“You said I was getting just about anything. What is it you think I should ask for too?” He laughed. “I’ve known you a long time, Montgomery. Spill it.”
“Piper, you’ve made me what I am today. I hope you know that. Without you picking me up out of the gutter and giving me a good knocking around, I’d be dead. Or wish I was.” She told him it wasn’t that much. “It was to me and my family. I will never, for as long as I live, forget what you did for me and my family. Ever. In answer to your question, the only thing I can see you might want to ask for is that you don’t give them an answer right away. Perhaps they’ll sweeten the pot for you. So to speak.”
“You sly old devil you. You already told them I was going to be a hard sell, didn’t you? Just to make them think on ways to improve my package.” He told her she’d taught him that. “So I did. I’ll need time to think, as you suggest—about a week. I should be in my home by then and things going in the correct direction for me. I need this move. I need to be with my family.”
“I understand that. The six of you, you’ve been together longer than most housing developments have been. I’m incredibly happy for you and your family.” She nodded and told him she had to get going. “All right. I’ll tell them you need the week. If you need more, which I’d not push if I were you, then that’ll be all right as well.”
Piper felt good as she was making her way back to her apartment. She felt so wonderful, in fact, that she decided to go and see about finding some furniture for her home. According to Duncan, it would be finished in a few days, as well as her studio. Going into the large warehouse they stored their things in when they redecorated, Piper knew just what she was looking for. It was time to have some of her own kind of fun.
~*~
Jude waited in the waiting room for Tracy to be examined by a doctor. She had to have a physical to enter the local school district. Abe was with Duncan seeing another doctor. Tracy was as nervous as Jude was about coming here. Doctors hadn’t played a large part in her life until now. Nervous over what? No clue, Jude thought. Just something she was feeling about her children a great deal lately.
Abe and I are finished. I’m glad you were able to find him a doctor that specialized in trauma patients. He examined him and said he was fit but small for his age. Also, he asked Abe if he wanted to talk to him alone about anything. The kid surprised me and told the doctor that for now, he had a new family, and we were helping him. She felt her heart swell up with the thought of being able to help this child. He’s really smart too. Tomorrow when we take them to be tested for their grade to be put in, I’m going to crow like a rooster when they tell me he’s brilliant.
I hope you’re not disappointed. Duncan told her he could never be disappointed in their children. I’m awfully glad to hear that. By the way, I need to take Tracy shopping. They don’t have too much in the way of clothing. But I did tell her we’d find a place that wasn’t Walmart. It’s not that it’s a bad place to shop, but I want her to have something that is her style. Not something that was on sale and all she could have.
Abe is the same way. I told him he was going to need a heavier coat and some boots. He was thrilled to know he could have them both at the same time, and they’d be new. I hate that these kids, all of them, were treated like they were. I’m not discounting the things that Hanna did to them in this, but they should have had a great deal more than she was providing for them. Jude agreed with him. All right. We’re going to the mall. Maybe we can meet up later and have dinner together. I know it’s New Year’s Eve, but I can’t think of a better group to be bringing the new year in with than my new family.
When Tracy came out to the waiting room with her, Jude didn’t ask her what was said. Instead, she went up to pay for the visit and to set up a second one in six months. As they were going down to the main floor in the elevator, Tracy started laughing. She asked her what was so funny.
“You’re about to bust, aren’t you? In wanting to know what sort of shape I’m in.” Jude felt her face heat up in embarrassment. “You can ask me, Jude. I won’t get all pissy with you. I’m fine, he told me. Undernourished a bit. I told him where we were coming from, and he said he was glad I’ve become a family member of yours. He told me you helped him get through med school.”
“I provided
