Charity quickly grew accustomed to having Margaret around. She still tried creating some type of routine, which seemed no easier than when she was a practicing doctor. She had Elijah’s crazy schedule, Jamie’s mini social calendar packed with playdates, Margaret’s whims and her own full-time job that everyone seemed to think wasn’t full time. She also had her father’s surprise party, which she hoped to pass off to Margaret. She was supposed to be easing into her position at Pinnacle but it was proving anything but easy. The $200M from tech giant Starr Inc., and more specifically from Hal Jaworski, was contingent upon raising $200M in two years. The fund, and all that came with it, were thrown into Charity’s lap, along with all of the pressure. She sat in her home office, Margaret having taken Jamie out to the park, her chin resting against the palm of a hand as she tried to make some order out of the nonsense.

The phone ringing interrupted her thoughts. “Hey,” she said. The caller id showed it was Elijah.

“Wow. That’s an exciting hello to your hard-working husband who’s busy saving lives.”

She wanted to retort that she was busy trying to make money to equip doctors with better life-saving devices but she bit her tongue to stop the remark. She straightened. “What’s up lover-boy?”

Elijah laughed. “Just doctoring. I had a troubling case recently with the simple splenectomy I did. She’s been diagnosed with splenomegaly.”

“Oh shit, you left a clamp behind in the abdomen?” Charity said half-kidding.

“No smart-ass.” He chuckled again. “We thought it would solve this woman’s problems because the organ was enlarged. Did you ever hear the spleen referred to as a waiting room or an accessory dwelling? I had an old professor use the term and it stuck with me. Makes sense, right? It’s a place for platelets and other cells to go hang out. We thought it was portal hypertension, but we were wrong and we’re thinking leukemia. So, the patient—”

Charity interrupted, “I would love to care about your patient and her spleen but I don’t have time. I’ve so much going on, sorry honey, but your troubles are irrelevant right now. I’m listening to your mother and Jamie chatting down in the kitchen. They’ve been back from the park for half an hour, she took Jamie there for like five minutes! Their chatter is beyond distracting because I should be the one down there. I have a caboodle of playdates, locations for my father’s birthday party to confirm and then there’s work. I’m more behind since your mom’s come.” She sighed. “I hate to put you in line behind everything, but that’s the way it is today.” She felt like a bitch moaning to him.

Elijah could have snapped a comment back or asked if she was PMSing.

Charity cringed, waiting for the snarky reply.

He surprised her. “Take one thing at a time, love. I’m okay with standing in line for your attention, because I know you love me and I love you.” He sat quiet on the phone a moment. “It’ll get easier.”

Paging Dr. Bennet.

Charity heard the call in the background. For a moment, she regretted taking leave from Thompson Hospital. She shook her head to diminish the feeling. She didn’t deserve Elijah. He was out saving lives and loving her. How’d she get so lucky?

“Gotta run. I’ll check-in later. Love you!”

Charity lay her head on her desk and decided to press the reset button on her day. She wrote out her to-do list. The first thing she could cross off was her father’s party because that would have to become Margaret’s responsibility. Jamie had a busy weekend so it was time for her to take a nap. She was almost ready to give that part of her routine up but not today. Charity could use that time to chat with Margaret before sitting down to get some work done.

 

 

Margaret put on the teakettle. Charity watched her navigate around the kitchen in her skinny jeans and a sleeveless blouse. God, I hope I look that good at sixty. Margaret’s chin-length bob and simple, but obviously expensive, jewelry was the epitome of chic.

“I see you have quite the assortment of brochures, menus and magazines with sticky notes. Are we going to begin planning Scott’s gala surprise party?” Margaret asked as she raised her cup of hibiscus tea to her pink lips.

“Actually, Margaret.” She suddenly felt a lot less sure than she had fifteen minutes ago when she’d gathered all her information and planned to hand it all to Margaret. “We aren’t planning anything at the moment.” She swallowed, her throat dry and a large lump seemed to be in the way. She blinked several times hoping Margaret wouldn’t notice. She inhaled and let the breath out slowly. “This party was a crazy idea. I’m beginning to have doubts.”

“Nonsense! Your father needs a celebration. It’s a fantastic idea.”

Charity tried to smile. “Then I’m begging you to take charge of the event. I’m swamped. It turns out I suck at multi-tasking.” She was nearly in tears, unable to hold them back much longer.

Margaret smiled gently. “No one said working full-time and being a Mom is easy. Part of getting it all done is learning when to ask for help. I’m happy to take the lead. I’ll gladly do anything for your father.”

Anything. Really? Charity grinned, a silly tear sneaking down her cheek. She quickly wiped it away. “I’m so glad you came to visit.”

Margaret stood and moved to sit beside Charity. She hugged Charity tight. “I’m glad too. It’s hard trying to manage everything. I don’t know how you or Elijah do it.”

“I don’t know how he does it either. Personally I feel like a floundering fish. I had a great job, then decided I wanted to go back and finish my residency. It was hard while I was pregnant with Jamie, but I really thought I could manage it. I loved being in the hospital. I think,” she lowered her voice as she spoke honestly about her feelings. “I think I was lost when my mom died. I nursed her and blamed my father for my grieving. Not stopping to think he was dealing with the same thing. I dropped out of school because I wanted to help my mom as much as I could. That too I used as an excuse to blame my father. So I ran. I got a great job, but purposely stayed connected to the hospital scene. Then I met Elijah.” She smiled at Margaret. “And all these good things started to happen.”

Margaret raised her eyebrows. “Didn’t you get shot? And Elijah was stalked and then sued for sexual harassment, dragging you, your father and the hospital nearly through the mud?” She started laughing, catching Charity off guard.

