For what seemed the millionth time, Nancy Faireborn-Armbruster paced in the Faireborn living room. No calls, none! Nothing to let them know that everything was all right or not. Patience was a virtue, but moments like these, there was no patience. She walked over to the phone and picked up the receiver, starting to once again dialing her brother's cell phone number, but once again stopped in mid-dial. Her nerves were getting the best of her. What if he couldn't answer! What was going on? Should she call? Should she wait? Agitated, she slammed the phone receiver down with a loud clang, which made her nephew almost jump out of his skin, sitting only inches away.
"Sorry," Nancy told Cayden, who kept looking more worried by each passing minute. "I'm sure your mother is fine. She's a Joe!" Words, soothing words, but were they true? Lies had dominated her world for many weeks, covering up several secrets from her marriage, and those lies are started to form a mountain. She walked to the couch and sat down, letting out a long exhale. She had not noticed that from all the worries, she'd had been holding her breath. She started playing with her long brown hair, unaware of her nephew's stare. He knew she was nervous, so was he. They were both similar this way, she started to rise again. "Maybe I should call?"
"You think you should?" Cayden asked, he seemed on the verge of a breakdown.
Nancy walked over to her nephew and patting him on the shoulder. "I-I'll give them five more minutes." She gave him a half smile, while her stomach was flipping. "How about a snack?"
"No, thanks. Whatever I eat will not set very well," Cayden said, he was a pure bundle of nerves.
"All right," Nancy said, gently, glancing around, trying to make some form of distraction until they heard anything from Flint and Jaye. Her eyes caught on several board games near the fireplace. "How about a game?"
Cayden shrugged. "If you want."
"What do you want to play?" Nancy asked him softly. "We can play monopoly or that cool game Uncle Conrad had given you on your tenth birthday, Smash Cobra."
Cayden was about to answer when they heard a car pull up. He was off the couch and rushing towards the door.
Nancy was right behind him, her heart pounding in her chest. She hoped everything would be fine. They emerged out to the porch, and stopped at the stairs, glancing at the truck, which had parked right in front.
Flint opened the door, winked at his wife, and exited the vehicle, walking slowly around the car, and opened the passenger door.
Nancy felt her heart jump to her throat. Her sister-in-law did not look pleased at all. She rested her hand on her nephew's arm, making him stop from rushing towards them. "Dash, is-is everything all right?" She looked from one to the other, her heart still beating quickly.
Flint glanced up at the both of them. "They found something," he said, winking again at his wife, letting her play along with tormenting them before they told them of the news.
Jaye had Flint help her out of the truck then help her slowly walk towards them. She had her head bowed.
"Oh, Mom..." Cayden said feeling his heart start to ache.
"Allie?" Nancy asked, covering her fear that she felt in her body. Her heart began now to hammer in her chest, and she held tighter to her nephew's arm.
Flint slowly started walking towards the porch steps, right behind his wife. "We have a difficult road ahead of us," he said softly, his brown eyes only catching a smidgen of a glimpse of their faces turning paler. He laughed inside.
"Please Dash...let's not talk about this now. I just want to go in and lie down," Jaye said and even sniffled a little.
"All right, honey." Flint wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer towards him. "We won't talk about this right now." His eyes turned watery, and kissed her temple.
Nancy turned paler. She gave another pat of reassurance to Cayden, letting him now in her own way, she will be there for him, no matter what happened. She left his side and went up to her brother and his wife. "How about I fix both of you something to eat? I know you haven't eaten anything."
Flint nodded, staying quiet. He looked at his son. "Cayden, can you help your Mom inside? I need to check on Wilma."
"Of course, Dad." Cayden said. He wrapped an arm protectively around his mother's waist and helped her inside and to the couch. "No matter what Momma. I will always love you."
Nancy's lips started to quiver, but she recomposed herself almost instantly. Jaye needed her now, they all did. "Let's get you inside, and make the sofa all comfy for you," she said to her sister-in-law, with a motherly tone. "And I'll make your favorite dish too. Anything!"
