The Second Half (16 page)

“Thank you.” He inhaled the fragrance. “Did you put cinnamon in here? Smells good.”

“I read that cinnamon is good for something that I can't remember right now but thought I'd try it.”

He broached a subject he dreaded. “How's the planning coming for that preschool project?”

“I think I have the proposal ready to put in final form. I meet with her again this week.”

He studied the tea in his cup. “I don't have a very good feeling about this.”

“Why? It's my chance to do a big job that should be fairly easy, make lots of contacts. It's all good.”

“Did you work in a contingency clause?”

“No. Good point.” She picked up her pad and pen and made the note.

“I treasure the fact that so far, I have not heard you downstairs beating that punching bag to bits.” He looked at her with raised eyebrows. “Right?”

She grumbled the answer, but at least it was affirmative.

“I really don't want you to slide back. Do you?”

“They haven't even signed the contract yet. They said they weren't ready. So maybe I won't even get the project.”

“Maybe not.”
Lord, please keep her from this. All I see is trouble if she takes it on.

S
o you and Magnus finished the project?”

“We did and all the shelves look mighty fine. Made me think of places here where we could add more shelving.” He shook his head. “So much stuff moved in.”

“Just think, much of their belongings are in storage.”

“Grampy?” Mellie leaned against his legs. “Do you think Daddy will Skype tonight?”

Mona held out her arms from her recliner, and Mellie squeezed in beside her. “I'm sure he's someplace where he can't Skype. You know, here in America we have all kinds of cell phones and phones and radios and TV, but there are parts of the world that don't have anything like that. Maybe he's in one of those parts and doesn't have a working phone.”

Jakey climbed up in Ken's lap. “I want to see Daddy.” His forlorn little voice made Mona fight back the tears. She looked at Ken, and he half shrugged, his eyes as sad as she knew hers must be.

Ken cuddled the little boy into his chest. “He would if he could. I know he is even more sad than we are.”

Mona laid her cheek on the top of Mellie's head. How to make two children understand something adults had a hard time with? She wished she were in the rocking chair. Cuddling was more comforting in the rocker. Her mind flipped back to when her own two were little kids. Marit loved to cuddle in the rocking chair and be read to. Steig had a harder time sitting still, even when he was so tired his eyelids fluttered. He was so afraid he might miss out on something.

“How about we skip baths tonight and get into our jammies for Grampy to read to us?”

Jakey scrambled off Grampy's lap. “Whoo-hoo, no bath. 'Mon, Mellie. Hurry up!” He headed for the stairs.

“You need help?” Ken asked.

“Grrrrr-aaaaaam-pyyyyyy.” Three syllables said in unison.

Mona and Ken rolled their eyes and shrugged at each other. “We better get ours on.”

A few minutes later, they were gathered back on the leather sofa, animals at their feet as if ready to listen, too. Mona looked from Hyacinth to Jakey, who was snuggled under Ken's arm, totally oblivious to the cat.

Jakey pointed to the bookmark. “Grammy marked it.”

“Well, I'll be flummoxed; she did, didn't she?”

Mellie jerked upright and stared at his face. “What does fl-fl- mean?”

“Flummoxed means, ah…” He looked at Mona. “You're the word person.”

“You're the one with the PhD. But it means, ah, surprised, shocked, amazed, overwhelmed.” She almost shook her head, her grin inviting one in return.

“See, Grammy is right. All of those things.”

“Then why didn't you say so?”

“Because flummoxed is a fun word. Say it.”

Dutifully the children did as he asked. Jakey giggled. “There's an ox in it.”

“You're right! Smart kid.” Grampy and Jakey high-fived.

“Can we read the story now?”

“We most certainly can.” Ken flipped open the book. Mona picked up her crocheting, and they all lost themselves in the spider and the pig story, as Mellie called it.

Later, after the children were tucked in bed and prayers said, Mellie clung to Mona's hand. “If Daddy Skypes or calls, you will wake me up, won't you? Please? Anytime, not just on Thursday.”

“Me, too,” Jakey said sleepily.

“Of course.” Mona and Ken both nodded and gently closed the door, leaving it open a crack, guiding the animals with them.

At the breakfast table in the morning, after a cereal discussion, Mona looked at Mellie and asked, “Since your birthday is coming up soon…”

“Friday.”

“I know. What I want to know is what you would like to do for your birthday.”

“See my daddy.”

