Diamond in the Rough: Chapter 30

"You did great.  You're one badass shopper," Todd said, taking her hand and her packages.  "Where to for lunch?"


"I don't care, whatever you want."


"Hey, no problem.  As long as we eat."


"Did you get anything done?"


"Who, me?"


"Yes, you."


"I read some articles on the tablet."


"You were supposed to be shopping for Jack."


"Nothing hit me."


"Something's about to."


"Come on, I'll buy you Chinese dumplings."


She smiled, tucking her arm in his.  He carried the packages, and she moved as close to him as she could.  The smell of his hair and the spicy fragrance of his cologne were so familiar, she could recognize it in a pitch-black room.  They ordered lunch and sat to eat it, chattering over the kids and the gifts, and Todd, bringing the tablet out, to share headlines of the day.


Blair said, "Well, I've done my part.  I have Starr, Momma, Dorian and Hope all done.  I have Sister Rebecca Katherine, you and Viki left.  What can you say for yourself, Mr. Manning?"


"I have more people than you did."


"Huh?  How do you figure?"


"I have Jack, Sam, Ray, and Timothy to buy for."


"How is that more than me?"


"I also have you.  And you, you and you."


"Oh, stop.  I don't need anything.  Not material gifts, anyway.  I only need you.  You give me everything, everyday.  So, thanks!"


"For what, keeping you up nights?"


"No, for saving me.  My hero."


"I'm not a hero, Blair.  I was saving myself.  I save you, I save me."


"You've said.  But you saved me, Todd, that's what matters.  You risked your life, and yourself, and you were so very brave.  You're trying to deflect from this, and I'm not going to let you.  You were courageous.  You were smart and you were strong.  I'll never understand what this thing is that you and I have, but it's beautiful and I wouldn't trade it for all the normal in Llanview."


"There is no normal in Llanview."


"Well, you know what I mean."


"You gonna eat that?"  he poked at her plate with his fork.


"No, Todd, go ahead.  You just can't hear good things about yourself, can you?  You never could."  She flashed on a moment, in the bedroom at La Boulaie when she tried to tell him how handsome he was, and he simply couldn't stand it.  She smiled.  "It doesn't matter, I can keep saying them until they stick."


***


Tonight, after all of them are sleeping, I should be able to sneak out.  I mean, unless there are nuns on duty around the clock here or something.  Tina combed her hair and tucked it into her headpiece once again.  She had taken a long afternoon nap, and the day was moving along at a faster pace than she had expected.  She lifted the copy of the newspaper she was able to get for herself, and looked at it, her brother's face, smiling, next to Blair's and Starr's.  Their daughter has gotten so . . . grown up.  She's singing now, in public.  Wow.  Blair's as trampy as usual.  Look at that red dress cut to there.  You'd think she'd realize she's not twenty-five anymore.  I never understood why he cared about that gold-digger.  She took her rosary beads and put them on.  They hung across her chest.  Catching a view of herself in the mirror, she said, aloud, "Gee, Tina, you made a better nun the first time."


Her plan was to make it through the rest of the day, pretending and following what the other nuns did, and then after dark, making a run for it.  She wasn't positive how to get from St. Anne's to Dorian's, but she would find a way.  The nun outfit would be a help; she knew that she could hitch a ride.  In this get-up, who's going to say no.  I've still got that little .22 in my bag, in case someone tries to get fresh with me.  Still, how will I find Dorian's?   


She talked to herself aloud, "Here's your chance to just call Todd and see if you can get him to help."  She stared back at the paper, and said, "No.  He's not going to want to help you.  You've read all about what he's been through and never tried to reach out.  It's going to seem too obvious, and Viki, well she'd never approve.  No, 'Sister,' you're on your own."


She left her room, closing the door behind her, and it shut with a soft click of the lock.  She, for some reason, as the cards fell, was alone in her room.  She had not yet been assigned a roomate from the nun staff.  She had lucked out, since it would have been much harder to pretend to be a nun all around the clock than just the few hours she was among them.  That was a lucky break.  And I'm going to get another one, I just feel it.  I'll leave just after dark, stow away in someone's car or one of those buses that brings the patients to and from the city.  Or, I'll just hitch a ride to Llanview Center and ask for help finding Dorian's estate.  What was it called again?  Something like La Goulet, or something. . .I'll find it.  Then, I can sneak into the grounds and wait until dark.  When Dorian leaves, I'll go inside and get it.  She sighed, plotting and picturing the necklace that was made from the Bhadra Diamond, the one that she almost had her hands on, and that Mitch Laurence got "powers" from.  


She shuddered.  "Mitch.  Thank God he's in jail where he can't get to me or the necklace."  I have to get that piece.  Once I have it, I can fence it to Pasquale and be rich.  Then, I'll be able to afford to make that home for dogs that I always wanted to, in honor of my puppy, David Vickers.  Ever since her little dog had gone missing, she had done everything in her power to get her back, to no avail.  Now, aside from the wealth and glamour she always desired, she wanted to create this refuge for animals in her dear pup's name.  She sighed.  I must have that necklace; the one that impostor Zeus, or whatever his name is, made for Blair out of that diamond.  Those powers better be gone, now that it's cut up.  Mitch called it empowerment but others thought it was a curse.  Dorian better have it in that house with her other jewelry, or I've got more problems on my hands.  Just get the necklace, make my way back to Florence, see Pasquale, get the money, and live it up.


