Beautiful Bounty(26)

“Okay, sunshine. I’m getting up.” The dog yipped happily as she sat up swinging her legs to the side of the bed. When Ronnie’s feet hit the floor, Missy was doing circles in the small space of her bedroom. Ronnie shook her head. Always happy. The simple life of a dog. If only it could be that easy. It seemed the weight of the world was on her shoulders despite her fairly decent night’s sleep.

Her mom’s friends stayed late, providing moral support, trying to keep her and her mother distracted from their worries. She slept well despite her circumstances because it had been the first night in a real bed in quite a few days, longer if you considered the cruise ship’s bed. The jail cell had not been conducive to sleeping with the night sounds and her own worries, and the cruise she had taken had not been very restful.

Her long t-shirt she slept in still on, Ronnie grabbed a pair of gym shorts from the top drawer of her dresser, and slipped into them before venturing into the hall. Missy still hot on her heels. A glance across the living room told her she had been correct. Her mom was sitting on the sun porch drinking her coffee, watching the sun rise over the horizon. She shook her head sadly at the worry she must be causing her mother and slipped into the bathroom before she faced her.

In the bathroom, Ronnie took care of her most pressing need, brushed her teeth, and finger combed her hair. All her toiletries had been confiscated by the police and were locked up as evidence. She was told most of the items would be returned to her, but that hadn’t happened yet, and wasn’t likely to happen anytime soon. She would need to make a stop at Walmart and get some things, she thought dismally, as she raked her waves into some kind of order. It was the best she could do. She didn’t want to go through her mom’s room to her ensuite bathroom and risk waking up her step dad.

Well, time to face the music, she thought. She reluctantly turned the nob, and Missy was waiting patiently for her. A glance told her that her mother was still waiting outside. Ronnie was shocked to see a cigarette in her hand. She had quit years ago, and Ronnie knew it was because of her and the stress of the whole situation, that her mom apparently picked up the habit again. The guilt pressed in on her. Not wanting to be caught catching her, she coughed and crossed to the kitchen not looking her mom’s way. She made for the coffee pot, a mug already set aside for her, and prepped the coffee just the way she liked it, light and sweet.

From the corner of her eye, she could see her mom had crushed out her cigarette and stashed the cigarettes in a side drawer of an end table along with the ashtray. Ronnie took a long sip of the delicious brew. She loved her mom’s coffee, so much better than the concoction served in prison with one creamer and one packet of sugar.

She gave her mom another moment before “seeing” her. Her mom waved at the air to disperse the cigarette smoke, and took a sip of her coffee. Turning towards the Florida room, Ronnie “saw” her mom, nodded and began to approach.

Her mom was out of her seat opening the sliding glass doors. “How’d you sleep, sweetie?” She spoke the words softly. Jay was still sleeping. He and Victor, when he’d shown up to bring Monica home, had a few drinks. Monica had done the driving.

“Good actually,” Ronnie muttered, pressing a kiss to her mother’s cheek and couldn’t help but wrinkle her nose.

Lou saw and blushed, but made no comment other than to tell her to sit. Lou also managed to give her a sheepish smile.

Ronnie nodded and sat next to her mom who placed her hand over hers in what was meant to be a comforting gesture. Ronnie sighed and looked at her mom’s eyes noticing they were quite puffy. She turned her hand over under her mom’s and grasped them, squeezing them and bringing warmth back into them.

“Mom, I love you! Thank you for doing this all for me.” She made her voice upbeat, confident, trying to restore her mother’s usual confidence.

“What else would I do? You’re my heart.”

Ronnie saw the tears welling in her mother’s eyes. Of all that was going on, seeing this pain, this worry on her mom’s face practically undid her. Her mom did not look well at all. Her skin was paler than usual, she’d lost weight, and her eyes had dark circles around them.

“Mom,” Ronnie chastised, “I am so grateful. Really, I am, but I really need you to be strong for me. I need you to take care of you. I am innocent. And, I will clear my name,” she stated with fervor. “But if I see you sad, crying, Mom, I just can’t see you that way knowing I have put this fear in you. The smoking? Please!” she begged her mom with plaintive eyes.

Ronnie’s plea touched Lou. She was trying hard, but old fears resurfaced. She bought the cigarettes yesterday. Had only lit two, thinking they would help calm her nerves. Help her relax. She hadn’t even inhaled them or touched them to her lips. She wouldn’t dare. But it had been the need to have a sense of calmness that had driven her to buy them. They hadn’t helped in the least.