“Oh, honey, I know that, but we have no control…”

“I know, but Grammy, I want to see him so bad.”

“Me, too.”

Ken raised his hands in a time-out T. “Okay, before we have a big crying time, let's think of party ideas. Is there something special you would like to do?”

“Ride a pony.”

“Our friends had ponies and horses, and we got to go see them lots of times.” Jakey held up all ten fingers.

“Half of Texas has horses, but here in Wisconsin, it's a bit different.” Ken looked at Mona. “Didn't you plan a children's party once, and someone brought in a pony for the kids to ride?”

Mona nodded. “I did and I will most certainly look into that. At that party, the farm owner brought the pony to the party, but usually the party has to go to the farm. Seems to me that the farmer raised ponies, and it's spring, so perhaps they might even have a colt or two.”

Mellie's eyes shone. “Baby ponies are so cute.” She flew off her chair and threw herself at Mona. “Oh, Grammy. That would be fantastical.”

Mona hugged her back, her heart twanging from this little girl using a word her daddy had adopted when he was this age. “Okay, I'll see about Saturday so your cousins can come, too. But your birthday is on Friday, and you get to choose the menu for supper. Anything you want.”

Mellie stared up at her, obviously thinking hard. Index finger on her chin, she chewed on her bottom lip. “Cake, chocolate cake and ice cream.”

“What kind?” Ken asked, fishing his singing phone off his belt.

Mellie decided. “Strawberry, that's good with chocolate cake.”

“Okay, that's the dessert, what for the meal?”

“Hot dogs!” Jakey jumped in.

“No! This is
my
birthday. You can choose hot dogs for your own.”

Ken dropped his napkin on the table as he stood up. “That was Sandy; she needs some help again.”

“Oh, rats, I was hoping you and the kids could work outside so I could get some of my work done.”

“We can watch a movie,” Mellie suggested.

“
Nemo
! We want
Nemo
!” Jakey beat a tattoo on the chair legs with his shoes.

“No! Not
Nemo
,” Mellie snapped. “I want
Frozen
. You can be the monster.”

“I am the shark!” He bared his teeth and growled.

Ken dropped a kiss on Mona's forehead. “I'll call you as soon as I have an ETA for home. Come on, you two, give Grampy a kiss. And you do what Grammy asks.” He looked directly at Jakey. “Without arguing.” The kids followed him to the door, tailed by the dog and cat. They waved him good-bye and returned to the table, where Mona was making a list.

“How about you clear the table, Jake? Mellie, you put the food away, while I get something out for supper. Any suggestions?” Cooking was not the problem. Always trying to decide what to make—now that was the struggle.

“Hot dogs.”

Mellie poked her brother and shook her head.

“For dinner then?” He looked at Mona with puppy dog eyes, as if he would just die for hot dogs.

“Why not?”

“He always wants hot dogs,” Mellie said with a long-suffering sigh.

“He can have hot dogs, and you and I can have something else, you know.”

“Really? We had hot dogs lots with Daddy.”

“I know, your daddy has always loved hot dogs. Come on, Jake, let's get the table cleared. What is that cereal bowl doing on the floor?”

Ambrose sat down, tail feathering the floor, and licked his chops.

Jake picked up the bowl. “See, it's all clean now.”

“Ah, sorry, Jake, Ambrose and Hyacinth do not eat from our dishes.”

“But he was hungry.”

“Ambrose had his breakfast earlier. He will always eat whatever we give him, but people food is not always good for dogs.”

Jake stared at the bowl. “Not even milk and cereal?”

“Dog food is best.”

“Dog food is icky.” He set the bowl on the counter.

Mellie turned from putting the jam and the milk in the refrigerator to ask, “How do you know?”

“I ate one.”

“Jakey!” Mother Mellie barked.

“Only one, it was icky.”

Oh, good grief, how do I keep up with him?
“Don't eat any more, you got that?”

“I won't.” He dropped the last of the silverware into the sink. “Can we watch the movie now?”

“Beds first and pick up your room. Any toys out in the family room? I'll wipe the table off while you get started.”

A couple of minutes later, she peeked in their room. Mellie was at the head of her upper bunk bed, pulling up the covers; Jake was sitting on the floor putting a Lego man of some sort together, bed all rumpled.

“Okay, Jake boy, I'll help you one more time. You have to fix your bed.”

“I did.”

“Let's try again, a little bit harder. Pick up the Legos and…”

“Don't wanna do the bed. It's too hard.”

