Alexis watched as Card entered her room and closed the door. Jackson looked concerned.
"Come on Gramps Ice cream awaits!" Alexis said running down the hall to the stairs.
Getting to the Kitchen she saw Rick dishing a bowl with Pickle sauce. It had to be for Mom she thought. There was a wide variety of Ice Cream to choose Alexis was going to be plain tonight and chose her favorite Rocky Road. Jackson was adventurous as her father when it came to toppings. Martha was only having a bit of lime sherbet.
"I have to watch my figure you know." Martha said.
"I think your figure bears watching." Jackson said.
Then they sat in the nook spooning a taste from each bowl. Alexis watched how playful they were until Grams drop the Ice cream on his nose that caused them to flee the kitchen. Alexis was surprised how quick Martha was. Soon they chased each other up stairs. The Ice Cream was forgotten. Alexis picked up the bowls and placed them in the freezer. It would not do if they melted.
Alexis moved to her chair. She was getting tired too. It had been a long and exhausting day.
"Hey Pumpkin Where is Card?" he texted.
"She informed me it was after 8 and she needed to go to sleep. Dad I'm worried." Alexis said.
"Oh wait right there I have something for you!" Rick said bolting into his office.
Alexis wondered what her Dad was doing.
"Here is a present." Rick had a new iPhone and he was showing her the app button then suddenly everything he was saying was showed as text.
"Pretty Cool Huh…?" Rick said. "I had this yesterday but I guess with all the confusion. I did not get to give it to you. I'm so sorry for the Delay Pumpkin." Rick said and Alexis read.
"Wow Dad this works great. Though I am wondering how this will affect Card. She seems to like sending me texts to inform me what is going on. I know I will use this when she is not around." Alexis said.
"That is very considerate of you Alexis" said Jim.
Alexis got her bandages and ointment out. Kate removed the old and replaced it. Satisfied Alexis smiled.
Rick waited until Kate had finished.
"So Pumpkin you wanted to talk?" Rick asked.
"Yeah Dad it is about Card. I think she was sexually assaulted." Alexis said.
Both Jim and Kate grew concerned.
Why did you say that, Alexis?" Rick asked.
"I am not really sure but we were discussing how you could lock out Cassie from your room when she said her doors had no locks and she had to let in anyone who knocked. It was the way she wrote it was creepy." Alexis showed the text box containing the message to everyone.
"Alexis this is serious. Thank you for showing us." Rick said. "Let her open up to you in her own time Ok Pumpkin?"
"Yes Dad but if you don't mind I am tired and need sleep." Alexis said with a yawn.
"Ok Pumpkin good night." Rick said kissing her on her head.
Rick gathered up the bowls and placed them in the sink. He would deal with them later. Jim walked up the stairs to his room.
Kate was swept up and placed in the tub. Rick washed his wife and she did to him.
"Kate I hate to say it but your reservations were right." Rick said while talking in the tub.
"Rick I was afraid of that. She is a wonderful girl but there were signs. My heart goes out to her. Rick what do we do?" Kate asked.
"It is all these little things. I mean she did not react when she was told her Grandmother had passed away. She was cold and spoke as if it was something which goes out in the trash." Rick said.
"She did not have any attachment to those horrid people I am so sorry Rick but I'm glad they are gone" Kate said. "They kept her a virtual prisoner. She had no privacy and had to entertain people who ever knocked on her door."
Rick shuddered at that thought.
"Kate I know I'm out of my league here. You know what broke my heart the most. She thought when I was going to tell her that bad news. Kate she thought I was going to get rid of her." Rick said. "She was so petrified. Then after I gave her a hug and told her that was never on my mind did she relax."
"Rick I will talk to Lanie perhaps she knows a good person." Kate surmised.
"Wait Kate what about Dr. Burke? He helped you." Rick asked.
"Rick I don't know if he is equipped to handle this type of case?" Kate said.
