Deborah scoffed.“Are they?I think they’re turning everyone into robots.That’s why I don’t have one.”
“Ah.”
“I just ran into Annie Thompson,” Deborah continued, “You know, with the twin babies?”
Margie knew her well.Her stepson, Jacob, had been close friends with her growing up on the island.He’d just moved away, but they’d spent many a happy evening all together at Margie’s house.
Surely Deborah must know Annie was dealing with a runaway ex-husband who had abandoned her with two young children?
Deborah lowered her voice.“You know her son can’t speak?May be why the father left.You never know.”
Margie’s patience snapped like a rubber band.“My own husband left me for a younger woman.Awful when men make those sorts of choices, isn’t it?”
Deborah blinked at her.“Yes, it is.”
“Terrible to judge others, Deb.You should think on that.”Taking a few steps forward, Margie smiled.“Have a blessed day!”
She walked off without looking back.
The nerve of that woman.Had she said something to Annie to make her cry?If she had, then she deserved far ruder treatment than either Margie or Annie could muster up.
Inside the store, Margie grabbed a cart and called Clara.
Thankfully, she answered right away.“Hi, Margie.”
“Hi, Clara!How are you?I’m sorry I’ve been absent recently.Things have been so busy with weddings and parties.”
When Margie had moved to the island years ago, she’d converted an old barn into an event venue – Saltwater Cove.Her pride and joy, since her children had all flown the nest.
“Oh, that’s all right.I’ve been keeping busy.I guess Annie told you?”
“Told me what?”Margie asked.
“About my fall.I didn’t want anyone to know, but I guess it’s time.It happened about two months ago.I broke my hip,” she said with a groan.
Margie stopped abruptly and the shopping cart behind her slammed into her legs.She sucked in a breath, steadying her voice.“No!”
The woman with the offending shopping cart rushed around to mouth a “Sorry!”and Margie smiled and mouthed back, “It’s okay!”
“Yeah,” Clara said.“I’m in rehab now, slowly getting better.”
“When will you get to go home?”
“That’s the thing,” she said with a sigh.“I might be able to go home next week, but I’ll need some things installed and I don’t know who can do it on such short notice.”
“What do you need?”Margie asked.
Clara sighed.“Embarrassing things.My mom always said not drinking my milk would catch up to me, but – ugh.Now I need grab bars in the bathroom, a handrail for the stairs I never got around to installing, a handheld shower head.Little things.”
“I’ll find someone,” Margie said with a nod.
Her husband Hank could probably do it, but he might need to take some time off work.As the Chief Deputy Sheriff, that wasn’t always possible…
“No, you don’t have to do that,” Clara said.“This is why I didn’t want anyone to know what happened.”
“Please,” Margie said.“It’s my pleasure.”She gasped.“Annie.She’s been all alone, hasn’t she?”
“I was hoping she’d reach out to you for help but… now I realize how naïve that was.”
