Chapter Fifteen – Justine and Amanda
I was making myself some hot tea when I heard the knock on the door. I finished pouring the boiling water into my mug, then hurried over to answer it.
"Just a second," I called on the second knock.
When I flung open the door, my best friend from high school was standing there, a toddler on her hip and one standing at her side.
"Justine!" I exclaimed. "Oh, my gosh!"
Justine squealed and threw her free arm around me. The boy she was holding yelped and tried to jump down.
"Oh, my gosh!" I repeated. "What are you doing here?!"
I motioned her to step inside out of the cold and she did. "What am I doing here? She put a hand on my belly. "Honey, what are you doing with this?! Number thirteen!" she laughed. "My God, honey, you are brave!"
"Who are these lovely young men?" I asked, noting the two boys. The smaller one, whom she'd been carrying, was now hiding behind her back.
"These are my neighbor's kids, Christopher and Luke," she told me. "They wanted to come along on my trip, and I made sure of it they did. Their mother didn't want them to, thinking they'd get into trouble and drive me crazy, but I assured her I'd keep these little monsters in control."
The hiding boy giggled as she pulled him out front and tickled him, but I noticed the older boy was looking around with a bit of a frightened expression. He was squeezing Justine's hand and moving closer and closer.
"Oh, jeez!" Justine said. "Before I forget – I tried to send it in an email but the computer's been kind of wonky. Heather had – Christopher, what on earth?"
The boy was now so close to Justine that he could've been a part of her. He was trembling a bit and still looking around.
"Teeni," he whispered. "They're watching me!"
"Who is, sweetie?"
I glanced toward the entrance to the living room. Three heads were peering around the wall curiously. On the opposite side of the foyer, in the kitchen, the twins were watching from behind the island. Even a cupboard door was ajar, revealing a pair of eyes and a bit of red hair.
"You guys!" I snapped. "Get out here!"
Justine laughed as one-by-one my kids emerged from their hiding places. Even behind me, coming down the stairs, were Cade and Cody. They stood in a huddle before us, smiling and giggling.
I gave them a curious look. "Explain," I demanded with a slight grin. I was eager to hear what this was about.
There was no answer.
"Hello?"
Cody smiled and asked, "Who are these people, Mom?"
"Yeah," said Kirian. "We've never seen them before. What are they doing here?"
I should've known they were just being cautious. We didn't have strangers unexpectedly visit us much, and when we did, the kids never trusted them. I think it had to do with an incident that had occurred a year earlier.
At ten p.m. on my forty-third birthday, a loud knock was heard at the door. Brandon and I had been in the living room, spending some alone time together. We glanced at each other curiously, then after the third determined knock, Brandon stood to answer it.
I heard the door open, but that was it. There was no indication as to who was there. Just as I was getting up to see, I heard Brandon ask, "What are you doing here?"
That night had not been good at all. The woman at the door was Amanda, Brandon's old girlfriend from tenth grade. Brandon hated her with everything he had, and I had not been her biggest fan either.
Amanda was drunk and had tracked Brandon down. She claimed she still loved him, and the two of them shouting and fighting woke up the children and even the neighbors. Brandon was furious, the house was a mess, and the cops were called. A window in the kitchen had to be replaced as well, a result of Brandon punching his fist through it.
Attempting to reassure the younger ones that Amanda was not there to hurt them was not easy. And since then, they've trusted nobody but family.
I was making myself some hot tea when I heard the knock on the door. I finished pouring the boiling water into my mug, then hurried over to answer it.
"Just a second," I called on the second knock.
When I flung open the door, my best friend from high school was standing there, a toddler on her hip and one standing at her side.
"Justine!" I exclaimed. "Oh, my gosh!"
Justine squealed and threw her free arm around me. The boy she was holding yelped and tried to jump down.
"Oh, my gosh!" I repeated. "What are you doing here?!"
I motioned her to step inside out of the cold and she did. "What am I doing here? She put a hand on my belly. "Honey, what are you doing with this?! Number thirteen!" she laughed. "My God, honey, you are brave!"
"Who are these lovely young men?" I asked, noting the two boys. The smaller one, whom she'd been carrying, was now hiding behind her back.
"These are my neighbor's kids, Christopher and Luke," she told me. "They wanted to come along on my trip, and I made sure of it they did. Their mother didn't want them to, thinking they'd get into trouble and drive me crazy, but I assured her I'd keep these little monsters in control."
The hiding boy giggled as she pulled him out front and tickled him, but I noticed the older boy was looking around with a bit of a frightened expression. He was squeezing Justine's hand and moving closer and closer.
"Oh, jeez!" Justine said. "Before I forget – I tried to send it in an email but the computer's been kind of wonky. Heather had – Christopher, what on earth?"
The boy was now so close to Justine that he could've been a part of her. He was trembling a bit and still looking around.
"Teeni," he whispered. "They're watching me!"
"Who is, sweetie?"
I glanced toward the entrance to the living room. Three heads were peering around the wall curiously. On the opposite side of the foyer, in the kitchen, the twins were watching from behind the island. Even a cupboard door was ajar, revealing a pair of eyes and a bit of red hair.
"You guys!" I snapped. "Get out here!"
Justine laughed as one-by-one my kids emerged from their hiding places. Even behind me, coming down the stairs, were Cade and Cody. They stood in a huddle before us, smiling and giggling.
I gave them a curious look. "Explain," I demanded with a slight grin. I was eager to hear what this was about.
There was no answer.
"Hello?"
Cody smiled and asked, "Who are these people, Mom?"
"Yeah," said Kirian. "We've never seen them before. What are they doing here?"
I should've known they were just being cautious. We didn't have strangers unexpectedly visit us much, and when we did, the kids never trusted them. I think it had to do with an incident that had occurred a year earlier.
At ten p.m. on my forty-third birthday, a loud knock was heard at the door. Brandon and I had been in the living room, spending some alone time together. We glanced at each other curiously, then after the third determined knock, Brandon stood to answer it.
I heard the door open, but that was it. There was no indication as to who was there. Just as I was getting up to see, I heard Brandon ask, "What are you doing here?"
That night had not been good at all. The woman at the door was Amanda, Brandon's old girlfriend from tenth grade. Brandon hated her with everything he had, and I had not been her biggest fan either.
Amanda was drunk and had tracked Brandon down. She claimed she still loved him, and the two of them shouting and fighting woke up the children and even the neighbors. Brandon was furious, the house was a mess, and the cops were called. A window in the kitchen had to be replaced as well, a result of Brandon punching his fist through it.
Attempting to reassure the younger ones that Amanda was not there to hurt them was not easy. And since then, they've trusted nobody but family.