Chapter 14
Fourteen
Maggie got into the driver’s seat and put the car into gear, heading for home with the window open to let in the warm spring air. She kept the radio turned down low so as not to disturb Corey, who didn’t say a word on the thirty-minute ride. Only the sound of an occasional sniffle came from her.
Maggie left her alone, deciding to take her lead from Corey. Back at the house, Arnelle was waiting to greet them and whisked Corey upstairs to her room to get her settled in bed. Maggie headed for her office and sat in her desk chair, releasing a deep breath.
Teresa came in a minute later. “How’d it go?”
“What’re you still doing here?”
“I hung out until you guys got back to see how you made out.”
“She asked to see the baby before we left.”
“Ugh.” Teresa sat in the other chair. “How was that?”
“Brutal, but she held up better than I would have.”
“She knows she’s doing the right thing. That helps.”
“I guess. Who knows what the right thing is in this situation?”
“She knows. She knows she isn’t equipped to deal with a baby with the health problems he’s going to have for quite some time. It was the right thing for both of them under the circumstances.”
“I suppose so.”
“Are you okay?”
“Yes, of course. It’s not about me.”
“Maggie… This is tough stuff. It’s okay to feel undone by it.”
“That’s good to know, because it was rough, and I just tried to hold it together for her.”
“You’re doing great. She needed someone there with her, and you provided that shoulder for her to lean on. You did your job and then some.”
“Thanks for the support. I appreciate it. Now go home and get some sleep.”
“I’ll see you tonight.”
“I may not be here. Got the family in town to meet Poppy.”
“Oh, that’s right. Enjoy that.”
“I will. Thanks for sticking around.”
“No problem.”
A few minutes after Teresa left, Mitch came to the door with a bowl and a glass that he put on Maggie’s desk. “Greek yogurt with homemade granola and locally grown blueberries and sweet tea.”
“Thank you, Mitch.”
“Figured you could use a snack.”
“You figured right.”
He glanced toward the stairs and then back at Maggie. “Is she all right?”
“Not at the moment, but I hope she will be. In time.”
“Would it be all right to take a snack up to her?”
“That’d be lovely, Mitch. I’m sure she’d appreciate it.”
“Great.” He seemed relieved to be able to do something for the young woman. “We’ll get her through this, Maggie. One day at a time.”
Maggie was moved nearly to tears by the sentiment coming from the usually brusque man. “Yes, we will. Thank you.”
He nodded and left the room.
Maggie ate the yogurt and delicious granola and then let her hair down from the ponytail, running her fingers through the long strands and massaging her scalp as she tried to process the overabundance of emotions.
She had to keep telling herself that she hadn’t given up a baby.
Corey had done that, not her. As a bystander, she’d absorbed Corey’s grief so fully that it felt like she’d lost something dear to her.
She needed to shake off those feelings so she could get back to work on behalf of the other residents, who were counting on her to keep her shit together so she could help them do the same.
This was no time for a meltdown.
She could tell herself that a hundred times, but fearing the meltdown would materialize anyway, she left the office and went out the kitchen door to the stables to see Thunder.
As always, Thunder was happy to see her and nuzzled her neck as she shed some tears into his coat. “Tough day, buddy.”
He nickered in response, which made her smile.
“Morning, Ms. Maggie,” Derek said from behind her.
“Morning.” Maggie hastily wiped away her tears before she turned to the older man. “Are you feeling better?”
“Much better, thank you.”
“Glad to hear it.”
“Is everything all right?” Derek asked.
Maggie thought about that for a second. “It will be. Eventually.”
“Let me know if I can do anything for you.”
“That’s very sweet of you. Thank you.”
He went on his way, tending to the horses while Maggie spent another few minutes with Thunder while giving thanks for the great people who were supporting her on this journey. “I’ll try to get back for a ride later.”
The horse nuzzled her, giving her exactly what she needed to continue her day.
She kissed his nose and walked back to the house, feeling fortified by the time with him. Horses had always done that for her, had calmed and sustained her through the most difficult times in her life. After her mother’s accident, riding had given her an outlet to deal with the pain.
Arnelle was in the kitchen getting a cup of coffee when Maggie came in.
“How is she?” Maggie asked.
“She’s resting.”
“That’s good. She has to be exhausted.”
“We’ve got another situation.”
Maggie steeled herself for the next challenge. “What’s that?”
“Debbie McBride sent the kids out this morning but didn’t come down to breakfast with them or see them off to school, which she always does.
