[[[-IF6-P3.TXT-]]] ---------------- Island Fever 6: Sanctuary Written by: JeremyDCP@hotmail.com M/F, F/F and a whole lot more ---------------- Chapter 03: "Matriarch" ------------------------------------------- -*- Sunday, October 2, 2016 -*- -*- Allentown, Pennsylvania -*- "Take another bite of your _Jell-O_, Mom? Just one more. Please do it for me." It was late in the afternoon; the time was 4:43pm and Devon and I had been here at the hospital visiting her mother, Eileen, since bright and early this morning. For the past four hours, mother and daughter had been going back and forth on this whole _Jell-O_ ordeal. "No," Eileen said for the hundredth time, making a bitter face and looking away. "No more." The heart attack that Eileen suffered seven days ago had put her in a very bad place emotionally. While she was of out the danger zone physically, for the most part, she was not recuperating as fast as the doctors had expected either. "Okay," Devon frowned, setting the dessert dish down in defeat. This past week saw Eileen's status upgraded from critical to fair, and she now rested in the cardiac care unit instead of the intensive care unit. Still, it brought forth its share of challenges. After she had been taken off of the ventilator treatment, Eileen had trouble swallowing, a common side effect of having a plastic tube inserted in the windpipe. As a result, Devon's mother refused to eat much of anything. Plus, she hated the oxygen mask that the staff forced her to wear, and was not too keen on the routine laps through the halls they made her take. In fact, Eileen was argumentative, quite irritable and just plain hateful. But could anyone blame her? I often equated being in a hospital bed to a prison sentence. "I know you don't like it here, Mom, but the only way you're going to get out and go back home is to listen to the doctors and do what they say. I'm going to lay off of the eating thing for awhile, but you need to go on a walk soon." "It's not that I don't like it here," Eileen said sadly. Her voice was still incredibly weak from the three whole days of being on the ventilator. It took a lot of effort for her just to speak. "You're wrong. I absolutely HATE it here." Seeing and dealing with her mother in her current mindset had taken an incredible toll on Devon. "You need to listen to the doctors, Mom, and do what they say," she reiterated. "Only then when you will be allowed to go home." Yet, Devon had been as gentle and kind with her responses and many suggestions as her frazzled nerves allowed her to be. This had been a very trying stretch for Devon, obviously, with her mother being hospitalized, not to mention her gut-wrenching admission to me some six days ago of being the victim of past childhood sexual abuse by her father, who was now deceased. Both she and I were running on very little sleep. All of our recent meals had been served on hospital cafeteria trays. "No one wants to be in a hospital bed," Devon told her. "All of us want to get you out of here, and take you home." Eileen raised her hand, which was a massive struggle in and of itself. "Then let's go." "Whoa, not so fast, superstar. Do you want to sleep, get some rest? Denise should be back soon, once her kids finish their dinner in the cafeteria." Devon quickly glanced at her wristwatch. "Seth said he will be here around six o'clock. It's almost five now; Jeremy and I need to go home, and pick Michael up so he can come visit you, too. Take a nap, Mom?" Eileen nodded, looking so sad and depressed. "Jeremy and I will be back later tonight, and we will have Michael with us," Devon said. "I want you to take that walk with me then too, Mom. It will help make you stronger." She kissed her on the cheek, which brought forth a rare smile. "Thank you, Devon. I love you. I always have." Those words clearly slammed Devon with a jolt of emotion. She had come very close to losing her mother with the heart attack. Plus, they had all those years of separation and family turmoil between them. "I love you too." "I'm glad you're finally home." Devon smiled at her. "I'm glad too, Mom." As was customary for the past several days, every time Devon and I stepped out of Eileen's hospital room to leave, I brought my wife into my arms and she sobbed upon my chest. Nothing loud or overly dramatic; generally just a gentle cry to help process and cycle through her many emotions. Devon was dealing with so many things right now. She wanted to help Eileen get better, but was being met with resistance at every turn. Everything was upsetting to her. During our drive back to her mothers' house, Devon dozed off twice. She and I really needed to go to the hotel and take an extended nap of our own. But there was no time for that. Devon insisted on doing