BOOK ONE: DECEPTIONS
Chapters One to Twenty Six
Vignettes 1 - 140

BOOK TWO: YESTERDAY ECHOES
Chapters 27 to
Vignettes 141 -

Monday, May 30, 2011

Vignette #213: Virtuous Zoo

“Oh sweetheart!” Tippy wrapped herself around the stunning blond. “He’ll be so happy you came!”

“I couldn’t stay away.” Saxon smiled as she squeezed the woman tighter, ignoring a seething Claire standing right beside her. “How is he?”

Tippy held the woman back to look in her face and smiled. “Once they get some kind of mumbo jumbo straightened out, he’ll be just fine. Until then he’s hot and sweaty one minute then freezing to death the next.”

Saxon nodded her head and bent down to give Ronnie a hug. “Hey there, boyfriend. How you hangin’ in?”

“Not bad.” Ronnie almost refused to let go. “We have missed you.”

She kissed the boy’s forehead and touched his nose playfully with her finger. “I’ve been a busy girl. You’ve not been around when I’m working. I don’t get out much when I’m doing a movie. That’s pretty much all I concentrate on.”

“You’re makin’ a movie?” Ronnie smiled.

“Yup, working very hard.” Saxon brushed his curly black hair behind his ear. “But that doesn’t mean you are not always on my mind. So kid, how’s your Papa?”

“I haven’t seen him yet. He’s not been letting anyone in, until tonight. They’ll let two of us go in at a time.”

“Well point me to the back of the line and I’ll patiently wait my turn, although patience is one of my weaker virtues.”

Tippy smiled at her. “No one’s gone in yet. The doctor is in with him. We’re all just waiting for him to come out.”

Saxon’s eyes finally connected with Claire’s. “Claire.”

Claire plastered on a smile. “Saxon.”

Saxon opened her rather large purse and extracted a brightly wrapped gift with a silver rattle hanging on the bow. “I’m glad you’re here. I wanted to give this to you in person. It’s for the baby, of course.”

“Of course.” She said as she accepted the gift, after a not so subtle elbow from Tippy. “Thank you, Saxon. I’m sure it’s wonderful. I’ll wait and open this with Ian.”

“Of course.” Saxon looked at the floor a moment and then back up at Claire. “Look, I know we are never going to be besties, but like it or not we are both going to be knocking in and out of each other’s lives. I hope we can at least learn not to make each other as uncomfortable as possible when it inevitably happens.”

“You mean because of Ian?”

“And because of Ronnie, and Tippy and Colton, the whole family. My world is incomplete without them. Let’s not punish ourselves or each other just because our hearts travel in the same circles.”

Claire grinned. “One of us could just not travel in the same circle.”

Ripley looked at Claire. “That sounds good to me. We’ll miss you Claire.”

“Alright!” Colton stepped in. “Let’s not do this. Ian does not need any member of his family to be at another’s throat any more than he needs one to no longer be there.”

“You’re right.” Claire bit her lip. “I’m sorry, old habits die hard. Saxon, thank you very much for the gift and for suggesting that we try harder to, for lack of a better term, get along. Not just for Ian’s sake, but for ours too, I will do my best.”

“So will I.” Saxon tried to genuinely smile. “It must be getting close, do you need help with getting things ready for the baby?”

“Uhm…” Claire looked at Tippy.

“You know how our life is darlin’, everything is full speed ahead then Ian passes out and everything gets put on the back burner.” Tippy put her arm around Claire and squeezed.

“But we’ve picked out furniture and stuff. We’re just trying to figure out where to put the nursery.” Claire added. “Billy got some plans of the house from the town hall or something, and as soon as Ian gets back on his feet we’ll make a decision and get it done.”

“When exactly is your due date?” Saxon asked.

“Well…”

The door to Ian’s hospital room opened and the doctor stepped out, immediately causing the crowd to shift attention. “Ian is doing well. His levels seem to be stabilizing. We’ll need to keep a very close watch on him, monitoring him every hour for the next 24, but if he continues to improve we will be more than happy to send him home by the weekend.”

“He must be feeling better.” Jesse spoke up. “He’s already being a pain in the butt.”

“Oh, he doesn’t have be to feeling good to be a major pain in any body part.” Wella retorted. “God bless him.”

“He’s ready to see family and friends, so you may all go in…no more than two at a time.” The doctor warned. “It is important that he remain as calm and stress free as possible.”

“He’s in the hospital doctor. That stresses him out.” Billy informed him.

“That’s why it’s important not to add anything else to the stress factor. Keep it light, keep it as normal as possible.”

“As normal as possible?” Ronnie looked up at the doctor. “Then maybe we should all go in at the same time. Two by two is kinda Noah’s Ark and he may freak.”

“That’s the rule, young man. Give me another 24 hours and maybe, maybe I’ll throw open the doors to the whole zoo, but for tonight, two at a time. Now do I hand out tickets or can you decide who goes in first quietly and peacefully?”

