Celia's Puppies (24 page)

“
I’m sorry, MJ. I didn’t
know.”

“
I was in Walter Reed for
a long time,” he said. “So I know how hard it is. You want to die.
Every day. And you can’t figure out why you’re not
dead.”

Honey made a kind of ‘humft’ noise.

“
I love you Honey,” MJ
said. “Always have.”

“
You have a very funny way
of showing it,” Honey said. “The last words you said to me were,
‘Fuck you, you stupid bitch.’”

“
Oh Honey,” MJ said. “We
had a huge fight. You weren’t stellar yourself. You told me I
wasn’t ‘EVEN a man’ and a whole bunch of other stuff that I was mad
about for years but don’t remember now. Brain damage has some
privileges.”

“
Do you remember why we
fought?” Honey asked.

“
No,” MJ said.
“You?”

“
No.”

“
We fought a
lot.”

Honey nodded.

“
Why did we fight so
much?” MJ asked. “I can’t for the life of me remember.”

“
Because you can’t keep
your zipper up,” Honey said.

“
Yeah,” MJ said. “I did
like the girls. I never understood why you stayed with
me.”

“
Low self-esteem,” Honey
said. She winked at him and he laughed.

“
You weren’t exactly the
most faithful either, missy,” MJ said.

Honey made her best shocked face. They
laughed.

“
I was in high school. You
were a grown up Army man,” Honey said.

“
Grown Army boy,” MJ
said.

“
Why are you here?” she
asked. “I am grateful you saved my life. I wish... I mean, just a
couple weeks ago I was fine, normal but now...”

“
Boy, I know how that
feels.” MJ’s eyes scanned her face. “And I don’t know why I’m here.
Ever since that night... I mean, before you were attacked. You were
so beautiful in that blue dress… dancing with all those men. I
haven’t stopped thinking about you. I was driving home from working
out and I… wound up in the Craig Hospital parking lot.

“
That didn’t sound very
good,” MJ said.

“
I know what you mean,”
Honey said. “I saw you at the airport that day. I guess you were
working. I... Yeah, I know what you mean.”

“
What would you say to
trying it again?” MJ asked.

“
I don’t know, MJ. I don’t
think I’ll ever walk again. I can move my fingers some but who
knows what I’ll be able to do. Most days I wish I’d died. Every
thing else is a blur of pain and meds. My brother, Jake, comes to
see me every day. I don’t remember his visits. Mom says we talk
but...

“
I… I’m not even sure what
you’re asking. I can’t go on dates or dance or fool around
or...”

MJ smiled.

“
What?” Honey
asked.

“
I remember that feeling.
That’s all,” MJ said. “You’ve never given up on anything, Honey.
You never gave up on me. You never gave up on your horrible sister
or your ridiculous mother. You don’t give up. So why would you give
up now?”

“
Look where not giving up
on my sister got me? I should have turned her in a decade ago. Mom
had no idea what she was up to in high school or...”

“
Some things just happen,
Honey,” MJ said. “It wasn’t your fault.”

Honey closed her eyes to keep him from
seeing the tears seeping into her hair. He touched her cheek to
catch a tear.

“
I am stationed here in
Colorado now. I travel about seventy percent of the time, but I
have time off every five weeks and at least six weeks in the
summer. So far, we’ve been home every weekend. The LC likes to be
home for the weekends.”

“
What do you do?” she
asked.

“
Can’t tell you. Sorry,”
he said. “I’d like to see you when I’m home. Would you like
that?”

“
At this moment, I don’t
know what I would like,” she said. “I’m not great company. My mom
comes every afternoon to help me bathe and eat. She usually leaves
around seven.”

“
Why don’t we have a date
tonight? I’ll come about seven-thirty. I can bring a movie and some
snacks,” he said. “You still like Milk Duds and Captain Crunch
mixed together?”

Honey moved her head slightly to nod. “What
about the other girls?”