Michael's laundry tonight and tidying up the house, which looked like a tornado had ripped through it. It was a mess. With his mental disabilities, Michael was no help at all around the house; he depended heavily on his mother to take care of him, organize his life. Also, if Devon and I did not do something about our eating situation, Eileen would not be the only one in the hospital with heart problems. Devon took out her key as we made our way up the walk, but seemed surprised to find the door unlocked. A quick glance of the front yard showed Michael's overturned bicycle, indicating that he was home and not out for a ride. Though an adult at age 22, Michael was incapable of driving a car. Devon froze in the entryway and I quickly followed suit, however, as a series of mouthwatering aromas flooded our senses upon entering the home. I closed my eyes and simply surrendered; dear God, it smelled wonderful in here. Much different than I remembered at any point during the past six days. The heavenly scent was emanating from the kitchen. When I opened my eyes, I was even more shocked to find the living room gleaming; spotless and clean from end to end. "Michael!" Devon screeched in surprise, as her brother was actually kneeling next to an end table with a rag and bottle of furniture cleaner in hand. Oh my, this place looked like a palace. All of the dust and excess clutter, which was embarrassing for Devon to have me see, was gone. Soothing, gentle music played over the stereo system. Certainly not the heavy metal type that Michael enjoyed listening to. Michael shrugged his shoulders and went back to work on the end table. "Don't look at me. All her doing. Just touching up what she did." He pointed toward the kitchen. "Denise..." Devon squealed, clearly wondering how her sister had gotten so much work done today around the house. But when? This morning? And what was she doing here now? Denise, as far as we knew, was still at the hospital with her two children, visiting Eileen. She had been there with us since noon-time. Denise and her two kids were finishing up their dinner in the cafeteria when Devon and I left the hospital. Or, that was what we thought. How did she make it back here ahead of us? Curious as to how Denise had pulled this off, Devon and I ventured toward the kitchen. Yet, my appetite was screaming at my inner senses right now. That food smelled so good... "How did you get Michael to do any sort of cleaning? He's never cleaned anything in his life. And what are you making? That smells deli..." Devon froze in mid-sentence as both she and I now stood there, slack-jawed, in total astonishment. Kristanna closed the oven door and turned to look at us. She seemed to contemplate the question as my mind scrambled to make sense of the amazing visual. "A, all that boy needs is a little direction. B, standing rib roast, garlic mashed potatoes, salad and sourdough rolls. C, you're home just in time, as Michael said you would be. Give me five minutes and you can load up your dinner plates as much as you want." "Hi," I said. It was literally the only word that I had access to at the moment. The smile on my face, obviously, was from ear to ear. Was this real? Kristanna was standing here, like some sort of beautiful mirage, in the kitchen. She was supposed to be 3,500 miles away on the island with the rest of our wives, and all of the children. Yet Kristanna was responsible for the clean house, the wonderful food? "Hi," Kristanna greeted us in return, very softly. Wow, she looked amazing, so much so that I still wondered if she was real. Yet there my wife stood, fresh faced and together, in a blue top and black leggings - a vivid reminder that the real world was still out there even in the midst of Eileen's sickness and the gruesome details that Devon had shared with me this past week concerning her father and his inappropriate actions toward her while she was growing up. "I hope it's okay that I am here. From everything I've heard over the telephone, it seemed like you two could use an extra hand." "Oh, Krissy..." Devon was otherwise speechless. "But I'm not alone," Kristanna proclaimed. "Someone else wants to say hi, too." She knocked on the wall that led to the family room and Kaden, my two-year-old son, came rumbling in and made a beeline straight to me. "DADDY!" he screamed, his first time seeing me in seven full days, as tears threatened to overtake my own eyes as well. I knelt down and Kaden jumped into my arms, wiggling and squirming frantically in toddler celebration. What an unexpected surprise! "Mommy on ess airopane!" "Did you and Mommy fly here on an airplane?" I asked, deciphering his toddler speech with ease. There was no way that Captain Mike and his crew brought them here on our