Chapter 4 4

I flew into the parking lot of Tina's apartment complex, threw the truck in park, and ran up to the door. I knocked twice and heard a come in. As soon as the kids see me, they come trotting up to me. Mama no feels good, Holden signs to me and Harper agrees. I know my babies are going to the doctor's office to see a new doctor. I get their shoes and coats on and thanked Tina. I buckle the kids in and hop into the truck. I back out of my spot and headed to the urgent care. My alert that my mother was calling went off. "It's your mother!" I repeat " Your mother is calling!" Yes, mom.

What's going on? I'm taking the kids to urgent care. I will call when I know something. I hang up and drive up the street and pull into the urgent care building. I sign the kids in getting seated and get ready for our wait. Forty-five minutes later, we were called back into a room. Okay, well they have a fever of 103.7. The nurse tells me. The doctor will be in shortly. After another fifteen-minute wait, the doctor comes in and looks at their ears and throat and sure enough, they both have double ear infections. Of course, they do I think. Okay, I thank the doc and grab the kids heading for the pharmacy. We got into the truck. Thank goodness the pharmacy is just down the street. I unload the kids, pack them into the pharmacy, get their meds, and, back out to the car, which took thirty minutes. I put them back in their seats and I had barely gotten outside of town when I noticed that the kids were asleep. Awwww my poor babies are so sick. When we got home, George and my new to me car were already there. George opens the door and asks "What did the doc say?" I turn to him and say, I thought he and I were supposed to go over prices and things. It still has plates on it. Yeah about all that, Lucky decided that he would just loan you the car for now but you pay for the gas and upkeep on it. Huh oh yeah, they both have double ear infections because they are teething. Okay, I will go call your mother and tell her. Thanks, George, and thank Lucky for me. I don't think he heard me more worried about the kids. I change their butts warm up some bottles of milk and lay them down for a nap. Oh no, I say. Mommy almost forgot your medicine.

I head downstairs to grab their meds and rush upstairs hoping they are not asleep yet. Oh thank goodness they were awake so I gave them their medicine and sang them a song. I leave the room with the monitor and head downstairs to clean the house for mom and George. As I'm cleaning, a thought crosses my mind as to why Stewart's son and my kids can't be closer. Maybe it's their ages or the fact that we don't get to see Max all that much anymore. You see Stewart and Max's mom had a huge fight, so we haven't seen him much. My dad's side of the family doesn't see us either. My dad, Stewart Sr. decided that it was a good idea to have an affair with my mom and he ended up getting Elizabeth pregnant not once but twice. He ended up getting a redo on kids. And those kids take after their mother and hate us. Why do you ask? They believe our mom and us were the reason their parents couldn't be together, not the fact that he was a married man. The oldest, Lucas, who is ten years old, is just like our dad angry about everything. He's a mean little boy that you worry will murder you in your sleep. Then you have eight-year-old Marcus, who was just put into a crappy situation. He's the sweetest kid. We see them at the store in town several times a week. Elizabeth and Lucas just glare and then you get a sweet smile and a small wave from Marcus. Mom tells us to look the other way and ignore them but it's kind of hard when everyone in town knows what he did to our family. Why should they get to act like they have done no wrong and we have to cower in embarrassment? Why does he get to act like he was this amazing dad when we four know the truth. We didn't tell mom what he was doing because he drilled into our heads that it would be ten times worse the next day. He has always said it was in our imaginations. I am pretty sure we didn't all imagine the same memories. He put the fear of God in us to make sure we never told anyone. When our parents separated, we told mom everything that happened to us for years. She was appalled and she cried. I'm brought out of my memories when I hear our three-year-old rottweiler growling and staring outside. It's okay Lue nobody is out there, I tell her. Before I forget, I need to call Larry and let him know that I won't be able to clean the Lodge today since the kids are sick. As I'm about to dial his number when movement outside catches my eye and I know for sure that I see somebody in the timber. I raced to the door and hollered HELLO! Only to be met with silence. Hello? I ask again. Who is there? Then my phone rang. All I hear is heavy breathing and chills run down my spine. Kathleen just gives up your kids already. The voice tells me. No, I won't figure this was just Dylan trying to scare me. Please don't call me again, I said to the other person.