The Inner Struggle: Beginnings Series Book 7 (26 page)

Jenny crossed her arms as she answered. “Well to be blunt, none of us like Frank very much.”

“None of you like Frank? None of you?” Ellen looked around. “What is wrong with Frank?” She heard the moans. “Stop that.”

Andrea, who had been silent, spoke up. “You need to ask that? He’s rude, he’s rough, and he’s obnoxious. He isn’t nice to anyone. Like you can’t figure out what these women see in the older males, none of us can figure out what you see in Frank.”

“I love Frank. I’ve known him all my life. And . . . I like him.”

Andrea continued, “Would you still like him if you hadn’t know him all your life?”

“Yes!” Ellen began to get defensive. “Frank’s a great guy . . .” Moans that were louder rang out. “He is and I find him very attractive. He’s got the best body of all . . .” She cringed at the grumbling. “Not one of you women find him attractive?”

“Ellen,” Jenny said, “have you looked at Frank? He’s . . . he’s apocalyptically worn.”

Ellen gasped loudly. “I can’t believe you talk about him like that. Any of you. I feel bad. I feel really bad. He’s my best friend and none of you appreciate him when you should. You ought to be ashamed of yourselves, grumbling and moaning when his name is mentioned. What is wrong with you?” Ellen grew hyper, standing up as she spoke. “Every single one of you can lay your heads on your pillows at night and sleep at ease knowing the animals of the world are kept outside our walls. Wanna know why? Because Frank trained our men to protect us like he does. Frank runs security. Frank is security. In my book, the only thing that stops him from earning a big fuckin ‘S’ on his chest, is the fact that he can’t fly.” A pause. “Yet.” She stormed from the circle. “I’m going.” She moved to the door.

“Ellen.” Jenny stopped her. “Why are you leaving? Because we are talking about Frank?”

“Yes,” Ellen snapped. “I get very defensive about him and for good reason. I’ll admit that he’s not the nicest man in the community, and I’m not saying you have to like him. I’m saying he should at least have your respect for what he has done and does.”

“Ellen, we’ve always grumbled about Frank. But . . .” Jenny stopped her from leaving. “Frank has never had someone here to defend him. I defend John. Andrea has defended Joe. Melissa has defended Mark. No one thinks you’re wrong for speaking your mind and no one wants you to leave over it. That’s why this is an open forum. We enlighten each other and maybe you can enlighten us with some good Frank qualities so we can stop moaning about him all the time.”

“Well.” Ellen retracted her steps from the door. “I just spewed out most of his good qualities so we’re gonna have to rely on that list.”

Jenny smiled. “Come back to the meeting, Ellen.” She motioned her hand to the room. “What you did, we all have done. You brought up a valid point about Frank.” Jenny gave a silencing look to the room for the women not to moan. “I think you’re right. Frank does protect this community well and, I for one will thank him as soon as I see him tomorrow. Anyone else?” She looked to the women and saw a raise of hands. “Good.”

Ellen smiled. “I like that idea.” She walked back to the living room, sitting again between Trish and Susan reaching for more finger food. “Sorry for the outburst,” Ellen said, knowing she would have to make up for roaring like she did if she was to continue on her ‘be a Jenny friend’ plan.

“Quite all right.” Jenny held up her hand “We vent here and maybe the reason for this venting has something to do with your newest problem.”

Ellen had to stop eating. Newest problem? Did she have a problem she didn’t know about? “Yeah, that’s probably it.”

“It must have been a shock,” Jenny commented, “to think you were married and to find out you weren’t. What are you and Henry going to do?”

“Well.” Ellen dusted of her hands. “I don’t know. Henry wants to get married for real, have a wedding. But I ….”

Cindy’s enthusiasm cut off Ellen. “You mean like a wedding? Oh, I can make a wedding cake. It’s been forever since I got to do that.”

Andrea scooted closer into the conversation. “Ellen, you are going to have Joe give you away, aren’t you?”

“I didn’t consider it because . . .” Ellen couldn’t get a word out.

“A wedding,” Trish said excited. “A real wedding? Have we had a real wedding in Beginnings at all?”

