The next morning Scarlett was half-afraid that Rhett would be waiting for her at the house, but it was empty. She sat on the stairs, avoiding the rest of the interior, and stayed just long enough to direct the crew that arrived with the seven-foot sofa. She set the keys on the fireplace mantel and left through the front door, locking the knob before pulling it shut behind her.
Done. The accomplishment felt hollow, an ending with no new beginning in sight. There were projects to be tackled at the flip. She dreaded it. Projects with Frank; and when they were completed, and the house ready to be sold, there would be nothing to take their place. She had said they could take a break and if nothing else, guilt would hold her to that now.
She couldn't think about that. It made her empty stomach queasy, and vomiting in Rhett's neat landscaping wouldn't help anything. She would think about that later, when she could stand it. There were jobs to do, decisions to be made, and Frank was expecting her to show up with lunch for them both.
On impulse, she took a detour to Melanie's house.
"Scarlett?" Mel asked, opening the screen door with Ella on her hip. "Is everything alright?"
"Yeah, it's fine. I was just on my way to have lunch with Frank and I thought he'd like to see Ella."
"Oh, that's a wonderful idea!" Melanie beamed at her and then at Ella. "Do you want to go see your daddy, sweetie?"
Scarlett managed a thin smile. "I have to run some errands this afternoon so I'll probably bring her back in a couple of hours, if that's okay?"
"Of course, Scarlett. You know she's always welcome here, and Wade."
"Thank you."
It was the kind of exchange that, with other people, might find itself stuck in an awkward pause while both parties tried to figure out how to move the conversation along. Melanie never let anyone feel awkward in her presence.
"Are you in a hurry? Please, do come in and visit for just a little bit."
It was just one of the gifts that had at first made Scarlett resentful of the other girl. She, herself, was never soothing nor inclined to any special effort to set others at ease. That was a talent her mother had possessed, and one which Scarlett had always thought she would acquire someday, when she was ready - older, more mature. If they could get a little more money ahead - just a little more, so she wouldn't have to push so hard. She could afford to be kind, then. In the meantime, she let Melanie draw her into the house and set her on the sagging couch in the front room. Melanie put Ella down on a brightly colored blanket and lowered herself to the floor by the baby.
"We haven't had any time to visit, you've been so busy!" Mel exclaimed, dangling a plush rattle in front of Ella.
Scarlett struggled not to fidget. "I'll have more time now. I'm done with Rhett….'s house."
Melanie sighed. "Did he really order a whole new library?"
"Yes," Scarlett said shortly, not caring to discuss Rhett.
"Won't you tell me about it?"
Scarlett stared at her blankly, trying to formulate a better response than, It's just a lot of books. Melanie and Ashley's home was full of books, stacked as tall as the end table next to the sofa, overflowing from the floor-to-ceiling shelves that ran along one wall of the living room.
"Gah!" stated Ella, before launching into a stream of babble that distracted both women.
"She's becoming quite the little storyteller," Melanie teased, tickling the baby's tummy.
"She's not really saying anything!" Scarlett said, sliding off the couch to join Mel on the floor next to her daughter.
"Oh, no, not really. But I like to encourage her as if she is." Scarlett felt the unspoken question, Don't you ever do that?, hung in the air, but Melanie would never say something so critical. That kindness, the sweetness that was as much a part of Melanie as her dark brown eyes, had once felt false and cloying to Scarlett who did not appreciate her friendly overtures. Since Scarlett's return to Atlanta, more especially just in these last months after Ella's birth, she had come to appreciate the gentleness of Melanie Wilkes. Mel reminded her of her mother. Scarlett had only had to clear her head of Ashley to be able to see Melanie clearly.
Only. As if her flawed hopes had drawn aside as easily as the wind pushes away the clouds, and not been accompanied by sleepless nights and an embarrassing amount of crying.
Tossing her head, Scarlett stretched out a hand and tickled Ella's palm until she gripped Scarlett's finger, and then immediately tried to pull the digit into her mouth. Mel laughed while the baby continued to babble.
"Is that so, darling? Oh, do tell! And what happened next?" Mel cooed, asking questions as if Ella's nonsense words would answer her. Scarlett studied Ella's face. She still looked too much like Frank. Suddenly annoyed, Scarlett stood and went over to the front window. She crossed her arms over her breasts and stared with unseeing eyes out over the sparse front lawn while Melanie and Ella continued to enjoy their nonsensical conversation.
She was procrastinating, trying to put off spending time with Frank. They had barely spoken that morning, as Scarlett was never at her best in the early hours and both had been busy getting themselves and the children ready for the day. She did not particularly want to see him now. What should she say? Should she tell him about what had happened with Rhett? Twice. What she had done twice. She tightened her hands around her upper arms, digging in her nails. If she did, then what? Hell, even if she didn't - now what?