Mona sighed. “Well, you must try.”

He got up, tugged on the blanket, and sat down again with his Legos. “Can't.”

Making a bunk bed was not easy, Mona would agree. If only there was space in the room so he could get on the other side. Could they make do for a full year? Mellie should have a room of her own. That meant moving out of her office; that used to be Marit's room. For short-time stays, the one bedroom was fine, but long term, like this?

“I'll help you, baby.” Mellie used her big sister tone.

“Not a baby,” Jakey yelled back at her.

“Are, too, baby, baby.” The singsong would make anyone yell.

Mona barked, “Mellie, that's enough.”

“Well, he is, can't even fix his own bed.”

“He has to learn how.”

“Andy always fixed my bed. I like Andy.” Jakey tugged at a corner of his blanket.

“Who is Andy?” Mona helped him pull the sheet up. “Now you do the comforter.”

“Our babysitter most of the time.”

“Oh, Andrea?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay, beds are made. Now finish putting your toys away.”

Jakey growled, “Don't want to put them away,” his lip sticking out.

Mellie shoved her books onto the shelf. “The rest are Jake's.”

“You have until I get my bed made to get them put away.” Mona left the room. She continued ruminating on the room situation as she did her bed and picked up the bathroom. She had told Steig to put the kids' beds into storage because they had the bunk beds here. Good thing that bed could be taken apart for two singles. She and Mellie could go pick out new bedding. Or was there some in those black garbage bags waiting in the corner of the closet?

Jakey was still sitting there, surrounded by Legos, when she returned.

“I told him to, but he wouldn't listen to me.” Mellie had taken a chapter book up to the bed and lay on her stomach reading.

“You two want
Nemo
on now?”

Mellie shook her head. “I'd rather read.”

“I want
Nemo
.” Jakey hopped up.

“But you can't come down and watch movies until the Legos are put away.”

“Don't wanna put them away!” There was that lip again.

“Your choice. Come downstairs when they're back in their bin.”

Mona went to her office. Could she get anything done?
Maybe.

A few minutes later she heard music in the living room and went down there. Jakey had
Nemo
up and running. Mona silently envied the ease with which small children could adapt to electronics. Mona was not adapting gracefully. “Oh, good. So the Legos are put away.”

Jakey, on his tummy on the floor, was obviously too wrapped up in the opening credits to respond.

Mona jogged upstairs and checked; she came back down. “Go put your Legos away, Jakey.”

“I don't wanna.”

Mona desperately needed Ken now, but he was busy at the university.
So much for retirement
, she thought.
Very well.
Punishing the punching bag surely made her strong enough for this. She knelt beside Jakey, scooped her arms around him, and stood up, hanging on to him.

He squirmed and shrieked, “No! I don't wanna!”

She hauled him upstairs, afraid that any second he would pull her off-balance, even though she gripped the handrail, and they both would tumble. She put him down in the middle of his Legos.

He twisted to his feet and started to bolt for the door, but she caught him by an arm. She gripped it like King Kong gripped Fay Wray. “Don't. Even. Think. About it. When the Legos are put away, you can come down. I'll leave
Nemo
on for you.”

“I hate you! You're mean!”

Mona kept her voice soft and even, although his words pierced her right to the soul. “Hate me if you want. But you must learn to cooperate. I love you, Jakey.” She left, his mournful wail ripping her heart apart.

The door opened; she poised to grab, but it was Mellie. “I can't read with all that howling. Can I lay on your bed?”

“You may. I'm going to work in my office for a while.”

“'Kay.”

Mona started at the top of the calls list. The first was from Carole Bergstrund regarding the preschool project. Ken's words nagged in her mind. He'd not made comments about the projects she'd been hired to do before. But then, as he said, they'd not had two small children in the house before, and this one would take up a lot of time, more so the closer to the opening date.
Lord, what would You have me do? No answer, no indication.

Shouldn't she be cutting poor Jakey some slack? The child had been through so much, and she was just making his situation worse. Was there some other way she could resolve the issue? And she should do it herself rather than hand it to Ken. She had never been a just-wait-until-your-father-gets-home kind of mother.

Look
, her worrying was already interfering with her business.
Cut it out, Mona! Get your mind back on your work!
She dialed Carole's number.

Carole answered on the first ring. “Oh, good! I got hold of you just in time. We have an emergency meeting this afternoon that you really ought to be part of. It concerns financing. Try to get to the Stoughton Library at one.”