Chapter 26: Proceed With Caution

My mind swims with drifting voices.

“Why you work girl to skin and bones?” asks Mrs. Garcia.

Weasel replies, “You didn’t tell us you hire immigrant workers, Charles.”

Dad’s insistent voice orders, “David, call the doctor. Winifred. Please wake up.”

I drag open heavy eyelids and see Dad’s pale face wrinkled with worry. “Did you have a good dinner?” I murmur.

“Thank God.” Dad instantly looks twenty years younger. He sinks to the floor next

to the sofa I’m lying on. I look at the ceiling and wonder how I got into the living room.

I sit up and a kaleidoscope of staring faces swirl in dizziness. “Ooohhh.” I catch a glimpse of Scott. Two of him. Whoa, he looks totally awesome in a suit.

Dad rises off the floor and gently pushes me back onto the pillows. “Don’t move.”

“Doc’s coming,” says David, hurrying into the room. “Just got home from delivering twins a few minutes ago.”

“I don’t need a doctor. I’m just tired and excited.”

Claire leans over me. “Here’s a drink of water.”

I smile. “Thanks.” I gulp down the water and hand her the glass.

Weasel stares at the mob of Jac’s family, her eyes tight knots of fear. She takes

Daria’s hand. “Time for bed.”

“I want to meet the black people.”

The room is instantly silent.

“Shush, Daria. These people are not black,” whispers Weasel. She looks like she is about to faint.

“Who are they?” asks Daria.

Dad says, “They are my friends.”

Mr. Dudley propels Daria up the stairs. “Mind your mother.”

Daria whines as she and her dad disappear, “Daddy, I want to meet those brown people.”

I sit up, breaking the tension. “I need to show you something, Dad.”

“You are not moving until the doctor comes, young lady.”

“But, Dad - ”

“Absolutely not!”

I sigh. “Mrs. Garcia, would you mind showing David and Claire the garden?”

“Of course,” she says, glaring at Weasel. “It will be my pleasure.”

Whoa, I guess Mrs. Garcia can speak proper English when she wants to.

David grabs Claire’s hand and Mrs. Garcia hustles them out of the room.

“Can I come, too?” John asks as he follows them.

I laugh at Dad’s perplexed face. “What’s going on, Winifred?”

“They fixed the wedding heart.”

“What!”

“It was a delightful task,” says Mr. Garcia.

Dad shakes Mr. Garcia’s hand. “Thank you, José. You must have been here all night.”

Mr. Garcia smiles proudly. “It doesn’t take long when many hands work together.”

Dad looks around at the smiling faces. “I thank all of you.”

“I speak for all of my family when I say, you are welcome,” says Mr. Garcia. “You should be very proud of your daughter, Charles. She did a very grown-up thing tonight. And in the dark.” Mr. Garcia pats Dad on the back.

“The dark?” Dad frowns.

“We lost the electricity, Dad.”

“And no generator without the new part. I’m sorry Winifred.”

Jac grabs my hand and stations herself next to me on the sofa. “She’s a heroine, Mr. Smith.”

All of Jac’s family claps in applause. I choke up and hold back the tears.

“What are you talking about?” asks Dad.

I grin. “Sunny needed help with her delivery. The foal’s head was turned.”

Dad looks shocked. “You delivered a foal? You could have been hurt with a maiden mare.”

“What else could I do? Only one foot was showing. The electricity went off before I could call the vet.”

Scott grins. “Awesome. I can’t wait to hear the whole story.”

I grin back. “Dad, we have another stallion for Smith’s Paso Finos.”

Dad collapses in a chair. “A colt. Oh, Winifred, if you hadn’t been here, we might have had two dead horses.”

“Can I name him Storm, Dad? Please?”

“You earned that and more.” He touches my face and gives me such a loving look that a burst of warmth spreads through my heart. Then he hugs me fiercely. “I am so proud of you.”

David and Claire run into the living room. David’s smile spreads across his face. Claire wipes tears from her face.

“Thank you, Garcia family!” shouts David. He starts shaking hands with them and introducing Claire.

Mrs. Garcia says, “It is time to go home.” She kisses my cheek. “You rest, Chiquita.”

“Thanks, Mrs. Garcia,” I whisper, so full of gratitude that I can hardly speak.

Jac squeezes my hand and leans toward me. “Is that Scott?”

I nod.

“When you get a boyfriend, you do it right. See you tomorrow.”

I know I turn bright red. Somehow, it doesn’t bother me anymore.

Wives, brothers, sisters and husbands head for the door.

Weasel cringes and flattens herself against the wall as they leave.

Mrs. Garcia smiles coldly at her. “Your Ralph Lauren suit is extremely attractive. I prefer Vera Wang’s designs. She’s infinitely more open-minded.” She stretches to her full height of five feet and sweeps past Weasel and out the door.

Weasel can’t hide her shocked face. “I–I think it’s time for bed. Thank you for the dinner, Charles. Good night.” She hurries out of the room as the doorbell rings.

Dad lets the doctor in.

Dr. Waverly hustles past him and into the house like a tall, bustling bee. “Having a party? I would have been here five minutes ago, except for the long walk past the parked cars. Lovely night for a walk, though. All dazzling stars after the storm. Hi, David. Nice to see you. Who is this ravishing woman?”

David laughs. “Claire, this is Dr. Waverly. Dr. Waverly, my fiancée, Claire Dudley.”

“I’m pleased to meet you,” says Claire, blushing.

Dr. Waverly pumps Claire’s hand. “Congratulations. Congratulations. Nothing like a wedding to spice things up.”

Dad pats the doctor on the back. “Thanks for coming, Tom. I know you must be tired.”

Dr. Waverly laughs. “Goes with the territory, goes with the territory. Where’s the patient and what’s she done now?”

Dad pulls up a chair for the doctor. “Winifred fainted. I’m really worried.”

The doctor looks sternly into my face. ”Stitches would have helped that cut. Have you been eating properly? You look like a scrawny beanpole. Tell me, what’s going on?”

Dr. Waverly is the fastest talker in the world. Usually, I love to be around him. Tonight, he’s exhausting.

I cringe at the concerned faces looming over me.

“Not here,” I say.

“Everybody out, except for her father. Out, out, out.” Dr. Waverly dismisses them with a flick of his wrist.

After thirty seconds of ‘goodnights, get betters,’ and a wink from Scott that tingles my toes, the room clears.

Dr. Waverly is finished a half-an-hour later. My eyelids are as heavy as horseshoes.

“I don’t think there’s anything major wrong with you that a few meals and a good night’s sleep won’t cure,” the doctor says. “To be sure, I want you to stay in bed until the wedding. If you’re not feeling better by then, I’ll see you in my office Monday morning.”

“But I need to finish the cleaning, help with the wedding, check on the colt - ”

“No, no, and no. Bed rest until the wedding. That’s an order. Understand?” Dr. Waverly looks like all adults when they expect you to obey them.

“Yes, Sir,” I mumble.

Dad laughs. “I’ll lock her in her room if necessary.”

I can’t bear to be alone without Fairy Godmonster. “Can Kong stay with me?”

Dad says, “Of course. I’ll get him after I help you up.”

“I’m not an invalid.”

“I know. You just want breakfast in bed.” He smiles.

The world gets better, for a little while.