Bonnie Murdock (
is_the_motion) wrote2017-12-23 09:46 pm
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It's always busy in the Murdock household over Christmas. She'd made a deal with Turtle: to avoid any risk of him being beaten up by any of her boys, she took Billie over to a slightly more neutral location on Christmas Eve, in the afternoon, at Gerry's trailer next door to Turtle's.
"How's the new baby?" Bonnie asks Turtle, as he sits on the floor playing with Billie.
"Got colic." Turtle admits. "We ain't sleepin' much."
Bonnie barks a laugh. "I bet Celia ain't too happy about us meetin' today."
"She don't know." Turtle says. "Thinks I'm havin' a talk with her pa."
Bonnie shakes her head. Turtle's web of lies is his own business nowadays, and she's just glad not to be involved. She chats to Gerry while Turtle plays with Billie.
"Sure is mighty chilly in here, you need me to rig you up some decent insulation?" she asks him, when he goes to the little kitchen. "I'd offer ter do Turtle's too but I suppose Celia would rather be cold."
"Oh, I'll get by." Gerry says. "But that's real sweet of you."
She touches his hand lightly. It's cool at the fingers.
"Ain't right ter be so cold in California, the offer stands."
Turtle is in the doorway, suddenly, watching them with a frown. When Gerry goes to the bathroom, he looks her square in the eye.
"Red?"
"What?"
"I know that look. Tell me you ain't bangin' my father-in-law."
Bonnie stares at him, indignantly. Billie, asleep on one of the chairs, doesn't stir.
"Wouldn't be none of yer damn business if I was." Bonnie says.
"Murdock." Turtle moves to sit next to her. "Please tell me you are not bangin' my father-in-law. Tell me you are not about to introduce yet another level of chaos into our lives."
It would be easy to say that she isn't. And true. But she doesn't. At that moment, there is a knock at the door and Celia is calling Turtle's name.
"We ain't hidin', if that's what yer about to suggest." she informs him.
Turtle gets up, kisses Billie goodbye on her forehead, and goes out the door without letting his new wife see them.
Bonnie sighs, putting her head in her hands.
"What's wrong?" Gerry asks, coming back through.
"Everything in my life is so complicated." Bonnie says. "I cain't believe he didn't tell Celia he was havin' access with Billie today. He makes me feel... so dirty."
"Yer not dirty. Yer one of the most admirable and beautiful women I ever met and I don't care if you went with a thousand men." Gerry blurts out.
They both intake breath, as that sinks in. Then Gerry speaks again.
"I'm so sorry, that was impolite of me and..."
Billie stirs and wakes up. Bonnie gets up and goes to her.
"We should go. I got a lot of guests ter cater for. But... thank you."
***
For the next few days, she is too busy to think. With thirty guests coming over a two night period, including Autor and Jay, she barely has time to breathe.
The usual drama, of course, unfolds on Christmas day, because nothing can ever be straightforward. Shortly after Christmas dinner, there is a loud knocking on the door, and a skinny woman walks in, uninvited.
"Jean?" Bonnie feels her stomach sink. Last she knew, Jean was still in prison for child endangerment and drug offences.
"Surprise! Now where is my little Terry?" Jean asks, teetering around the house in her heels.
"You should have called ahead." Bonnie says, wondering how Stuart and Ted will receive their sister as much as how Terry will react to her mom. As it is, Jean comes across the three of them together.
"Oh hell no." Ted says, when he sees Jean. He and his brother stand protectively in front of Terry, who has gone white with shock.
"Is that any way to greet your sister?" Jean asks. "At Christmas?"
"What do you want?" Stuart asks her, coldly. "We don't need you any more, we're practically adults. We're adopted by Aunt Bonnie who already defeated Mom in court."
"I'm not here for you, I'm here for Terry." Jean says. "I'm clean now! I brought you lots of presents."
Terry looks at Bonnie with a lot of apprehension as Jean unpacks cute little dresses - too small - and dolls and stuffed toys.
"There's plenty more where this came from too! You have to come see the new apartment, Terry, it's so clean and fresh, and you'd have your own room."