“You mean with food and dancing and all?” Melissa asked. “I don’t think we have.”

Ellen held up her hand. “Actually, I told Henry that I wasn’t . . .”

Jenny snapped her finger. “You know we haven’t had a real wedding here. Nothing big and certainly nothing like we had in the old world. Ellen, you’ll need a dress. I could talk to Ben from fabrics. He’s so tasteful and talented. We’re very close.”

“Thanks but . . .” Again Ellen was interrupted.

“And if they’re taking time to plan,” Melissa said. “You should talk to Ben about a couple bridesmaids’ dresses. He could do that Jenny, couldn’t he?”

“Oh I think he’d love to.” Jenny looked down at Ellen. “How about that? There have never been bridesmaids in Beginnings.”

Ellen opened her mouth to talk and nothing had a chance to come out.

“Oh!” Trish bounced her pregnant self in the seat. “Cole is making a metals run in a couple weeks. How big of a deal would it be for him to stop by a good men’s store or tux shop? I could talk to him. He likes me you know.”

“Men’s store?” Ellen questioned. “Tux? What would . . .”

“Andrea could sing,” Melissa injected. “Andrea sings so well. You’ll sing won’t you, Andrea?”

“I’d be honored.” Andrea reached out and took Ellen’s hand. “Thank you for asking.”

Jenny clapped her hands together amidst the excited chattering that filled the room. “Ladies, I think we found our next group effort project. We’re planning Ellen’s wedding. This definitely beats the quilt we were going to work on.”

‘Oh boy.’ was the only thing that could come to Ellen’s mind. Figuring she had lost control somewhere, she choose another snack, sat back, and listened to the planning. The women in the room had a new project that outshone the sewing thing. Her head spun as they spoke around her about clothing, food, entertainment, and so forth, a real old fashion wedding equipped with polkas. Ellen pegged it typical behavior in Beginnings. They always did find any reason for a part and Ellen and Henry’s wedding seemed to be the next reason. Giving up, she let them plan. She’d figure a way out of it and, at the very least, she was gaining Jenny’s trust. That was her mission.

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Frank watched Alexandra’s tiny little fingers run across the forehead of Nick while Frank held the baby in his arms, while he sat at the dining room table. He enjoyed watching her as she looked in such awe, staring at her new brother, her hair wet from her bath and dangling in her eyes.

“He’s pretty,” she said. “Can I hold him?”

“Sure.” Frank smiled and teasingly tried to bite her fingers as they came close to his chin. “Then bed, all right?”

“O.K.”

“On the couch. Go on.” Frank motioned his head toward the living room. “Now you don’t tell Billy or Joey. I’m letting you because you stayed here with me tonight.”

“I want to help.” Alexandra scooted herself on the couch. “I like helping.”

Holding the baby, Frank knelt before her. “Now hold your arms right.” He laid Nick in her arms and supported them. “There, watch his head.”

“He’s not heavy.”

“No. Remember when Brian was almost this small?”

“Yes.” She smiled as she held the baby.

“Now don’t move him around too much. He just ate.” Frank instructed then looked up when he heard the footsteps and saw Henry coming down the steps. “There you are. What took you so long?”

“I had to clean up the bathroom after her bath, Frank. Do you know she brings toys in the tub?”

“So do I, Henry.” Frank smiled then looked back at Alexandra. “Time for bed.” He kissed her. “Go on up, I’ll be up in a minute.” He slowly took the baby back.

“Night.” She slid from the couch and darted to Henry. “Night, Henry. Thanks for playing with me.” Quickly, her hair flipping about, she ran up the steps. Her bare feet made the tiniest of thumps as she did.

Frank stood up and looked at Henry who plopped so exhausted like in the chair. “What’s wrong with you?”

“I feel really tired.”

“Why?”

“You had me playing with children, Frank. I swear you told Alexandra to wear me out.”

“I told you, Henry, her or him. Now I have to deal with Alexandra and you have to deal with . . .” He held the baby to him.

“No, Frank. I deal with Alex.”

“Henry, this is your son. And to think I was about to have history make his name Kusakari. What the fuck? Hold him. I have to tuck Alex in.”

