Silt, Denver Cereal Volume 8 (34 page)

Charlie nodded.

“
Wanda’s coming too,” Aden
said.

“
So?”

“
I just thought you should
know,” Aden said. “Are you nice to her?”

“
Nice?” Charlie asked.
“Whatever. I don’t really get what’s going on with
her
, but I think it
would totally suck.”

“
Yes, it would,” Aden
nodded.

Aden pulled the car to a stop. Charlie took
the condoms out of the glove box and stuffed them into his
pocket.

“
There’s Sandy.” Aden
pointed behind him. “Let’s help her bring everything
in.”

Charlie picked up his book and got out of
the car. He was unloading the suitcases when Heather pulled up. Out
of the corner of his eye, he watched Tink, Sissy, and Wanda glide
into the house. He swallowed hard.

“
You can do this.” Aden
picked up two suitcases and a backpack and went into the
house.

Nodding to himself, Charlie followed.

Chapter Two Hundred and
Forty-Two
Gold Heart

Friday evening—5:05 p.m.

“
I know it’s not much.”
Jill gestured to the small porch she had set aside for Honey and
MJ. “I thought it would offer you guys some privacy from the teen
hoard and . . .”

“
We’re happy to be
included,” Honey said in a soft tone to not wake Maggie, who was
riding in a Mozy carrier on her chest. “It seems like everyone is
sharing space. We’re lucky to have even a little
privacy.”

“
And tomorrow morning?”
Jill asked.

“
I’ll be okay.” Honey
smiled. “MJ can help me.”

“
I know how, it’s just
better for our relationship if I don’t.” MJ grinned.

“
Why?” Jill
asked.

“
Keeps the mystery alive.”
Honey smiled.

Jill smiled.

“
Actually,” MJ said.
“Steve checks Honey’s health while he helps her get up. He has a
more consistent sense of where she is.”

“
And where is she?” Jill
scowled.

“
I’m doing really well,
Jill,” Honey said. “Don’t worry. This is really fun.”

“
At least it’s on the main
level,” Jill said. “It’s just . . . small.
I . . .”

“
It’s like camping out,”
Honey said.

MJ looked puzzled and Honey laughed.

“
Without the tent,” they
said in unison and laughed.

Jill smiled.

“
I’m glad you were able to
come,” Jill said. “I know Val wants you to be there at the premiere
and Jake . . .”

“
How is Jake?” MJ asked.
“He seems . . . gloomy.”

“
I think all the stuff
going on in the world is hard for him,” Jill said.

“
People are so angry,” MJ
said. “I live in this little bubble of work, rank, duty,
assignment . . . everyone does what they’re supposed
to, at least most of the time. When I step off base and see all
this . . . It’s shocking to me. I can’t imagine what
it’s like for Jake to live in the middle of it all.”

“
Jake’s more open,” Honey
said.

Jill nodded.

“
Plus he’s trying create
change,” MJ said. “That’s got to be tough.”

Jill smiled. Maggie made a sound, somewhere
between a yawn and a cry. She smacked her lips and rooted toward
Honey.

“
Maggie’s up,” Jill
said.

“
Did you bring the breast
milk?” Honey asked.

Maggie made the little sound again.

“
It’s in the cooler,” MJ
said. “Frozen. Sorry I . . .”

“
Shit,” Honey
said.

Maggie began to scream. Although she was
very tiny at birth, she was growing fast. She spent most of her
days sleeping or eating. Honey tried to console Maggie, but once
the baby was upset, she only got more upset, especially when she
was hungry.

“
Stupid,” MJ said. “I’m
sorry. Delphie usually has it if we don’t.”

Honey and MJ looked so desperate that Jill
wanted to hug them.

“
Listen, it happens to
everyone,” Jill said. “MJ, why don’t you grab a bag of milk and we
can warm it up fast? Just takes a couple minutes. I’ll show you
how.”

MJ looked at Honey and shook his head. Honey
nodded. She gave him Maggie and he took the baby inside.

