Bab 8: Chapter 8
A few hours later, the girls returned home so Mrs. Nelson could nap. Celeste ran upstairs to their room, but Zoey lingered in the doorway. She made a sour face as she tapped the stone angel three times. "If it tastes so bad, why bother?" Ruby asked. "The world won't fall apart."
"How do you know?" Zoey challenged her.
"It must be weird having your tongue wired to your brain," Ruby noted.
"Not as weird as you think. I don't know any different. I can't imagine it not being that way."
"Well, even if the world does fall apart, I'm pretty sure tapping on that dumb old angel won't change anything."
"It's for luck," Zoey said with a shrug.
Ruby laughed, looking around the room at the faded wallpaper and well-worn linoleum. "Then you have a strange idea of luck. Why don't you focus on winning the lottery or something so Aunt Flory can afford to do some repairs around here."
"There are more important things than money," Zoey scolded her.
"Sure, but they can't buy that new leather jacket I saw at the mall, can they?" Ruby quipped as she clomped upstairs in her tap shoes.
Zoey slipped into the living room and curled up on the couch, enjoying the scent of lilacs that wafted through the open window. Pulling the obsidian from her pocket, she rolled it between her fingers, her eyes wandering to a picture of her mother on the mantle. She wore a green dress with a lace collar and a smile that reminded Zoey of the Mona Lisa.
She was twenty-one at the time, and probably, Aunt Flory had said, already pregnant with the triplets, though she wouldn't have known it yet. Her smile was wide and confident, like Ruby's, her eyes guarded like Celeste's. According to Aunt Flory, she loved animals, poetry, and purple popsicles. Growing up, there was always a box with an injured bird or an abandoned squirrel next to her bed, and folk music playing on her stereo. But as generous as she was in kindness and spirit, she took all her secrets with her when she died. There had barely been enough time for her to give the girls life, a stuffed lion, and their names.
The sound of voices approaching the house interrupted Zoey's thoughts. They belonged to Aunt Flory and her friend, Dr. Tanner. His tone was, as always, soothing. He often used it to assure Aunt Flory that, despite her frequent fretting, the girls were growing up fine. A lifelong bachelor dedicated to his work, Zoey had overheard the women in town joke that he was the closest thing to a boyfriend that Aunt Flory had ever had.
When Verna repeated those same rumors to Aunt Flory, they openly scoffed at the gossip. "Why are people so threatened by a single woman who can take care of herself and her family?" Aunt Flory fumed. While she was the first to admit that it had been a shock to find herself suddenly in charge of triplets when she had never considered having children of her own, she had risen to the challenge of raising a family. Marriage was another matter. "They say there's a lid for every pot, but this pot doesn't want to be covered," she often said when the subject of men came up. Yet, there was plenty of room for affection in her aunt's big heart. She loved the girls with the same ferocity she embraced all of life.
"I'm not sure how to reach that child these days," Zoey heard Aunt Flory complain to Dr. Tanner outside the window. "Sometimes she feels a million miles away from me. Everything I do is wrong."
They were talking about her.
"Now, Flory, those girls know how much you love them," Dr. Tanner said. "You're too hard on yourself."
"I wish I had more information for her. She's so sensitive and seems to take it to heart that she's lost both her parents," Aunt Flory continued. "Ruby takes in more in her stride, though I'm sure she has questions too. Celeste doesn't appear to give it much thought. But then again, you wouldn't expect her to miss that kind of emotional connection with people she's never known."
"It's perfectly natural for teenagers to be difficult at times," Dr. Tanner assured her. "It's part of the process of growing up. I'd be more worried if they weren't experiencing some issues. You've done an excellent job with them." There was a long pause. "You've weathered the challenges incredibly well."
"So you're saying I should expect it to get worse before it gets better?" Aunt Flory asked, her tone wary.
"Remain patient," he said. "Adolescence can be a challenging time for any parent."
"I'm so glad I have you, and Verna, and the Nelsons to support me. I can't imagine what I would do without all of you."
Dr. Tanner said something Zoey couldn't understand as they paused on the front porch. Rising from the couch, Zoey quietly sidled up to the window to hear better.
"Sometimes I feel like the girls are outgrowing me," Aunt Flory said sadly. "Especially Zoey. Baking homemade cookies or sitting on the porch swing together don't hold the same power they used to. Sometimes she's impossible to console."
"It's not surprising considering her sensitive nature," Dr. Tanner said. "She feels it more deeply than Ruby or Celeste."
"Ruby seems to take it all in stride. I wish it were that easy for Zoey."
"Miss Ruby has her struggles of her own." Dr. Tanner laughed.
"I think Zoey's synesthesia doesn't help," Aunt Flory said. "It must be strange to taste everything that she touches. I still wonder if it's in any way connected to her premature birth. They were all so tiny, but she was the smallest of all of them. Her nervous system was so fragile."