There had to be a way forward. She just didn't see it.
"Darling?" Melanie's soft voice was unexpectedly near. The term of endearment still made Scarlett's jaw clench. Melanie would not call her that if she knew even one tenth of the truth. "Is everything alright? You seem distracted today."
Friendly was not the same as friends. As heavy as this burden was there was still no way she could share it with Melanie.
"Everything's fine. I've just been really busy, that's all. But we're going to take a break after this house," Scarlett said, turning to Melanie.
"Oh, that's wonderful! You both deserve a little time off."
Scarlett froze. You both. Because the break wouldn't just mean not working, it would mean days and days with Frank. Maybe that would be good. Maybe she could find the affection that had disappeared since their wedding. He deserved that. He deserved a lot of things that she hadn't been paying any attention to for a very long time.
Turning away from the window, Scarlett saw Melanie next to her with Ella in her arms. She reached out and Melanie let her scoop the girl into her own embrace.
"We should be going. Frank's waiting for his lunch. I suppose Ella is, too."
"It was so good of you to stop by," Melanie said, drawing Scarlett and Ella into a hug.
"I'll text you before I bring Ella back for the afternoon."
"Perfect. Thank you for letting me spend so much time with this little pumpkin!" Melanie gently pinched one of Ella's round cheeks and the baby squealed, a bright, happy sound.
"No, thank you," Scarlett said, with heartfelt gratitude. "I don't know what we would do without you and Pitty."
"It's our pleasure, truly."
Melanie walked them out to the car, standing back while Scarlett settled Ella into the car seat, then handing Scarlett the diaper bag filled with her things. Scarlett tossed that in the front seat next to her purse, hugged Melanie again and, with reluctant grace, accepted a kiss on the cheek from the other woman before getting in the car and driving away.
"Frank, we're here," Scarlett called, shoving in through the front door with a white carry-out bag in one hand and Ella's car seat gripped in the other.
"We?" questioned Frank, brushing dust off himself as he entered. "What a pleasant surprise!" he exclaimed, so clearly happy that Scarlett felt choked anew by guilt. She shoved the bag of food at him.
"Where should we eat?"
Frank, who had bent over to make kissy faces at Ella, straightened up. "I put a clean dropcloth down in here. I thought it would be a nice spot for a picnic." He leaned forward, brushing a kiss against Scarlett's cheek.
"That's great," she answered, closing her eyes.
"Scarlett?"
Scarlett opened her eyes again and managed a smile. "Yeah."
They settled on the paint-stained fabric, Ella still in the carseat between them. Scarlett picked at her sandwich with no appetite to speak of.
"I think we got a problem," Frank said roughly before taking a bite of his sandwich.
"What kind of problem?"
"A house up the street was hit by copper thieves last night. Cops came over this morning to talk to me about it."
"Shit," Scarlett exclaimed, then covered her mouth with a guilty look at the baby. Frank grinned and reached across the makeshift blanket to squeeze her knee.
"Good thing she can't understand you yet, honey." He winked and Scarlett managed a strained smile in response. "Yeah," Frank went on, leaning away again, "completely tore up the place. You know we're vulnerable. We're just lucky they didn't hit us first. Maybe they're new to the area, if they haven't been watching the house they wouldn't realize we've done the hard work for them." Scarlett nodded, trying to stay focused even as panic threatened her. She needed this house, this sale, especially since she had agreed it would be their last for the year.
"What are the police going to do about it?"
Frank shrugged. "Investigate."
"No," she bit out, her best intentions of being nice to her husband faltering in the face of anxiety. "I mean what are they going to do for us? They'll have someone watch the house for us, won't they?"
"Uhm-"
"We are clearly at risk, Frank. It's in their best interests to prevent a crime - and maybe even catch the thief in the act."
"Well - they didn't say-"
"Did you ask?"
"Now, honey, I'll take care of it."
"You'll call them?"
"Uhm - well, no-"
"Frank, you know those thieves destroy houses. They cause thousands of dollars in damage. We can't afford to repair that!"
Frank gave her a patronizing smile that made rage boil in her veins. She wanted to claw that smug expression from his face. Being nice because of her own bad behavior was one thing; surely putting up with his stupidity didn't have to be part of her self-imposed penance?
"Don't you worry, Scarlett. I'll spend the night until the cops catch them."
"Are you crazy?"
"I'm sure it won't be long. With that new task force, they'll get caught as soon as they try to sell the stuff to a scrap dealer. Just a few nights is all. You'll be okay with the kids, won't you?"
"Frank, I-"
"You could stay with Melanie!"
"We'll be alright," Scarlett snapped. "But this is the stupidest idea I've ever heard. Just call the police."
"I really don't think that's necessary."