Charity began to giggle. “Don’t forget my father had a heart attack after my wedding. Then I got knocked down to bring on complications with Jamie’s delivery. I never have a dull moment in my life.”

They both started laughing.

“And you set those little birds free at my husband’s memorial,” Margaret added.

Charity smiled. “Hey! I was really trying to do something nice.”

“I know.” Margaret hugged her. “I was too lost in grief to say thanks. I’m sorry I didn’t. I’ll make up for it with this party.” She winked.

“So what do you think is in store for this year for me? I can’t really think of anything worse happening than what has.”

Margaret crossed her legs and settled back into her chair. “There’s been a lot of beautiful, joyous moments. Don’t get caught up on the bad moments or the overwhelming ones. They will drag you down. You’ll get everything sorted. I don’t doubt it at all.”

“Thank you. I really appreciate it.”

“What were you thinking in terms of celebration?”

Charity appreciated Margaret taking over and still letting her feel like she was a part of it. “My father’s birthday is July first, which is a Sunday. I think having it on the Friday or Saturday prior is our best bet. I can get with the people he works with and make sure his schedule is cleared. Maxine in his office will come in handy. Will your friend Haunch be in town for the event?” She wanted to surprise her dad, not give him another heart attack.

“I’ve been here three days and it’s taken you this long to ask me about my boyfriend.” Margaret smiled. It was a different smile than before. Charity sensed a touch of nervousness behind the confidence of it.

“You refer to him as your boyfriend so things must be getting serious.” She wasn’t trying to pry without sounding like she was itching for information for her father.

“Haunch wants it to be serious, but I’m on the fence, Charity. My sojourn in the States is more than about spending time with my family. I’m using this time to figure out what I want. I’m a wealthy widow and I don’t need a man for his money, so I want to make sure he’s a damn good companion. I’m not doing this again.”

“Companion?” Her use of words surprised Charity. “What about love, Margaret? Don’t you want love?”

“Love at my age?” She coughed. “That’s a rather complicated issue.”

“Why can’t you find love again? The heart wants what the heart wants.”

Margaret stared at Charity, her eyes vulnerable in a way Charity had never seen. “I’m afraid to love too deeply,” Margaret whispered.

Charity took a deep breath. “Margaret, there’s an enormous elephant in the room and I’m going to address it.” She tilted her head. “Does my father have something to do with your hesitation? Do you love my father?”

Margaret nearly spit out her tea. She set the mug down and sighed. “There is so much wrong with Dr. Scott Thompson, but so much terribly right. When we’re apart I feel like our lives are completely different. When I’m here, it seems like we are young adults one moment and then we’re an old married couple sharing grand-parenting duties the next. We like the same foods, similar travel destinations, sense of humor and so much more. We share so much in common.” Margaret paused.

Please don’t mention you share the same bed.

“Sex also matters as you know, and your father is an excellent lover. He’s generous and creative. He probably gets that from being a surgeon all these years. The man knows a woman’s body.”

I think I just threw up in my mouth! How does one respond to such a comment? Charity wished she were invisible or that she had decided to remain in her office. That they never had the conversation. She felt like screaming. Help, get me out of here! Charity was hoping that Jamie would wake up and cry for her help. The elephant in the room had just become hers. She took a gulp of her tea.

Margaret seemed oblivious to Charity’s inner torture. “I hope you’re able to get some work done while I’m here.”

“M-Me too.” Charity stood quickly, grateful for the sudden escape. Maybe Margaret regretted telling her the details now as well. “Do you mind if I start now, while Jamie’s sleeping?”

“Go! I’ll go over everything you have here for your father and let you know if I have any questions.”

Charity raced back to her office and closed the door. Her cell phone rang. It was Pinnacle, but she let it go to voicemail because she was mentally not ready to deal with work.

She dialed Elijah’s number after checking the message from Pinnacle.

Thankfully he picked up after the third ring. “Hello, wife.”

“Elijah! I don’t know whether to laugh or cry,” she whispered, paranoid his mother was listening on the other side of the door. “Your mother just filled me in on her sex life—WITH MY FATHER! Details of images I’ll never be able to erase from my mind.” She shivered and then giggled. “Apparently, my father is a great lover. Who knew? She’s dating Haunch but she’s not sure where that’s going. Thankfully she didn’t fill me in on how he performed in bed, but I’m sure she would have if I asked.”

Elijah burst out laughing. “When we’re their age, I hope we spend all our time in bed. Perhaps more because we won’t have the responsibility of having kids around.”

“Kids? Did you just say plural? Don’t get ahead of yourself Doctor Elijah Bennet! You know I’m up for more kiddies, but I’m still figuring out how to parent Jamie Lynn.”

“You are doing a great job. I wish I was around more to help.” He coughed. “I guess this makes it a bad time to drop some news on you.”

“What Elijah? This had better be good.” Charity glanced in the mirror and realized she had yet to take a shower. It was not a good day in the Bennet house.

“It’s Simon. He and Julie are looking at houses and I agreed to go check out some real estate with him and then grab a beer after.”

That was his worry? She didn’t see the big deal in it. “It’s fine, sweetie. You’ve been hanging with him after work quite a bit.” She hadn’t spent much time with Julie since giving up working at the hospital. “Everything good with them?”

“Yup, fine.”

“O.k. While you hang with Simon, your mom and I can swap sex stories.” Charity laughed as Elijah went silent.

“On that note,” he finally said chuckling, “I’ll catchya later.” Then he hung up.

Charity stared down at her cell and counted. Three, two, one. She picked up her ringing phone again. “I love you too, Elijah.”

“I love you and Jamie. I have to stop forgetting to tell you that.”

“No worries. I think it’s cute.”