Cimarron, Denver Cereal Volume 4 (8 page)

“
But wait. Delphie and Nash
are like best friends. Delphie knows what…”

“
Delphie had a stroke last
week,” Jill said.

“
Delphie… Oh my
God…”

“
Delphie had surgery. She’s
coming home from the hospital today. No one really knows if she’ll
be all right.”

Aden looked crushed by the news.

“
You haven’t asked about
your unborn child,” Jill said. “Not like you’ve taken any
responsibility for
that
child.”

“
How can I? I’m
here!”

“
And why is that?” Jill
asked.

Jill let the question linger in the air.
She’d hoped beyond hope that Aden would really get what was going
on. She’d hoped Aden would be the man Sandy needed him to be. She
sighed. So far, he’s acted like a defensive addict or maybe a
twelve year old boy. But certainly not a man. When she moved to get
up he touched her hand.

“
I get it,” Aden said. “I
went after the pedophile. Even if I feel justified in my actions,
the result is that Sandy and my kids have had to deal with the
consequences. I get it.”

“
Your water heater broke
yesterday,” Jill said. “At your house! Remember the house you own
that Sandy now cares for along with your children, your car, and
every other thing in your life?”

“
I knew it was getting
old,” Aden said.

“
Flooded the basement,”
Jill said. “The neighbor called because water was running out of a
window. That’s a tidy bill. Who’s going to pay for
that?”

“
What happened with the
money?”

“
Sandy can’t access your
money. Even from the ATM,” Jill said. “The papers you signed only
work to make Sandy responsible for your debt, not to get access to
anything you own. Did you ask a lawyer to set them up?”

“
No,” Aden said. “I went to
the bank and they gave me the forms.”

“
How responsible,” Jill
said.

“
I tried, Jill. I did,”
Aden said. “And before you say it again, I fucked up.”

“
Well, you’ll have plenty
of money when you get out,” Jill said. “Just no children and no
girlfriend. Oh and no house. It’s either house payments or food for
your children, and food wins out.”

“
OK, OK, ” Aden said. “How
do I make this right? I don’t want Sandy to suffer because I’m an
asshole. I don’t want to lose my kids. I hate that I’m here, that I
screwed up. I hate it. But I can’t change what I’ve done. I can
only look at what I can do next. And I have to believe that you
think there’s something I can do, or you wouldn’t be
here.”

Jill looked him full in the eyes while she
tried to decide what to say next.

“
Is there a reason you
didn’t heal my hand?” Aden asked. “It hurts like hell.”

“
I don’t want you to
forget,” Jill said.

“
What a fuck up I am? How
likely is that?”

Jill shrugged.

“
What can I do,
Jill?”

“
First, you need to make a
real apology,” Jill said. “Not a ‘yes, but’ apology or an ‘it’s not
my fault’ apology. You need to listen to how awful it’s been for
Sandy and apologize for that. I don’t know if she’ll listen to you
but that’s where you start.”

“
Ok, what’s
next?”

“
Fix the money crap,” Jill
said. “I don’t know what that will take but fix it.”

“
Done. What’s
next?”

“
Sandy has started her own
salon. You promised to set up her books. She’s completely lost and
thinking of closing and moving out of state. Set up her books. Not
because you want to make her happy but because you
promised.”

“
Ok, then what?”

“
Fulfill the rest of your
promises. Take care of your shit. Stop being such a
baby.”

“
Got it. If I do all of
this, what are my chances?”

“
Three percent, maybe
four,” Jill said.

“
So why bother? I’ve
already lost her,” Aden said.

“
Because a real man honors
his promises and cleans up his own messes. A real man doesn’t let
other people suffer needlessly because of his own actions. Do it
because that’s who you are, not because you want to get something.
Be a better person.”

“
And maybe she’ll come
around?”