private family aircraft, however. I knew for a fact that they were visiting New York City right now. Kristanna and Kaden must have traveled here on a standard commercial flight. "Oh, I missed you so much, Kaden! How are you doing, buddy?" "I cannot believe you are here! WHAT are you doing here? The house, dinner, it's all just..." Devon echoed my very own sentiments, but emotion got the better of her yet again. Kristanna reacted quickly, pulling Devon to her, wrapping both arms around her and holding on as she cried. "Shhhhh," Kristanna comforted her. "Everything is going to be okay. Your mother will pull out of this just fine and no one will ever hurt you again. I won't allow it to happen." Kristanna truly was the epicenter of all things comforting. Leave it to her to show up totally unannounced like this and instantly brighten what had otherwise been an extremely dark and torturous trip to Pennsylvania for us. And she brought Kaden along with her? Oh my God; I was completely stunned! "Kaden," Kristanna said, still embracing Devon, gaining our son's attention in the process as I knelt on the floor before him. "Kaden, honey, go show Daddy the surprise we have for him in the next room. Go show Daddy, okay?" "Okay, Mommy," he nodded, taking me by the hand into the adjacent family room. And suddenly, my heart melted; Ariel, my six month old daughter, was staring back at me with big, happy eyes, her arms and legs flailing as she was in her portable baby crib. _She_ was here, too? "Dada, it Airy..." Love and positive vibrations simply cascaded throughout my entire soul as I picked Ariel up and gently cradled her to me. When I returned to the kitchen, Devon wiped her eyes, smiling at the image of me with two of my kids through the excess tears. "Oh, Krissy," she shuddered. "Oh my God. How? How did you get here?" "Don't worry about that now," Kristanna told her calmly. "Dinner first, Devvy, and then you and Jeremy are taking a nap. I spoke to your sister, Denise, just a few moments ago. They don't expect you back at the hospital until after nine o'clock tonight. Now, go tell your brother to wash up, and I will finish up here in the kitchen." Stunned herself, Devon nodded her head and ventured back out to the living room in search of her brother. Kaden, excited to see Devon as well, followed her and hopped about like a bunny rabbit. Kristanna rushed over to me and, with Ariel between us, offered me an emotional, heartfelt embrace. "I couldn't bear being away from you and Devvy any longer," she confessed to me. "Don't worry about the kids, Jeremy. Kaden has been begging to see you since you left and wanted to come here. Ariel had no issues whatsoever on the flight. Flying doesn't seem to faze her at all. They are both fine. I... I needed to see you. See Devvy. It has been tearing me apart inside to listen to everything I've heard this week over the telephone, and not be here for Devvy when she needs me most. Don't worry about the other girls, either. They told me to come here and lend my support. Pamela, Lindsay... all of them. They all wish they could be here." "You're amazing, Krissy," I murmured, being totally honest. "You pop up, swoop in out of nowhere whenever I need you most. You've done that since the day I first met you." I hugged her even tighter as Ariel cooed and babbled. "Oh God, I love you. I love you so much. Thank you. Thank you..." "I love you, too." Kristanna smiled at me. "Get a plate, Jeremy. You're not having any pizza or hamburgers tonight." I did as I was told and in just a few short moments, I was enjoying perhaps the best meal of my entire life. And though Michael went to his room with his plate, Kaden and Ariel were in the dining room with us, and Kristanna caught Devon and I up on the latest happenings back on the island. The news, no matter how silly or trivial, was a welcome distraction to what we had been dealing with since arriving in Pennsylvania. Never before had one of Kristanna's pranks on Pamela been so hilarious, or Lindsay's antics so delightful. Alison had gone surfing with Trish nearly every single day. Amy and Scarlett were working on a _big surprise_ for when we returned. Piper had drawn several thoughtful pictures of me in crayon, all of them with big red heart designs scribbled about as well. Dani Grace kept wondering where I was, when I would be home. I could not help but notice that Kristanna never once touched on the issues that had been at play here since we arrived. It was Kristanna at her most thoughtful, making things as low stress for us as possible. Especially Devon. And while we steered clear of any romance related talk with Kaden and Ariel so close by, damn it if my libido did not kick in just to have Kristanna in my presence again. Kristanna tore off