The doorbell sounded throughout the house, and Adeline Stevens had no idea where London, her part-time caregiver, was in the massive home. With her cane, Adeline limped down the long corridor to the front door. It was a good thing she was on the first level because trying to descend the stairs would’ve taken so long whoever was out front would be gone by the time Adeline arrived. The doorbell rang again incessantly.

“I’m coming!” Adeline shouted with a scowl.

She’d been waiting on her manicurist to show up to take care of her hands and feet. But the manicurist had yet to make it. It was important for Adeline to look and feel her best, especially since it had felt like decades since Adeline found any interest in a man. Most of them were all the same, in Adeline’s opinion. But from the moment she met her sons-in-law Jaden and Julian, Adeline knew she wanted to sink her claws into Christopher.

Jaden and Julian were in a league of their own. Nice men with graceful mannerisms, and Adeline could tell instantly they’d grown up in a loving household that was firm with a solid foundation. She wanted to meet the man behind their upbringing, and when she did, Adeline made it her business to feel Christopher out. At first, Adeline couldn’t understand why the man had been single for so long. But when she’d heard the story about his late wife, she knew for sure Christopher was hers.

Adeline had plans. The next time she saw Christopher she wanted to look like a superstar. But Adeline couldn’t do that if she was stuck limping with a walker. There was nothing sexy or superstarish about that.

Adeline fumbled with the door chain, then leaned on the tips of her toes to unclasp the annoying metal that was just out of her five foot three inch reach. Groaning with annoyance, Adeline gave up and blew out a deep breath.

“I’ll get it, Ms. Stevens,” London said.

London Jones had been Adeline’s part-time caregiver for a little over a year now. The bright-eyed thirty-year-old college student was the best thing that happened to the family since it had begun growing with new in-laws. London reached for the chain and opened the door.

On the other side, Clifford Stevens, Claudia and Desiree’s father, stood with his fingers linked in a fist in front of him. The beard on his chin was full grown, and he looked as if he’d just stepped out of the barbershop with his neatly close crop haircut. He was the last person Adeline expected to see on their doorstep, even after he’d made it his mission to get back in his daughters’ lives. The first time Adeline had seen him after years of his absence, the man looked like he’d led a hard life. But now, he’d obviously found a reason to clean up, and although Adeline thought he was still handsome in his own right, she couldn’t be bothered enough to care.

“Shut the door,” Adeline said, turning to walk away.

Clifford stuck out his hand. “Hold on just a minute.”

“London,” Adeline said in a no-nonsense tone, “shut the door.”

London turned back to Clifford with a somber expression written in an apology on her face as she slowly shut the door.

“You can’t keep shutting me out. I still love you!” he said just as the door clicked softly in his face.

Adeline stopped walking. Did he say he still loved her? Turning back around, Adeline instructed London to reopen the door. When the tall wooden frame unbolted, Clifford was still standing there.

“What do you know about love?” Adeline said. “I haven’t seen you in over a decade. You couldn’t possibly love me. You didn’t love me the last few years you were at home before you left to go God knows where and never came back.”

“I told you where I was and what happened. And I did love you the last few years I was home. How many times do I have to explain it?”

“You don’t. If your daughters want you in their lives, fine, but stay clear from me. I’ve got other plans.” Adeline turned with a scowl. “Close the door, London.”

“I’ll never stop trying,” Clifford said.

Adeline rolled her eyes and kept walking just as the door clicked again. London glanced out of the window pane and watched Clifford struggle with whether to leave or stay as he paced. She felt sorry for him. Since he’d been coming around, Clifford seemed like a sincere person, but it was not her place to decide if he stayed or went. London strolled up to Adeline just as she made it back to the couch.

“Is there anything I can do?” London said at the scowl on Adeline’s face.

“Call my manicurist and see how long it will be before she gets here,” Adeline half-fussed. “If she takes too long, I’ll have my son-in-law fire her and get me another.”

Adeline mumbled something London couldn’t comprehend, and London opted to grab the phone and do as Adeline had asked. When the doorbell rang again, Adeline cocked her head to the side with an upturned frown.

“This man will never leave me alone.”

At the same time, the phone rang. London looked from the phone to the front door. “I’ll get the phone,” Adeline said to London. “You get the door.”

Adeline reached for the phone and answered. “Rose residence,” she said sweetly.

“Mom, is that how you’re answering the phone?” Claudia said.

“Oh,” Adeline said, “I was hoping you were someone else.”

“Like who?”

“Your father-in-law who else?”

Claudia groaned. “Mom, please stop.”

“Stop what?”

“Why would he be calling you? Do you guys have a date or something I don’t know about?”

“Not yet. But he did call to check on me the other day. So, it’s not unbelievable that he would do it again. You make it sound like I’m the last person he would call.”

