Jade

Chapter 41

We made our way to the back porch.  On the way, I thought of Emma.  “She is with Theo and Antony, in the living room, taking a nap,” Aris told me, before I had the chance to ask.  He took my hand and opened the back door.  Lia, Max , Kale and Ripley all stood waiting, along with a few others that I didn't recognize.  Aris lit me a cigarette, then one for himself. 

“Everyone, this is Jade,” Aris announced, “come meet her.”  Those who knew me took a step back, those who didn't stepped forward.  “You read stories in the igloo and ate dinner with my son,” one stepped forward, “he has not stopped talking about you since.”  “That was great,” I responded, “I hope to do it again sometime.”  “My little girl wants to grow up to be just like you,” another said.  “I'm honored,” I smiled.  “My little boy wants to marry you,” another man stated, “I told him that he has to grow up first.”  “How old is he?” I asked.  “Six,” he answered.  “That's just precious,” I responded, “you better watch out Aris.”  Everyone laughed.  Aris put his arm around me and gave me a side hug, “she is mine.” Everyone laughed and just like that, I was in.

We talked about the kids until we finished our cigarettes.  Then it was time for them to leave.  I got a pang of anxiety.  They all started loading up on snowmobiles.  “Would you like to go see us off?” Aris asked.  “Yes,” I answered, relieved.  He got down on a snowmobile and helped me down.  I sat down behind him and wrapped my arms around his waste.  I instantly felt better.  “Why can't you just take me with you?” I asked.  “I can not this time.  You can come next time,” he answered.  “But, why?” I asked again.  “Because I am shopping for you?” he answered.  “I have everything that I want.  You don't have to shop for me,” I told him.  “No you do not and yes I do,” he told me.  We rode the rest of the way in silence.

We arrived at the shed by the cars.  He helped me climb up onto the dock, then climbed down onto the ground.  I waited while he covered the snowmobile, then climbed up to join me on the dock.  He kept his arm around me as we walked out to the vehicles.  “It will be fine,” he turned and kissed me on the forehead, each eye, my nose, then my mouth.  “Wake me up as soon as you get back,” I requested.  “I most definitely will,” he replied.  Then he turned and got in the front passenger door of the Lexus.  He put the window down.  Antony was driving.  “Bring him back to me safely,” I told him.  He smiled at me reassuringly.  I stepped back and they took off.

When all of the vehicles had left, it was just me and Ripley and one lonely Jeep.  Ripley walked to the Jeep and opened the driver's door, “Are you ready to go?”  “Go where?” I asked.  “Yaris said that you need to go shopping,” he explained.  “What about Emma?” I asked.  “She will be fine.  They are going to go tree hunting without us.  If we get done early, we will meet up with them.”  “Okay.”  Besides, if she wants a tree that small, we will have to find an artificial one,” he went on, “No tree farm is going to want to sell us one that young.”  I walked around to the passenger side and got in.  “Would you like to smoke before we go?  It's a little bit of a drive,” he warned.  I got back out and walked around to his side.  He started the Jeep to warm up.

“Have you thought about what you would like to get Yaris?” he asked.  “Is he listening?” I asked.  “Not unless you say ‘help' in your mind,” Ripley answered.  “I was hoping that you could help with that,” I told him.  “I know of two things.  You can get both, or get just one,” he offered.  “Do I have a spending limit?” I asked.  “No,” he answered.  “Then let's get both,” I answered.  “Okay,” he smiled.

“What do you want to get for Emma?” he asked, “besides the tree?”  “I don't know what he has already got for her,” I answered.  “I know he has gotten her a bunch of dolls and a bunch of dresses,” he told me, “When you want to get her something, we will just ask him first.”  “Sounds like a plan,” I agreed.

We finished our cigarettes and got in the Jeep.  We drove for about an hour to a small town called Mulberry.  We went to a jewelry store first.  “First, you are going to get Yaris a ring and Emma a locket,” Ripley told me.  He must have been reading my mind about the locket, but the ring is purely his suggestion.  “I am reading your mind,” he answered, “Just like we will get her a baby stroller because he did not get one for her.”  He helped me pick out a small heart shaped, gold locket for Emma and a diamond encrusted gold band for Aris.  We left them at the jewelers to be engraved.

“Do you want to buy for Lia?” he asked.  “Yes,” I answered.  “I suggest getting her a gift card to her favorite store,” he offered.  He took me to a small boutique on the main street that went through town.  I got Lia the gift card and found a cute pair of shoes for Emma, along with a bunch of winter tights.  I did gift cards for everyone else, including Ripley.  We went to Walmart and found a small Christmas tree and a doll stroller.  We were done except for Aris' second present.  Ripley took me to a car dealership.  “Yaris has wanted a Hummer that they have here for weeks now.  We are going to get it for him,” he told me.  “Why didn't he already get it?” I asked.  “Yaris never splurges on himself,” he answered, “It is up to us to do it.”  “Okay,” I agreed.  We got out and were met by a salesman.

“Are you running any specials on that Hummer that is out front?” I asked the salesman.  “It's employee pricing through the end of the year and three thousand dollars cash back,” the salesman offered.  “Can we test drive it?” I asked.  “I will bring it around,” the salesman went in to get the keys.  He brought the Hummer around.  The salesman opened the passenger door for me and Ripley got in the driver’s side.  We took it for a test drive.  Ripley thought that it was in good working order.  “Do you have a cell phone?” I asked Ripley.  He handed it to me.  I did a search for the price of a Hummer.  Every site that I looked at had the same Hummer for two thousand dollars cheaper than the asking price on the window.