“
He wants so badly to be a
good dad that any screw up sends him around the bend,” Honey said.
“And every time she’s upset, he checks her for Crohn’s
symptoms.”

“
Nothing so far?” Jill
asked.

“
She’s perfect,” Honey
said. “It doesn’t stop him from getting anxious, though,
and . . .”

Honey shrugged.

“
His TBI kicks in?” Jill
asked.

Honey nodded and rolled her chair across the
little porch. She took a bag of frozen breast milk from the
cooler.

“
He forgot,” Honey
said.

“
Poor guy,” Jill
said.

Jill followed Honey as she rolled into the
kitchen. They heard the baby’s cried move through the house.

“
That’s Maggie!” They
heard Ivy’s high-pitched voice carry from the front of the house.
“Come on, Aunt Grace! You have to meet her and Honey and MJ
and . . .”

“
Ivy’s here,” Honey
smiled.

“
I can stay here,” Jill
said. “Why don’t you go?”

“
Thanks,” Honey wheeled
out of the kitchen.

Jill turned the water to hot. She let it run
for a while before she realized there was no more hot water.

“
Teenagers,” she said
under her breath. She filled the teapot and put it on the gas
stove.

“
Maggie!” Jill smiled at
Ivy’s high-pitched enthusiasm. “This is Maggie
and . . .”

“
Michael Junior?” Ivy’s
Aunt Grace asked. “MJ?”

Jill could feel the heavy silence.

“
What’s going on?” Ivy
asked.

“
I thought you were dead,”
Grace said.

Jill flipped on the burner and hurried out
of the kitchen. She found Honey halfway to the front of the small
house. Honey looked like she’d been punched in the gut. Jill
kneeled down.

“
You have to help him,”
Jill whispered to Honey.

“
You don’t have anything
to say to me?” Grace’s voice rose above Maggie’s
screams.

“
He . . .
that . . .” Honey swallowed hard.

“
You know he can’t do
this,” Jill said.

“
But
he . . .” Honey said.

“
He’s your husband,” Jill
said. “He’s loved you all of his life.”

“
And I suppose this is
your child?” Grace’s voice was angry and hard.

“
But what
if . . . he loved her more and . . .
just forgot,” Honey said. “I hadn’t seen him
in . . . years and . . .”

“
Tough,” Jill said. “He’s
married to you now. You have to fight for him.”

Honey shook her head and started to turn
away.

“
Come on, sweet Honeybee,”
Jill said using MJ’s high school nickname for her.

Honey’s sad eyes looked up at her.

“
You do it, or I will,”
Jill said. “And you know that’s not going to go well.”

“
What’s going on?” Sandy’s
voice came from the front. “Who are you, and why is Maggie crying?
Ivy, the kids are downstairs. Why don’t you
go . . .?”

“
But . . .”
Ivy started.

“
Or Sandy will.” Jill
raised her eyebrows to challenge Honey.

“
Go,” Sandy
said.

They heard Ivy stomp off and Gracie’s low
and angry voice.

“
I don’t care,” Sandy
said. “This baby is hungry. That kind of takes precedence over your
little drama. You’re adults. Get over yourselves.”

“
Go. Fight for your man,”
Jill said. “Would you put up with this at work?”

“
But . . .”

Jill gave Honey’s wheelchair a push and she
rolled toward the front of the house. Jill followed close
behind.

“
There’s Honey,” Sandy
said. “Why is Maggie out here with MJ?”

“
Honey!?” Gracie’s voice
rose a notch. “You’ve got to be shitting me. You had a baby with
the Honeybee? What the . . .”

“
Enough,” Honey said.
“That’s enough. I know you’re upset. This man can make anyone
crazy. But this is not the time or the place.”

MJ turned to look at her. His eyes reflected
his panic and despair. Hearing her mother’s voice, Maggie’s screams
increased. She flailed against MJ.

“
Sandy, can you get
Maggie?” Honey asked. “We forgot to defrost some milk.”

“
But
he . . .” Grace pointed to MJ.

Sandy pushed past Grace, took the baby from
MJ, and carried her to the kitchen.

“
He has a traumatic brain
injury,” Honey said. “It affects his speech.”

