Chapter 2
Two
Margie Clifton stood at the edge of the grocery store parking lot, her arm high in the air, waving wildly.
Annie was inside her car, her hand in front of her mouth. She paid no notice to Margie’s show as she drove off.
Margie’s arm dropped to her side. Had Annie been crying? Had she been sobbing into her hand?
It sure looked like it. What was going on?
She could call Annie – or no, better call Clara. She reached for her phone, but before she could make the call, a voice interrupted her.
“Young people are so rude these days. Always looking at their phones, never taking the time to talk to anyone around them.”
Was this person calling her young? Margie was going to be fifty-five after Christmas. It had to be someone trying to flatter her. Or –
Margie turned and sucked in a breath. It was Deborah Wills, an odious woman who forced Margie to practice her patience.
“Phones are useful, after all,” Margie said with a smile.
Deborah scoffed. “Are they? I think they’re turning everyone into robots. That’s why I don’t have one.”
“Ah.”
“I just ran into Annie Thompson,” Deborah continued, “You know, with the twin babies?”
Margie knew her well. Her stepson, Jacob, had been close friends with her growing up on the island. He’d just moved away, but they’d spent many a happy evening all together at Margie’s house.
Surely Deborah must know Annie was dealing with a runaway ex-husband who had abandoned her with two young children?
Deborah lowered her voice. “You know her son can’t speak? May be why the father left. You never know.”
Margie’s patience snapped like a rubber band. “My own husband left me for a younger woman. Awful when men make those sorts of choices, isn’t it?”
Deborah blinked at her. “Yes, it is.”
“Terrible to judge others, Deb. You should think on that.” Taking a few steps forward, Margie smiled. “Have a blessed day!”
She walked off without looking back.
The nerve of that woman. Had she said something to Annie to make her cry? If she had, then she deserved far ruder treatment than either Margie or Annie could muster up.
Inside the store, Margie grabbed a cart and called Clara.
Thankfully, she answered right away. “Hi, Margie.”
“Hi, Clara! How are you? I’m sorry I’ve been absent recently. Things have been so busy with weddings and parties.”
When Margie had moved to the island years ago, she’d converted an old barn into an event venue – Saltwater Cove. Her pride and joy, since her children had all flown the nest.
“Oh, that’s all right. I’ve been keeping busy. I guess Annie told you?”
“Told me what?” Margie asked.
“About my fall. I didn’t want anyone to know, but I guess it’s time. It happened about two months ago. I broke my hip,” she said with a groan.
Margie stopped abruptly and the shopping cart behind her slammed into her legs. She sucked in a breath, steadying her voice. “No!”
The woman with the offending shopping cart rushed around to mouth a “Sorry!” and Margie smiled and mouthed back, “It’s okay!”
“Yeah,” Clara said. “I’m in rehab now, slowly getting better.”
“When will you get to go home?”
“That’s the thing,” she said with a sigh. “I might be able to go home next week, but I’ll need some things installed and I don’t know who can do it on such short notice.”
“What do you need?” Margie asked.
Clara sighed. “Embarrassing things. My mom always said not drinking my milk would catch up to me, but – ugh. Now I need grab bars in the bathroom, a handrail for the stairs I never got around to installing, a handheld shower head. Little things.”
“I’ll find someone,” Margie said with a nod.
Her husband Hank could probably do it, but he might need to take some time off work. As the Chief Deputy Sheriff, that wasn’t always possible…
“No, you don’t have to do that,” Clara said. “This is why I didn’t want anyone to know what happened.”
“Please,” Margie said. “It’s my pleasure.” She gasped. “Annie. She’s been all alone, hasn’t she?”
“I was hoping she’d reach out to you for help but… now I realize how na?ve that was.”
Ah. That could explain the tears. Annie only accepted help when it was forced on her, and even then, reluctantly. “I’ll be over tonight.”
Within three hours she finished shopping, made an enormous baked ziti, and arrived at Annie’s doorstep.
Margie knocked. The door didn’t swing open for a full two minutes, but when it did, there was chaos.
“I come bearing gifts,” Margie said with a smile.
