Maggie's Turn (23 page)

Andrew smiled back. "And you know, you can come to me if you ever want to talk about boys," he said seriously.

Kaia rolled her eyes but didn't say anything.

Andrew and Kaia quickly unloaded the groceries and put them away. They planned on meeting Kyle and Ashley for burgers. Just as they were finishing putting away the groceries, the front doorbell rang.

Andrew went to the door, wondering who it could be. Everyone they knew used the back door. When he opened the door in the main living room, he was surprised to see a girl standing there, wearing a bike helmet and smiling at him. "Can I help you?" he asked, recognizing her round face but not remembering from where.

"Is Maggie home?" the girl asked.

"No, I'm sorry. She's not home," Andrew said. He suddenly realized who she was. He had met her last week at the grocery store when she bagged and loaded their groceries. He looked past her and saw a three-wheel bike with a basket attached sitting out on the main sidewalk.

"Cindi?" Kaia had come up behind her dad and saw who was standing there. "What are you doing all the way out here?" Their home was eight miles from downtown, meaning Cindi had ridden a long way on her bike to come here.

"I was hoping Maggie had come home. I miss her. When is she coming home?" Cindi asked.

Kaia asked Cindi to come in. Cindi walked past a stunned Andrew, who just stood there beside the open door, staring out at Cindi's bike.

"Did you ride your bike all the way from town?" he asked, as Cindi and Kaia walked into the kitchen and sat down at the table.

"Sure," Cindi answered, as she took off her helmet. "I ride my bike everywhere."

Andrew closed the door and followed the girls into the kitchen. Kaia was already placing a few chocolate chip cookies she'd made earlier in the week onto a plate and pouring a glass of milk for their guest. Cindi's face lit up when Kaia placed the cookies and milk in front of her, and both girls started munching on the cookies.

"Is Maggie coming home soon?" Cindi asked again between bites of cookie.

Andrew sat at the table with the girls. Cindi stared at him with that sweet smile, waiting for an answer. "We're not really sure when she'll be home," he said. "Hopefully, soon."

Cindi's smile turned into a frown. "I really miss Maggie. I like it when she takes me places. The new lady who's been driving me around is okay, but Maggie's more fun."

Andrew felt bad that he couldn't give Cindi a definite answer. "I'm sorry. I'm sure Maggie misses you, too," he said.

"Dad," Kaia said. "We should drive Cindi home. It's getting late, and they'll be wondering where she is."

"Should I call someone?" he asked Kaia. He knew nothing about the rules for the residents of a group home and didn't know if Cindi was even allowed to ride her bike this far from town.

"No. We should just take her home," Kaia said.

After Cindi had eaten her fill of cookies and drank all her milk, the trio went out to Andrew's car. Andrew rolled Cindi's bike to the car but realized there was no way it would fit in the trunk.

"We'll have Kyle bring your bike home tonight," he told Cindi. "It's too big for my car."

Cindi nodded and didn't seem too worried about it. She obviously trusted Maggie's family to take care of her prized possession. Andrew rolled it into the garage and closed the garage door.

Cindi and Kaia both sat in the backseat and talked all the way back to Cindi's home. Andrew could tell that Cindi was much older than Kaia, probably in her late twenties, but she liked many of the same things as Kaia did, like the same movies, television shows, and music. The two girls chatted easily, and once again, Andrew was pleased at how kind and patient Kaia was with Cindi. Kaia had a good heart, and he was proud of her.

Andrew wasn't exactly sure where Cindi's home was, so Kaia gave him directions and, soon, they pulled up to the older, two story home. There was a nicely kept lawn and garden in front, and the house had been freshly painted. The trees in the yard were in full autumn glory, turning gold, yellow, and red, and the house looked cheerful and welcoming.

Andrew and Kaia followed Cindi to the front screened-in porch, through the door, and into the house. As soon as they entered, a tall woman with short, brown hair, wearing jeans and a blue T-shirt appeared in the living room where they stood.

"Hi, Cindi. Where have you been?" the woman asked Cindi, smiling over at Andrew and Kaia.

"I rode my bike over to Maggie's house, but she wasn't there," Cindi answered.

