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“A man they can count on.” Her words gain my full attention as a knot forms in my stomach. “Well, besides Zoey’s daddy that is. That husband of hers has never treated them right and to this day he’s still dragging them through the coals. Doesn’t want ‘em, but doesn’t want anyone else to have ‘em either. It’s sad really, because those little girls are the sweetest and Zoey’s raising them on her own. She is doing an incredible job of it too.”
She busies herself getting the rest of dinner on the table and I stand, helping her get the plates and silverware, then refreshing our drinks. But the entire time all I can think of is Zoey and her girls.
six
. . .
Zoey
“Momma.” I pause along the sidewalk leading up to the front porch of my parents’ home. Flowers lining each side. Reaching down I drag my finger along the wilted peachy pink petals. “Your Azaleas are looking a little rough.”
She sighs dramatically, shaking her head.
“I know, I already have a call into Wade. He’s supposed to come rescue them from their impending death.”
Wade Jenkins is Magnolia Grove’s very own landscaping God. Most of the woman drool over him, both older and young. My very own momma being one of those many women.
“Are you sure you didn’t just call Wade so he can work shirtless in your front yard while you and Aunt Sarah ogle him?”
She shrugs, smiling but doesn’t deny it.
I continue up the sidewalk and climb the stairs. “You’re a married woman.” Who adores my father as much as the day she married him.
“Yes, I am,” she agrees with a nod, “and no one will ever heat my insides like your daddy does.”
“Eww, Momma.” I fake a shiver, lifting my hands to place them over my ears. Truth is, I wish for a love like they have.
She laughs a little. “But sweetheart I am not dead just because I’m married and that Wade Jenkins looks very good without a shirt on.”
I do not deny her words. He is very attractive.
“But you should know that I’d never invite Aunt Sarah over, she has no filter. I do enjoy her antics, but poor Wade shouldn’t have to work under those conditions.”
Poor Wade, I laugh at my choice of thoughts. Because something tells me he enjoys the attention.
“Where are grandma’s babies?” She looks around half expecting them to suddenly appear out of nowhere.
“Katie Dunagan’s birthday party.” Elsie and her mother are brave individuals for hosting a party of three and four-year-olds on their own. When they insisted I leave the girls and go take a couple hours to myself, I know I stared at them blankly for a solid minute. It was more like a hallucination. No one in their right mind would do such a thing, right?
“No Emma and Lucy?”
“They’ve got their own things going on.”
Momma nods but says nothing. I already know what she is thinking. It’s the same thing she thinks every single time it seems that I am alone with nothing to do. Truth is I have a million things I could be doing. I have orders to fill at the store, laundry piled so high that it’s spilling out of the baskets and the dishwasher needs unloaded. Toys to pick up, windows to clean off the fingerprints from, and so on, but the motivation to do any of those things is gone.
I’ve been walking round for days now with this ugly knot in my stomach as my hands shake at every turn. I know it’s inevitable, running into him. He’s here now, living and taking over the practice. I pray so hard every single night that neither one of the girls comes down with something that requires the doctor.
“Can’t avoid him forever you know.”
I redirect my attention back to my mother to find her staring at me. “What? Who? I’m not avoiding anyone.”
She laughs, “Oh darlin’ you really think you’re good at pretending, that’s cute.” My mom can be a little bit of a smartass. It runs in her family. Grams, her and Aunt Sarah, all sass and fire. Yeah, fine, so I guess I got my fair share too, but lately I’ve felt that fire of mine sizzling out instead of burning bright. I’m just tired, and sad.
“Any movement on the divorce front?”
“If by movement you mean backwards, then yep, we are flowing nicely.” I climb the steps and sit in the rocker next to hers. “Where’s daddy?”
“Over at Bobby’s place working on the addition to the kitchen. It’s sad, that man is trying to get his wife to come back to him by doing all the things she asked him to do during their fifteen yearsof marriage. No one has the heart to tell him she’s shacking up with some guy from Mobile.”
