Page 85 of Leave It to Us
“It’s about time you got here,” Freda said. Her bed had been raised. “Tami said you were coming at eleven, but it’s a little after now.”
From the foot of the bed, Tami nodded. “Yes, ma’am, it’s 11:03,” she said, tossing Yvonne a knowing glance.
“Good morning, Mama,” Yvonne said as she moved close enough to kiss her mother on the cheek. “How’re you feeling? The nurses said your vitals were good, and the report the doctor gave Tami this morning was positive.”
“If you mean them telling me I’ve got to go to a rehab hospital again is positive, you’ve bumped your head, Yvonne. Or got too much of that island sun,” Freda said.
Yvonne ignored her mother’s comments and folded her arms over her chest. “Well, that’s exactly why I wanted all of us here this morning.”
“This should be fun, then,” Tami quipped, and eased her butt onto the bottom half of the bed.
“I’m not going back to the same place I was in before. They didn’t check on me enough, and the food was horrible. Rosalee’s told me about some other places friends of ours have been, so I already have a list of where I don’t want to go,” Freda began. “They have some home therapists that can come out. We’ll look into that, and since you’ll be home for the rest of the summer, Yvonne, it shouldn’t be a problem scheduling them whenever they need to come out.”
Yvonne sucked in a deep breath and released it, a silent prayer for strength easing through her mind. “I won’t be here the rest of the summer, Mama,” she said. “None of us will.”
Freda’s eyes went from Yvonne to Tami and then to the side where Lana sat. But Yvonne decided not to wait for whatever her response was going to be. She had more to say, and no doubt Freda would too. It was best if she simply heard all of Yvonne’s plans right now.
“We’re going back to Daufuskie in a couple of days, as soon as we can get you situated in a rehab facility. Then, Ms.Rosalee will continue to keep tabs on you until ...” She paused and then cleared her throat. “Until Tami and Lana return to the city.”
“Wait, what?” Tami asked, her brow furrowed.
After the first call Yvonne had made that morning, she’d called Lana next, so Lana knew what Yvonne was about to say. Tami would learn about the decisions Yvonne had made—and yes, for all of them—this time. Unlike how she’d reacted to someone taking the choice from her, she figured Tami would be on board with this new plan.
“Shh,” Lana said to Tami. “There’s more.”
“We’re going back to finish the renovations on the house,” Yvonne said, and kept her gaze carefully focused on her mother. “And when that’s done, I’ll be moving to the island.”
“What in the hell are you talking about?” Freda asked, trying to sit up even straighter in the bed. She winced in pain, and Lana stood, going to her mother’s side to touch her shoulder and ease her back.
“You have to relax, Mama,” Lana said. “Remember, the doctor said don’t try to do too much today. They’ll start getting you out of the bed and moving you around more tomorrow, but today he wants to make sure all the anesthesia is out of your system before you move around.”
“I want your sister to tell me what the hell she’s talking about,” Freda replied after a heated look at Lana.
“I’m talking about doing something different with my life.” Yvonne took another breath, feeling much steadier now. Convicted and, yes,excited about the way that storm of thoughts last night had come into focus this morning. “I’ve worked so hard for so long; I want to take some time to rest and enjoy the fruits of my labor. Daufuskie is the perfect place to do that, and the summerhouse—well, that’s my home. It’sourhome,” she said, looking over to Tami now. “And we’re going to keep it that way.”
“Oh my ... oh my damn! Oh! Oh!” Tami couldn’t get her words out before she’d jumped from the bed and was bouncing over to Yvonne to pull her into a hug. “Yes! Yes! This is exactly the right thing!”
“We’re going to retain ownership of the house, and Yvonne’s going to move down there to live in it so she can take care of it, and it’ll be ready whenever we all go down for visits,” Lana said. “And, Mama, after you’re finished at the rehab facility, you can either come and stay with me and Isaac, or we can put in an application for the senior center where Isaac’s grandmother stays.”
Freda’s eyes grew wider. “Who the hell said that? I don’t know why the three of you think you can waltz in here and tell me what I’m going to do like I’m not a grown woman.”
“We’re not telling you what you’re going to do, Mama,” Yvonne said. “You have choices. Just like I do. Like we all do. I’m choosing to start another part of my life in a different place, doing a different thing. Lana and Isaac, well ... they’re starting the next phase of their family.”
“The next generation of Butlers,” Tami chimed. “And it has to be a girl so she’ll be in line with the Butler women, like us.”
“Likeallof us,” Yvonne added. “I talked to Sallie this morning. We’re going to have brunch with her when we get back to the island.”
“You talked to who?” Freda asked slowly.
Tami moved closer to the bed, taking their mother’s hand this time. For a second, Freda looked like she would pull away, but then her gaze rested on Tami.
“Tell me what she’s talking about, Tami,” Freda said softly, her lower lip trembling.
“We know, Mama,” Tami said. “We know about Daddy’s other daughter.”
Freda closed her eyes. Her fingers gripped Tami’s hand.
“I told them never to tell you,” Freda whispered. “Never to hurt my girls the way Daniel hurt me.”