a small sliver of bread from the roll on her plate. Devon could not help but to smile at the move. "What?" Kristanna asked. "Why are you looking at me like that?" "Because no one else in the whole, wide world eats bread the way you do. In tiny, miniscule pieces." "Oh? How do you know this? Are you an expert on the bread habits of everyone else on the planet? Everyone worldwide?" "I am. You are the Queen of eating bread." Kristanna paused, then a gentle smile touched her lips. "Queen Kristanna. I like the sound of that." "Well, let's not get carried away." That earned Devon a giggle from Kristanna, as well as a roll to the face. It was okay. The mood was light, and we were having a good time. Thank God for Kristanna. How could I survive without her? "Tell me the latest on your mom." Devon took a deep breath, adjusting to the sudden shift in our discussion. "She's really depressed. She wants to go home so much, but it's getting in the way of her progress. The doctor said ideally, she would have went home today." "Can I meet her?" Devon smiled at the mere idea. "I think Mom would love to meet you. I told her all about you yesterday. Though, I did not tell her about the other girls in our lives, yet. You want to go and see her tonight with me and Jeremy?" "Can't," Kristanna frowned. "Not tonight. Kaden and Ariel will be fast asleep by then. I'll need to stay with them. Which reminds me, I need a key for the hotel room where you two are staying. But tomorrow? Yeah, I'd love to meet your mom tomorrow, Devvy." Behind us, Michael entered the dining room and looked our way tentatively. "Hey," he simply said. "Are you coming back for seconds?" Kristanna asked him. "If so, Michael, get over here and take anything you want from the buffet. Eat as much as you want." As usual, Kristanna had seized control of the situation and anointed herself as the one in charge. I had no issues. That was what the matriarch of the family was supposed to do, right? "Better yet, why don't you come and sit with us too?" "Okay," he said absently, his cheeks blushing. "Poor Michael didn't know what to do with me at eight o'clock this morning when I showed up on the doorstep and asked if I could come in. I showed him pictures and videos of the three of us together, proving to him that I was indeed your wife, Devvy." She smiled playfully. "Kaden offered Michael a quarter if he would let us in. Finally, he did." "You cleaned up the house and even did all of the laundry," I observed. "Amy would be impressed with you." "Maybe," Kristanna shrugged. "You two finished eating?" "I think so," Devon answered, as Michael sat down next to her and scooped up another helping of mashed potatoes onto his plate. "I cannot tell you how much we needed this, Krissy. Me and Jeremy both. This meal was off the charts delicious. At least let me do the dishes so you can relax." "You and Jeremy go lay down for awhile and take a nap. You look like zombies. I will clear up all the dishes and wake you up at eight-fifteen so you can go see your mom." "You're really bossy, which I've always adored about you," Devon grinned. "At least let me do the dishes, okay?" "NAP." Devon giggled and tossed her hands up in utter defeat. "Okay. Geez. No need to use your aggressive mother hen voice on me. Jeremy and I will go lay down for awhile." God, I missed Kristanna and her attitude, her quirky, playful demeanor. I was beyond grateful that she was here with us now, and brought our two children along as well. This was exactly the shot in the arm that Devon and I needed to find our way out of this dark abyss. And when we drifted off to a much-needed sleep moments later, I noticed that Devon had a peaceful, relaxed smile upon her face. * * * I stood just outside the door of Eileen's hospital room early the following morning, along with Kristanna, Kaden and Ariel. Devon had gone into the unit first to alert her mother of the new visitors as Kristanna waited patiently, clutching a bouquet of flowers she had purchased just moments ago. I glanced at Kristanna and smiled at her. She admitted to being incredibly nervous, jumping onto a commercial aircraft and flying from Lima to Miami, and then Philadelphia, with a hyperactive toddler and a small, delicate infant in tow. Kristanna knew nothing of the area and relied strictly on her GPS to get her the 60 miles from Philadelphia to Allentown. In the rental car, Kaden was not on his best behavior, either, and it made for a very taxing last leg of the trip for her. Yet, Kristanna told us that she felt reaffirmed that everything was worth it when she saw the astonished look on Devon's face, as well as mine, when we returned from the hospital yesterday and saw her in the kitchen. Kristanna was here because she wanted to help. Michael, with