Searching for Tomorrow (Tomorrows) (23 page)

She gives me a sheepish grin, and then turns to Maggie and
says, “You shouldn’t stand in the tub unless you’re getting in or out because it’s slippery, and Momma doesn’t want us to fall.” She looks back to me for approval, and I barely manage to hold back a laugh.
Little stinker.
She obviously listens, even if she doesn’t always obey.

“Yes, baby, you are correct. Now
, y’all need to go ahead and get out, dry off, and get your jammies on.” I pluck Maggie from the tub, wrap her in a towel, and taking her with me, I turn to say, “After you’ve brushed your teeth, come find me in my room.”

While Annie and Bekah go through their nightly bedtime ritual, I help Maggie with hers. By the time the others finish and meet up in my room, Mag
gie’s in her pj’s, with her hair combed, and her teeth brushed. As the girls climb up onto my bed, I grab a few books from the side table, and settle in with them against the pillows. Before long, they’re clicking, and clacking, and mooing, and when Bekah asks in her serious voice, “Can cows really type?”, I can’t help but laugh. After a round of giggles, we finish our reading, say our prayers, and then one by one, I tuck my girls in bed and kiss them goodnight.

With the house now quiet, I try to decide if I should shower and relax, or catch up on a few chores.
A glance at my alarm clock lets me know that it’s only 7:30, and I realize I actually have time to do both. I’ve been working such long hours, and now that I have some time, I find myself to be a little lost. Honestly though, I am so worn down and exhausted, both mentally and physically, that after setting up the coffeepot for in the morning, I decide that showering and going to bed early is what I really need to do. And so, I do.

It’s amazing what a great time
spent with my girls and a good night’s sleep can do to my not-so-sunny morning disposition. Waking before the hateful beep-beep of the alarm clock is just icing on my proverbial cake. I have no doubt now that the early bedtime was the best decision for me. With a quick glance at the clock, I climb out of bed, dress quickly, and anxiously seek my first cup of coffee. The silence is quite refreshing and I plan to make good use of it before getting the girls up to start their day.

My body automatically heads towards the fresh pot of coffee that, thanks to the genius who invented the timer, is waiting for me. The smell draws me in
like the Siren’s song lured ships. Addiction or not, no morning should ever start without my coffee. As I pour that first cup, my mind goes down the internal checklist of what I have on hand to fix for breakfast. Knowing that the girls love pancakes and bacon, I check the pantry for the dry ingredients, the fridge for the bacon, and the freezer for strawberries. It feels good to be back in my kitchen, and after putting the bacon in the oven and strawberries on to simmer, I sit down to enjoy my coffee.

The knock at the front door surprises me, but when I hear
Liam say, “Kitty, are you here?” I settle back down in my chair. Talk about déjà vu! I don’t answer him for fear of waking the girls, but know that, like my nose did, his will lead him straight to the coffee.

“Morning. You’re up early.”
Sure enough, he drops a kiss on my head and goes straight to the coffee. “Do I smell bacon? Oh, you’re making strawberry syrup. Pancakes?”

I just grin, and
drink the rest of my coffee. He knows better than to expect me to talk this early.

“I just dropped by to give you an update, but now, I think I’ll stay for breakfast.”

I shrug my shoulders, tip my head toward my extended coffee cup, and wait for him to fill it up for me. Like the good brother he is, he refills my cup before joining me at the table. When I just drink my coffee and raise my eyebrows, he reads my face and answers my unspoken question. “I don’t know what you said to her, and really, I don’t want to know. Well, maybe I do, but still, I got a call from two of my clients yesterday, and it seems they’ve had a change of heart. Looks like I’ve got work to do this week.”

My mouth drops open, and all I can do is stare at him for a moment. Did the wicked witch really back off?
If I were more alert, I do believe I would do a happy dance all around the kitchen, but all I can manage is a fist pump and a loud “YES!” Oh my goodness, this calls for a celebration. And at my house, celebration equals chocolate. “Wow, I can’t believe she’s backing down. That’s amazing. And yes, of course, you can stay for breakfast. Chocolate chip pancakes with strawberry syrup and bacon.” I go to take another sip of coffee, and find that I’ve already drained my cup. Might as well let Liam earn those pancakes. “More coffee. Please?”

Liam
laughs, but gets up from the table to get me more coffee. “I don’t know how you drink hot coffee so fast. It would burn the hide off my mouth.” When he takes the pot back, he gives the strawberries a stir. “What’s the deal, Wrynn? You never fix breakfast. You got the day off?”

I answer him with a grunt
. I’ve already talked more than I like to before I fully awake, but when he glares at me, I yawn and stretch, and then decide to answer him verbally. “Ugh, you just can’t give me time to wake up, can you?” I smile as I say it, but then another big yawn covers my smile. “Oh gosh, excuse me. I went to bed at eight o’clock last night, and my body’s not used to getting so much sleep.” At the shocked look on his face, I chuckle and say around yet another yawn, “I know, right? I’m still trying to rouse myself. The girls and I played hooky yesterday, and when we got home, we were all worn out.”

I get up to check
on the bacon in the oven, and as I add sugar and vanilla to the strawberries, I tell him the rest. “After the parade, Annie came to me sometime after midnight sobbing and missing her dad. Liam, she remembers Randy. Seeing him at the firehouse made her think about the last time she saw him almost three years ago.”

