April 25th, 2006
Dave rubbed his eyes. He had been staring at the computer screen for the past two hours. He had been ordering equipment for the clinic all day. He had racked up a large bill, but thankfully the city's grants were paying for half of the bill. He wouldn't be able to put the equipment in the clinic until next year, but he wanted to get everything early. He had to get everything situated so he could figure out what he needed and didn't. The doorbell rang and Dave jumped up. If Sailor woke up, he would pitch a fit. He walked to the door and opened it. A well-dressed woman with dark hair and hazel eyes stood there.
"May I help you?" Dave asked. The woman nodded.
"Is Miranda here?" She asked. Dave shook his head.
"No sorry. She away for the weekend doing press." He said, "Are you a reporter? She should be back Monday afternoon."
"Press. Yes, I've been seeing a lot of her lately." She said.
"Yeah…well, so…She'll be back Monday." Dave started to close the door but the woman stopped him.
"Forgive me, I didn't introduce myself." She said.
"Yes, You never did." Dave said looking at her.
"My name is Judith. I'm Miranda's mother." She said. Dave stared at her. Her mother. The mother who left Randi's grandmother to finish raising her while they went to Africa.
"Randi isn't here." Dave said again.
"I know and I'm sorry that I missed her. It's Dave right?" She asked. Dave nodded. "May I came in?"
"Sure, but please be quiet. It took me forever to get our daughter's to sleep." He said letting Judith in.
"You have ore than…what's her name? Ireland?" She asked.
"Yes," Dave frowned deeply. Boy was he glad Randi wasn't here so she didn't have to deal with this woman, "Ireland is four, Lyric is three, and Sailor is four months." Judith arched her eyebrow.
"What interesting names." Judith smiled softly. "What a beautiful home."
"Yes it is." Dave said, "Ma'am, may I ask what you're doing here?" Judith smiled looking at her son-in-law.
"I'm here to see my daughter. I was sent to Chicago for a conferences and I thought if I could see Miranda it'd be a bonus."
"I see." Dave said.
"You're a doctor, correct?" Judith asked.
"Yes, Ma'am. I am opening my own clinic." He said.
"Very nice." She said looking at a recent family photo, 'Beautiful girls. The little two look like how Miranda looked when she was their age."
"Oh you saw Randi when she was that young?" Dave asked. Judith smiled at him.
"I don't know what Miranda told you, but I was not a horrible mother." She said. "I deticated my life in helping children."
"You helped others people children, but not your own…Ma'am."
"Miranda wouldn't let me help her. She was a very disturbed little girl." Judith said, "She strained my marriage with every single therapist appointment we took her too." Dave rolled his eyes.
"I don't care. It doesn't mean you…Never mind, Ma'am." Dave said, "If all you wanted was to start a eight with Randi, then I'm sorry you came all this way. I'm going to ask you to leave."
"You're going to treat your mother-in-law like this?" She asked.
"Yes." Dave said escorting Judith back out, "next time you're in America we really must do this again." Judith frowned.
"Now I see what Miranda sees in you." She chuckled, "I will be in town for a couple of days, maybe I can take the girls out for lunch or something. They deserve to see their…grandmother."
"We'll see." Dave said watching Judith walk to her car.
"Goodbye, Dave." She said.
"Bye ma'am." Dave shut the door and stood there. How random was that? He had heard plenty of stories about her from his wife, but now he had some first hand experience. He walked back into the office. He had no idea Randi went to the therapist a lot when she was younger. He would have to ask when she got home.
May 14th, 2006
It was starting to get a little warm out, but it was hot to Dave. He was sweating and panting as put up the walls on his clinic. It was coming along nicely, but it was hard work. He had the entire frame up and the floors down. It was starting to look like a real building.
"Watch out." Gilbert, one of Dave's workers, said as he brought the wood over. Dave ducked out of the way.
"Don't give a concussion." He said pulling a few nails out.
"I wont if Jake and Harold get their sorry asses out here." Gilbert said, "I swear every time we have a nice day, they don't come."
"Well, Their paychecks won't just be as good as yours." Dave said as he started to nail the first board to the frame.
"When do you think we'll be done?" Gilbert asked.
"With the building, I'm expecting July maybe August, but then I have all that interior shit to do." Dave said.
"Is this what you're doing for your birthday? Working on the clinic?" Dave chuckled and nodded.
"I plan on it unless Randi has plans." Gilbert shook his head.
"I don't know how you do it man." He said as Dave climbed up onto the ladder, "Married and kids. I couldn't do it."
"I'm thirty-eight tomorrow. I'm at a perfect place in my life. By the time I'm thirty-nine, I will be running my own clinic."
"Thirty-eight. That's pretty old." Gilbert said, "Now I enjoy being twenty-eight. How old is your old lady?" Dave chuckled.
"God, she'd punch you if she heard you call her that." He said, "She's thirty-two, thirty-three this summer." Dave said nailing at the top of the wall. Gilbert was saying something but Dave didn't notice. He was starting to get really dizzy. Did I drink any water? He thought as he looked down. The ground started spinning below him. Dave started to get a severe case of vertigo. The ladder teetered beneath him and Dave crashed to the ground.
"Dave!" Gilbert dropped his hammer and ran over to his boss. Dave groaned as he held his shoulder, "Are you okay?"
"My shoulder." Dave moaned loudly. Gilbert helped Dave sit up.
"Want me to get Randi?" He asked. Dave shook his head. Sweat was beading down his face.
"I dislocated it." He grunted.
"You need to see a doctor." Gilbert said.
"I am a doctor." Dave said, "You need to pop it back in." Gilbert's eyes widened.
"Wh-What? No I can't do that." He said.
"You have to." Dave groaned putting Gilbert's hand on his shoulder. "J-Just…pull."
"You're going to be in pain." Gilbert said.
"No shit." Dave said grabbing his handkerchief into his mouth. Gilbert in haled deeply.
"Okay…On the count of three." He whispered, "One, Two, and Three." Gilbert yanked roughly and popped his shoulder back in. Dave screamed out, it was barely muffle by the handkerchief.
"Mother fucker." Dave groaned loudly.
"Are you okay?" He asked. Dave wiped his sweaty forehead.
"I need a sling and liquor. A lot of liquor." Dave mumbled.
"Let's get you inside." Gilbert helped Dave up.
"A lot of liquor." He mumbled again stumbling towards the house. "Randi's going to freak."
"She's going to punch me for doing this to you." Gilbert helped him inside. "Randi?"
"You boys ready for lunch?" Randi stepped out of kitchen and frowned deeply when she saw her husband, "What happened?"
"He dislocated his shoulder. He made me put it back in."
"Oh god, Dave are you okay?" Randi asked.
"I need pain reliever, liquor, and your sling if you still have it."
"All right. We should go to County." She said.
"I'm not going there. I'm fine. I just need to relieve the pain, Randi." Dave said. Gilbert handed him a bottle of vodka. "Good stuff." Dave started to swig the liquor. Randi bit her lip and ran off to get the sling. Dave groaned loudly. His arm was throbbing on pain, but he was sure he didn't break anything. It was just a dislocation. He would be in so much pain tomorrow. It would be a wonderful birthday.