Free Maggie's Turn by Deanna Lynn Sletten Page A

felt he didn't have any other choice.
    "Hello?" Andrew's mom, Marcia Harrison, answered her phone. She still had a home landline and no caller ID, so she never knew who was calling before she answered.
    "Hi Mom. It's Andrew." The fact that Andrew had to say it was him said a lot about their relationship. He was an only child, so there was no one else who would be calling her "Mom". But with Marcia, everything had to be formal and upright, and she expected Andrew to announce who was calling.
    "Andrew? It's late. Why are you calling me at this hour?"
    "I'm sorry, Mom. I hope I didn’t wake you," Andrew said. It was a little past nine o'clock, but Andrew knew his mother went to bed early and rose early. She generally had busy days packed with volunteering and attending local board and committee meetings that she was involved with, so she started her days with the rising sun.
    "I was just going to bed. What is it you need?" Marcia was curt and to the point, and this didn't go unnoticed by Andrew.
    Andrew took a deep breath. He rarely asked his mother for favors, especially for help with the kids. Although she lived in town only a few miles from their house, she rarely saw him or his family. The kids saw their grandmother three or four times a year at holidays and birthdays, but no more than that. His mother had always had a busy schedule with volunteer work, but since his father passed away ten years ago, she'd added even more to her load. And at the age of sixty-nine, she showed no sign of slowing down.
    "I have a favor to ask of you," Andrew began. He hesitated, not quite sure how to word the next few sentences. His mother could be very critical, and he didn't want to give her a reason to blame him for his predicament.
    "Yes?" Marcia asked impatiently.
    "Maggie had to go back to Washington for some family matters, and I need help with Kaia," he finally said.
    "What on earth is Margaret doing in Washington again ? I thought all of her family was dead."
    Andrew's mouth dropped open, stunned by his mother's harsh tone. "Well, yes, they are. No, I mean, her father and sister passed away, but her cousin and her family still live out there. She went to help out her cousin, Cassandra," he said, knowing the last bit was a lie. Clearly, he should have thought this conversation through a little better.
    "Whatever for? Can't her family do anything without her help?"
    Andrew frowned. Even though he was mad at Maggie for leaving him in a pinch, he didn't like when his mother talked about her negatively. "Her family is very close, Mother," he said sharply, then caught himself and softened his tone. "Anyway, Maggie is gone for a week or two, and I was wondering if you would mind picking Kaia up from school three days a week and staying at the house with her until I come home from work." He figured he wasn't asking too much with only three days a week. The other two days Kaia had tennis practice after school and he could pick her up.
    Marcia let out a long, heavy sigh. "Andrew, you know I'm very busy with my volunteer and committee work. I volunteer at the hospital gift shop two days a week, at the senior center two days a week, and at the food shelf once a week. On top of that, I have meetings at least two nights a week for various committees. I certainly don't have time to run around and pick up Kaia, who's old enough to take the bus and stay home alone."
    Biting the inside of his cheek, Andrew held back the sharp retort that threatened to spill from his lips. Yes, he knew all about his mother being too busy to help with children. Even though she had never worked outside of the home, she had always been so involved with community activities that he'd spent most days after school, and even some weeknights, alone at home when he was growing up. His father had been a loan officer at a local bank for thirty years, had volunteered for many different organizations, and had rarely been home either. So while the entire town looked up to the