"But you will talk to him right?" Rick asked looking at Kate with those adorable puppy dog eyes.
"Yes Rick I will call him tomorrow." Kate said.
"Kate tomorrow is Sunday?" Rick asked.
"Yes I have a special number so he would not mind hearing from me. Kate said. So let's get out of this tub before we both look pruny." Kate said.
"I got you." Rick said getting out and getting ready for bed.
Once they were snuggled together in the bed.
"Kate I love you to the moon and back." Rick said kissing his wife.
She let out a sigh.
"Rick I love you 'till the sun burns out." Kate said kissing him again yawned then fell asleep. Rick followed quickly behind her.
\\\\\
The next morning Alexis awoke to see Card having a bowl of something.
Card seeing Alexis awake
"I got it myself." Card sent.
She looked very proud.
"Excellent so what is it?" Alexis asked.
"Nuts fruit flakes milk and sugar." She sent.
"Oh the granola…?" Alexis asked.
"Yes. Since, I still do not trust the stove. I saw this" she sent.
"Good choice. Is anyone else awake?" Alexis asked.
"No you are the only one." Card sent.
"I see well let me clean up and get something to eat. I will be right back. Ok?" Alexis said.
"Ok" Card sent.
Alexis cleaned up her sleeping area and took a quick bath because she did not want to get her bandages wet. Now clean and dressed she entered the kitchen Card followed her into there once she saw Alexis return from upstairs.
"I'm going to make Mom's Hot chocolate. You want to help?" Alexis asked as she got out the pot.
"Yes" she sent.
Adding the milk she showed Card how to steam milk. It was the secret way to make the Hot Chocolate taste so good. Next she added the hunks old dark chocolate which is broken from a large brick with a knife. Bringing the mixture to boil then stirred as the chocolate melted. She brought the temperature down so that it simmered. Once satisfied she gave Card a sip.
"Good huh…?" Alexis asked.
"Excellent chocolate flavor" She sent.
They both smiled.
Alexis started working on breakfast for the whole family since they would be up soon. Coffee was perking for Grams, Jackson and Jim. Card was placed in charge of the toast.
Alexis was frying the bacon. Plus she had Ham steaks broiling too.
The smell of bacon was permeating Rick's brain. Soon he was murmuring
"I don't want to find out the subject area under the Pi curve Teacher! No I don't want to do it!" Rick was shouting.
Kate awoke with a start.
"Rick wake up" she said gently shaking him
"Wha…aa… Kate?" Rick eyes started to focus "Where is Dr. Alphonso?"
"Rick there is just me and the minions. I hope you did not wake them with all this yelling." Kate said. "You were having a nightmare care to talk about it? Who is Dr. Alphonso Rick?"
"Dr. Alphonso was my Finite Math Professor at NYU." Rick said.
"Rick were you a Math Major?" Kate asked excitedly. "I was wondering how you knew what Card was writing. You recognized those equations didn't you?"
"You did too!" Rick was surprised Kate did too but not really Kate was always full of surprises.
Kate looked down.
"You were Pre Law in Stanford and at NYU you were Criminal Justice neither one has any Math bases past the requirements." Rick said. "So how did you end up in a Finite Math class?"
"I worked over my requirements. I liked Math from an early age. So it was natural to add it to my curriculum. So I almost had a Math Major." Kate said. "So you spill Rick."
Rick looked down then he spoke.
"I was trying to impress a girl so one semester I took all the same classes as her. I was shot down but I was stuck in her classes. She was a Math Major and later I found out she batted for the other team." Rick said. "I met her and her partner a few years later on a book tour."
Kate had to laugh.
"Kate it is not funny. Kyra did same as you when I told her. Shame on you both" Rick said. "The sad thing was she still remembered me as the guy who tried. She told me that she was impressed. I had the wrong equipment. If she ever went straight she would look me up.
"She better not!" Kate said having her eyes flashed green. "You're mine! Don't you ever forget it!"