“We will take it if you will go down two thousand dollars on the asking price,” I told the salesman.  “Let me see what I can do,” he told me.  He had us sit and wait at his desk while he went to discuss it with his manager.  He came back, “the farthest my manager will let me go down is fifteen hundred dollars.”  “Deal,” I held my hand out to shake.  Ripley handed him a black American Express card to pay and made arrangements for someone to pick it up later.

We went back to the jewelers then we headed back to the cabin.  We stopped at a road side diner for lunch.  I had the best french fries and cheeseburger ever with lettuce, tomato and bacon.  Ripley opted for a chilli cheese coney and fries.  Done eating, we used the restroom, had a smoke and got back on the road.  Less than an hour later, we were back.  Someone had worked at clearing the road to the main cabin and was working on clearing the road to our cabin.  I like the sound of that, ‘Our' cabin.  Instead of stopping, we drove up to the main cabin.  They weren't back from tree hunting yet.

“I thought we could go ahead and put Emma's tree together,” Ripley offered, “She is wanting to keep it here.”  “Okay,” I agreed.  We stowed the things I bought in Ripley's room for now.  We went out back to have a cigarette first.  “That did not take near as long as I thought it would,” Ripley commented, “Shopping with you is nothing like shopping with Lia.”  “Is that a good or bad thing?” I asked.  “Good,” he answered, “Fortunately for me, she has Max to accompany her this year.”  I smiled and he smiled back.  “Does Max know what he has gotten into?” I asked.  “Probably not,” he answered.

We finished our cigarettes, then went in.  I waited in the living room, with a bottle of wine,  while Ripley went to change his clothes.  How did it go?  Really well.  Ripley knows what everyone likes.  Are you done, then?  Yes.  We are about to put Emma's tree together.  How is it going for you?  It is going fine.  We should be back on time, maybe even a little earlier.  I will be waiting.  Ripley came into the room and poured himself a glass of wine.  Sorry, I am busy again.  That's okay.  I’ll talk to you later.  “Are you ready?” Ripley asked.  “Yes,” I got down onto the floor.  It didn't take very long.  It was definitely a small tree.  The smallest Christmas tree I have ever seen.  We left it sitting on the coffee table for now.

I climbed back up onto the sofa and poured myself another glass of wine.  I took a drink and sat the glass back down.  “Jade, are you okay,” Ripley asked.  “I don't know,” I answered.  I felt really tired all of a sudden, then I was out.

I woke up in my bed.  Emma was laying next to me, in bed, and Ripley was asleep, in a chair, next to the bed.  I looked around.  Theo was in another chair.  Antony was in another.  “Ripley?” I asked.  He woke up and sat forward.  “What happened?” I asked.  “We think that you were poisoned through the wine,” he whispered, “you do not remember vomiting?”  “No,” I answered, “You didn't get sick?”  “Just a little stomach upset, but you really got sick, then passed out,” he answered, “Yaris said to just put you to bed.  That you needed to sleep it off and you would be fine.”  “Did someone try to poison us, then?”  “We do not know.  He just said to save it for when he returns.”  “What time is it?”  “About time for dinner.  Do you feel like eating?”  “I think so,” I answered, “I feel like I need a bath, though.”  “We can start dinner while you and Emma take baths,” Theo suggested, “I doubt that Emma will leave your side now.”  He and Antony were awake now.  “That sounds good,” I agreed.

Theo and Antony left.  Ripley went to start a bath.  I gently shook Emma.  She stirred a little but didn't wake.  I shook her again, a little bit harder, “Emma, time to take a bath.”  This time her big, beautiful, green eyes opened.  She started sniffling.  Then started crying loud and hard.  She wrapped her little arms around me, “I was so scared Jade.”  “I’m so sorry that I scared you.  I’m okay now,” I whispered, “Would you like to take a bath with me?”  She nodded her head yes, “can I wash your hair?”  “I would love for you to wash my hair,” I answered.

We got up out of bed and walked into the bathroom.  Ripley still had the water running.  I got our usual items out of the closet and dumped some bubble bath in.  I sat on the edge of the tub in a bikini and helped Emma out of her clothes.  I got in and helped Emma down the stairs.  She immediately started popping bubbles.

Ripley turned the water off, “would you like for me to step out?”  “No,” I answered, “I still feel a little off.  Could you stay?”  He sat down on the floor a few feet away and looked everywhere but at me.  “Is my bikini too revealing?  How about this?” I changed it to a one piece.  “It is fine,” he answered, “You do not have to change.”  I left it as the one piece.  “Emma, are you ready to wash my hair?”  She nodded her head yes.  I laid back to wet my hair, then sat up.  She worked the shampoo in, then I laid back and helped her rinse it out.  She worked the conditioner in and I helped her rinse it out.  Then I washed and conditioned her hair.  I handed her the soap and she washed herself.

We were done, so I unplugged the tub.  I helped Emma up the steps to Ripley, who was waiting with a towel.  He held my hand as I climbed the stairs.  I walked to the closet and put a robe on.  I worked at drying Emma as Ripley carried her into the bedroom.  I went into the closet and found a bunch of children's sweat suits, pajamas and underwear.   I grabbed a sweat suit and pair of underwear, relieved that she had clothes, and went back out to the bedroom.  Ripley dressed Emma as I dried off.  I changed into a matching sweat suit of my own and bunny slippers.  “Your slippers are in the closet,” I told Emma.  She went in and got some, sat down on the floor and put them on.  She hopped up onto the bed and sat still while I brushed her hair up into a ponytail.  Done, we made our way to the dining room.