I wasn't exactly sure how old Hank was, but his mother had to be ederly. Instead of going in the front door, I'd glimpsed him going around the house. I sat waiting in the eerie silence and couldn't help myself as I kept turning around to check on the kids. They were all fast asleep, the ride hadn't had any effect on them. I was begining to think they could sleep anywhere, but then again I had been comfortable for most of the ride as well.
The front porch light came on and I had to rub my eyes to actually make out the two figures coming toward the van. I stepped out getting the biggest surprise of my life. The little old woman was smaller than I was, dressed to the hilt with robe, slippers, and a hairnet. She was strong though as she sprung up on me, pulling me into her bony embrace.
"Oh, it's good to see you child." She said, holding me. "Henry has no manners whatsoever, driving you through the night like that!" I pulled away, awkwardly patting her bony shoulders.
"It's fine, it was easier on the children." I tried lamely to defend Hank.
"Oh, he said you had kids. How many?" she smiled, and I couldn't help but respond to it's warmth.
"Six, you'll love them. Ally and Amy are the oldest, they're six. And then there's my Skeet', he's four. Titiana, but call her Ana, she's three. Then Samson and Delilah are the youngest," I explained as I opened the door to gesture to them. "Samson is around six months and we think Delilah is almost a year."
She stepped in to peak inside, "Oh dear." She laughed softly, "I thought they were actually yours." I sighed.
"No, but I wouldn't mind if they were." I couldn't help but add the last under my breath as I unstrapped Samson's carrier. Hank held out an arm and I gratefully passed the sleeping baby. I had to step in to get to Delilah's, and again Hank took her.
"Can you get the rest?" he asked. I nodded. "Then I'll wait until your all in before I come back out for the bags." He started to walk in the house, "Be nice mom."
She giggled and I stopped to look at her, "Oh, he's worried I'll try to marry y'all off or something." I felt my mouth drop, so turned to ignore the statement. There was nothing I could say anyway.
"Skeet', baby, let's get up." I whispered, gently shaking the boy. Ana was first to sit up, "Come on, let's follow Mrs. McCoy in, she's got a nice warm bed to crawl into." Ally and Amy grabbed their quilts and got out with little fuss, Ana refused to move until Skeeter did. I had to pick him up with his blanket to get him out of the van. He was tall for his age, and if it hadn't been for the blanket he'd have been easy to carry. "Ana, grab that please." I gestured to the corner that kept dragging the ground. She did, dragging her own behind me. We walked into the living room, where Mrs. McCoy led us through the hall to the back bedroom.
"This is Hank's room, so make yourselves at home." She pulled back the covers ushering the girls into bed. I lay Skeet across the foot of it and was genuinely surprised at how large it actually was. She lay her hand on my arm to get my attention.
"C'mon, we'll bring the babies in here then we'll talk in the kitchen." she whispered. I went to the living room relieving Hank of his duties and we both took a carrier back into the bedroom. I sat them close to the bed, making sure their blankets were tucked in. Then before leaving I tucked my others in as well.
I walked out of the room to see a light shining across the living room floor. Kitchen, I thought as I made my way to it. Mrs. McCoy was already starting up the coffeemaker.
"Mrs. McCoy," I started. "I can't begin to thank you enough for letting us stay."
She shushed me, moving me to sit at the old wooden dining table. "It's not a bother, I love company." She winked at me, "I love kids too, so your more than welcome anytime." She paused before adding, "Even without Hank."
I laughed softly, "Thank you for the offer Mrs. McCoy."
She scoffed, "Edna or I prefer Mom." I blushed at the highly innappropriate situation I know found myself in. She noticed too, stopping to give me a once over. "So I take it your not the rebound, hmm?"
"I'm sorry?" I was bewildered at this point.
She waved it off, "Before he gets in here telling me to shut my trap, appease an old woman please." I opened my mouth, but closed it not sure what to say. Rebound? She grinned, "Are you and Henry dating?"
I smiled, finally understanding, "No m'am."
"Mom," she was quick on that one and I giggled. "Why not?"
I smiled at her, "I'm sure he has someone, but its not at all like that with us."
"Oh no?" She turned away from me, pulling three mugs from the cabinet.
"No, we're just-" Coworkers? Dare I say friends? Aquaintances? "Friends." To a point it wasn't a lie, we might have hit a few rough spots, but he wasn't an enemy and coworkers sounded too cold.
"Hmmmm." She said pulling out sugar, before turning to me. "I know he had a rough time getting over that last little slut, but give him time and Trish will be little more than a vague memory." I looked at my feet trying to hide the blush, but embarassment was the least of my problems as the woman continued her onslaught. "So you like him?"
I bit my lip, unsure how to approach this and wishing Hank would hurry his furry blue ass. I looked up to see she was waiting for an answer. "He's a good man, very smart, everybody likes him." There, that was good, would she let it go?
"Do you like him?" Nope, she wouldn't.
"He's my friend, of course." There went the second shot at avoiding her question.
"What about as more than friends?" She smiled softly, but I could see the michevious glint in her blue eyes. Damn, she was Hank's mother.
"We wouldn't work, he's very smart and outgoing. I'm just plain jane normal me, I don't even like grocery shopping. He's in Washington going to all those formal things and a Doctor, reading things I would need a dictionary to understand..." I paused. "It would never work like that between us."
She smiled and I felt a sense of relief that she was leaving off the subject. "So how do you take your coffee? And what's your name?"
"I'm so sorry, I'm Robyn." I moved to help, but she ushered me back to my seat like a child. "I like milk please." Hank came in at this point. I watched as he stomped through the living room, carrying all our bags. What the hell was up with him?
I let it go as she sat a warm mug of fresh brewed coffee in front of me. "Hank likes sugar, lots of sugar." she whispered. I smiled at her and we were settled. "So Robyn, what do you do?"
"I work at the mansion, I take care of the kids too young to start school." I sipped at the hot brew and nearly moaned as it heated my insides. It'd been a really long night.
"Oh, I take it those are your pupils laying in bed?" Her eyes followed Hank as he came through and made his cup before moving to sit by us. He didn't even look at me as he sat down.
"Yes, all six of them. They won't be any trouble, they're very well behaved." I managed, noticing he was stareing down his mother. She wasn't the least bit intimadated, matching his stare and smiling.
"How was the drive Henry?" she asked.
"Long." his answer was short and gruff. I tried to drink my coffee fast, I wanted to escape for a few moments into the bedroom with the kids.
"How's everything at Charle's place? He hasn't called me in awhile, I miss the old codger." Her description of Xavier had me grinning and I tried to hide it with my hand. I ended up yawning and drew both thier attention.
"He's fine mom, I think Miss Davon might need to catch a nap before the little ones wake." His use of my last name had me curious, surely I hadn't irritated him? Or did I? Did it bother him, that I let him get the bags while I talked to his mother? I felt guilty, even more so that he hadn't slept all night.
"Of course, why don't you get the air mattress out and y'all can share that?" She moved away from the table with speed I didn't realize a lady her age could possess.
"She can sleep with them for an hour or two." he muttered. "I'll get it out for her tonight and I'll take the couch."
She scoffed, turning the coffee pot off before turning to him. "Your my son and I know that you wouldn't take advantage of the situation. She's a nice girl and I trust she wouldn't take advantage of you. So that settles it, there's no one else here to say anything." I flushed and moved to put my cup by the sink, trying to keep myself from actually running out of the room. I made it quickly, but missed what Hank's reply was. I needed my kids, I thought slipping into their room.