Flint chuckled under his breath, turning and heading towards the stables. The aroma of fresh hay and manure hit his nostrils. "Mmm.. Nice combination!" he commended, walking straight to Wilma's stall, which was right next to Pegasus. He glanced at the two animals, making sure both of them were fine. He made sure they had extra feed and water. Patting them both, he turned and headed back to the farmhouse. Entering inside, he almost let out a large guffaw, spotting his wife, already on the couch, both Nancy and Cayden hovering over her like mother hens. He also spotted a familiar looking bear in Jaye's hands, Brutus.
"Do you want more lemonade?" Nancy asked, fluffing her pillow.
"Lemonade will be good," Jaye said with a nod.
Cayden gave his mother an extra pillow.
Nancy rushed towards the kitchen for another glass of lemonade. "Don't stand there like a dope, Dashie!" she called over her shoulder.
"Yes, ma'am!" Flint saluted, making his wife and son chuckle.
"Idiot!" Nancy scolded from the kitchen, while they listened to her fumbling around and they all knew she was getting more then just lemonade.
Flint strode to his wife, grabbed a thin coverlet and dappled it over her. "There you go, honeykins." He smiled down at her features. "Want some more cookies? How about a book? Need your pillow fluffed again? You know Nancy doesn't fluff well."
"I heard that!" came from the kitchen, while more dishes kept clanging.
Dufus came running in with one of the doilies that Flint's mother had made Jaye. "Cayden, get your dog before I make him into dog food," Jaye warned.
Cayden jumped up and chased after the dog.
"How long are we going to keep this up?" Jaye asked her husband in a whisper.
"Just a little while longer," Flint said, kneeling down next to her and placed his head on her stomach. "I hear rumbling in there." He slightly rose his head. "Nancy, hurry!" he shouted.
The sound of the glass breaking and a Greek curse followed. They listened to Nancy clean up her mess, and rush out of the kitchen, her features as white as the first snow of winter. In her hands was a large silver tray with lemonade, cookies, sandwiches and something unknown to man.
"What—?" she started to ask when Dufus ran toward her at top speed. "DOWN!"
Dufus instantly stopped and laid down flat on the wooden floor, causing his owner to topple over him, causing a thud.
"Cayden, you all right?" Flint, Nancy and Jaye said at once.
Cayden was cursing the dog in Greek. "Vlameno plasma!"
Jaye looked at Flint trying hard not to laugh. Her face remained passive but he could see the laughter in her eyes.
Flint kissed her cheek, then began chuckling, that chuckle became a laughter, and that laughter turned into a loud guffaw.
Nancy walked over her eyes becoming wide from her brother's outburst. He had lost it that was for sure. "Dash?"
Dufus whimpered at the fifteen-year-old boy, wagging his tail slightly.
Cayden got the doily from the dog then pet his best friend but gave his father a weird look. "Dad, have you flipped?"
Jaye started laughing as well.
"No, Cay-Cayden's the one who flipped!" Flint laughed, smacking his leg with his hand, rolling his head backward from the guffaw.
"What is going on?" Nancy asked, watching the both of them laughing. "Dash! Allie!"
Cayden looked at his father with a shocked expression.
Jaye looked at Flint and tried to talk but was laughing too hard.
Flint leaned against his wife's shoulder, roaring with more laughter.
"I'm calling Henry!" Nancy stated, heading for the phone. "You two need cat scans!"
"Wai-wait!" Flint requested, his laughter starting to subdue. "Allie, tell them before we both wind up with needles!"
"I...I'm...pregnant!" Jaye yelled out causing Cayden to pass out.
Nancy stood there stunned, before her own eyes turned and joined her nephew on the floor.
Dufus barked excitedly and rushed up the stairs.
Flint turned to his wife. "Well honey, when you bring down the house, you really bring down the house!" He stood up and walked over to his sister, knelt down and gently patted her on the cheek. "Wakie, wakie, Aunt Nancy."
