tom, moving forward. Please watch over me and try to pull me back from the brink of the abyss."

"Let's get some food in us and we can talk about this some more. How empty did they leave the refrigerator?"

Julie laughed, then led him to see for himself.

= = =

Giving Katie a big hug farewell, Maggie watched her friend get into her car and drive off before Maggie closed and locked the front door and turned out the porch light. It was 8:45 PM and she had just enough time to prepare for her call with David.

"Oh Davey, I missed you so much this weekend!" she began.

"Hey there, Kitsune girl. Apart from missing me, how's my foxy lady tonight?"

Maggie recapped the day's events, focusing on Julie's reactions to the friendship rings.

"I knew she wouldn't take it well, but her reaction exceeded my expectations. I almost thought she was going to have an aneurysm there in the foyer when we got home from church. I think Tom's going to have his hands full in the coming weeks. I don't know how he's ever coming back from this," she said pessimistically.

"Maggie, never underestimate my brother. Give him the benefit of the doubt and trust that his love for your sister will overcome whatever obstacles she creates. That's what I believe because I know him well enough. Let them deal with it, Magpie. Your concern should primarily be yourself and us.

"Speaking of us, I'll be home for supper on Friday, so please let momma know. For what it's worth, I haven't been able to keep my hands off my ring all weekend. I'm constantly fidgeting with it."

"I'm so glad you have that to remind you of me," Maggie commented. "I look at and touch my ring frequently throughout the day as well, Davey. Have I told you about all the compliments I get about it? And I miss you so much. I got really spoiled having you around for a whole month."

David smiled at the recollection of their time together, not only the sex but just the time together. 'Breathing the same air' as his mother used to say.

Maggie wrapped up their chat with the information that she would now be tutoring both Katie and Joy in Trigonometry and preparing for their ACT exams. She would be sure to save some time each night for him, but it might now be later than before. David was fine with the potential change to their schedule. He just needed to be informed of when they would talk.

"I'll see you on Friday, Magpie. I love you."

"And I love you too, Boy Scout!"

= = =

"Yeah, Dad, we made it here just fine... Actually, they left the place cleaner than when they arrived... Okay, I'll pass it along to her. Tell momma I love her, too. Goodbye!"

With that, Tom disconnected the call home and looked across the table at Julie.

"Dad says I'm to give you lots of hugs and kisses. Oh my, how challenging will that be for me?" Tom said satirically. "I suppose we should now keep a small supply of wine on hand for Dawn and John, at least until they can legally buy it for themselves." Julie just smiled in response.

They washed their supper dishes and set them out to dry overnight. Tom extended his hand and said, "Come, my jewel. I need to see about giving you all those hugs and kisses I promised."

It was still a little early, but neither of them complained as they turned out the lights and went to bed, cuddling and snuggling each other, holding each other as if never planning to let go.

Monday, February 1

'Manic Monday' emanated from Alan's clock radio at 6 AM, rousing the bed's occupants. But before Alan could lever himself to his feet, Rose's hand slammed into his chest, forcing him back and down against the mattress. He felt her tugging on his pajama bottoms and then heard an exasperated sigh from his fiancée.

"Come on, Alan. Lift your butt," she said, continuing her attempts to divest him of his sleepwear. It was then that he noticed that she was already naked, and the day was getting off to a wonderful beginning for them both. Much to their mutual enjoyment, he complied with her plans, and the new 6 AM coitus routine had begun.

"You... may... need... to... set... your... alarm... for... an... earlier... time," she managed to grunt out as she slammed her hips into his, driving him into the mattress, over and over again. He was thankful that he had a new mattress and box spring combination, and that it was still under warranty. Neither of them lasted very long, and when Rose lifted her head from his chest to look him in the eye, all he could say was, "I do so adore morning sex with you, my love."

Eventually, they caught their breath and untangled from each other. Alan led Rose by the hand into the shower where he proceeded to lovingly wet, wash, and rinse his girlfriend from head to toe. And she loved every second of his attention.

They dressed for the workday, descended the stairs hand in hand, and proceeded to the kitchen. Maggie wasn't working that day, so Rose doubted they would even see her daughter before they had to leave for their respective employments. To her complete surprise, the coffee was already made and Maggie was sitting at the kitchen table.

"Mom, you know, your bedroom is right above the kitchen and living room, right?"

"Yeah..."

"From what I heard, you would be well advised to purchase the extended warranty on your mattress and box spring." Rose's face flamed in embarrassment as Maggie continued. "David says he'll be here for supper on Friday, 'momma', so please plan accordingly."

"What are you doing up so early, Magpie?" Alan inquired, pouring the coffee into two mugs, then handing the adulterated one to Rose.

"Couldn't sleep beyond 5:30 this morning and nobody else was online. I'm trading math and ACT prep tutoring for driving lessons with Katie, so I thought I'd hit YouTube for ideas on tutoring Trig as well as some online 'how to drive a car' videos. Maybe even look for what the state requires to get a driver's license." Alan blinked a couple of times in surprise. Rose just smiled as she recognized an internally motivated Maggie.

"Katie will come by here as soon as she is done with classes today," Maggie continued. "She thought the safest place for us would be the parking lot at church."

Alan sat back, blinking in surprise yet again, then he realized how correct Katie was. The parking lot was plowed and nobody would be there that late in the afternoon. And there were spaces already marked for practice in parking. He smiled broadly at the idea.

"Well, this was a little slice of heaven," he commented. "I have to get ready to explain why one of our project managers will no longer be showing up for work. Ladies, keep out of trouble, please." He kissed Maggie on her forehead and a bit lower on Rose's face and for much longer as well. He poured a go-cup of coffee, gathered his coat and briefcase, and headed for the door to the garage.

