Finders Keepers

Rachel spared a glance for her stepdaughter. "Amanda and Cameron promised Gary they’d spend the Fourth with him and Jose. Matt – I have no idea what’s wrong with him. Lately neither of them seem very sociable."

"Lately? Getting them to a family event involving Carl is like pulling teeth." She noticed how Rachel kept watching Carl. "At least he’s found a friend in Jules."

"Hmm."

"It’s a good thing he’s married to you and not me because I would never be able to handle it."

"Handle what?"

"Carl and Jules. I mean they’re together constantly. They eat at Carlino’s at least three times a week and I see them every Thursday in the park with the twins. If I were you, I’d be so jealous I wouldn’t be able to see straight."

Rachel opened her mouth to respond only to stop. Paulina saw a brief flash of uncertainty cross her face. Had Rachel never realized just how much time Carl spent in Jules’ company? She herself had noticed with a couple of weeks. So had Amanda.

"Jealous? Whatever for?" Paulina gave her credit for the convincing answer. "I’m just glad he has someone he can talk to Paulina. He’s never really had a good friend in Bay City."

"I thought he was supposed to talk to his wife."

"He does. We do." Rachel sighed and looked over at Carl who was laughing along with Jules at the antics of the twins. "I just wish we had more time."

"I don’t know why you won’t hire someone to run Cory. Joe and I get along so much better since I hired extra help at the restaurant. Of course, he’s lucky I let him back in the house."

"Oh, there’s so much more involved than ‘hiring extra help’ Paulina. Cory is my responsibility, and one that I don’t intend to shirk."

"Rachel," Paulina admonished quietly, "you also have other responsibilities. You need to take care of them before someone else does it for you."

"You’re being ridiculous," Rachel tossed at her without taking her eyes from Carl. Paulina shook her head and sighed. There’d be trouble before long.

*)*(*

Jules and Carl were absorbed in watching his kids play in her backyard. She was glad she’d invited the Cory-Hutchins clan over to her home for a Fourth of July picnic. Although it would have been nice if more of them had made an effort to show up.

"I nearly forgot Rachel mentioned she stopped by to see you," Carl said as he plopped back into his chair with another glass of tea. "I imagine you had a nice talk."

"Nothing too traumatic if that’s what you mean."

"Just a hello, how-do-you-do?"

"She brought up some of her worries about you."

"Ah-ha."

"She has a right to worry about your welfare. So do I."

"Rachel takes her worrying to new heights in my opinion. I am here, I am alive. Case closed."

"Are you sure?" She brushed loose curls from her eyes. One little comment from him and she now wore her mass of hair down more often. It had earned her several admiring glances and Nate’s eyes nearly fell from his head the first time he saw it. "Care to tell me about the headaches?"

"Not particularly."

"Remember me? I’m the doctor and you’re the patient. I’m your friend too. You know you can tell me anything." She batted her eyelashes. "Jacob."

"I do the pity pout much better," he laughed. "There’s nothing to tell. Really."

She knew she’d get no further on the subject. "Alright then, what we talked about in February. The memory gaps. The feeling of incompleteness. All this time together and we haven’t talked about your condition."

"We will when we’re in your office playing doctor. Until then, we’ll stick to the same topics as other normal people." He turned to her and asked, "So what about the Cubbies. Think they have a chance at the pennant this year?"

Their laughter floated away on the warm night air.

*(*)*

Rachel’s steady breathing usually lulled him to sleep within a matter of minutes. Not tonight. Tonight he was wide-awake. Jules’ persistent questioning earlier in the evening had awakened his doubting self. Now there’d be little sleep.

Old memories returned to him every day and he’d grown accustomed to the flashes from the blue. Still, something was missing. Some unknown entity was there in the back of his head teasing him with its elusiveness. At times he came so close to capturing it he wanted to howl with rage whenever it slipped through his fingers.

Carl turned his head on his pillow in order to watch his wife. He could gaze at her sleeping form all night and often did so on nights such as this one. He loved how the moonlight made her skin as flawless as porcelain.

He traced the outline of her lips. How he longed to wake her with kisses, but he didn’t dare. Today had been a calm in the storm of rebuilding Cory. Instead, he wrapped his arms around her warm body and held her close. With any luck he could manage a few hours after all.

*(*)*to be continued…