Where Did She Go Pt. 01

"For the first time, this place feels like a home to me, and I know it's because of Trisha, Marcie Rae, and you being here with Anna and me. My house is big and fully paid for, so please just say yes that you and Trisha will be a part of our family. The two girls love each other and are much closer in spirit than most actual biological siblings."

Gertrude tears up, "I love it here, and Trisha adores Anna as her younger sister. So yes, we will move here permanently with you. What about Marcie Rae? Did you speak with her yet?"

I answer, "First things first. We will confirm Trisha's permanent address change with Savannah Christian Prep. Then she and Anna's enrolment will be adjusted as siblings from this point forward. My long-term goal is to marry Marcie Rae and adopt Trisha so we all have the same family name.

"Next, I will talk with Marcie Rae because I love her. I also know that Trisha considers Marcie Rae as belonging to her, which is good for both of them. I will fight like hell for Marcie Rae and plan to marry her in the next few months. I have the Power of Attorney for nearly five more months, and Marcie Rae's parents cannot take her away before it expires on 27 DEC 2021. If we marry by then, it's game over for their ever interfering in Marcie Rae's life again."

I conspiratorially whisper to Gertrude, asking if she will help me convince Marcie Rae to stay here in Savannah. "Marcie Rae needs to know you, the girls, and I have an unchanging devoted love for her. But I will not ask you to do anything immoral or illegal!"

Gertrude smiles beautifully, "I am 100% all in on keeping Marcie Rae here in Savannah and you two getting married soon!"

I continue, "We are now into the 4th week of Marcie Rae's at-home recuperation. So, I am gently steering our evening conversations toward the long term, knowing she is picking up on my intent.

"Trisha, bless her heart, has been unknowingly throwing coals on my fire. Trisha steadily talks with her mom-Marcie Rae, asking that she teach her and Anna how to golf more consistently, especially off the tee. Under my breath, I am screaming 'YES-YES, you go, girl,' to Trisha!

"Marcie Rae just recently started practicing putting in our garage on one of the fake grass-putting greens. Trisha and Anna are with her every time she practices, and Marcie Rae is already teaching them. If all continues going well, Marcie Rae will be able to start practicing with her irons next week. We will begin playing the back-nine on our home course if her progress stays on course. As we start golfing together again, I will ask Marcie Rae to marry me and live permanently in Savannah.

"I want to set the stage properly for asking Marcie Rae to stay, so I will plan an evening out for the two of us. My asking Marcie Rae to commit to permanently living in Savannah should be a private conversation between us. I want her to feel free to ask me serious questions about our future together as a couple and as parents of two incredible young girls. I will ensure she understands that my invitation is from the four of us as her loving family.

'Maybe you can arrange to take the girls out for pizza and a movie one Friday evening. I will ask Claire if you, Anna, and Trisha can spend the night at her place after the movie. This leaves Marcie Rae and me alone when we return after a nice evening. We can honestly discuss our hopeful future as a married couple."

Gertrude is thrilled, "I will suggest to Claire and Jonathan that they enjoy a nice evening out since I am staying overnight at their place. The triplets love Anna and Trisha, so they will be thrilled to spend the night with them. I can easily entertain all five children on a Friday evening with hot dogs, pizza, cake, and Disney videos."

I jump up, hugging Gertrude tightly, "I am so blessed by your helping me with Anna since she was two weeks old! Thank you very much for all you have done for Anna and me during the past seven years."

NIGHT OUT AND SURPRISE GUESTS

Marcie Rae is now more than a month post-surgery and feeling almost as good as before the fainting and dizziness started two years ago. Marcie Rae, Trisha, Anna, and I played a 9-hole par 3 course on Wednesday morning, which was especially exhilarating for her and Trisha. Trisha's tenacious attachment to Marcie Rae has become more apparent daily. She exploded with delight at playing on a golf course with mom-Marcie Rae. Trisha did not care that we were on a Par 3 course. She just loved walking along beside her idol and talking golf.

It is now a Friday night, and I am upfront with Marcie Rae about tonight being very special for me. I ask her to dress nicely because this is our first evening out socially in almost twelve years. Marcie Rae is five weeks post-surgery and her doctor, Jonathan, allows (encourages) her to enjoy an occasional glass of wine when out socially or relaxing at home.

