healing-hearts (4 page)

Jason returned his brother’s look with an innocent one of his own. “Teddy, it would be wrong of me to even consider marrying before my older brother. So, I’ve put my family plans on hold just for you.”

“It’s getting deep in here,” his father said as he continued to cut into his cheddar broccoli-stuffed chicken breast.

“Say it again, Dad. This is always where the baby wants to claim his role.”

“I’m not claiming anything. I’m just stating the facts as I know them,” Jason declared.

“Yeah, you’re stating them all right,” his brother mumbled as he resumed eating his dinner.

His mother look filled with shock and disapproval. “Jason Richardson, did you intentionally mislead us?”

Ah, hell, I’m in trouble now.

“Mom, I...”

His mother just raised her eyebrow at him.

Dejectedly Jason answered, “Yes, ma’am.”

Whack!

“Ouch!” Jason yelped, rubbing the back of his hand over the spot where his mother had popped him with the handle of her wooden serving spoon.

He glanced over at his sister, who’d had sense enough to keep her mouth closed during the discussion, and noticed the smile she was trying hard to hide.

“You know better than to lie to me, boy. Don’t think you’ve gotten too big that I can’t take those pants off.”

Successfully scolded, Jason did the only thing he could that wouldn’t get him into more trouble—continue eating and pray the subject died.

“Now, you two boys listen up. I don’t care which one of you gives me more grandchildren, but it better be one of you, and soon. How am I supposed to hold my head up on the senior women’s community board with only two grandchildren and two sons over the age of thirty not married and no children?”

“Here we go with the board,” Teddy mumbled.

His mother aimed her wooden spoon at his brother. “Teddy Richardson, don’t think I won’t come around this table on you. Got the nerve to be livin’ in sin...”

Jason couldn’t stop the laughter that bubbled up inside of him at his brother’s expense.

“Jason, what are you laughing about? The board members pray every meeting you’re not gay.”

“Trust me....there are plenty of women that will vouch for which direction I swing.”

Whack!

~ML~

“What are you laughing about?” Jason asked his sister as they sat on the edge of the pool after their evening swim. It was something that they both enjoyed doing.

“You and Teddy will never learn.” Lisa shook her head.

“Learn what?”

“To be quiet. But, the two of you have always liked seeing who you could sic Mom on, and most of the time you both end up getting it in the end.”

“We do not.” Jason denied.

“Shall I go on to Neva Wright?” She got up, walked to the diving board, and dove in.

While he sat there waiting for his sister, he marveled at how Lisa had given birth to two children, and had kept only a small amount of weight from each and still looked good. Weight had been a big concern for his sister when they had been growing up and she had worked hard during college to get the excess pounds off and keep it that way. That was one of the reasons he liked his brother in-law, Thomas. He had begun to date Lisa when she was heavyset and didn’t put her down about her weight, then had done an excellent job of supporting her as she worked hard at it. Even when she had her setbacks, he was right there by her side, her number one supporter. Since Thomas was a pilot and he didn’t get to attend family functions as much as they all would have liked.

Lisa resurfaced next to him and pulled herself back up to sit beside him.

“That was not my fault.”

Wringing out her long hair, Lisa replied, “Let me see.” Pretending to take a moment to think back, she continued, “Neva was your girlfriend. You brought her into the house to have sex with her while Mom and Dad were out at his squadron’s picnic.”

“Hey, I didn’t tell her to take off her clothes.”

Lisa gave him the same look his mother gave him hours before.

“Okay, I did tell her to take her clothes off, but for me, not for Teddy.”

Reaching out, she patted him on the cheek. “I guess that was kind of a low blow that she was only dating you to get to Teddy. It was good that you got a little taste of my medicine that day, I got tired of all my ‘friends’ only wanting to hang around with me to get to you.”

“Yeah, I don’t know who was more shocked that day—me or Mom and Dad. I had only walked into their room minutes before they did. I’d been down stairs getting Neva a cup of juice. I never expected to see her naked and revealed as the day she was born with Teddy standing in the room. Then, before I could say anything, Mom and Dad walked in.”

Lisa laughed. “I remember Mom was so outraged that you all were not only about to ‘fornicate’, but you all were going to do it in their bed. She had to have Dad spank you two, because she said if she did it she may have killed you both.”

Jason started laughing with his sister, even though that day nineteen years ago, when he was fourteen, it hadn’t been funny after his dad had finished spanking them for the many house rules they had broken that day.

Wiping the tears from her eyes, Lisa asked, “Why did you take her in Mom and Dad’s room instead of yours?”

“You know their bed has a mirror built into its overhead canopy...” Jason let his statement hang in the air.

“Freak.” Lisa accused.

“Well, evidently the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.”

They sat quietly for a second.

Lisa voice broke the silence. “You know, Jay, I always admired you and Teddy and how far you both have gone with your careers.”

He could feel his lips part in shock.

“Don’t get me wrong. I love being a mother and a wife and I wouldn’t change it for anything. Now, if Thomas loses his job, with all of the closing down of airline companies and takeovers, then I’ll use my degree in education and start teaching.”

“Is there a chance of that happening?” Jason was concerned about his sister and her family.

“No, his company hasn’t had that many problems since nine-eleven. I was just saying that was the only reason I would go to work.”

Jason nodded his understanding.

“Jason, what I’m trying to say is that in some ways I agree with Mom. You really need to think about getting married and starting a family.”

“Whoa, where did that come from?” Jason felt his forehead tighten as he leaned back and stared at his sister.

