A/N: See Chapter 1 for Disclaimer.
Chapter Summary: Louise and George have a discussion about Mr. Bentley; Louise makes a phone call to Lionel.
Chapter 3: Day One
Friday, November 23, 2001
"Hello, love," said Louise, and then she greeted her husband with a warm kiss. It was a quarter to six in the evening and George had just gotten home from the office. Most of his employees had had the day off, with it being the day after Thanksgiving and all, but George spent the day in meetings with his general managers and with a couple of big potential clients. "How was your day today?" she asked.
"It was alright," George answered. "I think Paulson might be interested in signin' up with our business. I don't know about Thompson." Back in his more narcissistic days, George would've referred to it as his business, not as their business, despite everything Louise did for so many years to make Jefferson Cleaners possible in the first place. Now, George was much more thoughtful, and he knew better than to arrogantly describe the business as "mine" and not "ours," and it was something Louise deeply appreciated.
"Well, don't worry about it, dear. It'll all work out the way it's supposed to. God always has a plan."
"That's true. He always does. Anyway, baby, how was your day?"
"It was just same ole, same ole. That is, until Florence came back from her lunch with Mr. Bentley today. According to her, Mr. Bentley is being asked to testify in the Hollywell trial next week."
"Hollywell? Who's that?"
"A British professor who moved to New York about ten years ago. He's being accused by two of his students at NYU of several incidents of sexual abuse."
"Oh yeah, I think I read a story about that in the paper the other day. What does this dude have to do with Bentley?"
"He was a teacher at the same boarding school that Mr. Bentley attended as a child. Mr. Bentley and several others who went to that school are being asked to testify in court. If Mr. Bentley and the others testify that he was also abusive to them, it would certainly establish a pattern of behavior through his life."
"But was he ever abusive to them?"
"According to Florence, Mr. Bentley says yes."
"Oh, man," George said in a grave tone. It really hurt him to know that Mr. Bentley had been sexually abused as a child.
"I know. It hurt me to hear it, too."
"You know, Weez, Bentley's the nicest guy I ever met. Out of all the people in this world, why did somethin' like this have to happen to him?"
"I don't know, George. It's just a sad fact of life in a fallen world, I guess. Bad things happen to sweet people all the time. Just remember the book of Job."
"Yeah, you're right," George agreed.
"Anyway, I've been doing a lot of cooking today, and I've made ribs for us for supper tonight."
"Weezy, I told you before, you shouldn't be doin' things like that, especially since your heart attack. You should leave all the cookin' and cleanin' to Florence. That is what we pay her to do, isn't it?"
"Yes, but still, it's nice to do something for your family every once in a while, George," Louise told him with a smile, and then she wrapped her arms around him and gave him a big kiss.
"You do so much for us every single day just by bein' here, Weez," George said warmly, and again, they kissed.
"I'll go into the kitchen and help Florence bring out all the food and everything to the dinner table now," Louise told him, and George shook his head.
"I'll do it, sweetheart. You just relax now," said George, and as he went into the kitchen, Louise smiled. She really did appreciate her husband's thoughtfulness.
A little while later, at about eight o'clock that evening, Louise made a phone call to Lionel. He answered on the second ring.
"Hello?" said Lionel. He was on his cell phone, and he already knew from the number he'd seen on his screen that it was his parents calling.
"Hi, Lionel," Louise said with a smile. She'd already changed into her nightgown for the night and was calling her son in bed. After her phone call to Lionel was over, Louise was planning on turning in early for the night. Florence was also in her bedroom watching TV, and George was watching TV out in the living room, which was perfect because Louise really wanted to have a talk with her only son in private.
"Hey there, Mom. How are you and Pop and Florence doing?"
"We're doing fine, son. How about you and Jenny and the kids? How are all of you doing?"