Marcie Rae points at her hair which looks a bit like short-shaggy red peach fuzz. I hug her saying, "I love you just as you are, so whether you go as is or use the wig is up to you, darling."

Marcie Rae, "Okay, Emma babes, I am going au natural hair. What are we celebrating?"

Me, "Duh, it's your one-month clean bill of health, sweetie. But I also want to talk about us, Marcie Rae. We have just north of four months left before the POA expires. I want you here in Savannah with us forever, and I realize we need to have this serious conversation in the next few weeks. Let's make tonight more of a fun time while also understanding that time is flying by for the two of us."

I continue, "Here are our cute little Black Dresses, black silk thigh highs, lingerie, and Jimmy Choo Coal Black heels. We are showing a bit of leg tonight, but remember, we only have eyes for each other.

"You can have two glasses of vino as per your doctor, and there is no worry about me driving. We are dining at the Clubhouse tonight. The hostess will send an electric cart to pick us up, take us to the Clubhouse, and return us home after dinner."

I smile, "Are you okay with my plans, Marcie Rae Holdings?"

Marcie Rae answers by sweetly kissing me on the cheek and softly squeezing my bottom. I tell her there is one special request from two excited little girls who want us to SMS a photo from the restaurant. Anna and Trisha are very enthusiastic about us going out for dinner tonight. However, I am sensing they are a bit tense for some reason.

We are at the clubhouse restaurant and seated at our table. It's in a cozy little corner with some privacy, which I reserved for tonight. I do not know any of the staff, this being my first ever social evening at the Clubhouse. I want to stay close to home, so Marcie Rae and I can make a quick escape if needed.

A cute bubbly waitress appearing relatively young, came up to our table, almost singing, "Hello, I am Frankie Ann Lawrence and your server tonight."

I grin devilishly, "Frankie, are you old enough to serve booze?"

Frankie giggles, "Turned twenty-one last week. I just started here tonight, and you are my first table. I will do my best to take good care of you."

"I am Emma, and this is my best friend, Marcie Rae. We have not been out together for over eleven years, so you do not need to rush. Just be calm and truthful when we ask questions about the menu. Marcie Rae and I understand you are new, so you are probably a bit unfamiliar with many of the menu items,"

I point out a bottle of Fume Blanc on the wine list, asking Marcie Rae, "Okay with you, sweetie?"

Frankie giggles again, "You are so cool, Emma, calling your best friend sweetie. I like you both very much and am happy with you being my first table."

I explain to Frankie that our selected wine is white, with a dry flinty taste, and is to be served chilled.

Frankie, "Thanks, and I will be sure it is perfectly chilled," as she merrily bounces back to the kitchen.

I look at Marcie Rae, telling her that we will toast to our good health, then talk some as we eat. I want us to especially enjoy our first time out socially since golf school. I explained that I initially intended for the family to come tonight since they all love her. But I quickly change my mind, thinking I want you all to myself on this, our first night out in Savannah. We will have a warm, intimate evening together, free from post-surgical stress.

Marcie Rae speaks about her relief from not having brain cancer and how scared she was at first. She is relieved at having the diagnostic testing and surgery done in Savannah because of our emotional support over the past five weeks. Marcie Rae wants to say more, but Frankie arrives with a wine cart. She shows us the Fume Blanc label and expertly opens the bottle, placing it on ice.

Frankie takes two nice pre-chilled wine glasses from a silver tray filled with ice, wiping the outside dry with a small towel.

She quietly says, "No one wants to help me because they are swamped. I thought a wine from a chilled bottle needs to be poured into chilled wine glasses, so here you are."

She then pours Marcie Rae and me each a small dollop for tasting. The wine is excellent, and we appreciate Frankie's thoughtfulness with the chilled glasses, so we applaud her initiative.

Me, "The wine is excellent, Frankie, and your presentation's superb." She gives us a beautiful smile and happily glides off toward the kitchen.

Everything is going beautifully with Marcie Rae and me. I begin to lightly touch on the serious part of our evening conversation just as Frankie breathlessly approaches our table.

"Are you two famous?" asks Frankie, seeming very edgy.

So, I ask, "What are you worried about, Frankie?"

Frankie answers, "The hostess desk received a phone call describing these two very important ladies, which sounded like it could be you. The manager yells at me that I need to do a better job on my tables, but I do not understand what brought this on."