“
And maybe you’ll come
around.”

~~~~~~~~

Monday afternoon — 4:25 P.M.

“
Thanks for coming,”
Valerie said to the Denver Post reporter at the door. “They are in
here.”

“
This is a huge story,
Val,” the man said. “I could win a Pulitzer for this.”

Valerie nodded.

“
And I still get a photo of
your baby bump?” Remembering his manners, the man’s bright smile
dropped. “I’m sorry to hear you lost one.”

“
Yeah, I drop the act,”
Valerie said. “Our deal stands.”

“
Why do they want to talk
to the press?” the man asked.

“
They tried to talk to the
Board of Education and even the superintendent. They are backing
the Principal,” Valerie said. “The boy wants to go to school and is
blocked because of a jailed child pornography buff. We weren’t sure
what to do. Then I remembered that we have this
agreement.”

“
The Post doesn’t run
gossip about you or paparazzi photos in exchange for
exclusives.”

“
Right,” Valerie
said.

They walked into a small sitting area off
the main Castle living area. The man gasped.

“
That’s the girl… the one
whose father was…” Whispering to Valerie, the man all but pointed
at Sandy. “No one has interviewed her. Can I ask her…?”

“
Do this first. Get the boy
back in school,” Valerie said. “Then, she might share her
story.”

Valerie followed the man into the room and
closed the door.

CHAPTER
NINETY-FOUR
Late March Sun

Tuesday morning — 7:10 A.M.

Filtered by the barren winter trees outside,
a renegade sunbeam fell across Delphie’s face. She stirred in the
spotlight. Only partially awake, she listened to the familiar
sounds of her beloved home. Katy’s happy feet tapped back and forth
over her head. Jill’s feet padded after her child. Noelle whimpered
about something down the hall. Mike’s big laugh came from
downstairs. Her nose tickled with the smells of morning: coffee,
tea, bacon… Someone made bacon. Sandy? No Valerie. Valerie loved
bacon. There was a sweet smell in the air. Cinnamon? Honey?

The sounds and smells of love and morning
caused Delphie to stir. Feeling movement near her, she opened her
eyes and looked puzzled.

“
You should be at work, Sam
Lipson,” she said.

“
I should be here with
you,” he said. “I made your tea.”

She scooted to sit against the headboard.
Looking around, she realized she didn’t know where she was.

“
Where are we?”

“
Jake finished this
apartment just before… everything happened. I hadn’t seen it
either,” Sam said. “Would you like a tour?”

“
What happened to your
rooms? Celia’s gorgeous room? Were they destroyed?” Delphie’s voice
rose with panic and sorrow.

“
Nothing, nothing,” Sam
said. “Johansen wrecked the chapel. We won’t be able to stay there
until Jake stabilizes the structure.”

“
My chapel,” Delphie
whispered. Her eyes welled. “I don’t remember…”

“
Have some tea.” He held
the cup out to her. “We can deal with everything later.”

“
I told you, Sam. I don’t
need to eat or drink since I’m dead,” Delphie said.

“
Yes, you told me,” Sam
said. “You always loved your morning tea. Maybe it’s something
you’ll still enjoy. Like dinner last night or using the toilet or
showering.”

Delphie furrowed her brow as she thought it
through. She gave him a slow nod, took the tea cup from him, and
took a long drink.

“
I do love tea,” Delphie
said. “You made it just how I like it.”

He nodded. She leaned forward to kiss
him.

“
Thanks.”

“
Sandy made some cinnamon
rolls to celebrate your return home,” Sam said. “Would you like to
try one?”

Delphie nodded.

“
I’d like to see your new
apartment,” Delphie said.

“
Our new apartment,” Sam
said. “We will stay here together until you’re feeling better. Then
we’ll decide what’s next. The doctor said you need to take it
easy.”

They heard a patter of feet down their hall
and then the sound of little feet jumping. Once. Twice. Three
times. The door knob to the apartment rattled.

“
Katherine Roper Marlowe,
you cannot just open someone’s door.” Jill’s voice came from the
hall.

“
Mooommmyy!!!
Noooooo!”

“
Would you like to see
Katy?” Sam asked. “She wanted to see you last night but fell
asleep. I bet she’s been waiting for you to get up.”

Delphie gave a slight nod. Sam opened the
door to find Jill carrying a kicking and screaming Katy away from
the apartment.

“
Jill?” Sam
asked.

Jill turned to look at him.

“
It’s all right. She’s
awake.”

Jill looked down at Katy.

“
Pleeeeeze Mommy.
Pleeezzeeee.” Katy’s dark eyes were puppy dog round. Tears flowed
from the child’s eyes.

“
OK but be gentle,” Jill
said.

Katy’s tears dried. The moment Jill set her
down, Katy raced around the adults through the apartment door to
hop onto the Queen sized bed. Delphie held out her arms and the
child threw herself into her arms. There was a noise in the hall.
Turning toward the noise, Sam watched Sarah, Scooter and Buster
barrel down the hall. Like Katy, the three dogs hurled themselves
onto the bed and the woman they loved most. Delphie’s tea spilled
all over the bed.

Delphie was overwhelmed with emotion. She
laughed until she cried. Katy began a very long story about what
happened when she was in the Chapel. Of course, Paddie was scared
but Katy was never scared. All the while, the dogs pressed
themselves closer and closer to Delphie until they pressed against
her on all sides.

Delphie’s had never felt so much joy.

She felt as if some dark cloud had lifted.
Maybe some long forgotten psychic connection to Levi Johansen had
kept the darkness around. Whatever the reason, Delphie now felt a
bubble of sheer joy. Looking up from Katy, she smiled when Sam gave
her a towel to mop up her tea.

“
I’m finally
free.”

“
Yes,” Sam said.

“
Too bad I’m dead,” Delphie
said.

Sam looked away to keep from rolling his
eyes at her. Jill looked from Delphie to Sam and laughed.