She finally made her way to the family room, where several patients were meeting with loved ones, and she nodded as she passed, smiling as kindly as she could muster.  Lost in thought, she ran straight into Sister Elizabeth Mary.  She said, "Oh, excuse me," to which the nun said, "No, excuse me.  As a matter of fact, I was looking for you."


"Oh really?  Why?"


"You have written here that you were part of our order, and that's not the case."  A few of the other nuns, including Sister Rebecca Katherine, stopped and looked up.  "Just who do you think you are, anyway, 'Sister Martina?'"


***


Williams drove up to Unforgettable, and Todd and Blair got out of the car without the packages, which Todd was having delivered to The Sun for safe hiding until the appropriate time.  They walked in, and Sam ran to them.  "Mom, Dad!  We did the tree!  It's great, like Logan's, only better!"


"That's great, Sam, let's see," Todd said, taking his hand and the two of them followed Sam to the family room.  


Todd said, "Wow, that's really amazing.  Great job, Grandpa, and Jack, too."


"We had a good time doing this.  Sam was very good at figuring out where to put the ornaments."  Timothy said.


Jack, who was sitting by the fire, was staring into it, quiet.  Blair went to his side, and sat, and facing the fire next to him, said, "Are you all right, Son?"


"Yeah, Mom.  I'm okay."


"Good," she said.  "I had a good day, too."


"Yeah?"  he asked, still staring into the fire.


"Yeah.  Your father and I went shopping.  I was able to get some girl gifts.  He actually did nothing, but that's your father.  He was working the whole time.  Imagine?"


Todd interrupted.  "Hey, Jack, you guys did a good job."


"Thanks."


"Hey, uh, Mom, you want to come over here and find this mistletoe Sam's talking about?"  Todd said.


She said, "Sure," and got up.  He took her by the hand and lead her to the archway between the foyer and the grand dining room.  There, they stood under the little artificial plant and he kissed her, first just lightly, then moving his hands up to the sides of her face and lingering.  


"God, is that mushy stuff ever going to stop?"  Sam announced.  "Dad, can you give me lessons how to hold my breath that long under water?"


This made Todd and Blair both laugh, and they stopped their kiss, and Todd said, "You're just jealous," and scooped Sam into his arms and bringing him under the mistletoe, he kissed his forehead, and Blair kissed his cheek.  "There," Todd said.


"I'm glad you're not still gone, Dad," he said.


Blair teared up, and Todd said, "We all are.  Especially me," and reached his hand to the side of her face.  Running his index finger along it, he said, "yeah, definitely me."


Timothy had made his way to the fireplace, and sat by Jack, who was stoically looking into the flames.  He said, "Lad.  Your father is all right, can you see that?"


He nodded. 


"Well, I have a date, tonight, with your Great Aunt Dorian.  And tomorrow, you and I have a date, so don't make plans, boy."


"Where are we going?"


"Some place that I think will make a lasting impression on ya.  Are ya up for it?"


"I guess, yeah."


"Lad, you can see they're working at it.  She's getting over things, and he will recover."


"I know."


"What are you thinking of, if you have the guts to tell me?"


"Nothing."


"You don't have them then?"


"What?"


"The guts?"


"I have them."


"Then, what are you thinking of?"  Timothy pressed him.


"Why people are so messed up in this world.  Why they hurt other people.  Why it had to be our family, why it had to be my mother who was shot and lost her daughter, stuff like that."


"That's a lot of nothing."


"I guess."


"Are you thinking about the drink?"


He didn't answer.  Instead, he said, "Leave me alone, please?"


"I will.  But I will be here tomorrow, at nine in the morning, and ya be ready."


"Okay, whatever."


Timothy stood, and turning to Todd and Blair, he said, "Bridgette, I am glad to see that you're feeling well and that you both got some shopping done."


"Not so fast, both of us didn't do any such thing."  She said, kissing Timothy's cheek.


Todd said, "I have to work, you know."


Timothy said, "I'm going.  I have a date.  And tomorrow, I'll be here nice and early to take Jack out."


Todd looked at him, "You hear that, Jack?"


He looked at his father and gave the thumbs up.  "Yep," he said, unenthusiastically.


Timothy left, and Todd picked up Sam like a sack of potatoes, and threw him over his shoulder, saying, "Bedtime for you, and you, Mommy.  You've had a big day."


She licked her lips, and said, "You're right, Daddy.  I'll be turning in now."  


She turned to Jack, and he said, "I have to go to bed, too, I guess, since Grandpa Pest is coming to take me out."


Todd's face changed, "That's disrespectful.  He's not a pest, and even if he is, you need this right now, and you know you do."


Jack didn't answer.  Instead, he took the stairs two at a time.  Todd, with Sam, and Blair followed.  At the top of the stairs, Todd put Sam down and watched him run to his room.  He turned to his wife and said, "Well, Mommy, got any gifts to unwrap?"


She put her arms around his neck, and said, "Plenty, Mr. Manning."


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