Dredging all this up again so soon after I’d put it
to rest makes my heart squeeze a little, but I refuse to let it overwhelm me this time. “Anyway, after a troubled night with little sleep, I decided that we needed a mental health day. It was so much fun. I took them to Bridal Veil and Dry Falls, and we talked about Tripp, and the day he proposed. I told them the little things that I’d never thought to share. Then, we went up to Jones Knob, but we never made it out of the parking area. It was fun and relaxing, and long overdue. Girls’ day rocks, and we’re going to do it again real soon.”

While I was talking, I’d managed to get the pancake batter ready to pour and the strawberries thickened
to syrup. “I’ll make you a deal. You get the girls up, and I’ll get the pancakes started. Their clothes are out, but you’ll have to help Maggie get dressed. By the time y’all get back, everything should be ready.” With the promise of food, Liam is up and heading down the hall.

“Teeth. Face. Hair.” The instructions automatically roll off my tongue as we finish
our breakfast. Annie and Bekah race down the hall to tend to their grooming, while Maggie lifts her sticky hands up to me. I look from her chocolate smeared face to her strawberry painted hands. “No ma’am. You can walk. You’re not going to get me all sticky, too.” She’s so darned cute, and I just can’t resist tickling her chubby little belly. Then, I growl at her. In my monster voice, I say, “I’m going to get you, my sticky little girl, and when I do–” I don’t make it to the end of my sentence before she is off and running down the hall. With a giant roar, I take off after her and catch up to her in my bathroom.

She’s
pulling her stool over, and in the process, leaving little red handprints on the floor and the stool. When she’s finally situated at the sink, she stands on her tiptoes, stretching to reach her toothbrush. As I go to get it for her, she looks at me and says, “No, Mommy. Me do it.”

Oh boy, I forgot
all about the terrible twos. This is going to be fun. “Yes, baby, you can do it, but Mommy’s going to help you learn so that you can do it all for yourself after a little while.”

That earns me a big grin underneath all the chocolate. “Otay
, Mommy. I do and you help. Tant tou.”

It takes a few extra
minutes, but we finally get her finished and ready for preschool. When we walk back in the living room, Liam has the older girls’ book bags over his arm. “It’s only fair, Sis. You fed me, so I’ll take the girls to school.” This statement is greeted with a chorus of agreement. The girls love to ride with Uncle Liam in Daddy’s old truck. Go figure.

“Wow, that’s actually a great idea. Thanks.
I don’t know what we’re having yet, but you’re welcome for supper, too. Just let me know this afternoon before I get the girls so I’ll fix enough.”

“Cooking twice in one day? Who are you and
what did you do to my sister?” Liam pulls the giggling girls behind him, and pretends to shield them. “You never cook anymore, so I know you’re an imposter. But, heck yeah, I’ll come for supper. Now, hurry and tell the munchkins bye so we can hit the road.”

I drop to my knees and th
ree squealing little rascals dive at me, tackling me to the floor. This is one of their favorite things to do, and honestly, I wouldn’t have it any other way. I just lie there and take my dose of loving, because I know that one day soon, they’ll be too old to want to bother. Smothered with kisses, I send my heartbeats out the door with an, ‘I love you’.

There it is again. Quiet. After the chaos of the last few years, I’m really not accustomed to so much
peace, and it’s a little unnerving. With a quick flick of my wrist, the CD player comes to life and the warm, country vocals of Blake Shelton break through the calm. I do love me some Blake. Thinking it might be a good idea to do some laundry, I gather the dirty clothes, and traipse back through the house, leaving a trail of socks as I go. I shimmy over to the washer and lift the lid. Just as I start to turn the water on, I notice the load from last night. Ugh, I know that summer is coming when a load of laundry spoils in twelve hours. Yuck. I decide that it’s a small load and, since I have to wash it again, I might as well add more to it. Once the lid is closed, I move on to my next task.

I decide to call Charlie
and talk to him about the decisions I’ve made. I’m hopeful that Debi and Lea will be able to cover my shifts indefinitely, because I don’t want to leave Charlie in a tight spot. While waiting for him to answer the phone, I notice the message light blinking.
Annoying telemarketers. No, I don’t want a home security system, and who I voted for is private.
I just hope that I can remember to listen to it and erase it. I know that if it were an emergency, someone would’ve tracked me down on my cell.
Oh, it could be the school. We did play hooky yesterday.
I’m so deep in my thoughts that when a voice answers on the other end, I almost drop the phone.

“Hello?
Hello? Wrynn, you there?”

I can’t help but laugh at myself. “Sorry, Charlie, I’m here. My mind was wandering, and you startled me when you answered.
How’d ya know it was me? Never mind. Caller ID. You got a minute?”

“Yeah, just checking in some supplies before the Smokehouse opens. What’s up?
” I can read the concern in Charlie’s voice. “Everything okay? You seem distracted.”

“Yeah, well, here’s the deal. I was hoping you could as
k Debi and Lea if they could cover my hours, well, uhm, indefinitely. The girls and I’ve been through a lot, and I haven’t handled the situation very well. After some heavy thinking, and talking things over with them, I’ve decided that I really need to focus on us right now. With Tripp gone, they really don’t need an absent mom, too.” I hold my breath waiting for his response. When it comes, I feel a deep sense of relief.