I allowed her words to sink in as I thought back to events at the hospital and how truly frightened Allison was. We walked in silence enjoying the night until the need for warmth became overwhelming. We made our way back to the house and Nicole left to get ready for her shift at the hospital. It would appear that late nights and holidays were a part of Nicole’s retribution.
Jefferson and Pauline arrived home exhausted from their duties at the shelter. Nicole’s ride arrived and she said her good nights to all of us. As she explained to her parents not worry and that she would be home by Saturday morning. I was now eager to rejoin Allison upstairs in the bedroom. “Stephanie.” Pauline called out to me. “Jefferson and I were just going to enjoy some hot chocolate by the fire come join us.” It was not a request.
I put my overactive libido on hold and agreed. Knowing that I was about to receive more grilling regarding my intensions from my future in laws. I couldn’t blame them. I wish that I had someone in my life that cared that much for me. Perhaps I do and she was waiting upstairs for me right at this moment. “Maybe she is in bed naked. Stop that you are sitting with her parents you little pig.” I watched as Jefferson stoked the fire and Pauline entered with a carafe filled with hot chocolate and three very large mugs. “Should I get Allison?” I asked hopefully not looking forward to being double-teamed by her parents.
“Let her relax I’m certain she could use it after being so sick.” Pauline said in a soothing voice as she poured the hot chocolate and handed a steaming mug to me. I accepted the beverage with shaky hands. “Relax Stephanie.” Pauline smiled as her blue eyes twinkled. “We are not going to interrogate you.”
“We aren’t?” Jefferson teased me with a false scowl.
“Jefferson.” His wife cautioned him. “You’ll have to excuse him Stephanie. You know that when the girls started dating he decided that it would funny to be cleaning his rifle when their young men arrived to pick them up.”
“Rifle?” I gasped as the elder Kendell’s chuckled.
“Pauline you are scaring the poor girl.” Jefferson chastised his wife. “Relax Stephanie and drink your hot chocolate and I promise not to bring out any firearms.” I relaxed slightly at his teasing.
“Now as I was saying.” Pauline began as she lowered herself onto the large comfortable sofa and I found myself sitting between the two of them. I suddenly felt very helpless as I realized to I was trapped between the two attorneys. “We are not going to interrogate you. I am quite certain that our little Nicole has already done that. The girls are very overprotective of one another.” Pauline pointed out. “Plus I had a chat with Gaia she told me that you are joining the family. I’ve learned to trust what my grandmother tells me.”
“Okay.” I responded as I sipped my hot chocolate carefully.
“We wanted to thank you for taking such good care of Allison while she was ill.” Pauline patted my arm gently. “Nicole told us that if it wasn’t for you the doctors would have admitted her.”
“I wouldn’t have let that happen.” I answered in a determined tone.
“We know and we thank you for that.” Pauline said tenderly. “Did either of the girls explain to you why Allison is afraid of staying in the hospital over night?”
“No and I didn’t want to pry.” I answered. “I just wanted what was best for Allison.”
“I’m very pleased to hear that.” Pauline said and sipped her hot chocolate slowly.
“We were on vacation.” Jefferson began slowly his dark eyes tearing up slightly at the memory. “It was a little town in upstate New York the kids were little and it was winter time. We thought that a nice walk by the lake in the snow would be fun.”
“We only turned away for a moment.” Pauline said absently and then shook her head bringing herself back to the present. “Those are some of the words parents fear the most. Someday you’ll understand what I mean. When we looked around the kids were gone.”
“When we found them all hell had broken loose.” Jefferson finished for Pauline. “Nikki and David had somehow wandered out onto the lake. Allison went after them somehow she understood it was dangerous to walk on the ice that time of year.”
“She got them to safety.” Pauline picked up for her husband. “But the ice cracked and she fell through and was trapped underneath.”
“You must have been terrified.” I gasped at the thought of poor Allison being trapped in the icy water.
“To say the least.” Pauline confirmed. “We managed somehow to get her out and rush her to the hospital. It was a small hospital and they adhered very strictly to their policies. David and Nicole were not allowed to visit and Jefferson and I were not allowed to stay once visiting hours were over. We wanted to fight them but since it was only for few nights we gave in. We had no idea how truly frightened Allison was since true to her nature she put up a brave front. All she wanted to know was that David and Nikki were all right. She didn’t believe us when we told that they were fine since she wasn’t allowed to see them. Stephanie she was only seven years old and left alone at night she was sick, and terrified. We didn’t understand how painful it had been for her until after she had been released.”
“Those bastards.” I blurted out before I could stop myself. “I’m sorry.” I apologized quickly for my out burst.
“Why?” Jefferson comforted me. “They were bastards. All they had to do was let one of us stay with her or allow her to see her brother and sister. Instead they let a frighten little girl cry all night without any comfort.”
“Stephanie I’m curious about something?” Pauline began carefully. “You never talk about your family. Why is that?”
“I’m an orphan.” I explained calmly. “I lost both my parents at a young age and was raised by my grandmother. I lost her a few years ago. I never had any brothers or sisters so …”
“I’m so sorry Stephanie I shouldn’t have pried.” Pauline apologized quickly.
“I’m not. Everyone here has been so nice to me.” I replied honestly. “I don’t want to step on any toes here but you have really made me feel like a part of the family. And since everyone seems to so upfront about everything, I feel as if I should be too.”
“We can be brutally honest to say the least.” Pauline laughed lightly.
“That’s my fault.” Jefferson confessed. “I grew up in a household that never talked about anything. Secrets were kept and no one was happy. Then I met Pauline and saw what a real family could be. I never lie about my children’s lives. I’m proud of all three of them warts and all. We don’t keep secrets and sometimes it can be overwhelming but my children can always tell us everything.”
“Except that one of your dinner guests went to Yale.” I teased.
Jefferson laughed heartily at my statement and we talked for a little while longer. I left the two of them snuggling by the fire and made my way upstairs. I found Allison deep in thought and covered with papers. “I was beginning to worry about you.” She remarked softly without looking up.
“I was with your family.” I answered her as I gazed at her body illuminated by the light of the fire.
“They really like you.” She said with a smile.
“I like them too.” I answered softly thinking about how much I wanted to kiss her and how nice it was not to have to second-guess that emotion.