Battling Destiny (The Piper Anderson Series Book 6) (19 page)

“Lindsey is out right now chasing down a few more pieces of information about my father’s associates. We’re trying to understand his relationship with each of them to make sure I’m prepared to counter any threats they make. Best-case scenario: I meet with a few people tomorrow, file the dissolution forms with the secretary of state’s office, and submit the funds remaining to the real beneficiaries of the charities. I got lucky; the way my father structured his will made it so I could make these moves without a vote from the board of directors for the charities. I’m in the home stretch.”

“So wait, you’re honestly planning on packing up and never looking back? You’re willing to write your mother off?” Jules threw her hands up in exasperation.

“Jules, she wrote me off a long time ago. She’s looking for a means to an end, and I refuse to be that for her. She’s collected a fair amount of life insurance, and I’m structuring the manufacturing business in a way that it practically runs itself. It will turn a profit for her.”

“I’m not worried about the money.” Jules groaned, now sounding on the verge of tears.

“I know you’re not, Jules, but that’s the problem. That’s
all
she’s worried about.” Michael moved toward her then stopped himself.

“Everyone in this room needs to be on the same page,” Bobby said, looking directly at Jules. “That’s how we’ve always gotten through this stuff before. Michael’s goals need to be our goals. If he thinks the best thing to do is shut down anything he can and get back to Edenville, then that’s what we should all be trying to do. I can help Lindsey out and Betty can stay with Frankie to give you a hand, Jules.”

“I’m going to this party. I made a commitment to help, and I’m sticking with that. Is it really so crazy to hope this all works out? Look at everyone else's family. Bobby, you and your folks weren't getting along so well for years, but I saw you with them at your wedding. They were there to support you, and I know you're in a better place now with them than you've ever been. And Piper, I hopped in a car with you and ran off to New York City to find your biological father. Look at how well that turned out. You have people in your life now you can call family. Jedda and Willow have each other. Even Crystal is talking to her sister. Why can't I want that for Michael? If Michael has it, Frankie will too. My daughter deserves as many people in her life that love her as possible. You are all looking at me like I'm crazy to fight for that.”

“Do I need to invest in some heavy duty Q-tips? Because your ears must be plumb full of wax if you didn't hear everything your husband just said about his mother. Does she really seem like somebody you want in your family?”

“But she
is
family. We all choose to be here, but she's Michael's mother. I just think that warrants a little extra hard work. I don't believe someone is just good or bad. I think things happen to people and they make choices. I look at my daughter and I can't imagine anyone would put anything, especially money, before their love for their child. I just don't want to believe that.”

“Well, while you're busy not believing that, I think you're leaving yourself exposed. This woman sounds very manipulative. If Michael doesn't trust her then I don't trust her. And while I think your motives are admirable, you’re being foolish." Betty was still rocking rhythmically and in between doling out her opinions she was humming sweet songs to Frankie.

“Look at this room, Ma. She found out about us at about ten o’clock at night and by lunchtime the next day she’d already had all of this done. All for Frankie.”

“Of course, because Frankie has such expensive taste. Just the other day I heard her complaining about how the dust ruffle on the crib at my house was peasant-like and she wouldn’t stand for it.” Betty rolled her eyes. “Nothing in this room is for Frankie. The child bites her own toes and thinks spit bubbles are magical. This room was about impressing you.”

“Frankie could have the best of everything if we made room in our lives for Michael’s family. I’m not saying I want to move from Edenville; I’m just wondering what advantages she could have if we kept the door open here. Great schools, prestigious clubs, it’s endless what she could accomplish. But Michael hasn’t even considered that as an option. ”

“It’s not too often I don’t respond to something. But that’s so asinine that I won’t even engage you on that. You’re wearing your rear end as a hat right now, that’s all I’ll say about that.” Betty looked like she was literally biting her tongue.