“
But . . .”
Grace said.

“
He can’t talk to you or
me or anyone,” Honey said. “Look at him.”

MJ’s panicked blue eyes looked from Grace to
Honey, and back at Grace.

“
Go for a run,” Honey
said. “We’ll be here when you get back.”

MJ shook his head and pointed to the ground.
Honey shook her head.

“
Go.” Honey pointed at the
door. “Do you have your phone?”

MJ nodded.

“
Call me when you can,”
Honey said. “Go.”

“
I was just heading out
with the boys.” Jacob pushed Charlie out of the basement. Nash and
Teddy came up behind him. “The boys are feeling a
little . . .wound up. Want to come with us,
MJ?”

Jacob gestured to the boys, who were
punching each other.

“
We have to go now, or
miss Val’s big moment,” Jacob said.

MJ nodded and followed Jacob out of the
house. Grace went to follow them.

“
Where are you going?”
Honey asked.

Grace turned in place.

“
There’s nothing out there
that’s going to answer your questions,” Honey said. “You want to
know? You’ve got to stay.”

Grace stared at Honey for a moment.

“
But
I . . . you . . .” Grace pointed at
Honey.

“
I’m staying here,” Honey
said. “My baby is hungry and I need to feed her.”

Honey turned in place and wheeled back to
the kitchen. She winked at Jill as she passed. Grace stared after
Honey. She glanced at the door and then squared her shoulders. She
stomped past Jill to the kitchen. Jill raised her eyebrows and
followed Grace to the battleground.

~~~~~~~~

Friday evening—6:45 p.m.

“
There she is!” Jill
pointed to Valerie stepping out of the limousine on the big white
screen in the front of the room. The cameraman moved closer to get
a picture of Jill, Sandy and Heather.

“
Look at Jackie!” Sandy
said.

Jackie turned her head so her blue-hazel
eyes could take in all of the activity and people on the red
carpet.

“
Go Jackie!” Heather
yelled.

“
Ready to take over.”
Honey laughed.

“
That’s my girl,” Tanesha
said.

The women laughed. On the screen, Mike
stepped out of the limousine. He took Valerie’s hand and they
started the red carpet walk.

Everyone was sitting in the living room
watching the screen. The cameraman and sound crew had arrived at
the same time as Jeraine and Tanesha. Because Jeraine had more
experience with video production, he helped everyone get ready.
Because Jeraine was Charlie’s pal, he stuck Charlie and Tink in the
back.

Charlie put his arm around Tink. She looked
up at him and gave him a nice, warm kiss.

“
Awww,” the adults said
when the son of another star ran up to give Valerie a yellow daisy
for Jackie.

“
Can you believe that
whole Gracie and MJ thing?” Tink whispered. “MJ totally dumped
Gracie when he got injured. She thought he
died!
Now he’s married to Honey
and . . . Well, Honey told Gracie that they would
talk about it later, that now is not the time,
but . . . It’s a big mess!” Tink shook her
head.

“
How’s Ivy?” Charlie
whispered.

“
Hysterical,” Tink said.
“Heather stayed with her, but Ivy says she can’t deal. She’s
heading out tonight.”

Charlie shook his head.

“
We won’t let her go,”
Charlie said.

Tink nodded. She looked up at him and he
grinned. He was about to kiss her again when Noelle hit his
shoulder.

“
We’re on,” Noelle said in
a terse voice.

“
Go,” the video director
said.

“
Hi Val!” everyone
yelled.

Valerie beamed at them and waved. Jackie
giggled. An announcer asked Jacob a question and they had to be
super quiet. Jacob was handsome, charming, and funny. Charlie felt
a wave of jealousy toward Jacob. Then he remembered how goofy Jacob
had been when they were out running. He had done this girlie voice
and gushed about how MJ was so hot. Charlie had joined in and got
Teddy and Nash to do it too. When Jake kneeled down and begged the
hotness of MJ for some loving, MJ finally laughed and was able to
talk. Charlie chuckled at the memory. Aden turned around and
shushed him.