“You won’t be long, will you?” Henry stood up.

“Why are you so afraid of this child? I changed him. I fed him. You hold him for five minutes. All right?”

“All right.”

“I swear Henry, I’m keeping track of all this and when the kid is older, you’re doing make up time.” Frank took a step to Henry extending out the baby into Henry’s awaiting arms. “He doesn’t bite, Henry. Not yet.”

“He’s just too small, Frank. Too small.”

“But he’s cute.” Frank laid the baby in Henry’s arms. “There.” He watched Henry fiddle with the baby to hold him against his chest. “Good, you got it.”

“I do?” Henry smiled. “I like holding him like this better. I don’t feel like I’m going to drop him as much.”

“You won’t drop him” Frank moved to the steps and stopped. “Oh Henry?”

“Yeah Frank?”

“Remember how I was telling you about seeing a kid’s first, experiencing your kid’s first, and how there’s nothing like it?”

“I remember that.”

“Good.” Frank smiled. “Because you just experienced a first. You’re the first person Nick has thrown up on.”

Henry let out such a sound of disgust it made even Nick jump. “Uh Frank.” He held out the baby. “Hold him.” Henry’s eyes shifted down to his shirt and to the small amount of white substance on his chest. “Oh my God.” He sniffed. “Oh it smells.”

Frank laughed. “It does not.” He took the baby. “Get a towel. The baby has it on his face.”

“I can’t Frank.” Henry stepped back.

Shrugging, Frank took his two fingers, wiped the little bit of regurgitation from Nick’s chin, and then wiped those remnants on the leg of his pants. As he did that, Henry grunted even louder. “What?”

“That’s . . . that’s sick. Excuse me.” He barreled toward the steps.

“Man, Nick. Whatever you do, don’t you dare act like that when you get older.” Frank cuddled the baby again and sat with him on the couch.

Ellen? Dean picked up his pace down the street of center Beginnings when he saw her walk from the social hall. He watched Ellen stick her head back in and step back out. She stopped on the walk, bent down, and tied her shoe. Dean made it to her the moment she stood up. “Hey,” he spoke softly.

Ellen shrieked, jumped, and spun around with her hand on her chest. “You scared me.”

“What are you doing here alone?”

“I should be asking you the same thing, Dr. Hayes. Who is with the children?”

“Check this out. I have a live in babysitter this week.” He looked at Ellen’s ‘what?’ expression. “Yeah. Frank’s nomad kid wants to stay with me this week while you are staying with Frank so, I thought I’d take advantage of him, like Frank, and take some of my work back to the clinic. The kids were in bed anyhow.”

“All of them?”

“Well, except for Alex. She stayed to help Frank. So she said. Are you going home? Or rather to Frank’s?” Dean asked.

“Yes. Walk with me?”

“I’d love to.” Placing his hands in his pockets, Dean walked with her. “So you didn’t answer me. What were you doing at the social hall? Did you have a fight with Frank or Henry?”

“No.” Ellen shook her head and folded her arms. “The meeting moved to the hall. They told me it always does. But that was after we went and all took our drinks and had Blake entertain us for a while.”

“Blake the soap opera guy?”

“Soap opera god, Dean.”

“Sorry.” He chuckled. “Entertain? What did he do, recite lines for you?”

“Uh . . . we sort of watched him rehearse and critiqued his progress.”

“His progress? You guys critiqued his acting.”

“Not exactly acting.”

“If he wasn’t acting, what was he rehearsing? Is he learning to play an instrument?” He saw Ellen shake her head. “What else can the guy do? He has a hard enough time in inventory. You probably made the guy flex or something.” He saw her expression. “You did?”

“Not exactly flex. Dean, don’t worry about it.” She grabbed his arm and held it while she walked.

“No, you have my curiosity piqued. What is he rehearsing?”

“You can’t say anything. Blake is learning how to dance.”

“Dance? Why is he . . .Ellen!” Dean walked to in front of her. “Don’t tell me you have the man stripping for you women.”

“It’s a fine art, Dean. He’s so cute. Besides, the other women really appreciate it. He is my gift from Robbie you know.”