“
No other girls. I have to
be one hundred percent honest and faithful in every area of my life
to keep my new job. You don’t have to worry about me cheating. What
about other guys?”

“
Look where I am,
MJ!”

“
I saw an orderly looking
in here,” MJ laughed.

“
You’re very funny,” Honey
said. “I… Yeah. As long as you don’t expect too much, I’d like it
if you came tonight.”

“
GREAT!” MJ beamed. “Wanna
see my fake leg?”

“
Maybe on the second
date,” she said.

He laughed.

~~~~~~~~

“
Oh, thank God,” Megan
Roper said as she opened the door to find Jacob on the other
side.

“
I came as soon as I got
your message. My team’s in a hockey tournament so my phone was
off,” Jacob said. He stepped over the threshold to Jill’s oldest
sister’s house. “What’s going on?”

“
I don’t have any idea,”
Megan said. Megan’s eyes conveyed her worry and her voice pressed
on in a fast whisper. “Jill’s been staying here a couple nights a
week. She usually gets here about six. We have dinner, all of us,
then she stays. She hasn’t been eating so I’ve been trying to get
her to eat more. Well, she missed dinner tonight then showed up
about eight. Katy was already here. I brought her home with my
boys. Jill stepped into the house and started crying. She won’t
eat. She hasn’t said anything. She just cries.”

“
You don’t have any
idea...”

“
None. I mean, other than
her ex-in-laws are awful. Trevor’s friends have been harassing her
for money. They say Trevor borrowed money or promised money or just
owed them money. They’ve been really cruel saying that Jill is
stealing all Trevor’s money. His wife is furious. She hounds Jill
for any money from Trevor’s estate. Jill was supposed to start
cleaning out their apartment next week but the landlord called and
said he needs the apartment clear by the end of the
week.”

Jacob nodded and waited for Megan to
finish.

“
I’ve never seen her this
upset,” Megan said. “Never. You know Jill, she can be so detached,
kind of eerie calm when she should be upset. But...”

Megan hugged him.

“
Thank you for coming. I
didn’t know what else to do.”

“
I haven’t seen her in two
weeks, Megan,” Jacob said. “We text every day but that’s about it.
Samantha tells me what’s going on when she remembers to… or feels
like it. I don’t have any idea...”

“
But you love
Jill?”

“
Absolutely,” he
said.

“
That’s what she needs,”
Megan said. “She’s in here. Quietly, everyone’s asleep.”

Jacob followed Megan through the dark, quiet
east Aurora home to a door near the back.

“
This is our family room.
She won’t stay in the guest bedroom. Says she likes it in here. I
think she likes it because Katy is right across the
hall.”

Megan opened the door to the room.

“
Jilly, I thought you
might...”

“
Oh God.”

Jill ran across the room to Jacob. She
tucked herself into his arms. Megan pulled the door closed.

Jill was crying so hard that he couldn’t
imagine she could see. He led her to a soft armchair then pulled
her on his lap. Nestled on Jacob’s lap, Jill cried into his chest
while he caressed her hair.

“
What happened?” he
whispered.

“
I… I… I got my period,”
Jill said. “I know it’s dumb but I was hoping so
much...”

Jacob chuckled.

“
Are you laughing at
me?”

“
I’m laughing at me,” he
said. “I was hoping too.”

Jill laughed through her tears. “I’ve missed
you.”

“
Ah Jill, I’ve missed you
too… desperately,” he said. “Remind me why we have to do
this?”

“
Because everything would
be worse if they knew...”

Jill’s tears overwhelmed her. He pulled her
into his chest again. Rocking her like a child, he let her cry.

“
It’s so horrible… so
horrible. Everyone’s mad at me. Every time I turn around someone
wants something else from me. If I spend a dime, Trevor’s parents
say I’m wasting his money.” Jill took a handkerchief from Jacob.
“Thank you for sending Rosa. She’s a Godsend. I don’t think the
apartment has ever been that clean. She makes the best food too.