“No, I don’t. I just want to know what’s going on, and I told you I don’t want you to get your hopes up about Christopher. I’m sure his call the other day was because you fell again, and being the gentleman he was, he decided to check on you.”

“Oh, so you’re saying it couldn’t be because he’s romantically interested? That’s only for you young folks I guess.”

Claudia became quiet. She’d stepped right into that, and she wouldn’t argue with her mother.

An obnoxious voice echoed down the hallway, causing Adeline to lose focus of her conversation with Claudia.

“Where is my daughter? I know she’s with Claudia since that seems to be where she is anytime she’s free from that stingy husband of hers,” Martha Jean gripped. “Can’t ever get any time with my girl.”

Adeline turned her nose up again and rose from the couch with the phone in one hand as she reached for her cane with the other. When Martha Jean bent the corner and saw Adeline, she stopped and folded her arms, leaning into her hips.

“Gone sit back down, old woman, I didn’t come here for you.”

That made Adeline stand ramrod straight, and her legs trembled as she fought to hold her own without the assistance of the cane. London moved past Martha Jean in a sprint to get to Adeline before she could hit the ground.

“What is she doing in my house?” Adeline shrieked just as London made it to her side.

“Your house?” Martha Jean laughed. “This is not your house. You’re just visiting whether you want to believe it or not.” Martha Jean laughed some more.

“Get out!” Adeline said.

“Mom,” Claudia yelled through the phone.

“Get out, or I’ll beat your ass with this cane,” Adeline said. “Try me, old heffa. I’ve got more bite than my bark!”

“Yeah, yeah,” Martha Jean said. “How are you going to do that when you can’t even stand on them rocks you call feet?”

Adeline pushed London to the side and went for a piece of fruit sitting in a bowl on the living room table. Adeline’s disability didn’t stop her from throwing an apple at Martha Jean, and Martha Jean ducked just as the flying fruit glided toward her.

“Get out!” Adeline shouted.

“Oh my God,” London yelled. She didn’t know whether to restrain Adeline or stand out of her way.

With a sharp lunge to her feet, Martha Jean picked up the apple and tossed it back at Adeline, hitting the senior woman in her chest.

“Aaaah!” Adeline screeched. “My heart, she’s trying to kill me! Call the police!”

Martha Jean stuck out her lip and crossed her arms. “You’re killing yourself trying to come after me!” she shouted. “You saw it, London. She threw that apple at me first!”

Adeline gripped her chest and stumbled backwards as if she was going to pass out. With her eyes wide and her mouth open, Adeline croaked out, “Oh help me, Lord! Help me, Jesus!”

Terrified, London grabbed the phone from Adeline’s hand to call an ambulance.

Seeing Adeline stumbling backward, Martha Jean dropped her arms and frowned. She had misjudged the frailness of the old woman.

“Shit,” she cursed, running over to London to help with Adeline.

“Aaaah!” Adeline said, holding her chest as her eyes widened with horror.

Noticing the phone still had an open line, London put the receiver to her ear. “Hello?!”

“London! Oh, thank God,” Claudia shouted. “What is going on over there!?”

Just as the question left Claudia’s mouth, Martha Jean closed in on Adeline.

“Sit down before you hurt yourself!” Martha Jean reached out to help Adeline sit when Adeline reached over, grabbed her cane, and struck Martha Jean on top of her head.

“Owww!” Martha Jean howled.

“Oh my God!” London screeched.

Adeline pulled back and hit Martha Jean again, this time across her shoulder.

“Owwwwww!”

Martha Jean went down, one knee behind the other. She howled as pain ricocheted through her shoulder blade and coursed down her back.

“What is going on, damn it?” Claudia shouted.

“Your mother and Martha Jean are fighting! I’ve got to go!” London disconnected the line just as Adeline went to strike Martha Jean again.

“No!” London said.

“Get back, or I’ll hit you upside your head, too, girl!” Adeline yelled.

“You old buzzard!” Martha Jean screamed. With all the strength she could muster, Martha Jean lunged at Adeline, and they fell into the couch, sandwiched between a desperate London trying to keep them away from each other.

The front door opened, and heavy footsteps ran down the hallway. When Clifford cut the corner, his eyes widened, and he ran in to help London.

“Let me go!” Adeline said as Clifford wrapped her in one arm and pulled her away clawing and swinging at Martha Jean. “I’ll show you whose old, you filthy scarecrow!” Adeline screeched.

Holding on to Martha Jean, London shouted, “Please just stop it!”

But the women would hear none of it, scrambling and pushing against both Clifford and London to get to one another. Had it not been for their shared desire of the same man, Adeline and Martha Jean would’ve made the perfect friends. But as it stood now, that would be like wishing in the wind with no dandelions.