Alone, the two Lawson ladies looked at each other and laughed. "So, Mom, when did you two first have coitus today?" Maggie asked.

"I believe, little one, you heard us. You might want to get used to hearing those sounds on a fairly frequent basis. I have to admit, it does get the day off to such a good start!" It was now Maggie's turn to blush as Rose lightly pecked Maggie on the lips, prepared a go-cup of her own, and made her way out the door as well.

Maggie headed for the media room for her day of self-directed education.

= = =

At 9:02, Alan stood in front of the whiteboard in the largest meeting room while the remainder of the office staff filed in. He had just confirmed with Gil and their HR person that there had not been any other developments. Those who had arrived early got chairs at the long table while the latecomers were obliged to stand or lean against the wall. Gil Larsen was the last to enter and gave Alan a nod. Alan took a swig from his bottle of water before speaking.

"Happy February, everybody. I trust your weekend was pleasant and hopefully uneventful. First up, some good news. Our company will have a Fun Day at a local park on Saturday, June 5^th, so be sure to save the date on your calendars. Details are very sketchy right now, but I wanted to get this on your calendars. It's for your whole household and significant others, not just the employees. A chairperson will be appointed within the next two weeks, and if they ask you for your help, please consider it a request from me or Gil." Smiles broke out among many at the news and the admonition to help if asked.

"Next, even better news. Gil has informed me this morning that we have been awarded a couple of contracts for more work in response to some proposals we submitted. We were awarded these projects based largely on your excellent performance, so well done, everybody. We will need more hands to satisfy this new work, so there will probably be some new faces around. Some of you may be asked to shift to a new project to balance the experience levels. We've already done some interviewing and there will be more to come. We have a referral program here which could net you some extra money in your pocket. So, if you have friends or prior colleagues who you think might fit our needs and our culture, please have them submit their resume soon." This bit drew even more grins, and a few phones appeared in hands.

"Lastly, some management change news. As you may or may not have noticed, Melvin Moore has not been around since Friday afternoon. I fired Melvin on Friday. The official reason for Melvin's termination was his flagrant refusal to obey a direct command from his organizational superior. Any other reasons are secondary, and between him and I. I wanted to tell you this in person rather than send out an impersonal email. Jerry Simpson will be stepping up as that team's project manager. I have great confidence in Jerry, and he will need your patience as he transitions into that new role. Congratulations to Jerry.

"If there are any questions or comments, I would be glad to try to address them now." After a long minute of everyone looking around but saying nothing, Alan stated, "Very well. I'm available for one‑on‑one conversations if you like. Gil, is there anything you'd like to add?" Gil smiled and shook his head.

"I believe you're doing just fine, Alan. Carry on." And Gil left the room and was whistling softly on his way back to his office, not that anybody could hear it over the chatter.

"Then, thank you all for your very good work. Let's get back to it."

The office was abuzz for nearly an hour after the end of the all-hands meeting, and then the day resumed its normal tempo.

= = =

Julie caught up with Dawn at lunch. A little bit of squealing was overcome by fervent and grateful hugs on both girls' parts. Dawn was bubbly, almost gushing, but Julie made her ex‑roommate wait until they were through the line and seated with their food.

"She's gone, Jules! The 'Urban Rat' was sent packing! Not just moved out, but gone."

"Really?"

"The things she was throwing on Friday was the final straw, according to the R.A., who was nearly struck herself. I don't know all the details, but they did have to cut off the padlock I'd put on my chest of stuff. She had ruined the lock in her efforts to get into it. I got the notice yesterday afternoon that my room was now solely mine for the semester. I did have to go out and buy new bedding; she destroyed what she could get her hands on."

"And on the topic of shopping, you did not have to leave the cupboards and refrigerator full, you know."

"Oh, now come on, Jules. You know me far better than that. Besides, it was mostly John's idea. I just agreed with him." Dawn lowered her voice and smirked a bit. "And he has the best ideas sometimes, don't ya know."

In an equally low tone of voice, Julie repeated, "Cock size and stamina, right, Dawnie?" Both girls giggled at that. "Did you two even leave the apartment on Saturday?"

"Nope! You've got a really comfortable, big bed there, Jules. Thank you again for the sanctuary. Do you want the key back now?" Dawn started to rifle through her purse, but Julie stopped her.

"Why don't you and John wait and return it to us on Friday when you both come for supper. Please don't make a copy of the key, though. I need to clear our supper together with Tom, so just pencil it in for now. I'll confirm it with you tonight, okay?"

"Excellent idea, Jules. Oh, I've got to go now. Call or text me tonight, will ya?"

= = =

With that day being the first of the month, a report popped up on Rose's computer screen detailing the list of home loans meeting the AgCU's criteria for being foreclosed on. This was a very depressing part of her job, having to review the loans and then recommend to the Board what action to take. Fortunately, there were only three houses on the list, and two of them were due to the deaths of the borrowers. For those two, she felt she could pitch to the Board an extension of the loan until their estates were probated. It really did not do anything positive for the credit union to foreclose on these properties. That was one thing about the credit union that set it apart from the big banks. They maintained their local focus. Let the big banks be all impersonal. The Agricultural Credit Union would do right by its members.

But it was the third loan that caught her eye. Actually, it was the property that spurred her imagination. It was just on the outskirts of Middleburg with some acreage, but not a farm. She wanted to know more about the property, so she pulled up Google Maps and zoomed in on the satellite view. Next, she pulled up Zillow to get more information about the house's description, value, sales history, and taxes as well as an idea of what nearby properties were valued at. She needed to talk with Alan about this house. She normally did not let her imagination run rampant, but this possibility was exciting.