Sorting Through Life's Puzzle Pieces

Chapter 26

                "Dammit, Tom!" Sandy heard the door slam as Mae came storming into the house.

"Bloody hell, woman. Would you please listen?"

"Why? So, you can tell me how stupid I am? I don't think so." He tried to reach for her, but she backed away, glaring hotly at him. "I really don't feel like being touched right now. You know what, I'm going for a walk. Don't come after me." Sandy watched her go back out.

"So how was the fair?" She said as she pulled a bottle of bourbon from a corner cabinet.

"Fine until the last bit." Sandy offered him a glass and poured herself one of her own. "It's really shit what happened."

"I've got time."

"It's eleven o'clock at night."

"And I'm retired. Now what happened to my girl?"

"Her parents." Sandy pursed her lips, her face darkening a little. "I take it you don't much care for them."

"They almost ruined that girl. She calls me 'Mom' because, as she put it, I raised her more in the last six years than her parents did in her entire life. Has she told you about them?"

"Just a bit. I didn't think I should press it at the time. After tonight, I don't think I'll be able to get her to tell me anything else." He let out a heavy sigh as he moved to run some water into a tea pot

"We have about an hour until she cools down. Come sit with me and I can explain in a more objective way than she can." Tom followed her to the living room and sat in the large chair he came to enjoy in his few days here.

"How religious are you?" He frowned.

"Meaning?"

"It's not a loaded question."

"Haven't the foggiest."

"That will make this a little intense for you. Maeve' parents are very singular in their beliefs. The way it was explained to me, by both her and her sister, is that at one point their dad figured that their mom slept with a cousin to get pregnant. He would have been the closest male relative, they looked very similar and her parents had learned they were going to have trouble having children."

"Oh dear. That had to be interesting growing up."

"Oh, those two didn't find out until they were out of high school. Apparently Grandma was very loose lipped in her final year."

"What about.. when..."

"You mean the accident?" Tom nodded.

"Did you see her when she got the box from her sister?"

"Yes, she got completely pissed. It was very different from what I was used to seeing." Apparently this was funny because Sandy laughed at the information he gave.

"I'm sure it was. You see, she is such a bright spirit that when she went through losing her family, it was devastating. She didn't leave her house for anything but food for the first six months."

"What got her out? She doesn't seem to like to stay inside for an entire day, even in a blizzard. She'll even be out in that dreadful "English weather" you hear about.

"Oh, that was more her sister than me. We made her get up, go out. I usually made her walk the dog instead of me and everything. It was Kermit that really got her going again."

"Kermit?"

"You met her briefly yesterday. The one with the baskets."

"Ah, yes. Couldn't wait to eat a tomato. Very sweet child. She reminded her to be happy?"

"Nope. She got forced to babysit and by the time her sister got back, that little sneak had her all over the backyard in a mud fight. First time she had smiled and laughed in six months."

"Where does her parents fit into all this? We didn't really get to meet before she was practically dragging me towards the car."

"This one I got to be there for, it was in my house after all. Kind of gave me a little joy , kickin' them out for it, too."

"Oh god, Sandy, hoe bad. On a level of vinegar to Mt. St Helens?"

"Vesuvius."

"Shit?"

"You still want to hear it?"

"Damn straight!"

"About a month after the accident her parents were here for dinner. I'd managed to get her here since she hadn't gone to see them for a while. They had the audacity to suggest she pray more to heal her grief."

"What has that got to do with the grieving process? It takes a year minimum to get that level of grief. Physically and emotionally."

"They knew that, at least I know her dad did. When she got angry and started yelling at them, her mom suggested she even go to an Abbey for a time."

"Besides the archaic nature of that, I don't think she would have survived behind four stone walls." Sandy somberly agreed with him. "What do I do about tonight?"

"Why did she suggest you called her stupid?"

"When we ran into them, her mother voiced that she thought it was a less than savory ide that she be involved with anyone. Mae mentioned something that happened in her youth and her father said she was 'being stupid about it'." Shock and awe erupted over the older woman' face.

"You mean to tell me that hypocritical red-neck got called out in public?! Damn, I would have paid to see that." This caused Tom to laugh. "What, if she hadn't have walked off it would have been more epic than Pompeii."

"I don't doubt it." The door opened and shut, passively, with his angel walking into the living room, puffy eyed and sniffling. Raising to his feet, Tom took her into his arms, wiping the last of her tears from her face before gently kissing her forehead.

"I'm sorry I lost my temper," she whispered.

"It's alright. Let's turn in and we can have a better morning tomorrow."

"You leave tomorrow."

"I know. But, it will be better knowing we aren't fighting. Come one," he took the cups into the kitchen for Sandy and they bade her good night.

While Tom seemed to sleep soundly, Maeve tossed and turned. When she moved to get up an arm, wrapped around her middle to pull her back down. "Don't, Angel. You haven't done anything wrong." Tom's soft, deep voice caressed her ear. "Please stop beating yourself up about it and go to sleep."

"They're my parents and I embarrassed them in public." He pulled her into his side, where she usually cuddled when they were close, and tried not to growl at her words.

"They embarrassed themselves by trying to dictate what a grown woman can do with her own time and life. Sounds like they needed to be kicked down a couple notches from that pedestal they put themselves on." She giggled a little at the thought and he tightened his arms. "You're coming back with me tomorrow. I don't want you anywhere near their reach. No one should try to make you feel bad about your life choices, least of all your parents."

Maeve looked up at him, seeing how serious he was about the morning. "Okay. We can tell Mom in the morning and I can call my sister on the way to the airport."

"That sounds like a plan. Goodnight, Angel.

"Goodnight, Shakespeare."