The woman walked over to Kaia and gave her a big hug. "Hi Kaia," she said. "I haven't seen you for a while. Is this your dad?" She turned to Andrew as Kaia nodded.

"I'm Jan," the woman said, shaking hands with Andrew. "It's nice to finally meet you. I live here with the residents full-time."

"Oh, so you're Maggie's boss," Andrew said, finally understanding who the woman was. He'd never stopped by Maggie's work before, so they'd never met. "You have a nice home here."

Jan laughed. "Actually, the state owns the home. I just run it for them. But thank you. We like it."

Cindi grabbed Kaia's hand and led her to the staircase. "Come with me to my room," she said to Kaia. "I'll show you my CD collection. Kaia followed the girl upstairs, leaving Andrew in the living room.

"I hope Cindi wasn't any trouble," Jan said. "She really misses Maggie. I didn't think she'd ride out to your house, though."

"No, she wasn’t any trouble. Her bike is still at our house. I'll have Kyle bring it back here in his truck tonight," Andrew said.

"Kyle is such a nice young man. And Kaia is a sweetheart. You're so lucky to have two wonderful children like that," Jan said sincerely.

Andrew nodded but didn't know how to reply. Obviously, this woman knew his children well, yet he'd never met her. It was just one more thing that drove the point home that he knew so little about his own family. Just then, an older woman came into the room and stood by Jan. She was short and round and had short, gray hair. By her round face and almond shaped eyes, Andrew could tell that she was also a resident here.

"This is Marie," Jan said. "Marie, this is Maggie's husband, Andrew."

Marie peered through her square, thick eyeglasses at Andrew, then smiled. "We like Maggie a lot," she said. "When is she coming back?"

Before Andrew could answer, another resident walked into the room. "Are you talking about Maggie? Is she here?" he asked. His arms and legs were twisted looking, but he was still able to walk with the use of forearm crutches. He cocked his head and stared at Andrew. "Who are you?" he asked.

"Joseph, this is Maggie's husband, Andrew," Jan said. Joseph made his way to the tan sofa near where Andrew was standing and lowered himself down on it.

"Oh, I was hoping Maggie was back," Joseph said, his voice sad.

Andrew looked around him at the people Maggie worked with. Even though he'd known she worked with people with disabilities, he'd never put a face or name to any of them. His admiration for Maggie grew as he stood there. Not only because she worked here but because everyone seemed to like her so much.

"Maggie is really missed around here, I see," Andrew said to Jan, as she led him into the cheery kitchen and offered him a mug of coffee.

"Yes, she is. Maggie's really good with the residents, and they respond well to her. She takes an active interest in every one of them. And she's been working here for almost five years, so they've all become quite attached."

"How many residents live here?" Andrew asked, as he looked around the kitchen. There was a small table by a sunny window, colorful mugs and plates on the counter, and a glass jar filled with homemade cookies on the shiny white counter. The place looked like any family could live here, and by the looks of it, the group of people who lived here were a family in their own right.

"We have six total," Jan said. "Two of the residents are at their jobs, and one is visiting her mother for the day."

Andrew looked surprised. "Her mother lives around here?"

Jan nodded. "Yes. Her mother is older and could no longer care for her on her own. Plus, living in a place like this helps the residents gain independence. Most earn their own money and enjoy full lives just like you and I do. The only difference is they may need a little supervision, so that's why they live here. We also help them keep track of any medications they may need and doctor visits. Otherwise, they're all very self-sufficient."

Andrew was impressed by the place and the fact that Maggie worked there. There was so much more to her job than he'd given her credit for.

After saying goodbye to Jan, Cindi, and the other residents, Andrew and Kaia drove to the burger place and met up with Kyle and Ashley. Andrew enjoyed spending time with Kyle and his girlfriend. Ashley seemed like a nice girl and was as smart as she was pretty. Andrew was happy to have the chance to get to know her better, but most of all, he enjoyed the feeling of being a part of his kids' lives, something that he hadn't experienced in a very long time.