Nancy almost bolted straight up, but was caught by her brother's hands. "I just had a dream! A bad one, but a dream!" Her eyes were wide as saucers. "And you were there, and you," She pointed to Jaye, and then she glanced at her nephew who was stirring awake. "And he was there." She then looked at her brother, right in the eyes. "It wasn't a dream, was it?"
Flint shook his head. "Nope." He pulled her into a tight hug. "Allie and I are having another Faireborn."
"Is-is it true?" Nancy turned to her best friend. "Another baby??"
"Yeah, Mom. Is it true?" Cayden asked as he sat up on the floor.
Jaye nodded her face a bright smile. "Yes, another Faireborn."
Chaos erupted and Flint had to cover his ears to muffle out the yells that dominated in the living room. He did not know who was cheering louder, his son or his sister?
"That's wonderful!" Nancy exclaimed, hugging her brother, then jumped up and rushed to her sister-in-law. "Congratulations!"
"Thank you," Jaye said, starting to get up.
Cayden kept jumping up and down in youthful jubilance.
"Lay back down," Nancy gently lowered the other woman back on the pillow. "You are not doing anything tonight."
"Well, I don't know about that..." Flint said in a mischievous tone.
"Dashiell!" Nancy scolded. She grabbed a pillow from the couch and started smacking it on her brother, hard. "All this time, you two knew! And you had us worried sick!" She continued to pulverize him with each strike getting stronger.
"Nancy—" Flint tried to explain, getting thumped by the pillow, over and over again.
"I can't believe you, Dashie!" Nancy continued to lecture him. "Of all the low down scheming nerve!"
"But Nan—" Flint groaned as another hit shook his head, making seeing his wife in three. "Ow!"
"Just wait till I tell Brenna, Mom and Dad!" Nancy threw the pillow at his chest with great strength.
"Allie!" Flint ducked from another strike, watching his wife start laughing at his expense
"Hey, you're the one that started it," Jaye laughed.
Cayden went over and hugged his mother over the back of the couch.
Nancy swung again at her brother, her entire body shaking. "You are so doomed, big brother!" she threatened. This time his head almost flew off from her blow.
"NANCY!" Flint begged, trying to escape from his sister's clutches.
"Don't you Nancy me!" Nancy hissed, striking him one last time, before throwing the pillow at him, making it bounce off his chest and onto the floor.
Flint glanced down at the weapon and then at his sister. "Are you sure you don't want to join G. I. Joe?" he asked with a goofy grin.
Nancy took a step forward, her features in a deep frown, which could had mimic his own.
"All right, I surrender!" Flint backed away slowly, his hands right in front of him.
Nancy took another step forward, but instead of attacking him once again, she wrapped her arms around him and held him tight.
"I'm sorry," Flint said softly, kissing her on the head, wrapping his own arms around his sister.
"You better be," Nancy half-sniffled, not letting him go.
"I'm going to be sick!" Jaye exclaimed and before she could get up she puked all over the floor.
"ALLIE!!!" Flint shouted, rushing over to his wife. "Hey, it's all right."
Nancy rushed to the kitchen to grab the mop and bucket.
Dufus came bouncing down the stairs with one of Jaye's lacy underwear in his mouth.
"I'm going to kill that dog," Jaye grumbled.
Dufus dropped the underwear as he spotted something better, and ran towards the couch, grabbing the famous bear.
"Donatello!" Flint scolded, trying to go for the dog's collar but missed.
"Give me back my bear you damned dog!!!" Jaye yelled jumping up off the couch.
Cayden took off after the dog.
Dufus raced under the dinning room table, with Brutus in his mouth, clinging to life.
Flint started rushing after his wife, who was after the poor mongrel!
Jaye slipped and fell.
Cayden didn't notice his mother fall.
"Allie, you all right?" Flint asked, bending down to help his wife. "Here, back on the couch." He started leading back.
Nancy came out, watching the scene. "What's going on?"
"That stupid dog is at his old tricks again," Jaye grumbled.
At that moment, Ace entered the house looking around him.