his disabilities, needed guidance without his mother present. Devon and I needed Kristanna's steady influence. Kristanna's surprise presence allowed Devon and I the opportunity to press pause, at least temporarily, on our personal week from Hell. There would be a time in the future for Kristanna to sit down with Devon and discuss, likely in a one-on-one setting, what exactly happened between her and her father so many years ago. What type of monster was he, anyway? When we got back home to Norway in a few weeks, Kristanna and I wanted Devon to seek professional counseling. But, all of that could wait for now. Just getting Devon to smile last night, Kristanna confided in me, had her senses in overdrive. Eventually, Devon emerged from the cardiac care unit room, her voice low. "Okay, you can come in now." She focused on Kristanna, adding, "Try to be a little bit friendly, okay?" Kristanna made a face at the playful dig, but shifted into a kind, warm smile as she rounded the corner into the room. I stayed in the entryway as Kaden looked on curiously. Eileen was sitting up in bed, smoothing out her hair. She actually beamed at Kristanna as she approached. "Are you the nice, young lady Devon has told me so many wonderful things about?" Kristanna moved quickly once Eileen extended her arms and, following Devon's instructions, hugged her delicately. "I'm so happy to finally meet you, and that you're doing better. I traveled 3,500 miles just to meet you." "Devon has said so many good things about you," Eileen mused. "I feel as if I know you already. She was telling me how wonderful you and Jeremy have helped make her life." Kristanna passed Devon a gracious smile and placed the flowers next to the collection that was already present. "Seems as if you have a lot of admirers." "I don't know where they all came from! But I bet you have plenty of admirers of your own." "Not as many as you would think," Kristanna grinned back. "Fools, then." I looked on, along with Devon, as the two continued their conversation, amazed by the shift in Eileen's energy level compared to just yesterday. Downright astounding, if I must admit, and Devon could not wipe the smile off of her face. She was relieved to see her mother in good spirits once again. Maybe this particular visit was all that Eileen needed, too? Later on, it was Kristanna - not Devon - who went on a walk around the wing with Eileen, and there was no resistance from her whatsoever. Just two long-lost friends, or so it seemed, gabbing away as they strolled. Devon was utterly amazed. But then again, this was Kristanna. This was who she was, what she did, what she was capable of. To me, Kristanna was a shining beacon of light who brought out the best in everyone. Her mere presence, with that outgoing, gregarious personality and infectious smile, could enliven anyone. She knew exactly the right thing to say to everyone, what buttons to push, when to pull back. It was a God-given gift of hers; one that was so rare, so unique, so mystifying. Once we walked back to the car late that afternoon, Seth and Michael having arrived to take our place as company, I could tell that a heavy burden had been lifted from Devon. "You really made a difference with her today," she said to Kristanna. "Do you know that? Thank you." Kristanna shrugged, deflecting all credit as she often did. "Eileen needed to see a less familiar face is all." "When is that less familiar face going back to the island?" "When you do," Kristanna answered Devon, which brought forth a smile. "I'm not leaving here until you do." "The nurse was saying that Mom may be able to go home in two days, if not tomorrow," Devon grinned. "I hate being away from the other girls so much; I miss them terribly. I miss playing with Piper and Dani Grace. Maybe once Mom gets back home and settled in, we can go back to the island and finish our vacation. Seth did say he was planning on moving back home, at least temporarily, to help keep an eye on Mom and Michael until she returns to full strength again." "Are you going to be calling, checking up on them too?" Kristanna wondered. "You know, Devvy, we could show Eileen how to set up _Skype_ on her computer for video chat. I think you need to tell her about the other wives that you have, introduce her to them. She will be fine with the idea, I think. Eileen will not have any issues with our marriage." Kristanna paused and took a deep breath. "I know you were incredibly hurt in the past, honey, but your mother, your sister and two brothers... they were not the ones who hurt you. It was... your... father. I know that you are angry that no one in your family had your back in those days, that no one protected you or stood up for you... but keep in mind they were just as