Searching for Mr. Darcy

Scene Eighty-Five

On her way back to her mother's, Maisie stopped and picked up the scooter from the medical supply store, and Anabeth helped her carry it inside when she arrived at Momma Frampton's.  It was heavy, but narrow, and easily fit in the hallways of the house.

Momma Frampton was unusually quiet as they, and the crutches, assisted her onto the scooter and propped her leg up on the built-in shelf.

"How's that, Mom? Comfortable?" Anabeth asked.

"It's fine, I suppose."

Maisie showed her the controls and brakes, and both she and her sister stepped back so their mother could test it out.  She steered herself out of the bedroom and down the hall to the kitchen.  In a seriously impressive maneuver, she backed up and parallel parked in front of the refrigerator.  She managed to get the door cracked, but then had to move the scooter to fully open it, and it swung shut again before she could get in place to retrieve anything out of it.

Maisie braced herself for the frustration sure to come, but her mother surprised her and started the process again without complaint.  By using one hand on the fridge door, and the other on the gears of the scooter, she managed to get herself in place and grabbed a cluster of grapes from the crisper.

"I can't reach everything," Mrs. Frampton said, her ton resigned instead of angry.

Did Anabeth give her extra painkillers? Maisie wondered.

"Don't worry, Mom, we've got you covered."  Anabeth produces the long-handled claw-like gripping tool that came as an add-on with the scooter.  "It hooks right here."  She demonstrated locking it into place on the side of the scooter, within easy reach for Momma Frampton, and how to extend and retract it.

Momma Frampton took it and practiced with the trigger, then used it to grab a bottle of water from the back of the fridge.

"And I'm going to stay with you for a little while, still, Mom," Maisie said.  "So this will be more for when I have to leave, or if you want to get out of the house."

"Don't you have to go back to work at some point?"

It was the first time her mother had questioned her job, and why she was able to take so much time off to nurse her.  Maisie was genuinely shocked she'd finally thought of it.  "At some point," she answered.  She considered telling her about getting fired, but thought it would ruin the mellow mood that had somehow possessed her mother.

"Thank you, girls," their mother said.  "But, I'm tired.  I think I'll go back to bed and take a nap."

"Of course, Mom."  The sisters followed her back to the bedroom and assisted her back into bed.  Immediately, she closed her eyes and dozed off.

The girls closed the door behind them and walked softly to the living room.  Maisie stared at her sister wide-eyed and slack-jawed.  "What is up with her?  Did you change her meds?"

Anabeth shook her head.  "No! I was wondering the same thing.  She actually said thank you?!?!"

"This broken leg may be the best thin to happen to our mother, at least for our sakes."

Anabeth went back to the kitchen and put away the grapes and water.  "Are you hungry?  It's almost lunch - I could make us something."

"I'm starving, but she's almost out of food.  I should have gone to the grocery store on my way home."

"I'll go after lunch.  You should sit down and rest, too.  You must be exhausted from taking care of Mom."

"Actually," Maisie did sit, at the kitchen table, "it hasn't been as bad as I was expecting.  I mean, she's been rude and demanding, but she goes to bed early, and Talia and George have kept me company whenever they can."

"Are you sure? Because you're looking tired."

"Gee, thanks."

"You know what I mean."

Maisie sighed.  "It's everything else - the job search, and deciding what to do about H & L, and Marcus's dad passing.  Oh, and Doucheface McDouche told Yahoo! I was some sort of sexual golddigger!"

"Wait - what?"

"Bastian-"

"Douche."

"Yep.  He gave an interview to the same writer at Yahoo! that I did, but his version of events was complete fabrication.  The worst part is they published it without even consulting me or verifying its accuracy."

"Sue for defamation," Anabeth said.

"I'm not going to sue.  I'm certainly not going to sue Yahoo! if I end up suing H & L, though I doubt now I'm going to because they'll find this, and it will not look good for me in court."

Anabeth took a package of cheese slices out of the fridge, along with a stick of butter.  "Grilled cheese?"

"Sounds good."

"There's got to be something you can do," she said, her eyes narrowing as she put on her thinking cap.  Maisie recognized the expression from years of trying to distract her while doing homework at the kitchen table.

"I wrote an email to the writer, but haven't sent it.  Part of me thinks its best to just leave it."

Anabeth slammed a cupboard closed.  "That's the patriarchy talking.  He gave that interview because he thinks you won't respond.  Don't fall for it.  Respond."

It was a good point, Maisie thought.  She didn't want to let this asshole walk over her.  She hadn't let Roseberg - why should she let Bastian?  But what could she do without proof?

Unfortunately for Bastian, he was stupid enough to not have blocked her on Facebook, so she went to his page and DM'd his mother.