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A Wedding for Sasha

By Seralynn Lewis

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January 6
The frigid wind whipped through the barren trees as Sasha Blazevic walked from her older SUV to the imposing English Tudor. A light dusting of snow covered the walkway, and if not for the glowing friendship lights in the windows, the grandiosity of the home would have intimidated her.

As she stood in front of the solid wood door, she contemplated if Mark, who had been her cousin’s roommate, had given her the correct address. She had dated him six months ago, but he hadn’t wanted a long-distance relationship. With a trembling hand, she lifted the ornate knocker and let it fall.

When the door opened, a woman not much older than herself in well-worn sweat pants and a messy bun held a toddler on her hip. Two young girls eased their way around the woman.

“Is this the Wright residence?”

The woman smiled and shifted the child to her other hip. “You must be Sasha. I’m Ellen. Come on in. Please excuse the mess. The Christmas toys are still a novelty.”

“No problem. You have a charming home.”

A genuine smile graced the woman’s lips. “Thanks.”

They stepped into the living room, and it was chaos to the nth degree. The Christmas tree, with its twinkling lights and festive candy canes, still stood in the corner of the room with a crackling fire in the oversized fireplace, and exuded the warmth of the season. Toys strewn all over the floor kept it from being a scene straight out of a Currier and Ives painting.

“Let me get the keys, and I’ll show you the unit.”

She followed the woman through a dark paneled dining room with intricate woodwork and into a large, cheerful kitchen. Ellen opened a drawer, sifted through its contents, and extracted a wide ring with two keys. She grabbed a blanket from a chair and covered the child on her hip.
Ellen pointed to her daughters, who trailed them into the room. “You girls go play.”

“Aw, Mom. We want to come too,” the taller girl said.

“We’ll be back before you can get your shoes and coats on. Now scoot.”

The two girls grumbled as they dawdled down the hallway. The sound of a blaring television echoed in their wake.

Ellen strode out the door. “We have to go across the breezeway to get to the entrance of the unit. It’s a wind tunnel of sorts out here. Watch your step. It’s slippery.”

Mrs. Wright opened the tucked away door on the other side of the porch attached to the garage. It led them into a small entrance hall with large multiple-paned windows that looked out onto a spacious backyard. A bench seat had storage under it and hooks on the opposite wall. The glossy dark wood floor and steps gleamed even though it was a cloudy day.

It looks promising so far.

“We’ve been looking for someone a little older than a recent high school graduate. You seem to fit the bill.” Ellen eyed her over her shoulder. “Tell me a little about yourself.”

As they climbed the steps, she told the woman about how her mother was born and raised in Youngstown, Ohio, but had moved to Pittsburgh when she married over thirty years ago.

“Mom wanted to move into an assisted living facility here and be near my cousin, who works at the hospital downtown.” She gave a one shoulder shrug. “So, I moved to be near her.”

“Didn’t you say you work in the hospital’s lab?”

“I don’t start my new job for a few weeks, but I wanted to find a place to live beforehand. I’ll also be studying for a nursing degree at YSU.”
Ellen grinned, took the other key on the ring, and opened the door at the top of the landing. “Where are you staying now?”

“I’m at my cousin’s apartment downtown, but I want to be settled into a place before he and his new wife return from their honeymoon.”

“I don’t blame you.” Ellen chuckled and winked, then made a wide arc with her arm to encompass the compact living space. “It’s small but cozy.”

Sasha wanted to jump for joy. How had Mark known it would be perfect for her? They hadn’t dated more than a half dozen times if she didn’t count all the times she’d been around him at her cousin’s place when Mark had roomed with him last year. They’d talked about medicine, children, and her classes.

The living room, dinette, and kitchen was one room, each space designated by complimentary area carpets. The pale gray and cream made the place seem larger than it was. She stepped into the small but comfortable bedroom and peeked into the surprisingly spacious bath. “It’s perfect. I’ll take it.”

The woman’s forehead creased. “Are you sure?”

Sasha grinned and tilted her head. “Are you trying to talk me out of it?”

Ellen shook her head. “No. It’s been a struggle to find a reliable tenant who will climb steps and not have a garage.”

“I came prepared to give you a deposit or whatever you require if I can move in quickly.”

The child fussed and squirmed until Mrs. Wright could no longer ignore him.

“It’s his nap time. Let’s go back to the house and we can take care of business.”

Sasha took one last look around her new home and snapped a few photos to show her mom, then followed the woman back to her homey rustic kitchen.

“Let me put my son in the play pen and I’ll get the lease. Have a seat.”

“Thanks.”