scared of him as you were. I know it is no excuse, but it is the reason why, something you understand." "Your father is gone now," she added, as tears flowed down Devon's cheeks. "He cannot hurt you anymore. Let the rest of your family back in, Devvy. They love you. They want you to be their sister, a daughter, again. God, I will be here for you, Devvy, holding your hand along every step of the way if you want me to. There are good people here. Let them in." "I will," Devon sighed, nodding her head. "I will. We can set up video chat for Mom like you said. I... I never really cut them out completely, you know. Mom and I would talk on _Facebook_ from time to time, and I shared e-mails back and forth with Denise every week. Denise actually knows about everyone, all of our wives, the kids, already." "Why didn't you tell any of us that before?" Devon looked horribly guilty now. "I... don't know. I just... I didn't want anyone to pressure me into coming back here, to Pennsylvania, for a visit. You all... you all did that enough, every time we took trips to Toronto for Trish, or Baltimore for Pamela, Cincinnati for Jeremy, Lindsay, Amy..." "Let's bring your whole family to the farm in Norway, for Christmas this year, if Eileen is healthy enough for the trip," Kristanna suggested. "How long has it been since you enjoyed a Christmas with your family together? We could get Captain Mike and company to fly them there in style and..." Before Kristanna could finish the sentence, Devon's arms were around her neck and she was sobbing yet again. But not sad tears this time, no; it was cries of joy, love... relief. In the middle of the hospital parking lot, with people coming and going all around us, Kristanna and Devon remained in that embrace for several moments. To me, everything suddenly felt aligned. The world had righted itself again. Even the late afternoon sunshine from the heavens high above seemed to illuminate their skin, their hair, making them appear angelic. And never before had I seen a more beautiful sight. "We can talk about possibly bringing my family to Norway for a visit - just not now - but in the future," Devon said, gently nuzzling Kristanna's neck. "Right now, let's get Mom set up with _Skype_ and go from there. One step at a time, okay? This is going to be a slow, gradual process for me." "Of course," Kristanna relented, pulling back and brushing a strand of hair from Devon's forehead. "I just want you to be happy, Devvy. I want you to have and experience, enjoy, everything that life can offer you. I want you to re-connect with your family." She patted Devon on the stomach, adding, "I want you to become pregnant, for you to be a mommy yourself." Devon glanced away at that last comment, frowning. "What you told me and Jeremy last night," Kristanna said, "would never apply to you, Devvy. No way, none whatsoever. That the real reason you have held out for this long in having a baby of your own is not because you enjoy being the family nanny so much, but rather due to the fact you are fearful that you would not be a good enough mother because of the way your own father treated you when you were younger, the horrible parenting example he set for you. Kaden adores you. Ariel loves you. Piper, all of the kids in our family. They LOVE YOU because of HOW GOOD you are to them." Kristanna smiled and pressed onward, "Personally, I think if you have a baby, Devvy, he or she will be the luckiest little boy or girl in the whole, wide world, simply to have you as a mommy." "I kind of agree with her," I shrugged at Devon, grinning. Why not? After all, it was the truth. "Don't let your father hover over you, cloud your life, any more than he already has," Kristanna insisted. "What he did to you will have no bearing on your ability to be a kind and loving mother. I cannot even begin to imagine what life was like for you back then, Devvy, nor will I guess. But overcome it. Rise above it. I will help you, hold your hand along the way. So will Jeremy, Scarlett. All of the girls will if you let them. We all love you, want the best for you. We want you to be as happy as being with you makes us..." Devon looked skyward to gather her thoughts, but then shifted her focus toward me. "When we get back to the island, Jeremy, maybe you and I should start working on having a baby of our own." Kristanna's smile started slow, but spread quickly, as Devon reached down and ruffled Kaden's hair with her hand. "Mom did say earlier that she was looking forward to having another grandbaby to love and spoil with affection..." <<<- End of Chapter 03 ->>> ==---- -- -- -- - --- -- -- - - --- -- -- --- - -- - - - - --- -- ----== "Island Fever 6: Sanctuary" (c) 2016 JeremyDCP - JeremyDCP@hotmail.com Feedback is always appreciated!