Chapter 15
CHAPTER 15
L auren looked at her laptop screen and sighed. She’d waited for Jeff to go to the market before researching living kidney donor information. After hearing about Emily’s need for a kidney, she wanted more information about her sister’s options.
She printed a few articles about living donor transplants, and how she might help. Everything she read said there would be no problem donating a kidney after her pregnancy, but that it made the most sense that she wait at least six months before putting her body through the trauma of such an operation.
Looking at the clock, she expected Jeff back any minute. Since the girls were at a friend’s house, she figured this would be the best time to talk about their future. For weeks, she’d been holding on to a fear that Jeff would take issue with her needing more time at home, but the truth was deeper than that. She wanted her old job back. She wanted to stay home and have Jeff go out to work.
Such thinking only brought anxiety and frustration to her. Nell was right. The only way to know Jeff’s position on this was to talk to him.
What if he hates the idea? He seems so happy staying home with the kids.
She heard Jeff’s car in the driveway and quickly closed the laptop.
“Hey, you’re back so soon. Did you get everything on the list?”
“Are you kidding? I’m a pro at grocery shopping. After all these months of doing it, I’ve developed a system. See, I have two lists. One for perishable items, which can mostly be found in the outer aisles, and one for everything else. I do the perishable items last, just in case I’ve got things that need a freezer or refrigerated items. I need them to stay cold as long as possible. So, what do you think? Am I a genius or what?”
Lauren laughed. “I’ll decide you’re a genius if you stopped at the dry cleaners on your way home.”
Jeff ran to the car and then returned to the kitchen carrying the newly dry cleaned clothes.
“Voila!”
“Okay, you’re a genius. Do you need help putting the groceries away, or can you handle that too?”
“I’ve got it. You sit in the living room and put your feet up. I’ll come join you just as soon as I put the groceries away and the lasagna in the oven.”
“My goodness, grocery shopping, dry cleaning pickup and Italian chef. How did I get so lucky?”
She walked, or as she now called it, waddled into the living room and decided to lay down on the sofa instead of just lifting her feet. She was tired, and as far as she was concerned, the baby couldn’t come fast enough.
Jeff joined her on the sofa, lifting her legs and placing her feet on his lap. “Tired?”
She nodded. “Very. It’s just getting harder to walk and basically do anything. I don’t remember being this big with the girls. Was I?”
He shook his head. “I don’t think so. It’s been so long, it’s hard to remember.”
“How about you? Are you tired? You’re always doing so much around here. I feel like I should be helping more.”
“Don’t be silly. I love doing all this. It doesn’t seem like work to me.”
Lauren was looking for an opening, and this seemed as good a time as any.
“Jeff, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about how things will change after the baby comes. Mom is coming up to be with us for a week or two. Will you be okay with having her around all the time? I know how much you think of the kitchen as yours.”
He laughed. “Are you kidding? I’m thrilled she’ll be here. It’s been a while since we had a little baby in this house.”
She nodded. “We’re a lot older.”
“Well, there’s that, but also so much has changed about how you’re supposed to take care of a baby. First they wanted you to put the baby in the crib on the stomach, now that’s wrong. Before we could have a blanket in the crib, now you can’t. It’s crazy. I’ve been reading up on this stuff. I want to get it right.”
“I know you do. You’re already the best father in the world. You’ll be great when this little one comes along. Jeff, listen, I miss being home with the girls. Now, with the baby coming…I want to stay at home more.”
“You mean work from home?”
“Yes, for sure…then, we’ll see, maybe I won’t hardly go into the office. Maybe I’ll run things from here.”
He sat up straight. “Are you thinking of selling the agency?”
“Oh, no…at least not now. I don’t know what I’m going to do, but we have to consider finances. At least one of us needs to work full time. I’m just saying perhaps I can do that from here instead of always going into the office.”
“Lauren, you run a real estate business. You have to show houses. That’s what you do. How are you going to do that if you stay at home?”
“I don’t know everything right now. All I’m saying is that I’d like us to consider other options, rather than me going to work all the time and you staying home.”
Jeff seemed upset at the suggestion.
“Lauren, I thought we worked all this out a few years ago. I love being at home with the girls, and now with the new baby…”
“With the new baby, I want to be here for longer than just maternity leave. I want much more time. I don’t want to miss anything. Can’t you understand that?”
