“Yes, Mom.”
“Don’t you ‘yes, Mom’ me like you’re placating an idiot. I understand your need to get to the others quickly. I’d probably be driving as if I were in the Indy 500 if I was in the car with you, but I’m still your mom, and I still worry.”
“I know you do, Mom. We’re being safe, honest we are.”
“Tell Farrow I want her to be very cautious driving so fast and not to be afraid to slow down anytime too many other cars are around or if there are sharp turns. God will only help those who help themselves.”
“Mom, we’re driving through Tennessee. How many sharp turns do you think there are?”
“Alik Winter.” In her voice was a stern warning not to back talk.
“Okay Mom,” he sighed.
“Okay, nothing. Tell her right now.” Danny had hopped down from his chair at the kitchen table and was licking the stirring spoon with relish. Margo thought quickly of salmonella poisoning, but decided to let it go for a while.
Raw egg is the least of this little boy’s worries, she thought.
Alik turned to Farrow, trying hard not to roll his eyes as he repeated his mother’s directions verbatim.
Understanding the tone of the conversation from hearing Alik’s side, Farrow yelled back, “Yes, ma’am. I’ll be very careful.”
“Now, Alik, what is your plan once you arrive at Arkdone’s asylum?”
“My plan is to get my family back.”
“How do you plan to do that?” Margo prompted.
“Mom, I love you, but no matter what I say right now, it’s going to freak you out and you’ll worry like crazy. Just know that Farrow and I do have a plan and we will get everyone out. You’re just going to have to trust me.”
“Why won’t you tell me your plan, Alik?”
“Mom, listen to you. You just freaked out at hearing we’re speeding. How are you going to wrap your head around us marching into that asylum with guns blazing?”
“Is that your plan?” Margo gasped.
“No, but do you see my point?”
Margo was silent for a moment. “Do you promise you’ll be as safe as you can and that you’ll call me as soon as you have rescued the family?”
“Of course, Mom. Look, lady,” Alik forced his voice into a softer pitch, knowing it would soothe her troubled nerves, “You trained me very well. I don’t just fight, I fight intelligently. I know how to take care of myself in battle, and it is all because I learned from you. Trust yourself that you prepared me for this, okay? Besides, Farrow’s got my back,” Alik winked over at Farrow’s smirk. “And we all know how kick-butt she is.”
“Okay, Ali. I love you so much,” Margo was trying very hard to be strong for her son.
“I love you too, Mom.”
“Tell Farrow thank you for helping our family.”
Alik turned to Farrow, “Mom says, ‘Thank you for helping our family’.”
“It’s my family, too,” Farrow spoke loud enough for Margo to hear. “I’m all in, Dr. Winter.”
“Would you please get that girl to start calling me ‘Margo,’ or better yet, ‘Mom’?”
“I’ll work on it,” Alik chuckled. “Hey, how’s my littlest brother?”
“He’s precious,” Margo sighed. “He had us up before dawn this morning. He’d crawled into our bed and was holding our hands in each of his own.”
“He’s a pretty great kid,” Alik smiled, genuinely happy to hear Danny was all right.
“He’s a blessing—thank God you all were able to rescue him.”
“Like I said, Mom; you trained us well.”
“I love you, Son.”
“Love you more, Mom. Bye.”
Alik pressed “End Call” on his cell’s screen and sat quietly thinking for a moment before he spoke.
“Maybe now’s a good time to throw around some plans.” Alik looked over at Farrow earnestly before opening the glove box and retrieving a tablet and a pencil.
***
Margo heard the phone click indicting the call had been disconnected. Slowly, with worry adding to the already permanent creases in her brow, she put her phone back in her pocket and looked up, still deep in thought. That’s when she noticed Danny sitting on the kitchen floor sucking the spoon and opening the cabinets to get at the pots and pans. Just above him, on the countertop was the peace lily.
“Theo?” she called to the sweet man pulling out a tray of hot cookies from the oven. “With everything we have going on, I don’t know how you think to do little things like water the plant.”
“What was that?” Theo said over the clatter he made putting the metal cookie sheet on the stovetop.
“Thanks for watering the lilies.”
Bang, bang, bang!
Danny was using his now thoroughly licked spoon to play drums on the pots and pans.
“Come here you little monkey,” Theo said to the toddler as he tucked the pots back into the cabinet and scooped him up. “You get to help do the dishes,” Theo said with exaggerated excitement.
To his surprise, Danny clapped happily and leaned toward the sink, anxious to get started.
Chapter 56 What’s The Frequency, Donovan?