Nancy quickly went on her knees and crawled under the dinning room table, after the culprit, disappearing from view. "Donnie, come here," she whispered.
Dufus moved backwards away from the woman.
Flint caught sight of his old friend, who looked frightened. Had he heard? His smile brightened. "Hey, buddy!" he called out to Ace. "Great news or what?!"
"Is she here?" Ace asked afraid.
Jaye looked at the pilot funny.
"Yeah," Flint pointed to his wife. "She's here."
Cayden looked up from the floor next to the dinning room table. "They just came a few minutes ago," he informed his uncle.
Dufus started to play growl from under the table, his rear end, sticking out.
Cayden was able to grab the dog and hold him fast.
The large mix breed dropped the bear from his mouth and let out a whine.
"Got him!" Nancy's head poked from under the table, her long brown hair covering her features and with a hand held high to show the rescued treasured item.
Ace let out a very audible sigh of relief.
Jaye looked at him puzzled.
"Nan..." Ace said softly.
Nancy slowly dropped her hand, still clutching the bear. Her heart skipped a beat from her husband's tender voice. She pulled her wild locks away from her face, spotting him by the doorway. "Brad," she whispered his name, surprised.
Flint looked at his sister, to his brother-in-law, and to his wife, who was studying the pair. "Oh, oh, Dr. Jaye is doing another session of sex therapy," he thought.
Ace went over to Nancy and drew her up into his arms.
"Brad?" Nancy felt his muscles quiver around her, and her heart skipped another beat, hopping he was all right. "Darling, what's wrong?"
Flint and Jaye exchanged a look.
"When I didn't find you at our house..." Ace couldn't finished the sentence.
Nancy quickly covered his mouth with her hand, scrambled from under the table, making them both stand up. "Excuse us," she said to the others, grabbing hold of her husband's shirt, and literally dragging him out of the door. "Dash, can you clean the mess?" she requested, not even bothering to wait for an answer. She stormed to the porch, and let go of Ace.
Before he could even open his mouth, hers had already started with words, words he did not expect and was surprised by her tone.
"How could you!" Nancy scolded at him, like a student getting caught passing cheat notes in class. "What were you thinking? Where you thinking? It was bad enough to have you disappear again for two days! TWO! But you sneaked here in the early hours of the morning and took Wilma!"
She began to pace in front of him, her features turning angry and filled with sorrow. She loved him, and she would always be there for the good and the bad times, but she could no longer saw herself in them.
He tried again to say something, but was again cut short.
"I can't believe you took the horse for the racing! You knew better! Wilma could have easily gotten sick, or even worse! What possessed you to take the horse—another's horse, and race her! I had to help cool her down! If Dash had found out—which he hasn't— he would had turned you to mush!" she stated, her anger rising. She turned away from him, her eyes downcast, not wanting to his face. It showed his apology, and his surprise. She had caught him on his downfall.
"I'm sorry, honeybear," Ace said sincerely. "I never meant to hurt you."
"I know you didn't," Nancy replied softly, trying to compose herself together. "But it happened. And you have to tell Dash about Wilma."
"No I can't. He doesn't have to know," Ace said almost desperately.
Nancy turned to face him, her brown eyes resting on his blue ones. "Yes, Brad, he needs to know." She took a step towards him. "I'll be there when you tell him."
"But Nancy..." Ace said, he didn't want anyone to know what he was doing.
"It won't work this time, Brad," Nancy proclaimed, shaking her head in dismay. "I can't cover for you this time."
"N...not tonight," Ace told her.
"No, not tonight," she agreed. "I don't want to ruin their special moment." She looked down again, not meeting his gaze, and touched her ponytail's tip, twisting it with her fingers.
"Special moment?" Ace asked, taking a brave step forward and caressing her cheek.
"Al-Allie's going to ha-a-ve a baby," Nancy slowly told him, still looking down, not baring to see his face, and those blue eyes that always made her melt. She felt a small prang of jealousy in her heart, but also guilt for them.
Ace pulled her to him knowing her pain. "It's alright, honeybear."
