mother’s neck. The second genuine show of affection today, likely the last. Mae looked like she’d swallowed a lemon, and her vibes were as frosty as Mike’s.
“Thanks for taking care of him last night. And for saving my life.”
Mae bit her lip, looked away. “It hurts to even talk about it. Later. Maybe when the shock of seeing yer poor face wears off.” She stroked Liz’s bruised temple and smoothed her hair.
Glad she was sitting, and that Mae couldn’t see the brace and cast, Liz let the baby stand on her thighs. He leaned forward to embrace his long lost mother, then pressed his face against hers. Chubby fingers pounded her chest, reminding her it had been almost twenty-four hours since he’d nursed.
Eddie smelled like powder, and his unabashed joy at finally being back in her arms brought tears to Liz’s eyes. What had she almost done?
She pulled up the sweatshirt and tucked him against her breast. He nuzzled the heavy fabric away and got to work.
“He’s happy to see his mama.” Mae tousled the baby’s hair and put a bowl on the table. “You need a good solid breakfast.”
Liz took a spoon of oatmeal–with brown sugar, raisins, and vanilla soy milk. “ I didn’t tell Mike about the dress, not yet. There were so many other things to discuss, and we just talked around it. Tonight.” She took another spoon and sat the baby up to let him burp.
Mae stared at Liz’s leg. “I thought your knee would snap, that you’d crack your head open like an egg.” She trembled and sank into a chair, then buried her face in her hands and cried.
Liz tried to stand and comfort Mae. But with the baby, without her crutches, she was helpless as a beached whale. “I’m so sorry. I swear I will never allow myself to do something so foolish again.”
Elisabeth quavered. He’s taking you away from the house.
Mae mopped her nose with a napkin. “Ya promised me that not an hour before it happened, so forgive me if I can’t trust what ya say. The dress needs a good cleaning and those tears repaired. I have a mind to burn it.”
Even though Liz had thought of destroying the dress, the threat of someone else doing it caused a mini-earthquake inside her. The few spoons of oatmeal threatened to come up. Even Eddie, who had settled onto the other side, reacted to the rumbling in her gut. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea. I’ll get the name of a seamstress from my old museum buddies. For now, just keep it in the closet.”
Mae’s eyes bored into her. “You and Mike didn’t talk about this at all?”
“We talked about selling the house, which isn’t going to make a difference. I need money now.”
Mae clapped a palm across her forehead. “The school district called yesterday. Eddy Elementary right here in Brewster needs a classroom teacher for the fourth grade. One to two weeks. I told them you’d call as soon as ya got home. Number is on yer desk.”
“Great, how am I going to teach looking like I’ve been beat up?” She needed that money desperately and would have to do it, no matter what.
Despair painted her insides as black and blue as the outside. Liz forced herself to finish the oatmeal. Eddie dozed in her arms. “Can you take him upstairs? I have a lot of calls to make.”
Mae took the sated infant. “Marianne said she’d call at 10 a.m. Poor thing was really worried. Wait until she hears about this.”
“I have no intention of telling her. I’m embarrassed enough, and have no plausible way to explain my actions.” Liz struggled to her feet.
“Sure don’t. Do ya need help?”
“No, I’m getting very good at this.” She made her way to her desk in the hallway.
Two quick phone calls later, she had the doctor’s follow up appointment for the next day, and physical therapy set for Wednesday.
Mae’s note jutted out from under a pile of yesterday’s mail. More bills, of course. She left a message that she’d be happy to fill in, leaving out the part about the cast and
“Thanks for taking care of him last night. And for saving my life.”
Mae bit her lip, looked away. “It hurts to even talk about it. Later. Maybe when the shock of seeing yer poor face wears off.” She stroked Liz’s bruised temple and smoothed her hair.
Glad she was sitting, and that Mae couldn’t see the brace and cast, Liz let the baby stand on her thighs. He leaned forward to embrace his long lost mother, then pressed his face against hers. Chubby fingers pounded her chest, reminding her it had been almost twenty-four hours since he’d nursed.
Eddie smelled like powder, and his unabashed joy at finally being back in her arms brought tears to Liz’s eyes. What had she almost done?
She pulled up the sweatshirt and tucked him against her breast. He nuzzled the heavy fabric away and got to work.
“He’s happy to see his mama.” Mae tousled the baby’s hair and put a bowl on the table. “You need a good solid breakfast.”
Liz took a spoon of oatmeal–with brown sugar, raisins, and vanilla soy milk. “ I didn’t tell Mike about the dress, not yet. There were so many other things to discuss, and we just talked around it. Tonight.” She took another spoon and sat the baby up to let him burp.
Mae stared at Liz’s leg. “I thought your knee would snap, that you’d crack your head open like an egg.” She trembled and sank into a chair, then buried her face in her hands and cried.
Liz tried to stand and comfort Mae. But with the baby, without her crutches, she was helpless as a beached whale. “I’m so sorry. I swear I will never allow myself to do something so foolish again.”
Elisabeth quavered. He’s taking you away from the house.
Mae mopped her nose with a napkin. “Ya promised me that not an hour before it happened, so forgive me if I can’t trust what ya say. The dress needs a good cleaning and those tears repaired. I have a mind to burn it.”
Even though Liz had thought of destroying the dress, the threat of someone else doing it caused a mini-earthquake inside her. The few spoons of oatmeal threatened to come up. Even Eddie, who had settled onto the other side, reacted to the rumbling in her gut. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea. I’ll get the name of a seamstress from my old museum buddies. For now, just keep it in the closet.”
Mae’s eyes bored into her. “You and Mike didn’t talk about this at all?”
“We talked about selling the house, which isn’t going to make a difference. I need money now.”
Mae clapped a palm across her forehead. “The school district called yesterday. Eddy Elementary right here in Brewster needs a classroom teacher for the fourth grade. One to two weeks. I told them you’d call as soon as ya got home. Number is on yer desk.”
“Great, how am I going to teach looking like I’ve been beat up?” She needed that money desperately and would have to do it, no matter what.
Despair painted her insides as black and blue as the outside. Liz forced herself to finish the oatmeal. Eddie dozed in her arms. “Can you take him upstairs? I have a lot of calls to make.”
Mae took the sated infant. “Marianne said she’d call at 10 a.m. Poor thing was really worried. Wait until she hears about this.”
“I have no intention of telling her. I’m embarrassed enough, and have no plausible way to explain my actions.” Liz struggled to her feet.
“Sure don’t. Do ya need help?”
“No, I’m getting very good at this.” She made her way to her desk in the hallway.
Two quick phone calls later, she had the doctor’s follow up appointment for the next day, and physical therapy set for Wednesday.
Mae’s note jutted out from under a pile of yesterday’s mail. More bills, of course. She left a message that she’d be happy to fill in, leaving out the part about the cast and
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