"Jean." Bonnie takes control of the situation. "If Terry wants you to stay, you are welcome to stay fer Christmas supper. But she is not goin' anywhere with you."
"Of course she is, she's my daughter." Jean says.
"You think I raised twenty fosters and this ain't come up before?" Bonnie says. "I know the law inside out, and you ain't takin' Terry nowhere without me seein' that a judge has allowed you unsupervised access again. Which they ain't, because I would have been informed."
After a brief argument, Jean agrees to stay in the house under Bonnie's watchful eye. After twenty minutes, Terry bursts into tears, runs over to Bonnie and clings to her.
"Granma I'm scared. I remember the bad place."
Bonnie holds her granddaughter. Stuart and Ted hustle Jean from the building. Bonnie knows, sooner or later, that she'll be back.
***
The day after Christmas, thankfully, everything calms down. Terry appears to recover quickly from her shock, and even helps Bonnie and Lucy with the cleanup.
"It's not that I don't love my mom." she says, after a while. "I just got scared when she used to take drugs."
"Yer mom cain't take you back without the court allowin' it." Bonnie says. "And if she tries you don't go with her, you hear me? The court will only let you go with her if you want to and she's really truly clean and safe now. I won't stop you seein' her supervised if that's what you want, though."
"I don't know yet." Terry admits.
"You take all the time you need." Bonnie says.
There's another knock at the door. Terry tenses. Bonnie gives her a reassuring pat on the shoulder, then goes to the door herself.
Gerry is at the door. She stares at him, for a moment, in surprise.
"Mrs Murdock. I came to apologise for being so forward." he says. "I thought you'd be too busy yesterday. I'm making things difficult between you and Wesley and..."
"Turtle can go screw himself." Bonnie says. "Everythin' in my life is difficult. So is everythin' else worth doin'."
They pause for a moment. And then Bonnie turns back to where Lucy and Terry are watching with keen interest.
"You know, Granma, just because Grandpa Turtle left doesn't mean you can't ever have a gentleman friend." Terry says.
"I can babysit." Lucy offers.
"Yer sure yer okay with this?" Bonnie asks.
"He's been asking you to dinner, not to become my new grandpa." Terry says.
Bonnie laughs, goes back to give them a hug, and gets her coat.
"How's the new baby?" Bonnie asks Turtle, as he sits on the floor playing with Billie.
"Got colic." Turtle admits. "We ain't sleepin' much."
Bonnie barks a laugh. "I bet Celia ain't too happy about us meetin' today."
"She don't know." Turtle says. "Thinks I'm havin' a talk with her pa."
Bonnie shakes her head. Turtle's web of lies is his own business nowadays, and she's just glad not to be involved. She chats to Gerry while Turtle plays with Billie.
"Sure is mighty chilly in here, you need me to rig you up some decent insulation?" she asks him, when he goes to the little kitchen. "I'd offer ter do Turtle's too but I suppose Celia would rather be cold."
"Oh, I'll get by." Gerry says. "But that's real sweet of you."
She touches his hand lightly. It's cool at the fingers.
"Ain't right ter be so cold in California, the offer stands."
Turtle is in the doorway, suddenly, watching them with a frown. When Gerry goes to the bathroom, he looks her square in the eye.
"Red?"
"What?"
"I know that look. Tell me you ain't bangin' my father-in-law."
Bonnie stares at him, indignantly. Billie, asleep on one of the chairs, doesn't stir.
"Wouldn't be none of yer damn business if I was." Bonnie says.
"Murdock." Turtle moves to sit next to her. "Please tell me you are not bangin' my father-in-law. Tell me you are not about to introduce yet another level of chaos into our lives."
It would be easy to say that she isn't. And true. But she doesn't. At that moment, there is a knock at the door and Celia is calling Turtle's name.
"We ain't hidin', if that's what yer about to suggest." she informs him.
Turtle gets up, kisses Billie goodbye on her forehead, and goes out the door without letting his new wife see them.
Bonnie sighs, putting her head in her hands.
"What's wrong?" Gerry asks, coming back through.