When Ellen left, her two older daughters inched their way into the room and sat on a long bench across from her. They stared at her but were quiet until their mother came into the room.

“Mom, can we have a cookie?” the smaller of the two girls said.

“Not until after lunch. You’ve been gorging yourself on sweets since Christmas. You can have an apple, but go into the TV room to eat it.” She plopped the lease in front of Sasha. “Excuse me a minute while I fix their snack. Read it, then we can talk over a cup of coffee.”

The lease was a simple one-page document which took Sasha two minutes to read, even with the distraction of the lip-smacking noises the girls made while they waited for their treat.

She gazed at the snow-blanketed back yard with no child-sized footprints. In her head, she went over all the things she had to do to make the move.

Ellen placed a tray with two pale blue bone china cups in the center of the rectangular oak table. A carafe filled with fragrant coffee, a matching sugar bowl and creamer sat next to it, along with a plate of frosted Christmas cookies.

As she sipped her coffee, Ellen explained the rent, utilities, and where Sasha could park.

She signed the one-year lease with a flourish and smiled at her new landlord. While the Wright’s house had awed her, Ellen was kind and personable. Sasha would love living near the down-to-earth woman, and she couldn’t wait to get to know her better.

Ellen broke into her thoughts. “How soon do you want to move in?”

“Would tomorrow be OK?”

Her new landlord frowned. “It hasn’t been cleaned.”

“The place looked fine to me. If there’s dust, I’ll take care of it. As I mentioned earlier, I need to get out of my cousin’s place, so tomorrow would suit me. I have to go to the university on Monday to see about my classes, then I start work. I’d like to be settled and relax a little before the hospital and school madness kick in.”

“Relax?” Ellen groaned, then grinned. “What is that? I don’t remember the last time I chilled out. At least the headache of renting the apartment is one less chore for me. My husband will be thrilled.”

“No doubt.”

“I’m so glad Mark gave you my number. His sister, Maggie, is a good friend. May I ask how you know him? He’s such a sweet guy.”

“He was my cousin’s roommate until last year at Thanksgiving.”

“Really? Neither Mark nor Maggie ever mentioned it.”

“We dated for a while, but the distance got to be too much.” For him… The taste of failure made her cringe, but she kept her expression neutral. “He gave me your number at my cousin’s wedding on New Year’s Day.”

“Now that you’re in town, maybe you can rekindle what you had.”

“He’s very involved with his sister and her family.”
Ellen looked pensive as she took another gulp of her coffee. “They don’t live far from here, but you could be right.” Mrs. Wright seemed to squirm in her seat. “I have a list of stores in the area, if you’re interested.”

“That would be terrific. Thanks.”

Her landlord got up and shuffled through a stack of papers in a file on the corner of the counter and handed it to her. “You’ll find whatever you may need at any of them, and their prices are reasonable.”

Ellen told her they’d be in church in the morning, but Sasha was welcome to come after two. With a single nod, she left with a buoyancy she hadn’t had since last year. She laughed at herself as she got into her car. Last year was two weeks ago.

She drove to her storage facility and retrieved all the boxes with her personal belongings, including her beloved snowman collection. She jammed everything into the back of her vehicle. There’d be just enough space in the front seat for her suitcases.

By Sunday at noon, Liam’s apartment smelled of the pine scent she’d used when she gave it a thorough cleaning.

She packed any food she’d bought since her cousin’s wedding, and she’d forego grocery shopping until Monday when she could take stock and figure out what she needed.

Classes at the local university was her next goal… And finding out just how close Mark’s sister lived from the Wright’s home.

* * *

Doctor Mark Bartos stood on the wobbly ladder and handed the last of the Christmas bulbs at the top of the tree to his youngest niece, while his eldest niece packed them into their respective slots in the Christmas ornament box.

His younger sister, Maggie, had demanded a seven-foot-plus blue spruce for Christmas and he’d had a time of it stringing the lights. Taking them off the tree would be another pain in his backside, but at least the girls helped while their mother did who knew what in town.

His sister still struggled with her husband’s duplicity, and he ground his teeth every time his mind traveled back to that dreadful day.

Her four children had always been a delight, so he’d never minded babysitting. He worried about his sister, but he had to give her time to work through the betrayal and grief. He’d stand by her no matter what.

As he got the last of the lights wound around plastic spools and inserted them into a Christmas tub, his eldest niece, Tatiana, frowned at him. “Are you taking the tree down now too?”

“Not yet. I’ll wait for your mom.”

Tatiana stared at the barren tree, then looked away. “I don’t think she’ll be home soon.”