Lauren didn’t want to have a fight, but she also didn’t want to give up her dream of staying at home. She lowered her voice and tried to remain calm.
“Let’s take it one step at a time. I’ve already spoken with Nell and Brian. They are perfectly capable of running the place without me. We’re going to bring in a couple more agents and maybe even expand to other locations.”
“That takes money, money we don’t have,” he insisted.
“Money, we don’t have…now. Just think about what I’m saying. I’m not asking you to go back to an office. I just want us to find a way for me to be with my family more than I have been these last couple of years.”
“Fair enough. As long as we keep an eye on the health of our finances.”
She nodded. “I can agree to that.”
“Now, what else do you need?” he asked.
Lauren smiled and pointed to her feet.
“A foot massage.”
Grandma Sarah looked around the room and counted heads.
“I count fourteen. Am I missing anyone?” she asked.
Barbara Nelson yelled out from the back of the room. “Carol McFadden isn’t here.”
“Does anyone know if Carol is coming?” Grandma Sarah asked.
Arnold Felderson and Charles Hernandez pushed their walkers into the room.
“What are you two doing here?” she asked.
“We’re going on the bus. You said to be here at three o’clock. It's three o’clock.”
She rolled her eyes and sighed. “Yes, but I also said anyone with a walker or needing assistance should sit outside and wait for the bus driver.”
Arnold looked at Charles. “Did you know that?” he asked.
Charles shrugged. “If I did, I forgot.”
The men turned around and slowly walked back to the front of the building. Just then, Carol McFadden ran into the room.
“Nice of you to join us,” Grandma Sarah snipped at Carol.
“Okay, okay, everyone pipe down. It looks as if we’ve got eighteen going. So, if you’re ready, let’s get outside. The bus driver is waiting for us.”
The seniors ambled to the front of the room and out the door to meet the bus. It was a fun social event that Grandma Sarah put together. She came up with the idea of visiting The Mucky Duck for dinner and sunset and collected thirty dollars from each person to cover the cost of the sandwiches and drinks.
The bus driver was Kenneth Reinholt’s brother Peter, who owned and operated the Seniors On The Go party events. He said he’d drive them to The Mucky Duck if Jenny Martin, a resident of the community, agreed to a date, which she had only yesterday.
Grandma Sarah sat on the bus next to Jenny.
“I don’t mind telling you it was touch and go this week. Couldn’t you have accepted his invitation for a date last week? I could have convinced him of footing the whole bill.”
Ignoring Grandma Sarah’s comment, Jenny shook her head and looked out the window.
Grandma Sarah tapped the driver on the shoulder.
“Yes?” he answered.
“Your brother said I could use the microphone. I want to make an announcement.”
He shook his head. “Not while we’re on the road. You can use it when we stop but only then. Until then, you have to stay behind the white line.”
“Listen, when you get over the Sanibel Bridge, I want you to pull over so I can make my announcement. Do you understand?”
He started to disagree with her, until he looked over at Jenny who wasn’t smiling.
“Okay, I’ll pull over as soon as we get over the bridge.”
“Thank you,” she said, smiling at her newfound power.
Who would ever believe that being besties with Jenny Martin would open all kinds of doors for me?
When they reached Sanibel, Peter pulled over onto a sandy patch of road, and watched as Grandma Sarah took control of his bus.
“Tap, Tap, Tap…can everyone hear me? We’re on our way to The Mucky Duck, where there will be live music and lots to eat and drink. I know everyone knows me as Grandma Sarah. That’s because my grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, call me that. Tonight, I want you to call me Sarah…just Sarah. Got that?”
As soon as everyone acknowledged her request, she continued.
“Now, before we get to the venue, we’re going to make a short stop at the Key Lime Garden Inn. Have any of you ever heard of that place?”
Everyone shook their heads. “Well, it’s very famous. Famous people have stayed there in the past. We’ll pull the bus in and look at the gardens and stuff before we head to The Mucky Duck. If you’re ready, let me hear you say, ‘Yay!’”
The crowd yelled “yay” on command, and some even clapped.
“Are you through?” Peter asked.
Grandma Sarah, now known as just Sarah, nodded and handed the microphone to him. She sat back next to Jenny and smiled.
“I think you and Peter will make a very nice couple.”