"Everything in my life is so complicated." Bonnie says. "I cain't believe he didn't tell Celia he was havin' access with Billie today. He makes me feel... so dirty."
"Yer not dirty. Yer one of the most admirable and beautiful women I ever met and I don't care if you went with a thousand men." Gerry blurts out.
They both intake breath, as that sinks in. Then Gerry speaks again.
"I'm so sorry, that was impolite of me and..."
Billie stirs and wakes up. Bonnie gets up and goes to her.
"We should go. I got a lot of guests ter cater for. But... thank you."
***
For the next few days, she is too busy to think. With thirty guests coming over a two night period, including Autor and Jay, she barely has time to breathe.
The usual drama, of course, unfolds on Christmas day, because nothing can ever be straightforward. Shortly after Christmas dinner, there is a loud knocking on the door, and a skinny woman walks in, uninvited.
"Jean?" Bonnie feels her stomach sink. Last she knew, Jean was still in prison for child endangerment and drug offences.
"Surprise! Now where is my little Terry?" Jean asks, teetering around the house in her heels.
"You should have called ahead." Bonnie says, wondering how Stuart and Ted will receive their sister as much as how Terry will react to her mom. As it is, Jean comes across the three of them together.
"Oh hell no." Ted says, when he sees Jean. He and his brother stand protectively in front of Terry, who has gone white with shock.
"Is that any way to greet your sister?" Jean asks. "At Christmas?"
"What do you want?" Stuart asks her, coldly. "We don't need you any more, we're practically adults. We're adopted by Aunt Bonnie who already defeated Mom in court."
"I'm not here for you, I'm here for Terry." Jean says. "I'm clean now! I brought you lots of presents."
Terry looks at Bonnie with a lot of apprehension as Jean unpacks cute little dresses - too small - and dolls and stuffed toys.
"There's plenty more where this came from too! You have to come see the new apartment, Terry, it's so clean and fresh, and you'd have your own room."
"Jean." Bonnie takes control of the situation. "If Terry wants you to stay, you are welcome to stay fer Christmas supper. But she is not goin' anywhere with you."
"Of course she is, she's my daughter." Jean says.
"You think I raised twenty fosters and this ain't come up before?" Bonnie says. "I know the law inside out, and you ain't takin' Terry nowhere without me seein' that a judge has allowed you unsupervised access again. Which they ain't, because I would have been informed."
After a brief argument, Jean agrees to stay in the house under Bonnie's watchful eye. After twenty minutes, Terry bursts into tears, runs over to Bonnie and clings to her.
"Granma I'm scared. I remember the bad place."
Bonnie holds her granddaughter. Stuart and Ted hustle Jean from the building. Bonnie knows, sooner or later, that she'll be back.
***
The day after Christmas, thankfully, everything calms down. Terry appears to recover quickly from her shock, and even helps Bonnie and Lucy with the cleanup.
"It's not that I don't love my mom." she says, after a while. "I just got scared when she used to take drugs."
"Yer mom cain't take you back without the court allowin' it." Bonnie says. "And if she tries you don't go with her, you hear me? The court will only let you go with her if you want to and she's really truly clean and safe now. I won't stop you seein' her supervised if that's what you want, though."
"I don't know yet." Terry admits.
"You take all the time you need." Bonnie says.
There's another knock at the door. Terry tenses. Bonnie gives her a reassuring pat on the shoulder, then goes to the door herself.
Gerry is at the door. She stares at him, for a moment, in surprise.
"Mrs Murdock. I came to apologise for being so forward." he says. "I thought you'd be too busy yesterday. I'm making things difficult between you and Wesley and..."
"Turtle can go screw himself." Bonnie says. "Everythin' in my life is difficult. So is everythin' else worth doin'."
They pause for a moment. And then Bonnie turns back to where Lucy and Terry are watching with keen interest.
"You know, Granma, just because Grandpa Turtle left doesn't mean you can't ever have a gentleman friend." Terry says.
"I can babysit." Lucy offers.
"Yer sure yer okay with this?" Bonnie asks.
"He's been asking you to dinner, not to become my new grandpa." Terry says.
Bonnie laughs, goes back to give them a hug, and gets her coat.