I give Marcie Rae a look, to which she nods before I ask Frankie to sit with us for a minute. The poor little girl is just about to freak out, so I need to calm her down.

I phone Gertrude's mobile, and I find our girls have been acting very strange for the past hour. She puts her mobile on speaker as Anna and Trisha join in.

Marcie Rae very seriously, "Okay, who did it because you two are in real trouble?"

Trisha sniffles, "It was me, mom-Marcie Rae. We're so scared that you two are fighting again. You and mom-Emma did not send us pictures from the restaurant as you promised, so Anna and I just wanted to tell our moms we love you."

Marcie Rae's eyes are huge as she coos, "Oh, Trisha honey, I understand you and Anna being afraid, but we are not fighting. Mom-Emma and I thought it was you two that called the restaurant and just wanted to be sure. Mom-Emma told me that you and Anna seemed tense or scared when we left home."

Anna joins in, "Moms-Emma and Marcie Rae, it was both of us being scared because we were worried about you two. We always do everything together and don't want you two fighting. If you fight, mom-Marcie might leave us, and then she starts crying."

I tell Gertrude, "Anna and Trisha are upset. They are terrified and do not mean to hurt anyone. Are the girls still dressed in nice shorts and tops?"

Gertrude answers, "Yes, Emma, they still look very nice since both of them have been very subdued for the past thirty or forty minutes."

I thought for a moment, "Marcie Rae and I still have lots to discuss, but I think it best for the girls to join us here at the Clubhouse. Please ask Jonathan and Claire to drop them off here on their way out to dinner.

"Tell Jonathan to ask for our waitress, Frankie, at the hostess desk, and she will bring the girls to our table. Marcie and I will comfort our baby girls for now and talk about our future later at home after they fall asleep."

About thirty minutes later, Frankie brings the two weeping girls to our table. Both Trisha and Anna settle down after a few minutes of our talking to and cuddling them. I explained that our waitress, Frankie, was yelled at for not taking care of us. The manager says she is not giving good service to important customers.

Anna is hopping mad, "We did not say that, Mom. You are our moms and are very important to Trisha and me! The man came on the phone and did not believe us because we sounded young. So, we said our moms are very important people, and we need to know if they are happy. We are very worried about mom-Marcie leaving for California and want to do something nice, so she will stay with us forever."

Trisha, still sniffling, "We just wanted to hear your voices and know mom-Marcie is happy, then we would be okay. The man was mean, so we yelled at him on the phone that you are very important to us and we needed to say hello. We did not know who was serving you, so how could we say something bad about Frankie?"

Anna agrees, "We like Frankie because she talked to us at the desk, saying you are not mad with us. She also said you love us and she likes waiting on you. Frankie is a nice person we like a lot and want you to invite her to watch us play golf when mom-Marcie Rae is well."

Marcie Rae holds a still sniffling Trisha in her lap. She summarizes, "So sweetie, the truth is, you and Anna called the restaurant because you are scared I am going to leave you and go back to California?"

Trembling, Trisha blubbers, "You cannot leave me, mom-Marcie, because I need a real mom to teach me golf better and how to be a good girl like mom-Emma teaches Anna. You and mom-Emma are my real moms, so I want you to live here in Savannah with me. That's why we called, and not to hurt anyone. We were waiting for mom-Emma to send pictures, then call and tell us you said yes."

Marcie Rae turns to me, "So Emma, I guess this big dinner you changed to our intimate private evening backfired."

I look deeply into Marcie Rae's eyes, "I have been desperately thinking about us and realize how much I loved taking care of you for the past month. I agree that we were not broken for the past eleven years, just bent, and yes, we can love again like crazy."

With tears in my eyes, I add, "In my heart, I know that we belong together! I felt begging you to stay with the girls, mom-Gertrude, Jonathan, and Claire, at dinner would be very unfair to you."

Marcie Rae says to Anna and Trisha, "Look at me. Your mom, Emma, has me as her prisoner for four and a half more months. She can decide to release me or hold me as a prisoner of her love forever if she surely believes we belong together!"

Marcie Rae pulls Trisha and Anna closer to her chest, then leans in to gently kiss me, whispering, "Sweetie, "Let's take our baby girls home!"

***

As Marcie Rae, the girls, and I leave the Clubhouse dining room, we are stopped by two middle-aged men sitting at a table fairly close to ours.

