*A lot of stuff is going on in the chapter, that's why it took like three weeks to write. I really hope you like it! Hugs aarent
A Camden Style Christening
Renee's POV Three Months Later
"I can't believe its already February", was the thought that kept running through my head as I got Jenny dressed this morning.
I couldn't help letting a couple tears escape as I saw my little girl lying on the changing table in her white christening gown, it matched the snow that had fallen outside perfectly. I couldn't believe how big "Mommy's girl" had gotten in the last four months. This is what I was thinking about when someone knocked on our bedroom door.
"Your chariot awaits ladies", Matt announced doing his best knight-in-shining-armor impression.
"Why thank you kind sir", I replied.
"Hey Cuddlebug", Matt said spotting Jenny, "You look like a snow princess in your pretty white dress." It didn't seem to matter to him that she couldn't respond—he seemed to know deep down somewhere that Jenny understood. She must have because she extended her chubby little arms toward him, giggling toothlessly as he spun her around.
I smiled. "Uncle Matt is funny huh sweetie?"
"We better get going," Matt advised, "We have a royal christening to attend and a carful of people waiting for us."
"Let's go." I reaccepted my daughter and we came down the stairs and outside.
"You sure we shouldn't ride with your family ", I said as I buckled Jenny into the baby carrier and hopped into passenger seat of the station wagon.
"The nine of us can't all fit", he explained.
"Oh." I stared at my lap. For once I wished Jenny would cry or make some noise to break the awkward silence that hung thick in the air between Matt and I but she was sleeping contentedly in the back seat, so it was up to me.
"Matt?"
He pulled up to red light then turned to me. "Yeah."
"Thanks for doing this…the godfather thing."
"It was an offer I couldn't refuse." He laughed.
"I'm serious, it means a lot to me."
"Well then you're welcome."
"Especially when you probably have some kind of special plans on the agenda", I continued.
He hit the break a little abruptly. "What do you mean by that?
It was my turn to act confused. "Matt today is Valentine's Day, I'm surprised you aren't taking Theresa out somewhere."
"Theresa is history. Her dad made her promise not to see me anymore, you know me being a PK and everything."
"Oh Matt I'm so sorry
He shrugged. "S'okay I'm used to it by now", he assured me pulling into the church parking lot and quickly getting out. "My dad wants to talk to us before the christening."
I nodded, "Okay Jenny and I meet you", I started to say but Matt was already out of earshot. "In there", I finished. Despite his nonchalance I knew the whole situation with Theresa and her PK-phobic dad was majorly bugging Matt and it made me sick—psychically sick. I hated Theresa, hated her, a girl I didn't even know with every ounce of blood in my body. The Camdens were family to me—more of a family then my dad had ever been, and it choked me up to see any of them upset.
I don't know how long I had been standing in the middle of the parking lot with my kid on my hip but it was long enough that a search party to be sent.
"Renee are you guys all right?" Turning at the sound of Mary's voice I nodded absentmindedly.
"Good because we can start the baptism without our little honoree," she reminded me. I nodded. "Yeah I know we're right behind you", I promised, pasting on a smile for my daughter's benefit. This was Jenny's special day after all; still I couldn't shake this strange sense of foreboding.
****
Mary's POV
Something's up I can sense it from all the way in the center pew. Just looking at the way Renee and Matt keep avoiding each other's eye—shifting away uncomfortably every time they lock gazes for a split second makes it painfully obvious to the most untrained eye. Something definitely went down in the station wagon on the way down here and I'm dying to find out what. The baptism lets out and everyone heads back to our house for the party Mom is throwing for Jenny and Renee. I figured that would be the perfect cover for me to have a rendezvous with the family sneak….
Pretty much all of Glen Oak was at Jenny's baptism party, but it is a small town and Renee had been quick to make friends. Simon had shoved the den's couch out of the way to make room for the people who wanted to dance. Some kid had turned on a hip-hop station so I excused myself and edged my way into the kitchen where Mom was serving coffee to the gossipy church ladies.
"Oh Annie did I tell you what a beautiful house you have", one of them asked.
"Twice", Mom replied through gritted teeth. "But thank you again." I decided to throw her a lifeline.
"Need some help Mom?" She turned gratefully to me and mouthed something I think it was 'There is a God', but out loud she said, "That would be wonderful Mary, thank you." The sound of my name seemed to alert the other ladies that someone else was in the room and they swooped down on me like vultures.
"Mary how is basketball going?"
"I'm doing really good Mrs. Beaker."
"That's nice." Now it was Mom's turn to save me. "Mare have you seen Ruthie or Matt? I can't seem to find them anywhere."
"No but I'll go look for Ruthie," I replied. This was playing right into my hands, now I could talk to her privately and find out what was going on.
"And I'll go look for Matt." As we split up I heard Mrs. Beaker whisper to another lady. "Can't even keep track of her own kids!" The lady nodded. I shook my head, making sure to be extra loud on my way upstairs so they'd know I was listening.