Annie’s face fell. “My mom called you, didn’t she?”
“Not exactly.” Margie stepped inside.
Toys were strewn across the floor. She could hear the twins squealing in the next room. Three baskets of laundry sat next to the couch. Margie couldn’t tell if they were clean or dirty.
“I saw you at the grocery store today,” Margie confessed.
Annie groaned. “Another witness.”
“You were crying,” Margie said softly. “It’s okay to – ”
Annie cut her off. “What? I wasn’t crying.”
Margie paused. “In your car? When you were leaving?”
A distant look formed on Annie’s face. “No.” She slowly shook her head. “No, I was stuffing a cookie into my mouth.”
Margie laughed, clapping a hand to her mouth. “Oh! Well, I called your mom and found out your secret.”
“What’s my secret?” Annie asked. “That I’m hopeless at doing anything on my own?”
“Oh hush. Is that why you’re so against asking for help?”
“What about the state of my home makes you think I need help?” Annie asked with a wry smile.
Margie wasn’t there to judge. She had three grown children. She knew how these things went. She was also old enough to know how silly it was to be ashamed of it.
Margie carefully stepped over the toys and made her way to the kitchen. The sink was overflowing with pots and pans. “I heard your mom was in the hospital, and you’re all alone.”
“Plenty of mothers are able to take care of their children on their own,” Annie said, adding a soft, “except me.”
There it was. Margie dropped the pan on the counter and pulled Annie in for a tight hug. “Is that what this is about? You are taking care of two little kids by yourself. You’re doing great. Where are they, by the way?”
Annie broke the hug. “They’re in their cribs. They just had their baths and should be going to sleep.”
Noel sang out, “Jingle Bells!” as if on cue.
Annie sighed. “I wanted to get dinner to my mom before they had to go to bed, but I ran out of time.”
“I’m happy to watch them if you want to run and see her.”
Her eyes cast down.
“What?” Margie asked. “Do you really think my home looked any different when I had little kids and my husband was off on business trips all the time?”
“You’re always put together, Margie.”
“Ha! Hardly! I’m just in a different stage now. My mom was over helping all the time. And one of my cousins who had kids slightly older than mine came over a lot, too. But it was still chaos.”
Annie was quiet for a moment.
“I know you don’t like asking for help…” Margie continued.
“I don’t like asking for help all the time,” Annie corrected. “You’d think a few days here or there and I’d be able to right the ship. It makes me feel…” Her voice trailed off.
Margie smiled at her. “I know, but the demands are endless, and you’re only one person.”
Annie nodded. She picked up the baby monitor. “Wow. Did you cast a spell on the house? It looks like they both might be asleep.”
“Perfect! They won’t even know I’m here. What do you want to do? Go to bed? See your mom? Have a night on the town?”
A weak smile crossed Annie’s face. Her eyes were so tired. “I’d like to go see my mom. I made chicken enchilada soup for her.”
“Then you go and see your mom,” Margie said, pushing her toward the door. “I’ll stay as long as you like.”
“Are you sure?”
She took Annie’s coat off its hook and guided her arms into it. “Positive. Go. Relax. Listen to silence on the drive over.”
“Thank you, Margie,” Annie said.
Once she was out the door, Margie got to work. First, she tackled the kitchen – putting away clean dishes, washing the pile in and around the sink, and wiping down surfaces, including the crusty microwave.
Then, she tidied the toys, folded the laundry, found a pike of dirty clothes and got it into the dryer before Annie got back.
“Any issues?” Annie asked as she rushed in the door.
“None at all.”
She dropped her purse with a sigh. “It looks great in here. Thank you, Margie.”
“It’s my pleasure. What else can I do?”
Annie put her hands up. “Please, you’ve done enough. More than enough. You should go home.”
“I don’t mind spending the night so you can catch up.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. But thank you, Margie. I really appreciate it.”
“I know you do.” Margie grabbed her coat and squeezed Annie’s hand. “I know how hard it can be. I’ll be back tomorrow!”
“No – ” Annie started, but Margie only smiled and disappeared out the door.