“I'm still going to the party. I hope all of you come too. Josephine is Michael's sister, and it doesn't sound like she has a history of being some kind of monster.” The tone Jules was using told Michael she didn’t believe his mother to be as bad as he was saying. “She's Frankie’s aunt, and I've committed to being there to celebrate. If you still want to leave the moment the party is over then I'll go. As long as Frankie is healthy enough to travel.”

“I'm going to be here with this baby all night and in the morning. If she's not back to her old self, we’ll take her to the hospital. This party is in two days, right?"

"Yes," Michael said as he exhaled and rolled his eyes knowingly. Betty’s raised eyebrows and stern look told him she was about to propose a compromise.

“Then let’s just be hospitable guests until the party is over. Then we all agree to leave. I don't care if we have to drive back one hour at a time to accommodate Frankie. Let's agree that Edenville is the best place for all of us, and then y'all can talk through how to move forward. But at least you'll be surrounded by people you can trust.”

“Fine." Michael and Jules spoke the word in unison and then stared down at their shoes like disappointed children.

“Now tell me, I'm feeling a bit peckish. Where’s the kitchen? I'd like to make myself a sandwich before I settle in to watch Frankie for the night.”

“It's not that kind of kitchen, Ma,” Jules explained. “You can't just walk in there and make yourself something to eat. They have a staff. You tell them what you'd like, and they make it for you. They'll even bring it in here with everything you need." The smile on Jules's face faded quickly as she seemed to realize Betty was neither impressed nor excited about this.

“That sounds an awful lot like what it used to be like in the South when I was a kid. Since then folks have worked damn hard to make sure no one was in the business of ordering anyone around like a servant. I'm plenty capable of making my own sandwich. Just point me in that direction. I don't need to be waited on."

“It's not like that, Ma. They get paid a fair wage. It's a job just like any other."

"I don't know about that actually," Piper said, twisting her face up slightly. "I don't know if there's a paycheck in the world big enough for them to put up with the way they are treated here. Maybe you haven't seen it yet, but I have. It's kind of twisted."

“I guess I've been blind to everything lately." Jules’s anger was starting to bubble over. "I'll have them make you a sandwich, and I'll bring it here for you. I'll be sure to ask them very nicely. Heaven help us if we ever have a falling out like this. I didn't realize all of you would give up so easily. Whatever happened to fighting for family?”

Jules was out the door, her shoes slapping hard against the marble floor. The room was silent for a moment and then, like usual, Betty sliced the quiet open with sharp words of wisdom. “I think that woman has done a number on my child. I don't know what kind of bull she's been feeding her, but it certainly sounds like Jules is falling for it. All I know is, I trust you, Michael."

“I think that's part of the problem. When I bailed on Jules it put a little fracture in her trust for me. When she found out I'd been hiding all of this from her the crack got a little bigger. My mother is great at finding those cracks and turning them into canyons. A lot of this is my fault. I should have just told Jules from the beginning about my family. If I had she’d be in here right now helping us get the hell out of here." Michael ran his hands through his hair feeling completely exhausted.

“I can't disagree with you there. It'll be a fine day when all of you finally start just telling each other everything right out of the gate. Half our heartaches wouldn't exist if you did. Now go on and get done whatever you need to. I'm going to get this baby eating and hopefully ready to leave Sunday morning when that party is all done and behind us."

“I'm really glad you’re here, Betty,” Michael admitted with a warm smile.

“Just think of me like a bad penny, always turning up.”

“Thank goodness for that,” Piper said, and she, Bobby and Michael crept out of the nursery.

“She’s looking more like herself this morning,” Betty said as she rubbed her tired eyes. Jules had told her a hundred times she didn’t need to spend the entire night in the nursery, but her mother would not be swayed. She sat vigil by Frankie’s crib, dozing lightly in the rocking chair and checking on her temperature often. “She hasn’t been warm all night. I haven’t felt a fever since I got here.”