~~~~~~~~

Tuesday mid-day — 11:30 A.M.

“
Ok, I’ll see you in a
month,” Sandy said as she escorted her client out of the
studio.

“
You’ll still be here?” a
woman with perfectly coifed hair asked.

“
I promised my best friend
that I would have the baby in Denver,” Sandy said. “Plus, the kids
have to finish the school year.”

The woman hugged Sandy and left the studio.
Sandy caught the door before it closed and locked. Standing in the
doorway, she felt the bright the late March sun on her face. She
was about to turn into the studio when she heard someone calling
her name.

“
Sandy?”

A tousled man wearing an expensive suit,
starched shirt and expensive shoes waved at her. He was carrying a
leather briefcase and a Styrofoam container.

“
I’m sorry, sir. I only see
people by referral and appointment,” she said. “The number is on
the window.”

She turned to go inside.

“
No, I’m here for your
lunch break,” he said.

She turned back to him.

“
I have your lunch,” he
said.

“
Do I know you?” she
asked.

“
No, you don’t. I’d give
you my card but…” He held up his hands showing his briefcase and
the Styrofoam container. “May I come in?”

“
Sure,” she
said.

She stepped back to hold the bulletproof
glass door for the man. He bustled into the salon and set his
briefcase down on the waiting area couch.

“
Wow, this is really nice,”
he said.

“
It is,” she said. “My
friend Jill set it up for me. Her husband owns the
space.”

“
That’s a gorgeous color.”
He pointed to the wall across from the mirrors. “Is it
red?”

“
It looks different at
various times of the day depending on the light,” Sandy said. “I
think of it as burnt orange. Jill found it.”

“
It’s perfect with the wood
floors. Makes them sparkle.”

Sandy smiled at the man. When he didn’t say
anything, she said:

“
Can I help you with
something?”

“
Oh, right,” he said. “I
have your lunch. Pasquini’s Chicken Caesar Salad with fresh bread
sticks.”