He stepped off the ladder. “How do you know that?”

“Uncle Mark, Tatti grabbed your phone off the table and has been calling Mom ever since.” Erin wiggled her body in glee.

Tatti glared at her younger sister. “Tattletale.”

He grimaced and imagined the settings in disarray. “How did you get the password?”

She slumped and turned away.

He took two long steps and grasped her shoulders. “I don’t want you using my phone. I might have a hospital emergency. Do you understand?”

Fat tears pooled at the corner of her eyes. “I’m sorry.”

Mark pulled her in for a tight hug. “Don’t do it again, OK?”

“Alright.” She wiped the tell-tale tears and gave him his phone.

A change of password was in order, and he’d need to train himself to always keep the phone in his pocket.

He couldn’t stay angry with her. Their no-good father had traumatized both girls. But how he longed for the privacy of his personal possessions. “Let’s see if your brothers are awake. It’s about time for lunch.”

As they marched into the former servant living area that had been turned into a nap area for the twins and playroom for the older two, he bent over the crib and the boys had bright red spots on their cheeks.

“Crap.”

Erin ran in and shook a mason jar filled with coins and dollar bills under his nose. “You said a naughty word. Put a dollar in the jar, Uncle Mark.”
“Not now, Erin.”

His curses had become mild since he moved in with his sister over Thanksgiving weekend last year. It was ridiculous how his nieces called him out for his language daily. By the time he got his sister squared away, she’d have enough money from the curse jar to pay for their college educations.

He lifted Alex and held him close when Zander moaned. The toddler was burning up. “Hang on buddy, I’ll get you in a minute.” When he checked their diapers, they were dry. He needed to take their vitals.

“Tatti, go get my medical bag in my room.”

A look of stark fear passed over the girl’s face.

“Now, Tatti.” His voice softened.

Mark picked up Zander who hadn’t seemed as hot, but both boys had fevers, and he paced the room and patted their backs. Their whimpers nearly leveled him. He swallowed his fear and kicked himself into doctor mode.

When his niece returned, he placed the boys back in the crib and took their temperatures. Almost a hundred and two. When he listened to their lungs, they were clear. But their ears showed signs of drainage. Maggie needed to come home.

He pulled out his phone and remembered Tatti had called her multiple times.

“Did your mom answer the phone when you called?”

“She did the first couple of times, but then…” The little girl’s voice trailed into nothingness.

He didn’t blame his sister for wanting some time to herself. He had work and she had been cooped up with the kids since Evan left. The girls had been super clingy since their father left. They needed counseling, but Maggie refused to admit the girls needed it.

He figured she’d think it was Tatti, so he texted instead.

SOS. Boys have a high fever. You need to come home.

When ten minutes went by and his sister hadn’t responded, he catapulted into high gear. “We need to get the twins’ fever down and you two will help.”

“Do we have to?”

“Yes. Erin, you get the boys fresh diapers and clothes and meet me in the bathroom. Tatti, can you make two small bottles with apple juice?”
She nodded and looked over her shoulder as she left the room. “Are they going to be OK?”

His heart hammered. Memories of another time when his sister was little shot through his brain and threatened to paralyze him. He took a deep breath. “I’m a doctor, cupcake.”

He was loath to say he’d fix the boys. He couldn’t give any parent assurances, much less a sibling. Most days his manner remained professional and competent, but the twins were his nephews, and he couldn’t evade the emotional attachment.

Both girls raced into the bathroom when the boys screeched in pain as he applied a tepid washcloth to their bodies.

“You’re killing them, Uncle Mark,” Tatti yelled and smacked the bottles on the counter, then covered her ears. “I want to call Mom. Where’s your phone?”

“I’m not hurting them and you’re not calling your mom. I already texted her. She hasn’t responded. Want to guess why?”

Erin brought in the clothes and put them next to the bottles, then plugged her ears. “I’m going to my room.”

“Good idea,” he muttered.

His eldest niece came closer and pulled at his shirt. “What are you doing to them?”

“Stop, Tatti. I’m bringing down their fever. This is what the hospital does when a baby has a high fever. You need to back off.” The last words were a tad sharp, and she scampered to stand against the wall near the bathroom door and pursed her lips.

“It’s OK, boys. You’ll be better when we get your fever down.”

“Doubtful,” she mumbled.

“What?”

“Nothing.”

He wrapped both boys in fluffy warm towels and their cries dwindled to sniffles.

“Bring the clothes and the bottles to the nap room.”

As he laid the boys in the crib, they shivered. He needed to get hydrating liquids in them.

Tatti handed him the clothing. “Here.”