Nancy clutched his light gray shirt, leaning her head against his broad chest. "No, it's not," she admitted. Her eyes closed shut, building a dam for those tears that wanted to escape. She swallowed the lump, which started building in her throat and changed the subject quickly, "Are you going again tonight? Are you going back to the cards?"
"No. Tonight I'm going to stay with you," Ace told her hugging her tight. "You need me more than I need to go."
"And you need me," Nancy whispered, feeling the dam that she had built slowly falling apart. "I-I paid the bills." She felt his muscles tense from her words, and she swallowed hard.
"What?" he asked her questioningly. "How?"
She left his arms, moving slowly away, not spotting the movement of the curtains closing from the dining's room's window. "I-I have to go, Brad," she said, her words hiding the real reason, for now. "I'll tell you when I get home."
How could she tell him she sold her beloved horse to save him? She would have sold everything for him. She loved him. She knew he was ill, sick from the gambling. She started down the porch steps, already knowing he would be close behind.
"Nancy!!!" Ace called out following her.
She stopped and turned for a second. "I'm already late," she told him, heading towards the stable. Her heart now pounded in her ears.
"Late for what?" Ace asked, running after her.
'Why does he have to ask!' she thought, continuing to head for the stables. "I need to drop off something at Mr. Tates," she informed him. "I won't be long."
"You're not going alone," Ace told her.
Nancy stopped and twisted towards him so fast, he almost collided with her. "Since when do you care of me being alone!" she snapped at him, her anger still flaring. Her shoulders slightly slumped down, and she gave out a sympathetic sigh. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it." She looked at his surprised face. "I need to do this on my own."
"Fine," Ace said in a mixture of hurt and anger. "I see where I stand. I'm going over to Roger's house." He turned and walked swiftly back to his vehicle.
"Is the way out always by gambling!" Nancy called out to him, hugging herself to remain calm.
"At least there I feel like I'm welcome," Ace turned around and looked at her evenly.
Hurt crossed over her beautiful features, but this time she did not lower her eyes from him. "Sure, you are welcomed there, Brad! They want your money! Not you!" she stated truthfully, allowing him to absorb her words. "You are rarely home anymore! And when you don't even come during the night, you don't even bother to call! So what kind of welcome did you expect?"
"Why do you think I'm not coming home at night? Huh?" Ace asked her, hurt evident in his voice.
Nancy stood in silence for a long moment, and for a split second she thought she might faint from the shaking from her entire body. He was scared to come home, she could see it in his eyes. Scared of telling her how much he lost, scared of telling her how weak he was, and scared of what she thought.
"I wouldn't had been angry," she told him truthfully. "I just wanted you home."
"You have a strange way of showing it sometimes. You get angry over little things and you blame me for something that is beyond my control," Ace threw back at her.
"Little things!" her voice flared. "Almost losing our home is little things!" Her heart pumped wildly now in her chest. "The bills kept pilling up, Brad!" What did you expect me to do? Wait for you to win on the next hand?" She turned away from him, her arms tighter around her. "And I never blamed you, I blame myself, but never you!"
Ace looked shocked over what she said but quickly hid it. "I suppose you pushing me away is not a way of punishing me? Whatever, Nancy. I can't take this anymore." He turned and continued towards the car.
"Excuse me? I'm the one pushing you away? You are the one who is pushing me away!" Nancy informed him. "Look at yourself Brad, look on what you have become." She knew her words hit on target from his body going stiff. She strode quickly towards the stables, not even looking back. She already knew he would get into his car and drive to the track, or the tables, and not return for a long time. That was his escape.
She glanced at the farmhouse, relieved that her brother and his family had not come out during their little argument. Walking inside the stables, the horses greeted her by pawing on the ground, wanting to be ridden. But she went to the last stall, which Pegasus stood like a mythical creature from a fantasy. Taking the brush in her hand, she entered the stall and began grooming her, the last time she would groom her, for after several hours, she would not be hers anymore. She stopped in mid-stroke, and wrapped her arms around the strong animal, and softly began to cry.