"Let's see. Aaron and Adam are being the calmest, coolest, sweetest, most thoughtful little angels ever," Lionel teased while Louise chuckled. "You know, Mom, they actually went out and bought Jenny two big bouquets of flowers, and they apologized to her for all the yelling and arguing and fighting they've been doing this week, and they spent the rest of the day catching up on all their chores just to make it up to her!" Aaron and Adam would be celebrating their eighteenth birthday tomorrow, and Ella was sweet sixteen and Lydia, the baby of the family, was now fourteen.
"What perfect little angels you're blessed with!" Louise teased back.
"I know! I can't get over it!" Lionel joked as he and Louise continued to laugh.
"And I assume Ella and Lydia have been just as perfect as their older brothers?"
"Absolutely! Ella and Lydia went out with Aaron and Adam to the florist shop today to help pick out flowers for Jenny, and as soon as they all got home, they, too, rolled up their sleeves and pitched in and got in there and helped their brothers finish up all their leftover household chores in record time! Those perfect angels of ours got our house looking spotless! Absolutely spotless!" Lionel cried out, and Louise laughed out loud.
"Okay, now what's really going on with you and Jenny and the kids?" Louise asked a few moments later.
"Aaron and Adam got into another big argument with each other this afternoon, and they argued and yelled and shouted so loud that Jenny and I were worried for a moment or two that they might actually come to blows. Then they quieted down, and ten minutes later, we found them in the living room in front of the TV, playing video games together, same as always."
Louise laughed and said, "Those two are really something. They're always fighting, but they make up quicker than anybody I've ever seen."
"They sure do," said Lionel with a chuckle.
"I know that when I talked to Jenny a few days ago, she said that their birthday presents had arrived in the mail. You've got them hidden good and well, haven't you?"
"Naturally. They're hidden at our next-door neighbor's house."
"That's a relief. You know that if you tried to hide their birthday gifts anywhere in your house, those little rascals would find them."
"Oh, yeah. We know that beyond a shadow of a doubt," said Lionel as he and Louise chuckled.
"And how are the girls?"
"Ella swears she'll never speak to Jenny and me again because we won't let her date that nineteen-year-old biker she's got a big crush on who's got tattoos and piercings all over his body and a well-known history of changing his girlfriends more often than he changes his underwear."
"Oh Lord, help us."
"Amen to that."
"And what about Lydia?"
"She swears she'll never speak to Jenny again because she wouldn't agree to let her go to school wearing a mini-skirt when school starts back this Monday, even though it's the dead of winter."
"I'm really disappointed in you and Jenny for giving me such boring grandkids, Lionel!" Louise kidded, and Lionel responded with a hearty laugh. "There's never any drama in your household. No entertaining stories to listen to about the kids. Just pure, utter boredom. You all just put me right in a coma! What am I going to do with all of you?" she teased again as they laughed together for the longest time. Then finally, Louise truthfully told her son, "I love you, Lionel. I love you so much. And I love Jenny and the kids, too. So much."
"We know you do, Mom, and we love you, too."
After a long pause, Louise said, "Lionel, listen to me. Out of all the things I've told you through your life, there are two things I want you to hold on to above all the rest and remember every single day for the rest of your life."
"What two things, Mom?"
"Number one: I am so, so, so proud of you. Number two: I love you more than you'll ever know."
While wiping a couple of stray tears from his eyes, Lionel whispered, "I love you, too. You're the best, Mom. You really are."
"Thank you. Goodnight, son."
"Goodnight, Mom," Lionel said softly, and then they both hung up.
In the next moment, Louise picked up the small calendar sitting on her nightstand and a pen, and then she crossed off the date of Friday, November 23, 2001. The first day of what she well knew could be the last week of her life was now over. A couple of seconds later, she set the calendar and the pen back on her nightstand. Then after clasping her hands together and saying her nightly prayers, thanking Jesus for her eternal salvation and for all her loved ones and all her blessings, and then asking for His divine help and protection, she turned off the light on her nightstand and closed her eyes.