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She started to tell him that she’d not been a good parent at all when Rogen cut her off. “My mom is going to be staying with us until we can find her a house. But she won’t be far away. I think that’ll be wonderful for us when we have children.”
Lisha let them talk, thinking that Rogen was either embarrassed about her or she didn’t want the man to know. When he walked away, hugging them both and telling them once again that he was sorry, Rogen turned her to look at her.
“I’m neither embarrassed or whatever else is running through your mind. You did make us what we are. And when someone says that to you, you simply say ‘Thank you. I did, didn’t I?’ We’re starting over, Mom. We don’t have to bring up the past anymore. I’d like for us to move forward from now on, and not think about the past.” She nodded, her eyes and heart so full then. “Mom, I’m sorry. About everything. But I’m serious. We need to move on. All right?”
“Yes, that’s fine with me. I’d like that.”
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nbsp; Rogen hugged her and took her around the room. So many people, her mind kept saying, and all for her children. It hit her then that she was exhausted, that the food had made her sleepy.
“Rogen, do you think I could go lie down? I haven’t been sleeping all that well.”
She was helped up the stairs to the room she’d been staying in and laid down. Lisha only had one thought before sleep took her under, and it was that she was home. For the first time in her life, she felt like she was home.
~*~
Rogen was still doing research on the hospital when she found something that wasn’t adding up. In order to find what the key was, Rogen broke into one of the emails from the hospital board and found the answer to a great many things. Getting up and dancing around the room, she turned when Thatcher asked her what she’d found.
“The key to the jackpot. The reason nothing is being paid.” Rogen showed him the email from a bigger firm inquiring about the sale of the hospital. And when it would come to fruition. “They’re making it look worse than it is. I’m not sure why yet, but I’ll figure it out. I mean, if I was going to sell off a hospital like this one, I’d want it to be worth more, wouldn’t you?”
“Not necessarily.” She asked him why not. “Because there is a profit sharing with the place. It was put in place right after I did my internship. Every time we make a profit on something, even small things, like saving gloves that cost, sheets that need to be replaced, we get money back once a year. If there is no profit—which there never seems to be—then the money that is left over is for the board and their time. Otherwise, they don’t get anything much for helping the hospital.”
“That’s just stupid. Why would they save that money instead of getting more for the hospital in the long run?” Then it hit her. “You’d get a part of that too. A profit off the sale. What a slimy piece of shit. So, if they sell a falling down hospital, they would come out more ahead than they would from the sale of a profit making one. And all the money that isn’t used for the things that you guys need, it goes to the board. That fucking sucks—you know that, don’t you?”
“Yes. But I never thought of it until you told me about the sale. I should have remembered that. But we haven’t gotten any profits for—I don’t know, the last five years or so. It used to be five figures for doctors and less for nurses. I would usually split mine up with my operating room staff.” She told him that was nice. “Yes, but it’s hurt them the last few years. I think some of them were depending on that for things like Christmas and such.”
She sat back down at the computer and was still looking at what she could find when Thatcher started to rub her shoulders. She loved him for this. It wasn’t until he started to massage her that she realized how tense she was.
“How about we take your mom to the houses we have lined up, and then come back here and chase each other in the woods?” She moaned. “I have to tell you something. If we don’t have sex at least four times a day, I might just die.”
“You’re a goof.” She got up and turned to him. “I think, sir, that is an excellent idea. And after we chase each other around, how about we come in the house and have some major sex in our room?”
“Yes.” Thatcher kissed her then, working his mouth all the way down to her throat. There he bit her, and she could have sworn he’d shocked her with a high voltage wire. “If we keep this up, your poor mother is going to—”
Thatcher cursed like a man on leave. As he was pulling out his phone to answer it, she thought that their plans were done. It was the hospital calling, and he’d have to leave. And when he said he’d be right there, she knew it.
“I have to go.” She said she understood. “I know you do, but that doesn’t make me any less pissy about it. I tell you what. You take your mom to the house, and if I can, I’ll meet you at one of them and we can still have fun.”
She kissed him goodbye and hated to see him go. But after telling Mom that she was ready, they made their way to the car, both of them seemingly in a sour mood.
“I was so hoping that Thatcher could come with us.” She asked her mom why. “Well, this person is more than likely going to think that he can take us to the cleaners, and you’ll have to kill him. I just don’t want to have to explain how stupid the man was for underestimating my daughter.” Then she got into the car, like she’d not just made a huge joke.
Still laughing, Rogen got into the car and asked her if she’d like for a witness to come along with them. Mom told her that would be good, just to be sure their side was heard.
“I don’t know what got into you today, but you should be loosened up like that more often. I tell you what. We’ll go by and see if Thatch can go with us, and he’ll be a good source of entertainment for us too.” Mom said that was great. “You really are going to live close, right? I mean, you’re not going to decide to go back to your home?”
“Would that bother you if I did?” Rogen didn’t even hesitate but said it really would. “I’m not. But I do thank you. Besides, there is nothing left there. The house and the entire street was being torn down as we were leaving town. Nothing is there. Just memories that I’d just as soon not think about. I plan on making new ones. And happy ones.”
Thatch was more than happy to go with them. Maggie was fussing at him about the mess he’d made in the kitchen, and he wanted to avoid her for a bit. He asked if they could make one stop on the way home.
“I need to get her flowers. I messed up big time. But I had no idea how to make the coffee pot thing work. I had no idea it took poddlings, or whatever they’re called.” Mom corrected him. “Pods. Still. I thought the hole there was mighty small for coffee to make a pot.”
Rogen was still giggling about it when they pulled up in front of the first home. Immediately, she hated it. There was something very ugly about it. Flowers surrounded the porch and there were pretty trees in the yard, but Rogen hated it on sight.
“Do we have to go in?” Rogen looked at her mom. “I don’t want to live in a house that looks like the one we had before you left.”
Rogen looked at the house, and it dawned on her why she disliked the house so much. Mom was right. It was almost exactly like the one she’d grown up in. Thatch said he’d take care of it and went up to tell the realtor that they’d meet her at the next house. She was fine by that and led them to it.