“Jason, you act as if I said you have the plague.”

“That would have been better,” Jason slipped into the pool and began treading water.

“Listen to me, Jason. You just had a heart attack at thirty-three and if it didn’t scare you, it sure as hell scared me. You need more in your life besides being consumed by your job, otherwise it’s going to happen again.”

“Lisa, it’s not going to happen again. I won’t let it.”

“You can’t stop it. If you continue on the same track you were on, then it will be inevitable.”

“How can you assume that me having a family is going to be able to stop it from happening again?”

“Jason, I’m not saying that a family will stop it from happening again. I’m saying that having a wife and or some kids will do a lot to help you not allow your job to rule every facet of your life. They can be a source of relief to the stresses of work.”

“If that’s all you’re worried about, I get plenty of
stress relief
when I need it.” Jason tried to add in a light tone to the conversation.

“I’m not talking about meaningless sex, Jay. I’m talking about adding a little
quality
to your life.”

“Yeah, yeah, quality of life. How do you suppose that I go about getting this life?”

“It’s called dating. You remember how to do that, don’t you?”

“I think I have a manual on it some where at my house.”

“Good.” Lisa splashed Jason with water, then dove in and started swimming. “Last one to the end of the pool has to feed Cayla when she wakes up at four in the morning.”

“Hey, no fair, you’re cheating. Besides, I can’t do it, you’re nursing.” Jason gave chase after his sister.

“Don’t worry, I’ll pump and put it in a bottle for you.” Lisa finished the last few strokes and grabbed a hold of the side of the pool, reaching their goal first.

“So, what’s the prognosis, Dr. Hudson?” Jason asked as he finished buttoning his shirt and grabbed his tie after the exam.

“How was your vacation?” Dr. Hudson asked while he continued to look over Jason’s reports the nurse had given him.

“Stressful.” Jason didn’t hesitate as he spoke.

Closing the chart and looking up, Dr. Hudson smiled at his comment. “Well, all looks right with your heart. The EKG came back with excellent results. I don’t see any reason for you not to start working today.”

“Yes.” A broad smile came across his face. He didn’t want to admit it to anyone, but he was nervous that something may have gone wrong with the angioplasty and he would have to return to the hospital or stay out of work longer.

“Now, Jason, I still want you to take it slow and call me if you have any type of chest pains or problems.”

“Will do.” Jason, now fully dressed, hopped down off the exam table and headed toward the door.

“I would like to see you back in three months.”

“I’ll be back, doc. But, no offense, can I meet you in your office? I’ve had my share of examination rooms.”

“Will do,” Dr. Hudson chuckled.

“Thanks, for everything Dr. Hudson.” Jason exited the room.

~ML~

Yasmine sat at her desk with the yellow pages open in front of her, scanning with her finger down the lawyer section. She picked up the phone and began to dial the fourth lawyer on the page, hoping she would tell her something different than the other three did.

“Hello, thank you for calling Allison Henry Family Law, how may I help you?” the cheery secretary spoke on the other end of the phone.

“Hi, I have a legal question. Is it possible for me to speak with Ms. Henry?” Yasmine asked, feeling her anxiety levels rise with each call.

“One moment please, ma’am, whom may I say is calling?”

“Mrs. Sousa.”

The line was quiet for a moment, then the light sound of a woman’s voice came on the line, “This is Allison Henry.”

“Ms. Henry, I’m looking into adopting two twins from an orphanage.” Yasmine took a pause.

“Okay, I’m with you so far. Is there some concern that you have?” she asked.

Wow, do all lawyers have a cheat sheet of questions? She sounds exactly like the other three.

“Yes. I am a single woman. I’m a partner in my own business, so I could afford to care for them.”

“Okay, Ms...I’m going to stop you right there. If you truly want to pursue this, I’ll do it for you and waste a lot of your time and money. I’m here to please the client. But, I like to be straight from the beginning. Adoption isn’t easy for a single parent. Most agencies have strict policies against it. They just think children are better off with two parents,” she confirmed.

“I don’t understand that stipulation if I’m financially able to care for them,” Yasmine protested.

“Ms. Sousa, finances aren’t everything. Two parents for a child will provide emotional benefits. Think about it, ma’am. These children already come from some type of broken home—they need all of the love and support people can give them. Why would you want to short-change not only one child, but two?”

Yasmine didn’t have an answer for this lawyer anymore than she’d had an answer for the other three. “Thank you, ma’am.” Yasmine spoke in a quiet, beaten voice.

“You’re welcome. If you still want to go through with trying to adopt them give me a call.”

Yasmine hung up the phone without replying.

Over the last week, all she had thought about and dreamed about was Joshua and Jessica. She yearned to adopt them. She knew she could provide a good home for them—she just needed to find someone who would listen.

Of course, she knew that most of her friends and family would probably think she was just trying to use the twins to replace the child she had lost over a year ago. Maybe she was, but she knew it was more than that happening. She had truly fallen in love with them. She was at a point in her life where she felt a void.

She had always looked at her life and believed that by the age of twenty-six she would be married with children. She wanted a baby, but refused to sleep with a guy to get one or have another bad entanglement. Nor did she like the idea of getting artificially inseminated. The thought of that just gave her chills.

So, adoption seemed to be a likely choice—maybe her only choice. But now, even that bubble was bursting.

Yasmine wrote a quick note to Leigh, then picked up her purse and headed out of the office. When she passed Leigh’s closed door, she stuck the note to it, then exited the building. She didn’t have any more clients to see today, so she was going home to mope.