"There's no way to know for certain," Dr. Tanner said. "The neurology of synesthesia is a mystery even to this day. I don't think you should focus too much on it. She's never known any different. Some people would say Zoey's just ahead of her time. Try not to worry so much," he urged. "As I've said many times, all in all, your girls are doing remarkably well."
"Whatever strengths they possess, they come by them naturally." Aunt Flory laughed. "Their mother was a firecracker; God rest her soul."
"Their aunt is no pushover either," Dr. Tanner laughed.
"Hiding around corners and under porches to eavesdrop is going to get you into big trouble one of these days," Ruby said, surprising Zoey. She spun around, putting a finger to her lips.
As the front door opened, Zoey stepped forward to greet them.
Aunt Flory jumped when she saw the girls standing there. "Good Lord, I'm going to get you girls some cowbells so I can keep track of you," she said, laughing.
Dr. Tanner flashed them his familiar smile. He was a tall man with a slight permanent stoop despite his young age of forty-five. Aunt Flory said it was because he spent most of his day bent over young patients, his back hinged from looking them square in the eyes.
"John came by for coffee and apple pie," Aunt Flory announced, her face bright pink around the edges. 'She was probably wondering how much of their conversation the two of them had overheard.'
"Just a small piece for me," Dr. Tanner said, checking his watch. "It's almost three-thirty."
"Aren't you staying for supper?" Ruby asked. The welcoming fragrance of Aunt Flory's pot roast already filled the house.
"Not tonight," he said. "I'm working late at the clinic. But I'll take a rain check."
"Then let me give you some food to go," Aunt Flory said, shuffling through the Tupperware drawer.
He didn't argue. Despite his height, Dr. Tanner's face was boyish, as was his manner, a combination that ingratiated him with even his most wary patients. It wasn't unusual to find him with one of the brightly colored lollypops he kept stashed in his pockets wedged in his cheek. He set out two books on the counter. "I almost forgot. I brought Celeste a new biology book," he said. "There's one for you too, Zoey. It's called "Sophie's World". It's a mix of fiction and philosophy. I think you'll like it."
"Thanks," Zoey said, picking up the book and scanning through the pages. She loved books of all genres.
Aunt Flory finished carving some meat off the bone and pressed the Tupperware into Dr. Tanner's hand. "Thanks for the books," she said. "They should keep them busy for a while. Celeste made short work of the last one, and I'm afraid I don't have much insight to offer her anymore when it comes to science."
Dr. Tanner laughed. "We all can't be good at everything."
"Thanks for thinking of them."
Aunt Flory's gratitude wasn't limited to Dr. Tanner's concern for Celeste. Whether it was Celeste's tantrums, Zoey's moodiness, or Ruby's bids for attention that threatened to overwhelm her, Dr. Tanner appeared as if by magic to smooth things over and restore the general sense of peace in the house. His voice settled through the rooms like a soothing blanket. Zoey always slept better on the nights he was downstairs visiting with Aunt Flory.
"You might enjoy Zoey's book too," Dr. Tanner told Ruby.
"I doubt it," Ruby answered. "Reading is boring."
"Maybe it will help you develop some patience," Aunt Flory quipped.
Ruby grinned and hit Zoey in the arm. "Hah, get it. Patience. Patients," Ruby laughed. Aunt Flory and Dr. Tanner laughed aloud.
"Never heard that one before," Zoey scoffed.
"Seriously, the books are a godsend. The least I can offer in return are home-cooked meals and friendly conversation," Aunt Flory continued.
Thanks to Aunt Flory and Dr. Tanner's dedication, against all odds, Celeste spoke in short sentences and read at a kindergarten level by the age of four. In recent years, everyone marveled at the speed with which she memorized information and the depth of her dedication to her studies. Dr. Tanner maintained contact with the specialists in Toronto regarding Celeste's progress. Through him, they reported back to Aunt Flory that, based on Celeste's abilities, she was now considered intellectually high functioning. Although she would always have social challenges, she would likely live a full and independent life.
"Don't sell yourself short, Flory," Dr. Tanner scolded. "Your persistence paid off. If I deserve credit for anything, it's for having enough sense not to resist you." He glanced at his watch, setting Aunt Flory in motion.
"We better get the coffee pot on if you're due back in the clinic," she said, fluttering over the stove. "Girls, do you mind giving me a hand?"
"As long as we can have some pie too," Ruby joked.
"Just don't spoil your appetite for dinner," Aunt Flory cautioned, slicing the pie into five pieces and calling out for Celeste to join them.
"Hold on," Zoey called, skipping up the stairs. "I'll be back in a second." In the bathroom, she slipped the obsidian crystal behind a jar of cream in the cabinet with a backward glance behind her to make sure no one was watching. It would be safe there until she found a way to return it to Mr. Nelson's collection.
Hadiah
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