“Not a problem, Doctor.” Tippy smiled. “Sugar Plum, you and Saxon run right in and see your Papa.”

“Well, that was easier than I thought.” The doctor smiled. “Now remember, keep the stress level as low as possible.”

“Do we have a time limit, Mr. Doctor?” Ronnie looked up in the man’s face.

He grinned and rubbed the young boy’s head. “No young man, just remember there are other people waiting to see your father. The time limit is visiting hours, but as long as everyone does their best to keep him calm I think a chat with his loved ones is better medicine than anything I could give him right now.”

Ronnie grabbed Saxon hand. “Let’s go!”

“Wait, honey.” Saxon held him back. “I think you should go in, but I should wait and let someone else go with you.”

“No. No.” Ronnie tugged. “Granny is right. It should be you and me first, besides you’re making a movie. You probably need to get home and study or something.”

“Uhh…” Saxon looked at the people in the waiting room. “Is this okay with everyone?”

“Well…” Claire began to speak up.

Tippy slipped her arms all the way around Claire and put her hand over her mouth. “Of course, dear. You run right in. We know you want to see him and he’ll want to see you plus we all know you need to get back to your busy schedule.”

“If you are sure…” Saxon hesitated.

Tippy forced Claire’s head into a nod.

“Come on!” Ronnie yanked Saxon’s arm and headed for the door.

“Sugar Plum…” Tippy gave the boy a loving reminder. “Remember the doctor said calm…”

“Right.” Ronnie took a deep breath. “Right. Shall we go then?” He looked up at Saxon, still holding her hand tight.

“Alright...let's go.” She said and walked with him to the door. She put her hand on the knob, looking down at the boy. “Ready?”

“Wait!” Ronnie said. “I’m so excited I have to use the bathroom…uh…you go on in. Tell Papa I’ll be right there.”

Before Saxon could say anything, Ronnie opened the door to his father’s hospital room, shoved her in and shut the door behind him, leaning against it with a smile.

“You little rat.” Colton grinned.

“What is it Papa always says?” Ronnie kept the door barred shut. “God only made me look stupid.”

Finally breaking away from Tippy’s grip, Claire fumed. “Well, I for one am not standing for this. I should have been one of the first ones in and if Ronnie’s not going…”

“Why?” Reese piped up.

“Why what?”

“Why should you have been the first one in?”

“Because I’m his…” Clare put her foot down.

“You’re his…?” Tippy raised his eyebrow. “…What?”

Claire let out the breath she realized she was holding. “Because…I’m his…fine…I’ll be realistic here, I’m his knocked up bimbo…but doesn’t that mean something?”

Colton put his arm around the young woman. “Of course it does and we know you are trying. We’ve all seen it.”

“But while we are being realistic, you have to know why Saxon had to go in first.” Tippy tried to use as sweet and understanding a tone as possible.

“But alone?” Claire couldn’t help but be unhappy. “I don’t think so. I may have decided to call a truce but if that woman is allowed to make a move…”

“You just insist on being the brown crayon in a box of purple, don’t you?” Tippy blurted. “Honey, you have to know when it comes to Saxon and Ian, that war is over before you can even draw up the first battle plan.”

“But I don’t have to like it and I don’t have to just stand around and let it happen.” She seethed.

“Yes, Claire.” Colton nodded. “Yes, you do.”

“I will under no circumstances…”

Ronnie looked up at her. “Miss Claire? Forgive me for interrupting, but I need to ask you something.”

“Fine, Ronnie. What?” She crossed her hands across her belly.

“You said you want to try and be good friends with Papa?”

She stumbled a moment remembering their earlier conversation. “Yes, Ronnie, yes I do, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that I’m going to give up on the possibility of the two of us being a couple.”

“I understand.” Ronnie stepped away from the door. “Go in then.”

“What?” Claire straightened up as much as she could.

“Go ahead in with Saxon. I’ll wait until one of you comes out." Ronnie motioned to the door. "Go on.”

“No, honey, you should go in.” As much as she hated it, Claire knew that Ronnie needed to go in to his father. “You’re Papa needs you right now, not me. I’ll wait.”

“No. I insist.” Ronnie said. “I think you should go in first…please?”

The family all looked amongst each other. “Ronnie, are you sure?” Colton asked him.

The boy nodded his head. “It’s the right thing, for Miss Claire and my Papa.”

Claire hesitated just a moment, looking with bewilderment at the group. Tippy finally nodded her head. “Well, okay. I won’t stay long though.” She looked at Ronnie. “I know you need to go right in.”

She reached for the doorknob but stopped and kissed the boy on the forehead. "Thank you, Ronnie.”

He smiled. “You’re welcome.”

Claire quietly opened the door and slipped in.

“Ronnie, why did you do that?” Tippy couldn’t help be ask as they heard the door quietly click shut.

“Because it was the right thing to do.” Ronnie stepped to his Granny’s arms. “She has to see what we see. Then maybe they’ll see it for themselves.”

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