Page 116 of So Much More
“Yes?” She claps her hands. “I’m hearing lots of wedding bells in my future!”
fifty-one
“Dad’s fighting the Order of Protection,” Ash says to me over the phone. I took the call in my bedroom so our sisters won’t hear anything we don’t want them to. I’m hoping they’re not listening in on the living room phone.
“Of course he is,” I say. “Did you expect any different?”
“No. He’s also demanding to be let into the house to get some of his things today.”
I stand from my bed and pace. “And you’re letting him?”
“We have to, but Mom can’t be here.”
I run my fingers through my hair. “Then I’m coming up there.”
“You’ll leave the girls?”
“Mom can come here, and I’ll go there. Since we know Dad will be at the house, he can’t also be here harassing them. It’ll be fine. Then when we know he’s gone, Mom can go back to the house and take the girls if we think that’ll be okay.”
“We’ll see what we think about that after he comes to the house.”
“What time will he be there?”
“Two.”
I look at the clock. It’s eleven-thirty now. “All right, I’ll be there by one, in case he shows up early, which wouldn’t surprise me. Send Mom here whenever you want.”
“Will you stop by and check on Leslie before you come up here?”
“I will. Our sisters have already insisted they’re making her some soup.”
“They’d better get a move on, then.”
“It’s a can of Campbell’s. You know those girls can’t cook. Won’t take long.”
* * *
When I arrive at the house, I pull into the circle drive out front like I always used to do, but Ash pokes his head out the door and tells me to go to the garage.
“Don’t want Dad to damage my car, do you?” I ask when I enter the house a minute later.
“Nope. Also, I talked to Samuel, and he’s coming over, too.”
“Ah, that’ll be good. Surely Dad won’t go ballistic if Mom’s lawyer is here.”
“How was Leslie?”
I take a seat on the couch in the den. “Pretty weak. Said she threw up again. I left her the soup and some Gatorade, but I doubt she’ll be able to keep it down.”
“I should be there for her. I hate that I can’t be.” He drops down into a recliner, and I notice how exhausted he looks.
“After Dad leaves, you need to go. You haven’t seen her since Wednesday, and you need to, for both of your sakes. We’ll figure out how to make things work here without you for a while. Take a few hours for yourself and go take care of her.”
“I will. Thanks.”
“I hope what she has isn’t contagious. The last thing we need is for us all to get sick.”
“Right,” he says. “I hope Wendy doesn’t get sick while she’s gone.”