I knocked on her door earlier and again just now.
She didn’t answer either time. I know the policy is to respect their privacy, but we’ve done that.
It might be time to take it to the next level. ”
Maggie processed the information before going to her office to retrieve the pass key from a locked drawer in her desk.
Upon arrival, each of the residents signed a form acknowledging that Matthews House staff could enter their rooms at any time, for any reason, without prior notice.
However, this was the first time she’d had to use that key.
She followed Arnelle upstairs to the second floor, where they knocked on Debbie’s door again.
When there was no answer, Maggie inserted her key into the lock and opened the door.
The room consisted of four twin-size beds, a large wardrobe closet and a tub full of toys in the corner. Debbie appeared to be asleep on one of the twin beds.
Arnelle approached her and tried to wake the woman, who didn’t stir. She placed her fingers on Debbie’s neck and then looked at Maggie, shaking her head.
Maggie’s heart dropped. Dear God. The woman was dead?
She took a deep breath and let it out. “I’ll call the coroner.
” She went into the hallway, ducked into the bathroom, closed the door and pulled her cell phone from her back pocket.
She googled the number for the Davidson County Coroner and put through the call.
“I need to report a death at Matthews House,” she said, giving the address.
“Was there an accident?”
“Not that we’re aware of. One of our residents was found deceased in her bed just now.”
“We’ll send someone right away. Please don’t touch the body and leave everything just as it was when you found her.”
“Will do. Thank you.” Maggie left the bathroom and went back to the room. “Arnelle, come out, please.”
Arnelle joined her in the hallway.
Maggie shut the door. “We have to leave her and everything in the room just as we found it.”
Trish Lawson came down the hallway, carrying a glass of Mitch’s iced tea in one hand and holding Chloe in her other arm. “What’s wrong?”
Maggie hesitated, but only for a second. “Debbie McBride has passed away.”
Trish’s face went flat with shock. “What? What happened?”
“We don’t know. After the kids came down alone this morning, Arnelle checked on her. When she didn’t answer her door, we entered the room and found her deceased.”
“My God,” Trish whispered. “That poor woman. And her babies…”
“What do we know about the extended family?” Arnelle asked Maggie.
“She has family in Arizona.”
“You should call them. If we can get them here to care for the kids, DCS might not take them.”
Maggie nodded. “I’ll go do that now.” She raced down the stairs and into her office, closed the door, booted up her computer, typed in her access code and called up her file on the McBride family.
She found the next-of-kin contact for Debbie McBride listed as her mother, Karen Truver, in Phoenix.
Before she could give herself a chance to freak out about what she had to do, she put through the call on the desktop phone.
“Hello?”
“Is this Mrs. Truver?”
“It is. Who’s calling?”
“This is Maggie Harrington at Matthews House in Nashville, Tennessee.”
The other woman gasped. “What is it? What’s wrong?”
Maggie closed her eyes and forced herself to say the words. “I’m sorry to have to tell you that Debbie has passed away.”
A loud scream came from the other woman. “Oh God, no! Oh Lord.” Karen broke down. “What happened?”
“We aren’t sure yet. The coroner is on the way.”
“And the children? Are they there?”
“They’re at school right now but will be home about three thirty.”
“I’ll come for them. I have documents to prove that Debbie designated me as their emergency guardian should the need arise. I’ll see about a flight and get there as soon as I can. May I call you back on this number?”
“Of course.” Maggie also gave the woman her cell number. “Whatever we can do for you.”
“Thank you so much. Debbie was so happy since she’d been at your facility. She said she could breathe for the first time in years.”
“We’ve enjoyed having them.”
“If you would… Wait for me to get there before you tell Mandy and Patrick.”
Maggie tried to figure out what they would tell the children in the meantime. “We’ll do our best.”
They ended the call, and Maggie took a second to glance at her texts, noting a new one from Brayden that she would read later and another from her dad asking when would be a good time to come by to visit.
It’s going to have to be tomorrow, Maggie replied. Sorry.
He wrote right back. No problem.
Maggie put through a call to Kate, who answered on the second ring. “Sorry to bother you.”
“No bother. I was just doing some baby gazing.”
“How is she?”
“Delightful and perfect.”
“So, Kate, I’m calling you as my boss and the owner of Matthews House to tell you that Debbie McBride, one of the mothers, passed away in her room.”
“Oh my God. Maggie!”