That night, before going to bed, Andrew tried one more time to call Maggie, but she didn't answer. He left a message, asking her to call him on Saturday, then turned out the light. As he lay there in the darkened room, he wondered where Maggie was, and who she was with. He realized that Maggie may have done the very same thing, months ago, in this very bed, wondering about him.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Maggie and Rob took off on his bike the next morning, after Maggie had taken a few photos of the Victorian home and the rolling surf below the cliff on which the house sat. The home looked regal and inviting in the daytime, which made Maggie feel silly for thinking how scary it looked at night. Soon, they were huddled on the bike, riding the curvy scenic highway and enjoying the beautiful ocean views.

Today, they didn't make as many stops so they could get to their destination before nightfall. They stopped for lunch around one o'clock at a cute little roadside café and ate greasy burgers and fries. Rob promised the food at his home would be healthier than the food they'd been eating.

"I have a lovely housekeeper who preps dinner for me every night before leaving for the day. I usually grill fish, chicken, or steak, and eat a salad or pasta. If I ate like this all the time, I'd weigh a ton," Rob said, as they sat in the red vinyl booth and let their lunch settle.

"Wow, a housekeeper, huh? Must be nice," Maggie teased.

Rob shrugged. "I'm not very good at that stuff. Emma, she's a gem. She makes sure everything runs smoothly so I can just have fun."

Maggie shook her head and grinned. "Spoiled."

They took off down the road and passed Fort Bragg, then the town of Mendocino, before turning away from the coast onto Highway 128 toward Navarro. Rob's home was tucked away in the Anderson Valley, a part of Mendocino Wine Country. They rode through hills and valleys covered in neatly lined vineyards. Perfect rows traveled for miles up and down the hillsides. Giant pine trees lined properties, and homes sat high on hills, overlooking the acres of luscious grapes. Maggie marveled at the beautiful fall colors of the plants. Rows and rows of red, yellow, and orange leaves left a breathtaking scene for the eye to behold.

It wasn't long before Rob turned into a driveway that led them slowly up a steady incline toward a Tuscan home. The closer they came, the larger the home looked so that by the time Rob pulled up in front of the structure and stopped, Maggie felt like she was staring at a palace.

Maggie slid off the bike and removed her helmet, shaking out her hair. She stared at the beautiful stucco home that boasted a large veranda, arch doorways, and a tiled roof. It was painted a soft mustard color and trimmed in reddish-brown. If Maggie didn't know better, she'd have thought they just arrived at a home in Italy.

"This is your home?" she asked Rob, her eyes wide.

Rob smiled at Maggie's astonishment. "Yes. This is it. Do you like it?"

"It's beautiful," she said. She turned and looked out over the fields that surrounded the home. In the driveway was a lovely, round stone water fountain with a cherub in the center, spilling water out of a jar. Well-tended rose bushes, red and pink geraniums, and an array of other colorful flowers grew around the base of the home as green ivy vines trailed up the outside of the home's walls in zigzagging patterns. The front door was arched and framed in red brick, and brick was also a feature at various points around the exterior. Across the driveway from the home was a five car garage, built to match the house. Maggie wondered just how many cars Rob actually owned that he needed such a large garage.

"Let's go inside," Rob offered. He'd taken the saddle bags off the motorcycle and carried them as Maggie followed him around the side of the house and, under the patio, to a large pair of glass doors. Above them, they were protected by the upstairs veranda that spread out over the entire side of the home with black, wrought iron railings along the edges. He unlocked the glass doors, and they entered into the combination kitchen, family room area.

Maggie marveled again at the beauty of the interior. The tile floor gleamed, and large, thick rugs lay beneath the buttery leather sofas and the long, oak dining room table. The kitchen was a mixture of brick, oak, and copper with creamy marble countertops softening the masculine look of the room. A tall, open, red brick fireplace stood between these rooms and the large living room beyond, so you could enjoy the fire from both sides. The place was magnificent, yet very cozy, and suited its owner to perfection.

Maggie followed Rob through the living room and into the foyer, where they ascended the staircase. The stairs were made of gleaming mahogany and were covered with a creamy carpet runner. Black, wrought iron railing flanked the stairs and curled up to the second floor. They turned right at the top and followed a hallway that overlooked the main living room below. At last, he turned right again and opened a door for Maggie.

"Here we go. I hope you'll be comfortable in here," Rob said, as he entered the room and set one of the saddlebags on the bed.