Free Maggie's Turn by Deanna Lynn Sletten Page B

Harrisons for their selfless giving of their time to the community, he'd sat home alone, eaten cold dinners, and gone to sleep many nights in a quiet, empty house.
    "Mother," he said gently, trying his hardest to brush aside his lonely childhood memories. "I realize it may be an inconvenience, but I really need your help. I never ask you to help with the children, but I'm asking now."
    "Children?" Marcia huffed. "I'd hardly call Kaia a child. What is she now, thirteen? Fourteen? Kaia is certainly old enough to stay home alone a couple of hours after school. You did it when you were much younger than that. I can't ignore my responsibilities to babysit a grown girl. It's ridiculous."
    Andrew sat silent, not trusting himself to speak. He'd never spoken harshly to his mother in his life, and he didn't have the energy to do so now.
    Marcia harrumphed. "And another thing, Andrew. You really need to reign in that wife of yours. My goodness, she was flitting off to Seattle several times the past couple of years, and here she is, gone again. That isn't very responsible of her."
    Andrew bristled. "Her father and sister were sick and died, Mother," he said tightly, feeling the need to defend Maggie. "She wasn't taking a vacation. She was helping them."
    "Be that as it may, she has enough to do here at home. It's late. I'm going to bed. Good night." Marcia hung up the phone before Andrew could even say goodbye.
    Andrew sat, stunned, staring blankly at the opposite wall of their bedroom. He hadn't expected much from his mother. After all, she'd never been involved much with the children even when they were younger. And he knew she never really approved of Maggie either, since Maggie was considered an outsider to his mother. But would it have killed her to help out even a little? Apparently, it would have, because she'd said no.
    As Andrew sat there, his eyes focused on the framed family photos arranged on the wall. They were of all sizes, arranged in a circular order, displaying scenes from their life. There was one of Maggie and him clowning around on a beach when they were younger. One each of Kyle and Kaia as babies, a family Christmas photo in front of the tree, and a group photo with all of them, including Maggie's father and sister, taken when they'd visited Seattle years ago. Andrew zeroed in on that photo. He'd always liked Maggie's dad, even from the very beginning. He had been a tough guy but fair, and there was never any doubt that he loved his two girls unconditionally. He'd also been good to Andrew, welcoming him into the family the very first time he'd visited when they were in college. Maggie's family was the warm, caring family he'd never had growing up, and it was comforting spending time with them. That openness and warmth was one of the many things that had drawn Andrew to Maggie in the first place. But after he and Maggie had moved back to Woodroe, Andrew became caught up in his own past and hometown and forgotten just how much he'd enjoyed Seattle and Maggie's family.
    Andrew stood and walked over to get a closer look at the framed photos. He smiled slightly when he examined the photo of him and Maggie in their early twenties. Maggie was pretty, carefree, and adventurous then. She'd surprise him with impromptu weekend trips to Reno, Tahoe, and other fun places. He hadn't been any more spontaneous when he was young than he was now, but at least then, he'd been open to following Maggie anywhere.
    As he stared at the photo, his reflection stared back at him in the glass. He looked tired, his brown eyes dull, and there were lines around his eyes and mouth. Silver tipped his dark hair at the temples, and he saw strands of gray peppered among the black. The contrast between how he looked in the picture over twenty years ago and how he looked now startled him. Until this minute, he'd thought of himself as only forty-five years old, but now he realized that even though he thought he was still young and vibrant, he really