Part 10 (1/2)
The dress fit her perfectly and was like nothing she'd ever owned before. She couldn't wait to wear it. But she could wait to see her mother's reaction.
She wheeled herself into the kitchen, where Glenda was stirring gravy on the stove. ”Can I help?”
Glenda cast her a sideways glance. ”You can if you want to hear your mother's sermon on why you shouldn't be in the kitchen.”
”I've heard that one. I'm pretty good at turning a deaf ear. I don't want her angry at you, though.”
”Now could I stop you from going over there and slicing up that ham?”
Annie left her chair at the end of a counter and stood to slice the aromatic glazed ham. ”How thick?”
Glenda glanced over at the slice Annie'd made. ”About like that.”
”Annie!” her mother shrieked, and the knife clattered to the floor.
Glenda picked it up and rinsed it.
Mildred stood with her hand on her hip. ”You know you shouldn't be in here. It's far too hazardous.”
”It is when you scare the pea-wadden out of me while I have a knife in my hand.”
”Don't be insolent, child. And what are you doing out of your chair?”
”I was helping Glenda.”
”Glenda has performed these tasks many times without your help, she doesn't need it now. Go out on the lawn and direct your father in setting up the croquet game.”
Deciding she'd rather save her battles for the important things to come, Annie sat and rolled out the back door that her mother held open for her.
She wheeled down the ramp and several feet into the yard. Her father came and pushed her closer to where he'd been poking U-shaped wires into the ground.
”Daddy?” she asked.
He adjusted a wire and straightened, glancing her way.
”What did you and mother always think would become of me? I mean, did you think I would always live here with you?”
”You're our daughter, we'll always take care of you.”
”You'll be old someday. What did you think would become of me then?”
A pained expression crossed his features, and she knew it was something he'd given considerable thought. ”There's Burdell and Diana. Or Charmaine.”
”Burdy has his own family, and soon enough Charmaine will, too.”
”There will always be someone who loves you and wants to take care of you.”
”You know,” she risked saying, ”I can take care of myself.”
”Money won't be a problem after we're gone,” he added. ”You could hire a nurse or a companion.”
”A nurse?” Like she was sick? ”Didn't you ever imagine I'd meet someone...a man, I mean...and have a husband?”
Her father stared at her as though her hair had turned to snakes. ”You're not like other girls,” he said, as gently as he could. ”You have to look at your life in other perspectives.”
What other perspectives? They hadn't allowed her any outside interests or friends. She wasn't allowed to be productive in any way. Just what in heaven's name did they think would become of her? They treated her as though she were a porcelain doll they could just dress and pose, a doll that simply sat on a shelf looking pretty, with no feelings or desires or life.
Annie closed her eyes. It had been over a week since she'd seen Luke. Glenda had brought her one note in that time. It had been seven whole days since she'd returned from the Renlows, where she at least felt like a whole person.
”Hi, Nannie!” a tiny voice called.
She opened her eyes and shaded them to see Burdell and Diana walking toward the gate. Burdell carried Will on one shoulder. She waved and smiled.
Inside the yard, Burdell stood Will on his feet and the little boy ran toward Annie, an adorable cherub with huge round dark eyes and perfect tiny teeth visible through that wide smile.
She leaned to scoop him up and he wrapped his arms around her neck and hugged her fiercely. ”How's my boy?”
”Meow!” he said and jabbered something she a.s.sumed was about a cat they'd seen on their walk over.
”Ooh, a kitty, huh?”
He nodded and then pointed to his brown leather shoes. ”Shoes.”
”Those are nice shoes. Are they new?”
He nodded.
”Will, come now, don't wear out your aunt,” Burdell said, coming close enough to reach for the boy.
Annie settled him more firmly in her lap, clamped her arms around his waist and glared at her brother.
He would have had to wrestle Will from her, which might have hurt the child, so he appeared to change his mind and backed away.
”Hi, Annie,” Diana said. The open, friendly smile on her round face allowed Annie to lower her defenses. Burdell strolled toward their father.
Annie kissed Will's cheek and loosened her grip.
”You're just in time,” Mildred called from the edge of the porch. ”Dinner is ready.”
Diana pushed Annie and Will across the lawn, up the ramp and into the house. There was never a chair on Annie's side of the table. Her wheelchair fit neatly in its spot.
The food was all on platters and in bowls and in minutes it was served and the family ate. Sounds of cleanup came from the kitchen where Glenda was no doubt eager to get home to her own family. She agreed to come in and cook for the Sweet.w.a.ters two Sundays a month, and Annie knew it was because Mildred paid her so well and she needed the money for her two children.
”Would you like some potatoes, Will?” Diana asked her son.
He nodded and she served him. He sat on a stack of books across from Annie, a dish towel tied around his neck to protect his clothing.
Annie loved watching his animated expressions as he sampled the food on his plate. Everything he did was an adventure. The sliced potatoes kept slipping off his fork, so using Will's fork, Burdy patiently stabbed a slice at a time for the boy to get them to his mouth himself.
”You're a good daddy,” she told her brother softly.