Chapter 9

On her last day of vacation, Elynne was ready to go.  After playing a little guitar, she headed off to the airport.  The flight was very long and she had a layover in Bridgeport, but when she got home that night it was all worth it.

Elynne bounced in her seat during the whole cab ride home.  She couldn’t wait to see her family even though it was two in the morning.  When she got home, she lugged all of her baggage inside, and crept into first Turner’s room and then Olive’s room.  Oh, she loved her babies!

Exhausted, she shuffled to her room where Gussie lay fast asleep.  He looked so serene!  She kissed him gently on the cheek before climbing under the covers.

Regardless of how little sleep she got, she was up before the sun the next morning fixing breakfast and tidying up the house.  The only person who wasn’t in bed was Gussie, but Elynne figured he must have had to work.

She got a little painting done before Turner charged in and wrapped her up in a bear hug.

“Mommy! Mommy!” He jumped up and down in front of her.

“Oh! I’m so happy to see you Turner, but shh!  Let’s not wake Olive yet.” Elynne smiled.  “Now, what have you been up to while I was gone?”

“Well, Suri and I have been playing all kinds of tag, and we even found a deer and a wild horse and –“

“Oh?  And who is Suri?”

“My imaginary friend, Momma!  But I promise you she’s real!”

Elynne chuckled while she tried to formulate an appropriate response, but Olive was crying in the other room.

“Sounds like someone is awake!  Shall we get her together?”

Turner nodded and raced Elynne to Olive’s room.

She had truly missed her babies!

It turned out that Gussie had been on call this morning, but hadn’t had to go in for very long.  When Elynne brought Olive into the living room for breakfast there he was!  He smiled lovingly at her before squeezing her into a bear hug.

“Alright… Suri and I are going outside!” Turner screeched, and before they could say anything, he was out in the back yard… playing tag by himself.

*BEEP BEEP BEEP*

“Well shoot… I guess I’m needed back at the hospital.” Gussie pecked Elynne and the kids each on the cheek before dashing to work.

Elynne’s cheeks burned.  Hailey.

“So, mommy…”

Elynne looked down at Turner.  He was twisting his fingers behind his back and looking around nervously.

“What’s up, baby?” Elynne was confused.

“Have you picked an heir yet?”

“…An…an heir?  Honey, where did you get that idea?” Elynne already knew.  Gussie had asked her when Turner was born about what they planned to do with their legacy.  They needed a plan just in case.

“Daddy said it’s supposed to be me because I’m the eldest!” Turner stood up straight and pointed at his chest.  Puffing out his chest he marched off to the kitchen to hold court.

Elynne carried Olive to her bedroom, and flopped onto the floor next to her.

“One steps foreward, and two steps back,” Elynne muttered under her breath.  She didn’t want to deal with the imaginary friend issue or the legacy issue right now.  What had gotten into Gussie?  What was he planning?

Hailey.

Did he think that once he got everything in order here with her and the children that he could leave and be with her?  Was that what he was doing?  Was that why he spent all his time at the hospital.

“Mama mad?”

Elynne turned to Olive.  Olive’s brow was furrowed, and she was visibly concerned.  Elynne never meant to let her children see her upset.  She had to get over this quickly so she didn’t ruin Olive’s day.

“No, baby.” Elynne scooped her up and tossed her into the air, “Mama’s always happy when she gets to be with you.”

Olive squealed in response.

Once Olive was down for her nap, Elynne checked on Turner who was outside making faces at Suri.  Elynne didn’t think she was going to be able to get used to Suri.  To Elynne, it just looked like he was making faces all by himself… He looked like he had real problems.

After Gussie finished at the hospital, he brought home a surprise:  a new kitchen table!  Elynne was so pleased because now the whole family could eat together.  Well, all except Olive.  She would be eating on the floor until her birthday.

“Why doesn’t Suri get a plate?” Turner frowned.

“Imaginary friends don’t need to eat food like we do,” Gussie chimed in before Elynne could think of an appropriate response.

“That’s right,” Elynne nodded in approval, “they also don’t need to sleep like we do.  They just go back into their toy forms.  That’s when mommy and daddy can see her.”

Elynne had to force herself to say those words.  She was so sure that Turner just hid toy Suri under the bed whenever he pretended she was real, but the advice on all the mommy blogs was telling her to go with it.  So she did.

After they cleaned up the dinner mess and all of the children were in bed, Gussie asked Elynne to come to bed early.  She cocked her head to the side because it had been a long time since he had.

Elynne sat next to him in bed awkwardly for a while, and the two of them talked about the kids, school, and money.

Elynne was just about to get up and find something else to do until Gussie started serenading her with the cheesiest pop love song Elynne had ever heard.

“Good grief!” Elynne giggled, “Don’t quit your day job!”  She whacked him in the side of the head with a pillow before the both started laughing.

And before Elynne could say woohoo, Gussie had gathered her into his arms.