"Ruthie?" I knocked on her and Simon's door. " Hey Roo are you in here?"
"Come in", she answered.
I opened the door. "What's up short stuff?"
"Hoowie and I are having tea and scones," Ruthie replied in British accent. Would you care to join us?"
I nodded. "I will but-" I turned to the empty chair and addressed Ruthie's imaginary friend. "Hoowie would you mind if I talk to Ruthie for a minute?" After a minute of "conversation" Ruthie looked back up at me, "Hoowie says 'Go ahead'" I lifted her up with a grunt, placed her own the bottom bunk, and knelt to her level
"Ruthie, you aren't in trouble but I want you to tell me the truth, okay?"
"Okay."
"You know how Renee and Matt are good friends, right?"
"Yeah, I like that Renee's lives here now she lets me help with Baby Jenny lots of times, I like everything except the dirty diapers. Hey Mary guess what, Renee said when Jenny gets older I get to teach her stuff like how to play tag.
"That's great Ruth." I hoped my enthusiasm didn't sound fake as I thought of a way to steer the conversation back on course. "Ruthie, have you seen Renee and Matt coupled off lately?" I asked, then seeing the look on her face instantly regretted using that particular phrase with my five-year-old sister.
"You mean like kissing and stuff", she yelped eager and grossed out at the same time.
"No, no, no," I amended quickly. "Just together a lot, on walks and things like that?"
"Oh. Nope I haven't seen nobody." Ruthie shook her head.
"Anybody", I corrected.
"Them either."
I laughed. "Okay, will if you see Renee and Matt start to walk off together I want you to tell me right away, like a spy Deal?"
"Deal." She shook my hand. I walked out of Ruthie's room smiling. With the family sneak on my side, I was bound to find something out sooner or later.
****
Matt's POV
"Somebody is bound to miss us", I pointed out.
After we got home from church, Renee had to put Jenny down for her afternoon nap while the rest of my family set up for the christening party. Then she had grabbed me by the wrist (the girl is strong) and starting towing me south insisting we needed to walk-and-talk.
"It'll be fine", she countered. "We won't be two minutes away. I need to talk to you Matt."
I gulped. "Okay shoot."
"I have a feeling there's something more about this Theresa thing than you told me in the car."
"Well there isn't", I said a little more curtly than I meant to. She jumped back as though she had had an electric shock.
"Okay, I was just, I didn't mean…" I felt horrible watching Renee falter with her response.
"I know", I stopped her gently holding out my hand, "And I appreciate it, what about you are you ok?"
"Yeah I guess."
"You guess?" I thought back to the time she said that a few months ago, about to take Jenny home from the hospital. I knew when Renee guessed it was never a good thing. "Enlighten me."
"It's been good a day today," she added trying to change the subject. "This christening went smoothly
"What do you mean", I asked.
"Renee?" I asked when she didn't answer. She covered my mouth with my mouth with the palm of her hand. "Shhh", she hissed. "I hear footsteps."
I listened hard for a few minutes but nothing unusual caught my attention. "I don't hear anything. Sure it's not new mother paranoia talking?"
Renee ignored my comment "There they are again." This time I heard. She was right; someone was definitely behind us, crunching loudly as they walked on the frozen grass. My nosy sisters probably escaped from Jenny's party and tried to follow us. I didn't give them the satisfaction of turning around.
"Mary! Lucy!" I shouted over my shoulder. "You should know better than to tail a person so closely when the ground is frozen. Consider yourselves caught."
"Like I would ever have the misfortune of being related to you Camden!" a male voice scoffed.
Renee and I both spun around, and locked eyes with Lou Schmidt—Jenny's deadbeat dad.
"So it's you that's been following me all day?" Renee said. "I had a feeling something was out of place." Her voice hard as steel and her eyes normally a warm shade of hazelnut morphed to black with her anger. I would have jumped back but curiosity for Lou's answer stopped me. However the venom in Renee's voice seemed to silence him.
"So what do you have to say for yourself", Renee asked tapping her foot in impatience.
"Not inviting me to my own daughter's christening was harsh. It hurt me Renee baby."
Renee flinched away in disgust positioning herself slightly behind me as she said, "You're supposed to be in rehab for another two months."
Lou laughed at her derisively. "So I snuck out for a bit. What's the big deal?"
"Because it…well, it just is…!"
"You didn't need crash the party, man", I finally broke my silence, sick of hearing the piece of garbage. "Now that you've breached the plea bargain the judge won't even allow you visitation after your stint in rehab!"
Lou glared at me as he continued to plead with Renee. "I was trying to see my two favorite people in the world. She's got so big. I just wanna hold my little girl—my little Jenny that's all."
"So you had to stalk me to do it?" Renee screamed.
"I wanted to see you too. You'll always be my little chickadee." When he reached past me to caress Renee's cheek, is when I snapped.
"Don't you dare touch her, you lowlife jerk!" I punched him good and hard; my knuckles had enough impact to make his nose bleed.
"Matt no!" I heard Renee scream.
*Come on push that green button, we both know you want to