“She does look more alert this morning. Maybe her ears are doing better. Thanks for watching her last night. I felt better knowing you were here.” Jules still felt a prickly frustration with everyone’s pessimistic attitude, but there was no denying having her mother around brought her some comfort that she couldn’t get anywhere else in the world. But wasn’t that the problem?

“It’s just you and me here, girl. You want to talk to me more about what’s going on with you? I know there has to be more to this than just you thinking Michael’s mother can be better than she is.”

“I think something might be wrong with me,” Jules blurted out, biting at her lip to try to combat the tears, but they came anyway. There was something about having her mother within arm’s reach that made it impossible not to open up.

“There isn’t a damn thing wrong with you, sweet child. You’re my daughter. I made you. You’re perfect. Me and God, we don’t make mistakes.” Betty placed Frankie back in her crib for a moment and pulled her daughter in for a hug.

“I’m really sad all the time, Ma. Like really sad. I’m crying most nights, just sitting alone wondering what’s wrong with me. I’m screwing all of this up. I thought by now I’d feel better, that I’d be a better mother, but I’m not. I’m failing her and Michael. I can’t even get the dishes done some days. I can’t even nurse her. I have to pump and give her a bottle because I couldn’t even do that right. I forget everything, and Frankie has no routine. I can’t get her down at the same time every night. I read all these articles and by her age I should be doing all these things with her. I should be teaching her all these things and I’m not. I don’t know how.” Jules was in a full out sob as she tried to string her words together. Anyone other than Betty likely would have stopped her by now, complaining they couldn’t understand her, but her mother spoke this language fluently. She’d been learning it her entire life, raising Jules. “What if she turns out all wrong? What if Michael can’t deal with the house being a mess or that I can’t make dinner? That’s why I thought he left, you know. I thought he finally figured he could do better than what I was giving him. I’ve barely been a wife lately, and I’m struggling to keep my head above water as a mom. Those are my only two jobs and I’m not doing either of them well.”

“I wish you’d have said something to me,” Bettys said, wiping away a tear of her own.

“How could I? How do you tell the best mother in the world that you can’t handle being one yourself? Every single night growing up you had dinner on the table. You and Dad spent so much time just being in love. You got everything done. You were perfect. You’re still perfect. Look at all the people you mother. How do I face you and tell you I’m not sure what I’m doing?”

“Your memories are from when you were in school, not as a baby. You don’t remember the nights I spent begging for some kind of break. We ordered so much pizza the first year after you were born they knew our order by heart. Do you know you fell off my bed? You rolled right onto the floor and landed with a thump I can still hear right now; it’s etched into my brain and will be there forever. And nursing? You were on formula for the same reason. You and I just couldn’t figure it out together, and I figured it was better you eat rather than us keep driving each other nuts for something that wasn’t happening. I made so many mistakes with you. There are still days I can’t believe you survived my failures and came out so wonderful.”

“I didn’t know that. I just assumed you always had everything figured out the way you do now.”

“I don’t have everything figured out now. I still make plenty of mistakes. Like the way I told Clay not to come out here because you aren’t his daughter. I didn’t mean it the way I said it, but I also didn’t take it back either. I know I hurt him, but I left it there between us. Your old mama still makes plenty of mistakes. I do my share of crying over them too. I’m sorry if I didn’t make it clear you could come to me with this. I’m always here for you. You haven’t done anything wrong.” Betty smoothed down Jules’s hair and hugged her so tight she felt her loose pieces fitting back together, even if for only a moment.

“I think that’s why I’m pushing so hard for Michael to forgive his mother. I don’t want to believe anyone can truly act that way toward her child. I need to believe there is hope for them because I’m afraid one day Frankie is going to feel the same way about me and she might not forgive me for my failures.”

“I think that’s why God makes babies forget. You can’t be expected to get all this right on the first try. No one tells you how hard it’s going to be and how different you feel from what you thought you would. But it does sound like you’ve got more than just the baby blues. I think you need to talk to someone.”