One guy introduces himself to me as Donald (Don) Meyers and his business partner, Jason (Jase) Standish. "We overheard bits of your conversation, and we know you want to get your girls home. Frankie is packing your food for taking away, so maybe we can talk for a minute?"

Marcie Rae and I sit down, each holding a girl in our lap. I introduce them to Don and Jase.

"What do you want with us?" I query Don.

Don cautiously asks, "The waitress Frankie took care of you and Marcie Rae tonight, and you were seemingly quite pleased with her service. Am I correct with that assumption?"

I answer truthfully, "We are Frankie's initial customers at the clubhouse restaurant, and she did super. This is her first night waitressing here, but she has that intuitive ability and warm nature of relating with people."

I ask, "Anna and Trisha, how do you think Frankie did as our waitress tonight?"

Both girls in unison, "We love Frankie because she is really sweet and made us laugh when we were sad and crying."

Marcie Rae says, "We don't know you guys, so I am curious. Why are you questioning us about Frankie?"

Don gives Jase a look and pulls a business card from his pocket. "Can you, Emma, your girls, and Frankie meet us here tomorrow late morning?" pointing at the address on the card. "This is a failed restaurant that two other investors and we recently purchased and are looking to renovate.

"We are here tonight because someone recommended another individual from the clubhouse restaurant as a possible candidate for us to hire as our restaurant manager."

He adds, "But our interest in Frankie was piqued after being here for a couple of hours and closely watching you guys interact with her. It is difficult discussing a potential hire while dining where she works. So, we hope you will talk with Frankie and join us tomorrow. We are also interested in your and Emma's thoughts on our new place from a business person/customer's POV."

Emma replies, "Don, a lot is happening in our lives now, especially with Anna and Trisha. Also, as you can see from my babe Marcie Rae's unique haircut, she is recuperating from serious cranial surgery. I propose that Marcie and I talk with Frankie one morning next week, possibly Wednesday. Then we can all meet late Saturday morning at your restaurant property."

Don says, "Actually, Emma, that's a great suggestion, allowing Jase and me additional time to gather more information before meeting with you."

Marcie Rae looks hard at Don and Jase, "Truthfully, guys, I would hire Frankie on the spot if I owned the restaurant. So yes, we would very much like to help you assess her capabilities."

Emma adds, "Frankie will make an excellent hostess because she reads people well. If it were our restaurant, I'd hire Frankie as an Assistant Manager and Hostess, bringing her in on the ground floor. So, I confirm that we will talk with Frankie one morning next week and then meet you on Saturday at noon."

Anna and Trisha impishly, "Mr. Don, please order a nice KFC spread for lunch because we will be starving at noon on a Saturday. See you next week."

Marcie Rae, the girls, and I enjoy our nice takeaway dinner at home. Anna and Trisha are so clingy that Marcie Rae, and I, delay our much-needed talk until another time.

I hold Anna in my arms while Marcie Rae does the same with Trisha. We each whisper sweet words in their ears while showering their cute cheeks with kisses. We are trying to show the two of them how important they are to each of us.

My eyes are slightly tearing up, "Trisha, you have been with Anna since she was two weeks old. Each day you two are together, your love grows stronger. You never left Anna behind, not once in your life, always patiently waiting for her to catch up.

"This is the kind of unbending love I want to share with Marcie Rae. I have loved her since we met at golf camp, and I will always love her. I want Marcie Rae to stay here in Savannah with us so as a family, we can golf together, dance ballet together, and love grandma Gertrude together. I also want us to love Jonathan, Claire, and their triplets together."

I say, "This is a secret, Anna. I want you and Trisha to ask God-mom Claire. She was helping me to birth you at the hospital, which hurt a little. Just as your head of red hair came out, Claire said I screamed!

"Marcie Rae, Where did you go/Where are you now/I need you here, darling?"

Claire never realized the powerful longing of my screaming for Marcie Rae eight years ago until 12 JUNE, when Marcie Rae came home from Chicago with us.

Marcie Rae looks at me with utter astonishment as she peers deeply into my soul.

With the explosive revelation of my words at Anna's birth, an unspoken agreement 'to love again' emerges between Marcie Rae and me that night.

I Say Lovingly, "It's certainly in the stars for us to love again, this time in Savannah!"

ALONE AT LAST

At breakfast on Saturday morning, Marcie Rae truly opens her soul to the girls telling them how much she loves me.