“Take Alex and give him some juice while I dress Zander.”

“No. You feed him.”

She backed away and left the room.

Great.

“It looks like we’re on our own, guys.”

He dressed the boys one at a time and held them as he coaxed them to suckle the juice which both boys refused. Where was his sister? She needed to be there to help care for them.

The boys snuggled against his chest as he searched the refrigerator for the hydrating liquid that contained electrolytes that would keep them from dehydrating, but it appeared Maggie was out.

He returned to the nap room and rocked the boys. Erin eased into the room just as the twins dozed. He wanted to nap with them. “Uncle Mark. I’m hungry.”

“You might have to wait until the boys are sleeping good before I fix you some lunch.

She stomped her little foot in displeasure. “But I’m hungry now.”

“Have Tatti give you a banana or an orange.”

“I don’t want that. I want a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.”

“Well, you can’t have it right now. I’m kind of busy.”

“Tatti,” she screamed as she left the room and woke both boys who wailed an ungodly sound.

Fantastic. It’ll be another hour before I can get them to sleep again. And I wanted a family of my own? What was I thinking?

Despite it all, family was the one thing he longed for after he found a practice he could join. His hours as a pediatric doctor at the hospital kept him from pursuing the dream. He had to do it all in order. First a private practice, then a wife and family.

His mind meandered to Sasha. Had she taken the apartment, or was she still at her cousin’s place?

Stop it.

He couldn’t think of her or what she was doing when his nephews needed him.

Where was Maggie?

The girls were too quiet, so he lifted himself from the rocker and held the boys as he went from room to room. What he saw when he went into the kitchen made him want to scream at the top of his lungs. Maggie would have a fit when she returned.

Peanut butter had been smeared all over the counter and jelly dripped off the edge and plopped onto the floor. They left the bread bag open with slices scattered around it. The entire loaf would be stale in no time.

How would he clean the mess and care for the boys before his sister returned?
How had Maggie cared for all four of them by herself? He was certain her low life husband hadn’t helped her with the kids or with the house.

Just as he planned an explanation, the front door slammed, and Maggie strode into the kitchen after telling the girls to wash up, go to their rooms, and stay there until she called them. “What is going on? The girls made a mess in the living room with their sandwiches. Christmas decorations are scattered everywhere, and the place looks like a cyclone hit it.”

“Didn’t you get my text? It was an emergency.”

Maggie took off her coat and shook her head at the messy kitchen. “I silenced my phone after the fifth call from Tatti.”

“Your daughter hijacked it again.”

“Keep your phone in your pocket.”

“The boys have a fever of one hundred and two, their ears are clogged, and you have no electrolyte drinks on hand.”

His sister rushed to her sons and took one of them. “Oh, my poor darlings. What is it?”

His stomach clenched as he saw the concern in her eyes. “It could be viral, so antibiotics won’t help. Let’s get some fluids in them and see where they are in a few hours. I wiped them down with a tepid washcloth, and it helped, but they might meds. Don’t worry, it might be just a little bug and will be gone in a day or two.”

He followed her to the nap room and held both boys as she stripped the crib and put fresh linens on it. “You need to answer your phone and I don’t care if Tatti calls you twenty times. It might be an emergency––like now.”

“I’m so sorry, Mark.” Her eyes filled with unshed tears. “I just needed to be alone for a few hours. Tatti’s calls bordered on the ridiculous. I didn’t think any of my babies would get sick.”

“That’s the problem. You didn’t think. Don’t do it again. The girls are way too clingy, and they need counseling, and so do you.” The worry over the twins and the girls took its toll on him.

Her head jerked. “Get off the counseling merry-go-round, Mark. I’m not ready for it.”

“Well, if you don’t… at least make sure the girls go.”

Maggie looked away. “Evan won’t pay for it,” she mumbled.

He pursed his lips. “Is that why you’ve been reluctant? I’ll pay for it.”

She took Alex, sat on the rocker, and motioned for him to hand her Zander. “I can’t do that, big brother. You’ve already paid for food and utilities. I can’t ask you to pay for counseling for us when my deadbeat husband won’t.”

“Take him to court, Maggie. Your daughters and your wellbeing are important.”

“I plan on it. Let’s get through one crisis at a time.”

If he ever saw her no-good husband, he’d pummel the guy for what he’d done.

A happy family was all he wanted for Maggie and her children. He and his sister hadn’t had that when they were kids, and now she was in the same boat as their dad all those years ago. With four kids instead of two, it would be even worse for Maggie.

He had to come up with a plan to help his sister and still achieve his personal goals.

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