And the flowers are so beautiful.”

“
Rosa took care of my
mother’s house, then Val’s and my living areas. She asked if she
could help,” Jacob said. “I’m glad she’s able to help. Are you
eating what she makes?”

Jill nodded. “She comes on Mondays and
Thursdays. And leaves us dinner for two days. Katy loves her
enchiladas. And her sheets are so soft. It’s like a tiny oasis in
the middle of this awfulness. I dread the moment my in-laws find
out. They will freak out. Did you know people have been coming by
the apartment looking for Trevor’s money? It’s crazy. What money
did Trevor ever have? I never knew him to have anything. If you
hadn’t fixed the security, I think they would have broken into the
apartment.”

“
What do you need
tonight?” Jacob asked.

“
I don’t know,” Jill said.
“I’ve tried to hold it together but when my period started, I lost
it. I yelled at Trevor’s father when he called me ‘stupid bitch’
for the eleventy billionth time. I didn’t know what to do so I came
over here.”

“
Let’s start with food,”
Jacob said. “I bet Megan has some Captain Crunch.”

“
Nope, all healthy at this
house,” Jill said.

“
Why don’t I go out and
get some supplies?”

“
Don’t leave me.” She
cuddled deeper into his arms. “Please.”

“
You have to eat,” Jacob
said. “And sleep.”

There was a tap at the door. Megan poked her
head in. She was carrying two bowls.

“
I brought some spaghetti.
I mean, it’s nothing fancy, just noodles and jar sauce,
but...”

“
Oh God, that sounds
wonderful,” Jacob said. “It smells delicious. Thank you so
much.”

Megan blushed to her hair line.

“
Like I said, it’s not
much… just left overs really.” She set the bowls down on the pool
table in the middle of the room. “There’s a water cooler over there
with cups. And...”

Megan realized Jill was nestled on Jacob’s
lap. Megan beamed at her sister, shrugged her shoulders, and then
went toward the door. Jill intercepted her for a hug.

“
Thanks sis,” Jill
said.

“
Love you, Jilly,” Megan
said. Looking over at Jacob, she said, “You’ll let me know what I
can do?”

“
We need to meet tomorrow
morning,” Jacob said. “Could you contact the rest of
the...”

“
They'll be here. Do seven
work?”

Jacob nodded. Megan waved as she left the
room.

“
What was
that?”

Jill picked up the bowls of spaghetti and
brought them over. He took a bowl from her.

“
Oh God, I love spaghetti
and jar sauce,” he said. “It’s perfect comfort food. I’m
starving.”

“
Jacob.”

“
You need help. And messes
are my specialty,” he said.

“
No. No. You can’t help.
No one can help. I have to do it myself.”

“
Give me a little credit,
Jill,” Jacob said. “No one will know you’re receiving
help.”

“
No way. Plus...” Jill bit
her lip as her eyes became vague.

“
What?”

“
I don’t want you to know
about what stupid bitch I am,” Jill whispered.

Jacob laughed.

“
I was serious,” she
said.

“
I know,” Jacob said.
“Have you ever been to the art museum and see a painting that you
thought was beautiful and someone else thought was
ugly?”

“
Sure. But I still have to
do this myself.”

“
Some people don’t know
how to appreciate the beauty in other people. They are too caught
up in themselves,” Jacob said. “Even if I knew every little detail
of what they thought, I’d still see your magnificence.”

“
I don’t know. Why did Meg
already know?”

“
I called Candy to ask if
she would either cater or help find caterers for Trevor’s
funerals.”

“
But they haven’t released
the body.”

“
That’s all right,” Jacob
said. “We’ll have a funeral anyway. When his body is released, you
can take it to Ohio.”

“
Oh,” Jill said. “That’s a
good plan. Trevor’s friends will be so focused on what they get to
do, they won’t bug me anymore.”

“
I will deal with his
wife,” Jacob said. “She’s more my problem than yours. As for
Trevor’s friends, I will hire a security service for the building.
Mrs. Robinson told me there were people lurking around. I didn’t
want to interfere.”