"Fine! I don't care. Sleep wherever you want." The words had spilled out innocently enough, but Scarlett was mortified to hear them. Was it her imagination, or had Frank gone a little pale? He means well. You're the one who's all but committed adultery. Don't be a bitch. "As long as it's just for a few days," she added hastily, reaching across the dropcloth to pat him awkwardly on his knee.
Two days later, the police had no suspects in the theft and no further houses had been burglarized. Scarlett did not suggest that Frank give up his nocturnal watch. She wouldn't trust anyone until the thief was caught or the house sold. Before going to bed, she spoke with Frank briefly on the phone, and sent him a few new photos of Ella after they hung up. She'd been running back and forth between their house, the flip, and the Wilkeses, shuttling children and food; and driving all over town besides to place orders and choose materials for the flip. She'd been too busy to think, except at night.
If she could just get through a few more weeks, she could go home. She hadn't been there in months; that was inexcusable when they lived so close. She'd just been so busy with the flips and Rhett's house, and even on the weekends there hadn't been any time. Too, since Suellen had moved back there, the thought of going home had lost a little appeal. She was never too fond of spending time with her sister. But now her own distress outweighed other concerns.
Something about going home always cleared her head. Most of the land that had surrounded the farmhouse when it was built had been sold long before she was born, but not so much that the old house was as hemmed in as a city yard. She had room to breathe at Tara, but more importantly, room to think. She desperately needed to think, about both what she had done and then - what came next? There was no excusing her actions with Rhett, and even if no one else knew what had happened, she could not forget. Oh, she didn't dwell on it all the time, but her dreams-
In the early hours of the morning, Scarlett lay awake, in a welter of guilt and arousal, fear and regret. She was in conflict with herself, and she was not very adept at the complexities of self-examination. She struggled to reconcile what she had done, and more - what she had felt with Rhett Butler; and her obligation, gratitude, and the echoes of the fondness she had felt for Frank; the children; the rules of her lapsed faith. Try as she might, she could see no way to arrange these pieces into any form that would both make her happy and satisfy the requirements of her obligations. At home, at Tara, her head would be clearer. If only her mother would be there! She couldn't have disappointed her mother with an honest confession, but just to be near her again, to lay her head in her mother's lap and feel her gentle hand stroking her hair would have been soothing enough.
By the time Ella began to cry, Scarlett had managed only a few hours of sleep. After the baby was fed, Scarlett stayed in the rocker, moving slowly back and forth while Ella mumbled softly to herself. She forced herself to move again only when the smell of the baby's soiled diaper reached her nose.
"That's not very ladylike," she whispered affectionately as she moved to the changing table. Ella patted her face and she smiled at her daughter, her heart genuinely warmed by the baby's sweetness.
Until the diaper was off and Ella started to scream, and didn't stop for another half an hour. By that time, Wade was awake, and there was no more time for thinking. Quiet the baby, feed Wade and get both of them and herself dressed and everyone out the door - to school, to Melanie's, to the flip.
After she had dropped Ella off, transferring the again-sleeping baby into Melanie's waiting arms, Scarlett called Frank from the car and listened to it ring. Rolling her eyes, Scarlett thumped her head against the headrest. "Come on, Frank," she muttered. "Answer your fucking phone."
She tried to dial one more time then gave up, shoving her phone back in her purse. For a moment, she was tempted to be petty and show up empty-handed since he couldn't be bothered to pick up the phone. If he was sleeping in when she had been up since dawn with the baby...but she couldn't bring herself to be so vindictive.
With a McDonald's bag in one hand, Scarlett let herself into the quiet house, calling Frank's name as she turned the knob. He had borrowed a camping cot from a friend and set it up in the living room. As she entered it took Scarlett a moment to piece everything together.
Something glittered on the floor in front of the large front window. She took another step forward. There was a hole in the glass. Frank lay on the cot in the middle of the room. She opened her mouth to scold him but bit her lip. Something was wrong. It was too quiet. Frank had a terrible habit of snoring. With a cross glance at the broken window, she went to the bed and put her hand on Frank's shoulder.
"Frank," she said clearly, shaking him. "Fra- Oh my God." Something warm trickled over her fingers.
Scarlett dropped the McDonald's bag. The smell of warm food rising from it had begun to make her feel nauseous, and she kicked it aside so she could kneel next to the cot. "Frank?" she tried again, one last time, setting her hand back on his shoulder. He still didn't answer, though she no longer expected a response. She could see clearly that he had been shot through the head.
Friends, I talked a big game when I started posting this about not tucking it behind the M-wall because something like 15% or less of this story merits that rating, but I might back down from that. If you're interested in reading, please make sure you're following this story - future updates might disappear from the main ffnet page. Otherwise just check back every Tuesday, I don't have any plans to miss a week.
Thank you for reading and reviewing! Feel like maybe I should apologize to OblongCreamPuff who only just left a review about how nice it was to have the relationship with Frank in focus...whoops.